Help and reassurance please?!

[Newmum0113]

My 6 week old DD has just decided to stop sleeping at night in the last week. Her colic has gotten worse over the last two weeks and it's always between 8pm and 8am that it happens :(

She will sleep perfectly laying on my chest but then I can't sleep with her there. The moment I put her down she wakes up and cries inconsolably for hours until it's feeding time again.

Knackered doesn't even cover it. I hope she grows out of it soon. Annoyingly, when she does go to sleep, she's starting to roll/lean her whole body, head first, against the side of her basinet. Her nose isn't actually against the side, but she kind of cuddles up to the wall. I'm terrified to go to sleep. No matter how many times I move her back to the middle, or even to the right hand side, she still shuffles over to the left and lays diagonally.

What do I do?

Reading all the advice about cot death they tell you to get them to sleep on their backs. This is because the baby can overheat which is attributed (in part) to cot deaths. And if you lie them on there side or front then they cannot move to cool down. However if your child is old enough to roll that way then they can roll back if they get too hot. My daughter went started rolling onto her side or front. So now we just place her on her front as that is how she is most comfortable.

Have you considered co sleeping with your child. If she likes being cuddled up to you it may be something you can consider. You can download a guide to safe co sleeping off the unicef website.

Or have you tried putting in a t shirt you have been wearing in the basket with her. Some children find the smell of their mother reassuring. Not a bra or any top with fiddley straps.

mrsmartin thanks for your reply. She is on her back, that's how she is rolling. We do often sleep her on her front as this is the only way she is comfortable, and she has been lifting her head and shoulders properly unaided since she was 2 weeks old. She rolls herself over from her back to her front or side while she's asleep too.

I'm just worried that she's going to put her face flat against the side of the basinet and smother herself. DH is not a fan of co sleeping, and in all honesty I worry about it too. I have fallen asleep with her on my chest when in bed (not on the sofa) but I stir and wake very easily for no reason. I'd like to think that's me being tuned in to her and keeping her safe.

I've read loads of advice about preventing SIDS but nothing really covers quite what I'm asking. She moves herself to the edge, like she's cuddling up to it, but never actually puts her face against it, just the corner of her head.

My dd does that - she's cuddling up to it for comfort, like she's hugging it. I wouldn't worry, as long as there is space between the edge of the bassinet & her she'll be able to breathe. Oh & as for the sleeping on the chest thing - that's so she can be close to you & hear your heartbeat - my 14mo still naps like that

I do understand the fear with co sleeping. And it was something that I struggled to get over. As with you I did it unplanned because I was so tired. It is far safer to co sleep then fall asleep on a sofa. So if you do feel drowsy then it's best to move to the bed. I'm not trying to pressure you into it. I started doing it around 5 weeks and it transformed our lives. And I started getting a decent nights sleep every night

And yes as gin said. She is snuggled up to the side for comfort. If she can roll away she won't smoother herself

MrsMartin I'm only ever on the bed with her, we don't have a sofa :( also you're not pressuring just trying to give clear advice :)

I'm usually laying almost completely flat on my back with her sprawled on my chest. She seems to fit like a perfect jigsaw puzzle piece and doesn't move at all.

It's just a but of paranoia on my part I think. I'm a bit more comfortable with it over the last couple of days.

gin She rolls around by herself and lifts herself up to turn her head if on her front so I'm sure she's fine! Still having trouble with her waking up as soon as she goes in her basinet though. She suddenly gets bouts of colic too which is so upsetting for her :(

Hi newmum,
my lo (5 weeks) sleeps exactly like you describe on my chest - a perfect jigsaw piece I was a bit worried too about Co sleeping, but a couple of things have really helped out...

• using an attached bedside crib. He may not lie in it yet, but it's a nice big barrier between him and the floor. We have the nct bednest so it's literally an extension of the bed
• lying down feeding: don't know if you're ff or Bf, but this only really makes sense in bed, and mid afternoon Bf sessions are giving me an hours kip that's making a huge difference right now. Also, doing this for the 4am feed gives prob 2 hours sleep too. You can look up the locked style position they suggest
• Bf pillow: the perfect baby wedge! Makes me feel much more comfy about him keeping the position I want

If you lie down in bed with her in the crook of your arm and your arm lying along the too you should be able to sleep as she will be perfectly safe - co sleeping is safer than hoping you don't fall asleep through exhaustion!