Sleep Habits

[absolutehush]

I'm lying here, slightly upright with my 8 day old sleeping (face down) on my chest.

She can sleep independently but also needs a cuddle sometimes. My MIL keeps telling me that I'm creating bad habits for the future... am I correct in thinking that this is a) batshit and b) sleep Babbits are something to work on from about 11-12 weeks when she learns what nighttime is?

Also she is a very lovely snuggly baby!

*sleep habits.

Babbits is very cute though!

Correct, that is absolutely batshit!
She is 8 days old, soak up every possible cuddle you can possibly manage.

Have you read up on the fourth trimester? It really helped put my mind at ease about when I should be thinking about sleep patterns etc and when I should just be doing what baby's cues tell me.

Tbh, even 12 weeks is tough to work on sleep habits as they are so small. I fed to sleep until about 4 or 5 months, and then stopped easily enough so yeah, in my experience, agree it's batshit.

What I will add though is that although it seems really annoying and unhelpful of her, she's only trying to make sure you do the best thing for you in the future. It's misplaced, but I suppose in her way she's trying to be helpful. Might be worth saying to her that you appreciate the sentiment but the thinking has changed in the last 30/40 years and if she had had her babies now, she'd be reading the same information you have and would agree! Haha

Thank you both for reassuring me I am not ruining our whole lives because she wants a cuddle. I think she's so squeeeeeeeee that I would probably cuddle her anyway because how can you not, but I'm happier now.

Off to do some reading on the 4th trimester and think up some polite responses to MIL.

She also thinks I should be able to leave the baby by now! she's EBF and 8 days old!

My 14 month old is still very fond of sleeping on my chest (well now it's chest, stomach and legs!!!). Enjoy the cuddles, they are the best.

For the first three months all we did was cuddle our boy day and night. By five months he slept independently, self settled and went 7am-7pm. You cherish those gorgeous early days, all the baby needs is cuddles, love and food. Congrats!

Absolute bullshit! My nearly 3 year old is still cuddled to sleep and it’s no problem. Apart from the usual nightmares, illness and occasional loo trips (friends who don’t cuddle to sleep report the same) she sleeps through by herself.

You can’t cuddle baby too much but you can cuddle them too little. There is a good reason that you want to cuddle her and that’s because it is good for both of you.