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Original poster

how do I stay awake or settle her?!

17 replies

yougotafastcar · 26/03/2015 23:45

Dd was born yesterday morning. We spent last night in hospital and she slept but only on me, so I didn't sleep at all as she cried every time I put her in the cot. Tonight is the same so far.

I do know this is normal, and of course she doesn't want to be put down but I am so tired. My eyes are rolling as I type this.

What can I do to stay awake all night, or get her to settle in the moses basket for more then 2 minutes?

OP posts:
Original poster
yougotafastcar · 27/03/2015 02:36

Bumo

OP posts:
Original poster
yougotafastcar · 27/03/2015 02:37

Err bumping, even!

OP posts:
ThunderbumsMum · 27/03/2015 02:38

Sleep with her in the crook of your arm

ThunderbumsMum · 27/03/2015 02:40

And congratulations. I hope you get some sleep...

SilverShins · 27/03/2015 02:47

Congratulations! I wish I had some advice for you. My daughter was just as you describe. And you know I absolutely can't remember how we got through it! We did though, I remember drinking a lot of coffee and watching a lot of American tv I'd never seen before. There's a whole pre-dawn world I hadn't been aware of on the lesser watched cable channels Smile

I also ate rather a lot of cake in the afternoons, for the sugar rush...

Do you have a partner? Can you swap so that she sleeps on them for a bit? I know it's hellish but you will get through it FlowersBrewCake

Rinkydinkypink · 27/03/2015 02:49

Skin to skin in your bed. Put her in the middle with your arm round her, knees up, duvet off her, pillows out the way.

Ignore every person who tells you not to do this! You need sleep and you need it now.

First 4-7 days both my ds/dd had to be on me/ touched by me/next to me. It's very normal.

Original poster
yougotafastcar · 27/03/2015 02:58

Thank you Smile I adore her, but oh my, did I forget how hard this was! Cake sounds good..

I would co-sleep but I am so tired I'm worried I wouldn't wake. And DP is a heavy sleeper. Can't swap either because he couldn't stay awake. The plan is for him to get up with both children in the morning and I sleep but that seems like a loooong way away right now.

The MW won't mind seeing me in pyjamas tomorrow right?!

OP posts:
Rinkydinkypink · 27/03/2015 03:34

Those first weeks are amazing and so hard! You will get through it. Thanks

LIG1979 · 27/03/2015 03:59

My ds is 4 days old and whilst it is improving he does prefer to sleep on me! I am getting dh to take him for a couple of hours between feeds so I can sleep. Although now he has decided to cluster feed in the evening making even that tough. I have banished dh from the bedroom so I can just pretend it isn't the middle of the night.

LIG1979 · 27/03/2015 04:00

clicked post too soon. You have my sympathy but no solution.....Thanks

TheBookofRuth · 27/03/2015 04:12

Have you tried swaddling? Must admit DD was just as you described and it didn't work for her (I ended up co-sleeping and using the Moses basket for storage!), but it did work for DS.

HaveTeaWillSurvive · 27/03/2015 04:16

I went through days of this, was literally losing my mind and nearly dropped the baby so ended up co-sleeping for a while. Was a revelation but I hated it from a safety perspective however I figured at least properly managed was better than me drifting off accidentally on him which was getting inevitable. Hope you get a solution soon and congratulations!

SummerDreams13 · 27/03/2015 06:58

My DD was exactly the same and I couldn't sleep with her next to me at all. I slept on my back with pillows wedged on either side of me and her on my chest for the first week. The pillows gave me reassurance I wouldn't roll over even though I never even tried to in my sleep. After about 5/6 days like this, when she'd gone to sleep on me, I started transitioning her to crib next to me by draping blanket across her back, one hand on head, one hand on bum/blanket, lowering her into crib (right next to bed) and tucking ends of blanket round her in a loose swaddle. She then wasn't going into a cold crib as blanket was under her and around her so didn't wake - actually I also switched Ewan the Sheep on so she had the heartbeat sound. She's now 5 no and goes into her crib awake quite happily Grin hope there's something in there of use!

starfish12 · 27/03/2015 07:44

My DS was the same, slept on our chest for 3 months until i plucked up the courage to put him on his front. He had colic so think he liked his tummy warm. Hated him sleeping on me as was terrified from a safety perspective. Got an angel care monitor with the mat that detects their breathing and decided that was safer than him sleeping on me ( plus he was a heavy buggar!). He wasnt a brilliant sleeper but the relief of not having my baby on me 24/7 was immense.

Congratulations and good luck! X

basilflower · 27/03/2015 08:42

We had the same thing here, for at least 3 weeks DS would only sleep on one of us. I used to pass him to my DP in between feeds to get some sleep. Gradually after 3 weeks he would settle in his basket, but initially just for an hour a night, this gradually increased to all night (still waking for many feeds!). I remember people saying to me that this phase doesn't last forever and to make the most of it, but boy it felt like forever at the time. You will get through it!

Original poster
yougotafastcar · 27/03/2015 12:18

Thanks all. She went in the basket for 20 minutes at the most but has spent most of the day today sleeping in it. Why can't they do that at night?!

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Lilipot15 · 28/03/2015 20:06

We found a sleepyhead worked well, but I don't know what age they are recommended from. We didn't discover it until several weeks of age by which time the worst of that only sleeping on me was past (but now cosleeping again a year on!!). I remember the first night in hospital after 3 days induction / labour ending in emergency section, I was beside myself with tiredness and terrified she would fall out of my bed. It does pass. It was much easier once I got home. Congratulations on your new baby.

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