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I feel like I failed as a mum

7 replies

Terezia · 16/10/2015 14:18

I have got a beautiful 14 weeks old girl and I love her to bits. She is really a little cute pie but we have got sleeping problems. I know it is mainly mine fault as I spoiled her but now I am in position when I want to change it just dont know how.
Grace is sleeping with us in bed from her second night as I was too tired after delivery and sleepless night. I regret that decision as from that night she just didnt want to sleep in her moses basket or cot. Husband is not very happy about it and iI know it is not safe for her, but if i want to have any sleep I have no other option.
She is what I would call high need baby as she doesnt like to be in bouncer, swing, puschair, cot, pushchair or car seat. She will nap while I am holding her but just in case I am holding the dummy so she cant spit it out or while I am feeding her. She wont fall asleep on her own, neither during day, nor during night. Husband told be in numerous occasions that formula fed babies sleep better and I feel like he is blaming me that she doesnt sleep as I decided to breastfeed her.
I am tryng to put her in her bed when she is drowsy but the moment she is in her bed she is screaming the place down. And you cant really calm her down without picking her up. I dont like the cry methods but maybe it would worth to try it.
I know nobody has got a magic sleeping wand but I will be really thankful for any advice how to teach her to go to sleep on her own and not using the nipple like a dummy.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Alibabsandthe40Musketeers · 16/10/2015 14:22

You have not failed as a mum, you have followed your instincts and done your best for your baby.

Mine fed to sleep for months and months, I never saw a problem with it.

Your husband sounds like the problem here, not you, and not your baby.

TheOriginalWinkly · 16/10/2015 14:24

It's really very normal for small babies to feed to sleep and to want to sleep close to their mums, and she is a very tiny baby. Google the 'fourth trimester'. You've not failed at all.

Isthereeverarightime1 · 16/10/2015 14:32

Feeding formula does not equal a good sleeper, trust me! I was up several times a night until my DS was 13 months old! Your husband is wrong about that!
Some babies just like more closeness than others, my DS is 19 months now and i currently have to sit with him to help him sleep whereas a few weeks ago he would settle himself! They all go through different sleeping habits even as they get older, just go with the flow and try not to stress as it won't be forever Smile

Isthereeverarightime1 · 16/10/2015 14:33

And you definately haven't failed xx

LibrariesGaveUsP0wer · 16/10/2015 14:37

She is a perfectly normal baby. You have not failed and you haven't spoiled her.Smile

If Co sleeping works you can read up on doing it safely.

Sparrowlegs248 · 16/10/2015 15:58

My HV said to me that you car spoil a baby of that age. I believe her!

DS is 12 weeks. He also sleeps on our bed. He was in the Moses basket but kept waking himself up bashing his hands on the side. He also wouldst sleep on his own, only on me, disliked bouncer and Pram. I have kept trying and he is getting better. Will sleep in pram sometimes, and in the bouncer especially if you park him next to the dishwasher when its on.

PregnantAndEngaged · 16/10/2015 16:17

Firstly you have not failed as a mother. I do not believe that it is possible to spoil a tiny baby. You have followed your instincts and if your child is needy then by giving your baby what she needs through love and comfort is, in my book, being an excellent mother.

It is a myth that formula fed babies sleep better than breastfed babies. I formula feed and by no means am saying that formula feeders should feel guilty (there's enough guilt-trippy comments thrown around to us mums that choose to ff), but breastfeeding is best where it is possible to do so, so well done for sticking with that despite the negative comments from people who should be supporting you.

Yes, co-sleeping is not as safe as your baby sleeping in their own bed, but it can be done as safely as possible by following simple advice: www.nct.org.uk/parenting/co-sleeping-safely-your-baby

When your baby gets a little bit older, perhaps you could try some sleep training techniques. There are different methods and there is no right or wrong way of doing it, just what you feel comfortable with. But you will need support around you as sleep training is not easy. Methods include pick up put down, the chair method (where you put them in the cot, perhaps even have your hand on their chest until they fall asleep but you sit next to them on a chair, but over time you gradually move the chair away), no cry solution, cry it out, controlled crying.

I do understand the feeling you get though battling with these thoughts of "what if I did X from the start, baby might not be doing Y now" as I took the decision to start cuddling my baby for every daytime nap as he just wouldn't sleep in his moses anymore in the day and was getting really bad colic in the evening which I was convinced was due to poor naps, and now he sleeps great (if anything I worry he sleeps too much now in the day!!) but he won't sleep in his cot whatsoever apart from at night time. However, remember this: we, as mothers, do only what we think is best at the time and if we do make wrong decisions, we are learning from our own experiences - there is no rule book we can follow in this game, just our instincts and what is right or what we feel is right for our babies.

Good luck on your quest for resolving this in the future, but please do not beat yourself up over this and just enjoy your cuddles with your baba while you can as they grow up so quick :)

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