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Sleep

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Original poster

Breaking Co-Sleeping

15 replies

TreeSparrow · 27/01/2016 17:34

Baby is seven weeks old and has been co-sleeping with me as she won't be put down and hates being on her back. She either sleeps on my chest or on her side next to me with me cuddling her. Any loss of physical contact and she tends to wake within a few minutes and get distressed.

Last night I tried sneaking her into the Moses basket. Tried sneaking her into it four times (when deeply asleep) and she woke instantly each time. My worn t-shirt under her made no difference. Even tried warming it up with hot water bottle first so she felt warmth under her but it just didn't work, no matter how slowly I eased her in. Not sure how to approach this next. Any ideas? Is it too early for her maybe? I'd love my husband to come back from the spare room!

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bunny85 · 27/01/2016 17:50

Hi, not much of an advice as I'm in the same situation, but I've noticed a positive tendency and maybe that could be helpful. My son is 2.5 months and we still co-sleep. He used to hate being put down or being separated from me for long generally, so he could only sleep at night or nap during the day on my chest. I was sleeping slightly sat up with him on my chest for just over 2 months and I thought that's never going to get better, everyone was saying that he got used to it now and I'm spoiling him. However he's 2.5 now and naps during the daytime independently (not without the help of a dummy though to be fair) and most importantly he sleeps NEXT to me at night now, as opposed to being ON me. Provided things are still going same direction, next step will be placing him in our chicco next2me co-sleeping crib. If he hasn't overgrown it by then!

Junosmum · 27/01/2016 18:02

So it's not just me then! No idea how to break it but hoping that someone more experienced will be along soon.

MYA2016 · 27/01/2016 18:36

My 2 week old is the exact same. Wakes up for a breast feed every 3 hrs and sleeps on my chest the rest of the time. Won't sleep next to me or on his side, just on me. Very uncomfortable after a cesarean :-( I'm fed up of being told I'm making a rod for my own back... I need sleep too so what else can we do ? !

Original poster

TreeSparrow · 27/01/2016 19:07

I've read that up to six weeks this is totally normal and natural and you aren't spoiling them at all. However, they are capable of learning patterns from six weeks old so you can start to introduce routine at this point.

Annoyingly, baby will sleep on her belly in the basket!

OP posts:

fluffikins · 27/01/2016 19:43

Just co sleep try a sleepyhead if you want that has worked for us in terms of getting the baby off your chest but really do sleeping is the best way to get sleep as a family! Just make sure you follow guidelines on how to do it safely

MargaretCabbage · 27/01/2016 19:47

A Sleepyhead solved this problem for us, it's like magic. It's quite expensive, so you could try rolling up some blankets for the same effect.

GingerCuddleMonsterThe2nd · 27/01/2016 19:48

I co slept for months because I just wanted sleep I am lazy DS suddenly started being able to go to sleep on his own at about 4months he would wake at about 2am and then co sleep till 7am this lasted till about 8 months and then from then on he slept in the cot in my room, would wake for feeds but go back to sleep, but to be honest even at 1Ihe comes in every now and again.

Welcome to parenthood where your bed becomes their bed haha

fuzzyllama · 27/01/2016 19:56

My dd is now 10 weeks old and as of last Friday I've been able to get her in her own bed. about two weeks ago we went from only sleeping on my chest to bf laying down and she would just fall asleep there when finished.

she does take a bit of coercing to get to sleep before putting her down, but as long as she is soundo she will remain that way ! Waking every 3-4 hours for a feed. As nice as it is to sleep comfortably, I do miss holding her all night !

Muskateersmummy · 27/01/2016 20:03

If everyone is happy and getting sleep roll with it. You can't spoil a baby with cuddles, no matter what their age. She's so very little she wants comfort from her mummy. Time moves so quickly soon you will be missing these nighttime cuddles. Relax, enjoy the cuddles

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 27/01/2016 20:09

I'm at 11 weeks and only this week have made any dent in co sleeping. DD was screaming like a banshee at the very idea of not suckling to sleep / all night. I used a feeding cushion snaked round to be a bit like a sleepyhead. The other thing is starting early. When co sleeping i was trying to put her to sleep with me at around 10pm, after she'd fed to sleep downstairs. I think when she woke up at that stage and i started getting her ready for bed she was just so exhausted and over tired she couldnt handle anything but cuddling to sleep and permanent contact. Starting at 7.30 with a big final feed means she's calmer at the prospect of her side cot.

I also lie beside her on the bed and cuddle her to sleep in the cot. Not saying it's a total success but it's better than a week ago.

Good luck

ohthegoats · 27/01/2016 22:35

Sleepyhead.

Although when ill or teething, she still ends up in with me about 70% of the time That's how we all get the most sleep. Am wondering if I'll ever want boyfriend/tank snorer back in my bed.

Original poster

TreeSparrow · 29/01/2016 15:45

How is the Sleepyhead helpful for a baby that hates being on her back? Is it really any different to a loop of rolled up cellular blanket? I've tried encasing her with rolled blankets and it doesn't make her any happier. I don't want to spend £100 on a baby cushion that doesn't help with this issue (unless anyone can tell me it's very different from a rolled blanket).

OP posts:

Yoohooo · 29/01/2016 19:06

I absolutely could have written this post myself, in fact I'd just come on MN to see if I could find a solution to get my 11 week old off my chest into his Moses basket! Ds was born 7 weeks prematurely and since being home from hospital he has only ever slept a full night in his Moses basket once. I have got a sleepyhead and have tried using it but he doesn't seem to like it any more than he likes the Moses basket unfortunately. You could maybe buy one and then if it doesn't work sell it on? I think they have a pretty high resale value.

NotSoFancyNancy · 29/01/2016 19:28

Had a thread in this a few weeks ago. Ds slept on me for 5 weeks. Was beginning to think my Snuzpod cosleeper was an expensive ornament.
I now feed on a chair next to bed so I don't fall asleep and then transfer ds. I have a rolled up towel wrapped under mattress around head area which has probably helped the most. White noise occasionally helps( Ewan the dream sheep was a life saver with dd1)
He would not even cosleep next to me. Had to be on me.glad habit seems to be broken as sleeping sitting up for so long as exacerbated pregnancy piles and constipation despite a really good diet. Nearly worse than childbirth!

MissFlight · 29/01/2016 19:50

Just try and go with it for the present time, purely so you can get some sleep.
My ds was like this, he would finally sleep in his crib at 4 months. My other dc's slept alone from day one, but he needed the contact.

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