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Original poster

5 week old daytime napping problems

15 replies

ExcitedButTerrified · 05/03/2018 21:16

Hi

I’m a new mum looking for advice. DS made his way into the world 9 days early and is now piling on the pounds 5 and a half weeks later.

He’s been going down fine from around 10pm (occasionally 8pm so DH and I can actually eat together Shock!!) and then up at around 6am with a 1 or 2 feeds in between. All in all I think this is pretty good going.

The main issue is daytime napping. He doesn’t seem to want to be anywhere except in someone’s arms or strapped to me in my Kari Me sling. We’ve got a sleepyhead (which he sleeps in at night in a Snuzpod) so I’ve been trying that in various places in the house to see if that helps. It doesn’t. He slept for 10 minutes in it this morning before screaming. He’ll go to sleep on walks in the pram too. I’d be power walking all day but I had a c section and I’m still feeling pretty drained. DH is now back at work and my mum lives 2 hours away so I don’t really have a lot of help in the week. Any thoughts / tips on how we might encourage daytime napping in the sleepyhead? Or is it too early to be trying to do this? My concern is that we’re building bad habits but then if he doesn’t sleep during the day I’m worried that will be even worse?

We’ve been trying to get him down earlier at night too but he just agitates and screams his head off. He’s only little so I’m guessing at this point we aren’t going to achieve anything by leaving him so if he’s still going after 5-10 minutes one of us goes up and comforts him. Not sure what we can do to try to get him down easier then too?

Any advice would be really welcome. I’ve been reading a lot about controlled crying and other sleep training methods but thinking it’s still too early?

Now I better go rescue DH from screaming baby Sad

OP posts:
Faze84 · 05/03/2018 21:25

Aww he is only 5 weeks whats the rush.. Accept that he wants you during the day. My 9wk old does nap much during day except caboo or cuddles. I have learn2to accept it.

At 5wks old they dont know how to settle well because they are still adjusting and noticing all thats around them. They need you to help them process it all and switch of..

Faze84 · 05/03/2018 21:26

Doesn't *

GummyGoddess · 05/03/2018 21:33

His need for physical comfort is just as important as his need for food. He needs you to make him feel safe and secure after his entire existence has been turned inside out. If you do the crying to sleep then those methods recommend baby being a minimum of 6 months.

You can't make bad habits, baby hasn't learned about object permanence yet and won't for months. At that point a naptime routine (like a story and a few nursery rhymes) would be helpful. Until then he will panic if you aren't there because as far as he knows you have disappeared forever, he doesn't know you'll come back for him.

Original poster
ExcitedButTerrified · 05/03/2018 21:43

Thanks @Faze84 Smile

Is it even worth trying to put him down in his sleepyhead in the day at this point then? If not when should I start? How do you know that it’s time to transition?

I don’t want this to come across as me not wanting to cuddle our little one! He’s gorgeous and the centre of my universe. I’m just really conscious of building bad habits. I want to get him into a good rountine when that’s possible as I believe that’s best for both of us. I absolutely know that 5 weeks is too early to achieve that but I’m keen to make sure we’re doing everything we can to help him settle and be a happy little chappy.

OP posts:
Original poster
ExcitedButTerrified · 05/03/2018 21:51

@gummygoddess thanks that’s really reassuring to know that we can’t form bad habits at this point. I’ll go ahead and keep doing what we’ve been doing in the daytime for the moment.

OP posts:
Naschkatze · 05/03/2018 21:58

I mean this in the kindest possibly way - please give yourself and baby a break! He’s so tiny. Enjoy the cuddles he needs for a LOT longer yet and don’t stress yourself out over routines. I promise you won’t form bad habits. I wrote a similar post when DS was 7 weeks old and wish that I’d spent far less time in his early days worrying about his sleep. We had nothing resembling a routine until about 6 months when he suddenly of his own accord stopped feeding to sleep and fought me if I tried to cuddle him to sleep! He’s 12 months now, goes down easily and sleeps through. We haven’t “sleep trained” at all, just had a consistent bedtime routine from 6 months on.

You sound like you’re doing a wonderful job, so just enjoy him!

Ubercornsdiscoball · 05/03/2018 22:01

He’s 5 weeks! There is something known as the fourth trimester - google it. It might help you realise your baby really needs you at this stage

greentreeseverywhere · 05/03/2018 22:04

my baby always napped on me during the day and slept well at night. I slowly started moving her off me and putting her down (3months+) and now sleeps in her cot during the day....
I wish she would sleep on me still I miss it so much! it's goes so quick op enjoy it 😯

fabulous01 · 05/03/2018 22:06

Ahh he is 5 weeks

Sod the house, and enjoy those cuddles. A routine and a pattern will come at a later time

Notsooriginalwerther · 05/03/2018 22:17

I did pretty much the same as greentreeseverywhere my dd slept on me through the day for naps (unless she was in her pram) and at about 3 months I’d cuddles her until she was on the cusp of falling asleep and then lay her down gently in either her Moses basket or in her pod but isn’t always leave her with my dressing gown close or a blanket that I’d been snuggled in so Shen still had my scent with her. Routines won’t start properly until at least 3 months. Right now your baby has no concept of bad and good habits.

I too wish I could have back the days of cuddles all the time with a sleepy baby on me. Now I have a crawling 10mo that chooses when she wants to cuddle me and when she wasn’t to pull my eyelids off my face.

RiceBaby · 05/03/2018 22:48

Of course you can make bad habits! The parents who say otherwise tend to be baffled as to why their kids don't sleep/still feed through the night/can't be put down. Um...bad habits.

startingtheengine · 05/03/2018 22:57

My DS was like that for the first 6 months. Would only sleep on me, in the car or pram during the day, then from 6 months would sleep in his cot.
I miss those cuddles so make the most of them. The fact he goes down at night ok is a big bonus. My niece slept beautifully in her moses basket during the day, but was up all night, I know which I'd prefer.

Original poster
ExcitedButTerrified · 05/03/2018 23:07

Thanks so much.

I’ll make the most of the cuddles before the eyelid pulling commences (lol notsooriginalwerther!)

OP posts:
Sipperskipper · 06/03/2018 06:58

Try a swaddle. It replicates the feeling of being cuddled / held. It really helped my DD. We used swaddle, dummy and white noise for all sleep, and it helped settle her brilliantly.

crazycatlady5 · 06/03/2018 21:11

still feed through the night/can't be put down

These are not bad habits they are what babies are programmed to do. Bad habits are biting nails and smoking, something somebody picks up that is detrimental. Babies do it instinctively because they’re meant to, so they can’t be bad habits.

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