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Fidgeting while rocking to sleep

2 replies

Mcousin99 · 31/08/2024 19:29

My 4 month old has always been rocked to sleep and I've had no issue doing it until the last few weeks.

She is getting too big now; my arms are killing and she just constantly fidgets while falling asleep. I've read that this can mean she's ready to just be put down in her own space but when I've tried that (then rocking the moses basket instead) she just can't manage to settle and eventually wakes up more so we are back to square 1. She has never taken a dummy which was the game changer with my oldest daughter as she loved hers.

She sleeps in a love to dream swaddle and isn't really rolling yet - I wondered if its time to just change things up completely, we've got a bigger crib (between moses basket and cot size) as she is looking huge in the basket now and fidgets alot during the night too - constantly slamming her legs down etc and reaching the top! . but i'd be worried putting her in the crib in the swaddle in case she did roll. But it feels too soon to ditch the swaddle! Just don't know what to do for the best, just feel we are both ready to move on from what we've been doing since she was born but lost on what to try first!

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Wingingitmum11 · 01/09/2024 02:49

@Mcousin99 I had to take my baby arms out early (3 months) as he showed signs of rolling and did roll by 4 months but like your baby, he started fidgeting like hell being rocked.

Honestly, it was just leaving him and doing check ins worked wonders, I think we were actually doing too much and all the rocking , movement etc was over stimulating him. It did take a few days to settle but then he got it.

Could you try some different dummies now if you did still want to introduce ?

Mcousin99 · 03/09/2024 19:08

Wingingitmum11 · 01/09/2024 02:49

@Mcousin99 I had to take my baby arms out early (3 months) as he showed signs of rolling and did roll by 4 months but like your baby, he started fidgeting like hell being rocked.

Honestly, it was just leaving him and doing check ins worked wonders, I think we were actually doing too much and all the rocking , movement etc was over stimulating him. It did take a few days to settle but then he got it.

Could you try some different dummies now if you did still want to introduce ?

For the first time tonight i got her to "proper" sleep without rocking her in my arms - i put her in the moses basket instead once her eyes were closed but she was still wriggling around , then rocked that abit while singing to her! So that's an improvement

We've tried 3 different types of dummies on and off but tbh probably not consistently enough for her to take one . She'd have more settled days so didn't bother with it but it kept being a recurring issue that she seems to need something to soothe but rocking is no longer it! I agree with you I think the rocking and pacing just started to annoy her. But in between that and being able to settle herself on her own.
We'll be trying the bigger crib soon and maybe out of the swaddle completely too - not sure if a transition one is going to be much help as it's always been her arms that she likes tight up by her head!

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