At the moment Gabriella is doing something she's never done before - napping by herself, sans swaddle. Would it be crazy for me to admit to y'all that since birth, she takes her naps either in someone's arms, the moby (which hasn't been broken out in almost a month!), the ergo, or swaddled? And in the swaddle is a relatively new development - and one that only really affords us a 45 minute stretch at best (where she's been known to doze comfortably for a couple hours in someone's arms). Fine, she's a high-maintenance baby. They all said the first month was all about survival - and I guess it's stayed that way ever since. I do worry that we're setting her up to be a little on the needier side. At night she falls asleep easily and beautifully on her own; we put her to bed swaddled, awake but drowsy, with her trusty waterfall sound machine running, and she's out within 5 minutes. That's always been easy. If only there was a way to influence her to stay snoozing for a while longer...
Anyhow, back to the nap. She's napping on our bed, right next to me. On her side. With a blanket. Something I completely swore I'd never ever do, and yet here we are. And she's been going on like this for well over an hour. If it works...
But what's really most notable is that I just ordered her a Manhattan Winkel.
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7 comments:
Bo is always swaddled when napping or sleeping at night. Thats totally fine! He startles himself if I leave his arms out. About the waking at night. As long as you are getting 6-7 full feedings in during the day she might just be waking out of habit?. Have you tried just putting the pacifier in instead of feeding her, actually having dad put it in so she doesnt even smell your milk? She may just want to suck. Obviously I am NOT an expert here that is just what some moms have suggested to me. Sometimes their lil bodies just get used to waking up. How many ounces of formula is she eating at one feeding?
Oh sorry I just read your comment that you do give her the paci sometimes.
How many naps and how long is she sleeping during the day? She may be getting too much day time sleep so she is nice and rested at night? :/
My son (who's, like, 3 days younger than your daughter) is totally a high maintenance sleeper too. Plus, ever since we started unswaddling him, he hasn't slept on his own at night. Yup, he lays right next to me in bed. I'm hanging my head in shame...
Gabriella sounds just like my Brianna. She sleeps wonderfully in someone's arms/a carrier. If I try to put her down for a nap in her crib during the day, she won't sleep longer than 30 minutes, and that's if I am lucky. She still wakes in the middle of the night and I feed her but wonder the same things you do about whether I should just let her cry herself back to sleep or not. She also sleeps next to me at night with a blanket, as DH now works night shift. There really is no right answer, you do what you need to do. I am so used to getting up to feed her that I just do it, I'd rather make her happy than listen to her cry.
Oh, and just so you know, Bri lurves her winkel. I am sure Gigi will too ;)
Haley - She's taking 4 oz. at a feeding, and tonight I tried giving her 5 oz. at bedtime (she eagerly ate that too) and she still woke up at midnight hungry. We are doing the paci thing (my hubby's doing it because of my injured leg anyway) but around 1 a.m. she gets persistent and it's clear it's hunger (we even tried letting her soothe herself the other night and it just led to screaming for 15 minutes). We feed her and she's asleep right after. She does nap a lot during the day. We basically have a little pattern going of eating every 3 hours, with play time and a nap in between each of those. What's funny is that's what just came naturally with her, and it's my understanding that Baby Wise follows something similar? I'm really starting to wonder if it is teething after all also.
yeah that's good that she fell into that pattern...some babies just do :)
sorry she is still waking so often that is tough.
maybe try 5 oz at every feeding during the day so you can get the most calories into her during the day as possible...and a lil more awake/play time? try to keep her up a little longer between naps. but yeah who knows she could be teething or going through a growth spurt where they need more calories. Hope it gets better.:)
Ella and I take naps in my bed a lot. I worry sometimes too but she sleeps so well.
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