Hi moms,
Looking for your thoughts here.
DS, 4.5 mos, has been sick all week. She's on the tail end of it now, but she's coughing up stuff (it's a chest cold), and I can tell it's burning when she does - doctor says it just needs to play out. She's been sleeping a lot since being sick, and up until yesterday, has actually been sleeping well at night. Still just waking 1x for a bottle.
Yesterday, though, different story. She slept most of the day, which since being sick, I let it go. I've been rocking her and cuddling her, of course, I feel so bad for the poor little thing. Last night, though, she was up every 1.5 hrs, just wanting to be cuddled. She goes immediately back to sleep once you pick her up. I'm guessing it's a combination of the coughing, too much sleep during the day, and liking being cuddled.
So what do I do today? She "woke up" up 6:15, and is back down for her 1st nap now (kinda normal). Do I try to keep her to 3 naps today? Or let her sleep as she wants? Apart from the cough, she's MUCH better than she was.
I'm scared of creating a habit with the rocking and cuddling constantly.
I have a 2.5 yo too. So it's just not feasible.
What would you do?
I would feed and hold her on demand. She is sick and needs that extra love and attention. I wouldn't limit her naps---part of healing is getting extra rest and she must need it. I would let her sleep as much as she needs to but don't let her nap past 5pm or it will be hard getting her down for the evening.
M
Children who are rocked and cuddled to their heart's content when they are babies grow up to be confident and independent, sick or not. Humans heal when we are asleep, let her sleep as much as she can. My babies never had "schedules" at such a young age.
Relax, let some chores go, and hold your baby through this. Let your toddler watch some extra tv, or read to them, play soft music, nap together. In my home, everything slows down for a sick kid, they STILL get extra cuddle time and naps, and they are 9yo-16yo!
dear god shes 4.5 months old and shes sick . make her feel secure while shes sick and dont worry about creating a habit!
When either of my kids are sick I let them sleep as much as they want and give them as much tlc as they need. They eventually fall back into their normal sleep patterns.
I would just let her sleep when she wants to...you are going to have to get her back on a "schedule" eventually but that can wait until she is feeling better. You know that when you are sick you either can't sleep at all because of stuffiness, coughing, etc..or you sleep for hours, wake up,turn over and take another nap. She is going to be the same way. It sounds to me like you are doing exactly the right thing...lots of cuddling and loving...it is the BEST medicine!! You don't say if you are bottle or breast feeding...but she needs to keep up her fluid intake to help keep all of that mucus thinned and easier to get rid of. If you are breastfeeding of course that means that YOU need to bump up your water intake!!!
Good luck...and be patient...this too shall pass
Happy New Year
She's too young to be on a sleep schedule, couple with her being sick, you are more preoccupied with maintaining "your" schedule for her. Perhaps it's how you manage, but since she's sleep, let her sleep to her heart's content. She's fighting a virus and needs to let it run its course naturally. If you disrupt her sleep pattern, it could prolong her illness. Relax and sit and cuddle with her while you read softly to your toddler.
I wouldn't worry I have not had any issues with my three kids as far as going back to a normal sleep schedule after being sick. I have a rule that is not to wake a tired baby, they are so good at determining the amount of sleep they need. haha they arn't teenagers where sleep is their life...lol they are eager to explore so if they are tired and sleep they need it. Just encourange as much as you can to keep her in a dark quiet room at night as to remind her it is nighttime and enjoy the cuddling while you can :)
Let her be.
Don't over think it.
When sick... a child sleeps more. Sleep actually HELPS the body to get better and strengthens it.
Just start putting her to bed as you usually did.... but not hard-line about it.
She is only an infant.
Go by her cues.
So how did you put her to bed prior to her being sick???
You never rocked/cuddled her before bed? Only now?
I would respond to my infant as she needed me to. That means a lot of comforting/cuddling/skin to skin - WHICH IS A NORMAL NEED UP TO PRE-SCHOOL AGE.
Even when infants and toddlers are not sick, they still need to have cuddling, comforting and skin to skin contact... it's the way human babies develop - basic biology.
I would try to keep her on her schedule as much as you can. She'll sleep longer during naps if she needs it.
I would respond to her needs. She is an infant and sick and the ONLY way to communicate her needs is through crying. She needs you and she needs you to care for her. I know it's exhausting. She will get better in time and hopefully will fall back into her routine. As for sleeping during the day, she is an infant and really should be sleeping during the day whether she is sick or not. Let her sleep, she obviously needs it. Does she have a fever at all? Fevers also make babies very sleepy. For the night time if she has a fever, as well as the day time, I would most certainly give her ibuprofen and acetaminophen. They can be given together at the same time...one does not cancel the other out just be sure to follow the correct dosage for each and follow the times as both medications have different time intervals.
I would also get a cool air humidifier for night time. I would also get some Baby Vicks; it is milder than regular Vicks and won't burn her skin and rub it on her chest. It always seemed to work for my children.
She is sick, screw the schedule and take care of that baby and nurse her back to health however she needs it
It won't create a habit. The same way that hugging the toilet and laying on the blessedly cool bathroom floor when you have the stomach flu doesn't create a habit in adults. It's something she needs right now. It will pass.
Hug her, hold her, constantly. At least as much as you can with the toddler around. I did that with my babies anyway, even when they weren't sick. :-) I can't imagine not letting a 4.5-month-old sleep when she wants. Your kids are going to be sick alot as they grow up. You need to learn how to adjust at those times. As my mom used to say, be a willow tree so you can bend.
she is sick ... let it be.
