Newborn Will Only Sleep in Swing

My newborn daughter was the same way. I asked the doc, and he said it's fine, and that his twins slept primarily in their swings until they were 6 months old. It's much safer than sleeping on the tummy, in my opinion. And like I said, the doc said it's perfectly safe.

Never let her sleep on her tummy while she is an infant to prevent SIDS. My son had reflux and the only to places he would sleep was in a car seat or right next to me in bed using my arm are a cozy incline.

my daughter used to nap in her swing for 3+ hours. Be careful though. Make sure the baby gets plenty of tummy time to prevent a flattened head.

My son slept in a swing for months after he had surgery at 2 months of age. The only thing I would caution is make sure she sleeps on different sides of her head so that she doesn't get any flat spots.

I have a distrust of giving drugs to an infant so young for something that may pass on it's own, but that is a really personal choice. I am not for suffering endlessly either.
Anything wrong with sleeping in a reclined position? I have heard only good things about it for many varied ailments...child or adult. Many human infants all over the world are carried in slings all day - at an angle, and sleep that way a lot and develop very well.
I have heard some chiropractors do not like young infants being held totally upright by the crotch for long periods of time. (some carriers sold here in USA are like this) But I have not seen anything saying that reclining per se is bad. Maybe we have this idea that because our beds and cribs are flat, that it must be bad to sleep any other way?

Wow! I can relate. First off trust you mom instincts if you feel she is handling this ok with the things you are doing I would leave things the way they are if you feel it is getting worse I would talk to your doctor. My daughter is now 2 but she had a horrible case of colic and acid reflux and it turned out a protein sensitivity. She out grew it all by 12 months. She would scream the entire time she was awake and refuse to eat for 9 hours, finally give up eat some and throw most of it up after wards. She was not gaining weight rather losing. I could not lay her down flat in a crib because she would often throw up while she was asleep and she did not know to turn her head and you would hear her trying desperately to breathe through the monitor. I would run in and turn her on her side and make sure she could breathe. After the first time I went to the doctor and they told me to put her on her stomach but if I was gong to do this to get a monitor system. I got the angelcare system (a little pricey but worth it). She still sleeps on her stomach now. She would sleep in her carseat sometimes and also in the swing too, but most of the time she was happiest with me holding her upright and walking I walked 6 miles a day with her for the first 3 months. We went back and forth to the doctor a lot and finally we got to see a G.I. pediatrician who monitored her acid reflux to see how severe it was (had to do this in the hospital for 24 hours.They put a tube down her throat and into her stomach to measure the acid.) It was bad. They put her on medication axid (cousin of zantac, but it did not work then Preficid. That worked great! (she was on it until she turned a year we tried to take her off of it every 2 months but always had to put her right back on it) But we still had problems with her eating that is when we identified the protein sensitivity and she was taken off of breast milk and placed on Alumentum a special formula and we still had some issues but nothing like before. She started to gain weight and have a healthy eating schedule. She still was uncomfortable some times but it was manageable. She is now a normal healthy excited two year old. They also have a kit to raise one side of the crib so the whole side is elevated. But you can do the same thing using pavers to elevate one side of the crib. If you have any questions or more suggestions feel free to email me. I would be happy to help.

When my daughter was a baby, she also loved to sleep in her swing. My husband and I would carry the swing from the bedroom with us at night to the living room during the day. This went on until she was 4 months or so. She would scream for about an hour the same time (around 6pm) every evening and then crash and sleep the night. I read that babies sometimes need to scream to settle themselves down so they could sleep soundly through the night. That's all I thought was going on. Anyway, she loved the swing and I didn't see anything wrong with it. She was safe and happy.

Hello! Congrats on the new lil girl!
I let both of my babies sleep in the swing. I think its fine, they are buckled in. And you are hopefully sleeping in the same room.

I dont know if you have ever had bad heartburn or reflux but yes. you do want to sleep sitting upright.

I would also take her to a doctor because she is uncomfortable, it might get to the point of SCREAMING ALL THE TIME! You need to cut a lot out of your diet if you continue to breastfeed. Talk to a LaLeche League consultant and ask what food trigger it.

I am also married to a pilot who flies for Southwest, and we pilot mamas need to get all the sleep we can. We are a one person crew half the time!!!

My daughter had the same situation. Horrible acid reflux with jet-vommiting and she only wanted to sleep sitting up. Then I found this amazing product that saved us. Its called "gripe water" you can find it at target and various retailers. I never found it at walmart however. I gave it to her before I fed her. It helped so much and she finally slept without being held and without spewing vomit everywhere. I also purchased a wedge at target that you lay in the bassinet or crib that is at an angle that props them up. After she outgrew this I bought a crib wedge at babies r us. My daughter is now 9 months and she doesn't even need the crib wedge it gets better. I still give her gripe water now and then but its rare that she needs it. Hope this helps.

Try babies magic tea to calm down your LO. It is safe and organic tea.

My daugther spits up a lot and for that reason she also likes the bouncy seat or the swing after eating if no one can hold her. Since she can spit up an hour after feeding no amount of holding could really help it seems anyway.
The best thing we found was for her to sleep supported and cradled by her boppy pillow. She can sleep on it in her crib and sleeps well, versus sleepting flt and waking up with spit up again and again. This seems to be an issue mostly during the day. We never had to use either of the items during the night, so I was always fine with her sleeping in whatever made her comfortable since we could readyly check on her. Her infant seat is also great for this if she comes home asleep in it.
It seems to be getting better as she gets older, she is now 3.5 months.
From what I read, sleeping on her tummy vs the back to help with the spit up, does not seem to make a differnce. Therefore I always opted for the back and sleeping supported to keep SIDS at bay.

Hope this helps!
D.

Let him sleep where he will sleep. I have also done the car seat IN his crib. You need not really worry about sleep habits until about 4-5 months. If he is comfortable, let sleeping babies sleep.

Don't let him sleep on his tummy until he can lift his head to turn it to the other side (about 4 months).

my eldest son was the same way. some babies are just like that. I never had a problem with him sleeping sitting up as long as your baby girl is reclined and not sitting strait up she should be fine. my eldest would only sleep in his car seat for the first six months of his life. it totally freaked me out, but when I asked his Ped she said it was fine. Don't stress it, just check on her. I don't know if she is your first child or not but if she is the first one that has acted this way it can be a bit nerve wracking. if she has trouble sleeping sitting up then I would take her to the doc but as long as she can sleep I would just mention it at her next regular checkup and let her Ped know that I was concerned about it.

My oldest daughter slept in a swing for her two naps almost everyday until she was 10mos old. For whatever reason that is where she would nap. If I tried to put her in her crib she would scream for hours so I gave up and let her sleep in the swing. It is hard not to listen to the experts and worry about everything but really it is best to try and listen to yourself and what you think is best for your daughter. After all you do know her best you are with her all day everyday and as they say every baby is different you just need to find out what works for you both.
Best Wishes,
M.
SAHM with two daughters 4year old and a 19 months old.

Dear R.; It is no longer recommended that you put your baby on her tummy to sleep - until she can lift her head by herself. But try this: swadddle her and prop her up on her right side - the entrance to the stomach is on the left and the exit on the right - and this will facilitate her digestion and the emptying of the stomach. Lying on the right still works for me at night, as I have lots of burps if I try to sleep on my left. D.

My daughter went through the same thing. She eventually outgrew it and has been sleeping in her crib since she was 3 months old.
I used to get SO worried about letting her sleep in the swing, because it isn't "recommended". Experts warn that babies can slump down, restricting their breathing when left to sleep in a semi-upright position, and I can totally understand that.
Unfortunately, if it's the ONLY way your child will sleep, what are you supposed to do???
We ended up letting her sleep in the swing seat. We kept all covers TIGHTLY tucked in and far away from her face and made sure that her pajamas weren't too big (so they wouldn't get in her face if she did slump down a little). Also, we left the swing in the most reclined position possible (just upright enough to keep her happy) to prevent her from sliding.
Then, I slept on the sofa right next to her and woke up 200 times a night to make sure she was still breathing.
It sucked, but at least we all got a LITTLE rest.
In the end, you'll have to decide what's right for you and your baby. Best of luck!
PS -- There ARE gas-reduction drops available for infants. If you haven't already tried them, it might be worth a shot. Ask your pharmacist.

Hi R.,

I have a 10 month old son and he was born with reflux. After sleepless nights in the bassinet we noticed how well he slept in his bouncy chair, the one that is inclined and vibrates. We tried letting him sleep in it at night and it helped him and myself. He would even sleep well without the vibration as long as he was upright. I talked to friends and even my ob-gyn said that they all did the same with their babies. My close friend used a swing for weeks. Because of the reflux they are more comfortable in an upright position. I wouldn't worry about what's too long, my son used his chair until he was too big for it. I put it on the side of the bed and we were both comfortable. I hope this info helps you.

I went through the same thing with our son. He also had reflux. He would only sleep well in his car seat or swing because of he upright position. I just kept trying to lay him down in his crib once or twice a day during nap time to see if he could get comfortable. Finally, betweeen 6-8 weeks he started to grow out of it and was able to sleep laying down. My advice is to keep trying. Eventually, he will grow out of needing to be upright all the time. We never did medication, but my doctor never offered it either. I know it's difficult, but hang in there. Things will get better.

R.,

First. Breathe in. Breathe out:) Being a first time parent brings alot of questions and anxieties about whether you are doing the right thing or not. I can't tell you what is th best thing to do for your daughter. Perhaps if her acid reflux is very severe she might need medication. Or I'm sure ther are natural alternatives that work just as well. Either way, just make sure you understand fully what is prescribed to her. If you think that her sleeping on her tummy would help, have you thought about letting he sleep on her tummy on your chest? Co-sleeping/bedsharing is a very personal choice and it has to work for you, your husband, and your baby so read up on the benefits and pitfalls of co-sleeping to see what would work for you. If co-sleeping isn't your thing, try bringing her crib in your room. You will be more in tune with her breaths and cries - even more so than with a monitor from the other room.
As far as her sleeping in her swing. There really isn't a time limit on how long is too long. If it seem to work for her...what seem to be your biggest concern about it? What other things are you doing that is working for her? If you closed your eyes and went within your wise mamma instinct, what would you tell yourself about what you need to do? If your baby could talk to you (and she is in her own newborn way:) and you stop and really listen to her, what would she tell you she needs?

At 4 weeks old, sleeping 5 hours at a time is quite a long stretch for a newborn...especially if she's nursing. I know you desire sleep...I completely understand:) But I'm wondering if she needs to be awakened and nursed more often..at least one time. Perhaps this will help her from being ravenous after 5 hours, which can cause her to eat too fast and possibly more than her little tummy can hold...which can cause fussiness after feeding.

Finally, you didn't mention if your daugter is spitting up alot after feedings. Acid reflux can almost be like a projectile vomit, and they cry out of pain. Is she doing these things as well? Maybe she just prefers to sleep upright. Maybe she's over full. Without knowing more details it's hard to say what could be some other things happening and to offer suggestions for things to try for her.

I'm sure you will receive some good suggestions from other mamasource moms. You can also contact a lactation consultant, La Leche League, and of course her pediatrician. Just make sure that whatever decision you make about this and every parenting issue, you go within and understand why you are saying yes or no to anything.

Best wishes on your parenting journey.

In peace,
A.
mom of 4. Birth and Parenting Mentor
www.birthingfromwithin.com

We have a sleep monitor and used it for my son who just seemed more comfortable on his tummy and I felt so much better. It was an Angel Sounds monitor by BeBe.I loved that thing and we even used it to keep him in his toddler bed when he transitioned(it signals a LOUD alarm after it doesn't detect breathing ,movement after 30 seconds....so when he would get out of his toddler bed he KNEW that wasnt ok lol) Also you can buy reflux wedges and many other things for refluxing babies. I have a 4 month old horrible reflux-er now who has slept in her swing~thats the only place she will sleep(she always spits up in her belly or back or side lovely lol As long as she is comfortable AND safe thats the important thing. Just dealing with sleeping in a bed later may be more difficult, but sleep now is needed for everyone's sanity I totally can relate :)

Hi R.. Our first 2 kids slept in the swing a lot! Not sure if it was acid reflux (although we later found out they are both allergic to milk), but they just liked sleeping sitting up a bit. Our daughter slept like that till she was 6 weeks. When we transferred her to the crib, we had zero issues.
Our son slept in the swing off and on (depending on whether he felt like sleeping there) till he was about 4/5 weeks. We then moved him to a Sleep Nest (which includes an incline) and that worked great. We got the sleep nest at Babies R Us and was about $70.
For this third baby, we bought a new item called a Nap Nanny. It's more versitile than the sleep nest, but more expensive. It was $150 (that inluded a ridiculous $27 shipping fee). But when you have a new baby, sleep is worth every penny (at least to us). They don't sell it in stores yet. You can get it at napnanny.com. and since it is approved for later in life than the sleep nest, you can use it for sleeping, the acid reflux, feeding (if you are really busy and can't hold baby for some odd reason), and sleeping when baby has a stuffy nose. I wish they had invented this a long time ago because I remember staying up till all hours (since I was up with our daughter anyway) looking for a way to get our daughter to sleep. Finally, after spending tons of money, we found that the swing worked, so why not use it?

Reading your request brings back so many memories! My baby had the most awful acid reflux and after about seven weeks of hell we gave in and just got her the medication. (my doctor had recommended to just wait it out) Finally in our losing our minds sleep deprived states we decided that it would be best for us and our little sweetie to just go ahead with it. Seriously I am so glad! She was absolutely fine, no reactions to the meds. I really think it made her life better because she wasn't in pain all the time any more. She smiled more, played more, and was just all around happier! It also made it easier for her to start falling asleep without special treatment (i.e. being rocked to sleep, being held to sleep, being in the swing, etc.) I would do it again in a heartbeat! I asked my doctor the same thing about baby's being in semi-upright positions like car seat and swing for long periods of time and he said it is better if they are not because it restricts blood flow. I'm sure it's fine every once in a while (or at least our baby was fine when we occasionally did it) but consistently I guess is not good. Also I had a sleep monitor- one of the Angelcare ones that monitors breathing. I loved it because I never had to worry about whether my baby was breathing because the monitor would tell me. It even went off once or twice. Hope this helps!

Hi R., Have you tried rolling up a towel and putting under the head of her bed? This will give it a slight incline. Also watch the foods you that can be hard on your baby. There is an over the counter medicine but ask her doctor first.

God bless,
D.

R.,
I feel your pain my poor little guy was excatly the same.I tried so many things and he was still so fussy. I talked to his pediatrician and he was perscribed Zantac this has helped so much. I was worried at first about giving him medication at such a young age( he was 6 weeks) but, having the constant acid burning his throat is not much better. The medicine has helped so much although it does take about 3-6 weeks to start working. Also, if you found a place for her to sleep, like the swing and it makes her more comfortable I would let her sleep there. After talking to my Doctor he said it really does not matter where they sleep as long as everyone does:) My son slept in his bouncer for three months and then he has slowly grown out of his Acid Reflux(now six months old) and he sleeps all night in his crib with no problem. Hopefully this helps a little, I am sure ou are doing great, Congratulations on your little one!Let me know if you have any more questions.

My son did not have acid reflux but he did prefer to sleep in his swing. He did this until he was too big for the swing then he was able to sleep in his bed after that. People yelled at me about that but he is now 9 and perfectly healthy and doing great.