Sleep and My 7 Week Old

Hi S.,

My daughter was that way for about 3 months. She then settled down. Try this.

Take a nice fleece blanket and put it on the bouncer. When she falls asleep, wait for 20 mins. Thats prbly how much time it takes for her to enter deep sleep mode. Then, carefully place her in the bouncer. She will wake up once/twice...then she will stop waking up. The blanket is the trick. It makes her feel that she's with some one.

Same applies for the crib.

Swing - well, my 4mo old still doesnt like it. But the times that have worked are because after she is deep asleep, I start the swing and let it moving. Then I carefully place her in it. I think she thinks that someone is holding her and walking. Remember to keep a blanket in the swing too.

It will work with few tries.

The first 3 months after birth they call the 4th trimester :) Baby wants to still be like they are in the womb. A sling is great during the day, it gives them the feeling of being in the womb, and the motion while allowing you to have your hands free. That saved me with all 3 of my kids during the day, especially # 3. So, soon you should have a little reprieve from carrying her all the time, but the sling REALLY helps!
I got mine from here, it's custom sized, inexpensive, and I LOVED it - I used it with my 3rd for about 13 months. www.blueberriest.com

Babies instinctively are driven to be close to their mother. Mom means warmth, food, protection and love. It is an instinct as old as the dawn of humans and seen in every mammal that walks the earth. Most of the world co-sleeps, breastfeeds and wears their little ones as the complete norm. Unfortunately, the USA seems to forget these basic instincts in a child.

I suggest finding something very comfy to "wear" her in - I love Moby and BabyHawk. They both saved my sanity!!

The sad part is, their little babyhood goes by SO FAST. I didn't realize this with my first baby, but with my son I try so hard to remember every moment! Cuddle her, adore her and admire her sweet face as she nurses happily and snuggles on your chest. Before you know it, she will be 10 years old with posters from Twilight all over her walls!!!

Great job co-sleeping and boobie-feeding!
Peace!

Have you tried swaddling her? That helped both of my girls sleep when they were tiny.

Also, I used the "BabyWise" method and it worked fantastically well for me, as well as for many of my friends with their kids. My kids are good sleepers and happy kids! =) It's a bit long to get into here, but if you have the chance to read it, it's a quick read and extremely helpful (and supportive of nursing, etc.).

This is very normal for a baby so young. She has gone from the warmth and security of your womb to the big outside world. She's needs some time to adjust. Either my husband of myself held our daughter always for the first three months. We co-slept during this time as well. Enjoy this time because it goes by so fast.

Neither of my kids were really day sleepers, but they slept all night from the time they were newborns and I put them in cribs. I only brought them to my bed for nursing which they only ever did once per night.
I had no magic tricks. My first baby was so easy I was sure I would have to make up for it double time with my second, but nope....same thing.
Daytime was a different story though. I held them as much as possible, but I had swings for them, bouncy seats, play pens. There were just certain times they had to cry. I couldn't get dressed AND hold them at the same time. They did nurse a lot during the day and I carried them, talked to them, sang to them. They slept so good at night that I was able to do a lot of things after putting them in their beds to sleep.
I don't think crying a little bit hurts a baby. They'd rather be held 24 hours a day but that's not really humanly possible.
Just keep trying different things. And try to be consistent about what times of day you have your baby lay down.
In the morning, change diaper, nurse, lay baby down and wash your face, brush your hair and get dressed. Around noon, change, nurse, lay baby down and make something for yourself to eat.
Schedules don't have to be rigid and obviously you'll change and nurse more times than that, but the laying down part is something they can get used to. Believe me, it can work.

Congratulations on your baby and best wishes!

Babies this young are not developing habits, they are still adjusting to life outside the womb. Read The Happiest Baby on the Block for tips on helping yourself and your baby make the transition with as little stress, and as much sleep, as possible for both of you. For most babies, that it NOT a full, uninterrupted night of sleep for many, many months yet. If you have that expectation, you'll probably be much happier if you can let it go.

I'm glad you're trying co-sleeping. It works wonderfully for many moms. Wearing her in a sling during the day might give you more use of your hands, and help her get as much quality sleep as possible. Exposing babies to plenty of bright light during the day, and as little as possible at night, may help her adjust her day/night cycles.

Congratulations on your daughter! You'll be amazed some day how quickly these first months whizzed by. Feels a lot slower right now if you aren't getting much sleep….

Well, you've taught her that she sleeps with you, so you shouldnt be surprised that she only wants to sleep with you. You need to teach her to sleep alone.

I highly recommend the baby whisperer, Tracy Hogg. She has a method of starting small, laying her down for a few minutes. If she fusses, let her try to soothe herself, if she cries, pick her up, soothe her, put her back down. Keep doing it until she realizes that it will be ok and she can sleep there or be left there.

Do you think she can have some reflux going on. Those babies tend to want to be held most of the time. To be carried is just some baby's nature and if not a medical reason, you have to break it and let them sort of cry it out. I did not like to deal with the crying and had a DD like that, so I went to one of my neighbors who was native of another country and had her teach me to make a sling form a sheet. It worked. LOL... I was able to wear her and get my other stuff done at the same time. So it depends on what your goal is and what you can tolerate.

Congratulations on your baby daughter! Being a newborn and being a new mom are huge adjustments for both of you. She was snuggled and warm and perfectly happy in your womb for 9 months; it will likely take her nearly that long to get used to the fact that she is no longer in there. You must consider what a monumental change it is for her. And at just 7 weeks, she has no concept or understanding that you need to put her down. Frankly her needs take precedence at this time. Of course you need to balance your own needs; but doing that with minimal displacement from you will make for a much happier baby. Your baby is not developing habits; she is developing trust..in you and in the world around her.
Right now, it's probably hard for you to imagine how fast your daughter will grow. My babies are 8 and 5 now, and I wish I had held them more. Sleep deprivation is a small price to pay for a happy and secure baby, and a mommy who knows she soaked in and enjoyed every moment of it.

Good luck to you. Enjoy your daughter!

Dear S., It does seem unusual as most new babies sleep a lot. She may be curious and most likely smart. If she is sleeping at night and is happy in the swing etc then you have to go with her needs. The feedings will decrease as time goes on. Make sure she gets enough each time and it should keep her longer. If she is gaining weight then all is well. It is not easy to be a mom. Your life changes so much. Grandma Mary ( mom of 5)

She is acting like a typical newborn. Within the next several weeks you
should see a change in her. In the meantime, enjoy your time having
her close. It goes by so fast.

2 book bibles that will get you on the right track for your future. happiest baby on the block and secrets of the baby whisperer. good luck

You need to put her down sometime... for your own sanity, and so she learns to soothe herself. Right now she is used to being held and she feels safe that way. At times throughout the day when you know she is not hungry or overtired, put her in the swing, bouncy seat or whatever, and let her stay there for a few minutes. It is ok if she cries, she just isn't used to it. Stay with her, play soothing music, etc. Eventually she will get used to it and will probably even enjoy it. You will both be better off in the long run if you don't need to hold her all the time. And, if you continue to hold her non stop, she will never get used to being put down, and it will get harder to break the habit in the long run. Good Luck!

The 1st 3 months of life are often called the "4th trimester" because many babies still require the closeness (and often the sounds and movement as well) of the womb to feel comfortable and safe. Have you tried swaddling her?