Sometimes falling asleep is so hard...

[havsulen]

for my baby ... and I hate not being able to help her!

I nurse her whenever she wants to, and carry her in a sling etc, but nursing seems irritating to her when she is too tired - then she prefers falling asleep in my husbands arms (because he doesn't smell breastmilk?, but he's not always around.

My other babies could almost always be nursed or carried to sleep, so this is a bit disturbing for me. I try not to stress and just be present for her in the moment, but I think it is hard. Especially at night.

I find that I need to try to help her fall back to sleep very soon after she has woken up, she gets overly tired easily, and then it is even harder for her to go back to sleep again. 

She likes it better if I wrap a blanket around her.

How do your babies fall asleep? Easily, I hope!

[Blanca78]

Mine generally seems to need to be held or nursed to fall asleep. I'm interested in what you said about fussing while nursing--mine has been fussing like crazy sometimes. It's so weird, it's like she goes from 0 to 60 out of nowhere. She'll fuss because she's hungry, and so I put her on the boob and she nurses for a few minutes, and then if anything disrupts her equilibrium--like a shift in position or a big gulp or something, she starts fussing and more often than not is SCREAMING within seconds. Sometimes it feels like I spend much more time soothing her than actually nursing. It's exasperating--for 20 minutes of nursing, it takes an hour of soothing sometimes just to get her back to sleep. People say she will become better and night feedings won't take forever--that time can't come soon enough. That said, I think incrementally it is getting better.

[bleumoose]

Sorry your LO has trouble falling asleep :( Do you have a swaddling blanket? I have heard that those swaddle better than a regular receiving blanket. Since she likes being wrapped up, it might help her.

Blanca, have you tried nursing her before she fusses with hunger? Maybe she gets so hungry that she doesn't have patience for those small upsets...?

Fortunately, Aoife doesn't have trouble falling asleep. She likes to be held to fall asleep during the day, and will nurse back to sleep at night. I'm starting to try putting her down near me, as I would love to have a baby I can lay down when they're drowsy and they'll fall asleep.

My first was a really awful sleeper. Just awful. It would take 1-2 hours to get him to sleep for naps and bedtime, and frequently for his (many) night wakings as well. He woke every 1-2 hours all night long for 2+ years. Ugh. It took vigorous rocking, bouncing, dancing, loud music, white noise, singing, and humming to finally get him to sleep. I share all that to say this: don't be afraid to try unconventional things to help the littles to sleep. I'll never forget the time when DH tried the radio with loud rock music, and it worked (it was Tub Thumping that did the magic LOL)

[Blanca78]

Bleumoose--Glad Aoife falls asleep okay! She sounds like Eliza. I also dream of having a baby I can put down while drowsy. RE the fussiness, I definitely think not letting her get too desperately hungry is part of the solution. I try to get up right away when I hear her stirring (she sleeps right next to my head, in a little cosleeper thing that fits between our pillows). It's just weird though--she'll nurse for five-ten minutes, and then gets set off. I think I'm getting better at cutting things off at the pass, though. Part of it, too, is if we wait to long my breasts get harder to latch on to. It's slowly getting better--she's given me three good nights in a row. If I can get her to sleep on her own (ie, not in my arms) that'll cut down on night time feeding time, too. It's a big adjustment to feeling like I constantly have to be nursing or holding her. I look forward to when I can put her down some times and have some moments to get things done.

Havsulen--hope the situation is improving--with every challenge people keep telling me it will improve with time. I hope that's true for you.

[Skippy918]

Mine has trouble falling back asleep at night.  She falls asleep while nursing and then if I continue holding her she'll stay asleep, but as soon as I put her down in the cosleeper, she starts fussing again.  Last night was rough between the cluster feeding from 7 to 1am then up again at 3. 

During the day, I can hold her while she naps which is fine.  Currently she's in the Moby and napping so I can get things done.

[Blanca78]

Have you tried swaddling? It seems to help mine stay asleep once I put her down, although I first have to wait for her to fall asleep in my arms before swaddling, otherwise she freaks out and we have to start all over. But before I started swaddling she would wake every time unless I waited a full half hour before putting her down. Now she won't wake even if I just wait a few minutes after she falls asleep. I don't know how to use the swaddle blankets but I got a couple of those velcro swaddle things from BRUS.

p.s. Condolences on the cluster feeding--mine's done that a couple times and it is so rough!

Originally Posted by Skippy918 

Mine has trouble falling back asleep at night.  She falls asleep while nursing and then if I continue holding her she'll stay asleep, but as soon as I put her down in the cosleeper, she starts fussing again.  Last night was rough between the cluster feeding from 7 to 1am then up again at 3. 

During the day, I can hold her while she naps which is fine.  Currently she's in the Moby and napping so I can get things done.

[kareniswaiting]

Yeah for swaddling! Sometimes when LO is fussing I just swaddle and he immediately stops crying! We just use large flannel blankets I made during pregnancy. After a hotbath/nursing session I even had fall right asleep himself while I got dressed while he was swaddled. MIRACLE!

[kittn]

i [posted a video of a great way to swaddle with a blanket somewhere in the DDC ...cant remember where

Originally Posted by Blanca78 

. I don't know how to use the swaddle blankets but I got a couple of those velcro swaddle things from BRUS.

p.s. Condolences on the cluster feeding--mine's done that a couple times and it is so rough!

[Skippy918]

Thanks for the swaddle suggestion.  Swaddling her seems to piss her off even more cause she'll try to bust out.  Last night I ended up staying up watching TV so she could sleep on my chest.  Thank goodness my mom is here to help.  She took over at 6am and held her while I went back to bed.  I had been up from 1:30 feeding her and trying to put her back down without waking DH.  These early days are soooo hard.

[kaPOW!]

if any of you don't have yoga/exercise/birthing balls to bounce on, i highly recommend them.