Need some quick advise from all of you who already have children

[ellymay]

I have a friend who has her 1st baby and she is having problems
getting her baby back to sleep at night after feeding. I can't remember
anything that worked other than letting mine cry for a little while.
Do you remember anything that worked to calm your baby when
they were newborns?

[heldt123]

It takes a while for some newborns/babies to figure out when it's time to sleep and when their parents will enjoy having them up. Some people say they have their days and nights mixed up. I've found it just takes some consistency and patience.
Create a bedtime routine, i.e. dressed, swaddle, reading, certain music, bath, etc....and make sure baby is totally warm and comfortable
Feed, rock, cuddle, but be boring - no entertainment, talk very little and quietly, dim or no lights - in other words, be there for the baby, but don't encourage activity, their bodies will eventually be able to sleep longer at night and they will figure out that it is more fun to be awake during the day.
Wearing baby in a sling or wrap helps for naptime during the day--if anything wearing during a certain time will create a routine that can turn into nap laying down later on.

Remind her that it does get better and baby will eventually figure it out!

[mel~3jumpin beans]

I second that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[afishwithabike]

Sleeping at night

What I did was give them their naps in a different location than where they slept at night. Then when they wake up at night you put them back in the same place and they learn this is where you sleep. Both of my children responded very well to this. Keep them on a regular nightly schedule and they will recognize the signs.

[tomtemama]

I agree with heldt123 and mel~3jumpin beans. Being boring but available in a dark room worked for me.

[Naughty Dingo]

How old is the baby?

My first was a screamer and we had a hard time getting her to sleep after nursing. What worked for us was the "Happiest Baby on the Block" routine of the 5 S's. Swaddling, swaying back and forth, sucking on a paci, holding the baby on her side, and making a pretty loud shshhh sound.

His (Harvey Karp) theory is that many human infants are born in a way premature. That ideally they could use a fourth trimester in the womb to allow their minds to mature. But because of human's head size, babies have to be born when they are, and some babes are not ready for the sensory input of the world. The 5 steps recommended by him approximate the womb environment and allow the babe to relax while blocking out outside stimuli.

My second was much better, but i would swaddle her too and put her in a little bassinet by my bed that had a vibration motion. She usually fell right asleep in there like that. After a while, she took a paci too.

Good luck,

ND

[brackin]

I just wanted to add that a friend told me recently that something called The Amazing Miracle Blanket does wonders. I didn't have one with DD, but plan on getting on for this baby. DD always came out of her swaddling and would be difficult to re-settle. This blanket supposedly keeps newborns snugly swaddled and happy.

[Peppamint]

Hmm, I dunno... I always just nursed my babies to sleep. I hope she can find a good routine that works for them!

[ellymay]

Well she is only 2 weeks old and I did tell her that it does get better.
She is strictly f/f and I think her little belly is bothering her. I fed her
yesterday and as I was holding her on her stomach to burp her I
could feel the bubbles in her belly and I asked if she had tried gas
drops and she asked me what's that....I told her to go to the store
and get some and to call and ask her doc if she wanted but that
it wouldn't hurt her and it may be all she needs is something to sooth
her belly.

[Naughty Dingo]

Would she be open to the idea of relactating? It is so early she would surely be successful. She would eliminate so many problems if she went that route......

I have an aquaintance who successfully relactated at 5 months

ND

[Peppamint]

Originally Posted by Naughty Dingo

Would she be open to the idea of relactating? It is so early she would surely be successful. She would eliminate so many problems if she went that route......

I have an aquaintance who successfully relactated at 5 months

ND

:

I can almost always notice a difference in ff babies even just holding them or standing nearby. More likely to be spitting up, gassy and colicky.

[ellymay]

NO she won't bf I think her dh talked her out of it bc he didn't like the idea
so she won't bf at all. I think she has a little collic. She is using just regular
bottles not the ones with bags so I am sure that is causing belly aches to.

[Peppamint]

Oh, that's a bummer.

[LBW]

Sounds like it's probably gas. Is she really getting the baby to burp after feeding? Or giving up before the burp comes?

I also think that swaddling and having a good, solid routine are great suggestions. Something else that worked for us was keeping the house/room dark and quiet at night. I knew some people who would get up in the middle of the night for a feeding, turn on all the lights, turn on the TV, and then wonder why their babies wouldn't go back to sleep for them. babies really need to learn the difference between night and day, and a quiet & dark house is one way to teach them.

[ellymay]

I will have to ask her bc I don't know if she is turning all the lights on or not. I
forgot about that but I had to get some of those push lights that are really dim
so that there wasn't too much light.