I think I win the worst AP mom award today

[rebeccalizzie]

We have discovered that Dillon sleeps best at night in his swing. Not only that...he goes to sleep better in the swing. So three nights in a row, I nurse him, change him, and put him in the swing. Within 20 minutes, he's sleeping peacefully (and he doesn't cry at all or anything...I'm not bad enough to CIO a newborn!) Then we turn the swing off and let him sleep there until he wakes up, and then he comes back to our bed. The first night, he slept 6 hours. No kidding. The second night, 3 hours, the third, 5 hours.

I am letting a device put my newborn to sleep, and I feel sooo guilty...but darn it, he doesn't go to sleep that easily at night, and he certainly doesn't stay asleep for 5 hours when he's in our room!

Sigh...I know it's about what works best for my baby, and that's obviously what's working best at the moment, but I feel like I'm "supposed" to rock him or nurse him to sleep, and then have him sleep near us.

[Robynee]

My friend is bringing me a swing tomorrow. She has offered it a hundred times and I vowed not to have one, but man, I will do anything for a little sleep right now.
Don't feel bad. You are not alone.

[peilover010202]

Hey, don't feel bad! I put ds to sleep and then put him in his carseat, he sleeps so well cuddled up in there (ds1 always did too.) Maybe I should feel bad, but I don't. It works for him and he sleeps far better there than in bed with us or in his crib. When he wakes up, I bring him to bed with me.

[Azreial]

my dd slept in her swing from 5 mths until 11mths when she moved into her own bed. She just slept better that way. The frist few months in the swing we'd do like you did, take her into bed once she woke up but then she started sleeping through the night.
ap is listening to your child and doing what works best. If its the swing, there's nothing wrong with that. Some kids don't co-sleep well. My dd is one of them even as a nb she'd swiggle away from you If you try to cuddle with her when she wants to go to bed she pushes you and says "NO! me nights-nights". Even on the rare times that she's gotten up in the middle of the night she'll come in my room get a kiss and maybe a snuggle and goes back in her room, she's only 19mths old :
Makes me kinda sad though, my ds co-slept on and off until he was 5

[Sailmom]

Don't feel guilty! You are doing what works best for you and your daughter. And you are getting some much needed sleep so that you can be a better parent during the day! I am so jealous of your swing right now! A wise friend once told me that you should do whatever you need to do to best survive the first 90 days of your child's life. It was great advice. My dd was not a cosleeper - and we tried for the first couple of weeks to have her in our bed. As soon as she started sleeping alone in her crib, she went to bed easily and slept through the night. She is still great about bedtime. We take a bath together, read 3 books, nurse and she goes to sleep in her bed. It is a wonderful thing. My ds has started out as a cosleeper - he sleeps best either on me or snuggled up next to me. If that continues to work for us, he will stay in our bed. Listen to your child!

[mrs rockstar]

It actually drives me bats**t crazy when people get on one another about not being ap "enough". It's not a contest, you (not YOU, but the collective you) don't have to follow every single ap suggested thing to be considered ap. If the swing works and allows you to get some sleep so you are up to the task of mothering the other waking hours in an ap way, then more power to you (and that swing! ).

Argh, can you tell that I'm not sleeping by this rant? And it's not even my newborn...she's a perfect angel at night. It's my beast of a toddler. I don't know if it's the new baby (probably part of it), coming up on turning 2 (ugh) or possibly 2 year molars (double ugh) but she's a tantrum throwing, button pushing maniac these days AND nights.

Calgon, take me away.

[Meeshi Mama]

nak

Luna falls asleep best in her carseat, made comfy with a blanket, next to a small fan. In bed, she would wake every half hour to 45 minutes. In the carseat, she will sleep for 4-6 hours at a time. Hopefully my AP membership card does not get revoked.

Seriously though, following baby's cue for what works best for them is just as AP as sleeping in a family bed.

[taradt]

Sleeping hooked to the breast is the only thing that works for Kienan, but I am so tired these days that if anything else worked I would be so for it.

Congrats on the good sleep stretches, I am jealous

tara

[radiogirlgr]

HOW are you getting your babies to sleep 4-5-6 hours at a stretch? Spencer is a good baby, he usually falls asleep easily, in my arms, and then in his bassinet or in bed with me, but only for 2-3 hours tops. I'm thinking he's going through a growth spurt right now-nursing frequently, getting heavier, and lots of BMs... Any thoughts?

[the_lissa]

No idea radio- my first didn't sleep 5-6 hour stretches until she was over a year, but this baby sleeps 5-6 hour stretches every night. I am not doing anything differently.

To the OP- don't feel bad. Whatever works for you.

[veganf]

I have a great sleeper again : (usually 8/10pm - 7am with 2-3 very brief snacks that I don't even wake up for anymore) at night since he was born. But during the day he is often left to cry for short periods because I simply cannot finish everything I need to do and can't do it all carrying him.
And I've discovered that if I let him lay on the bed and cry while I'm getting the boys ready for bed, then he usually just nurses and goes to sleep for the night shortly after they do. But if I nurse him and hold him during their bath and storytime then he'll often be up for the next 2 hours fussing and crying no matter what I do. So it's 10-15 minutes of crying with me within 10 feet of him, or 2 hours of crying with me holding him...so I'm starting to choose the first option more , especially with my husband working again in the evening.

[Meeshi Mama]

Originally Posted by radiogirlgr

HOW are you getting your babies to sleep 4-5-6 hours at a stretch? Spencer is a good baby, he usually falls asleep easily, in my arms, and then in his bassinet or in bed with me, but only for 2-3 hours tops. I'm thinking he's going through a growth spurt right now-nursing frequently, getting heavier, and lots of BMs... Any thoughts?

I don't know, it just seems as if Luna prefers to sleep in the carseat next to the fan. It is a small fan and I have it against the back of the carseat, blowing away from her and the sound and vibration seem to lull her back to sleep if she does stir a bit.

I am counting my lucky stars, I know it is not common for a 1 month old to sleep like that!

[2 in August]

I agree that you do what you need to and listen to what your baby wants. Dd slept in a carseat type rocker seat till she was 4 or 5 months old. Swaddled tightly with other blankets packed around her so she couldn't possibly move. She loved it. Ds is sleeping in the swing right now. Some days he hates it, today he loves it so there he is. He's already slept in his crib a few times too. He hates the bassinet so right now it's just taking up space, I'll wait another week or so and give it back to my friend, it's not working for us. I bought an Amby when I was pg with dd, she hated it, now ds won't stay in it longer than 5min. I want soooo badly to use it, it's such a great idea, just my kids detest it. So do what works. Oh yeah, ds also likes the vibrating bouncy seat with the wave sounds turned on, the only problem is that it turns off every 5min so we have to run over and hit the button or he wakes up. I'm sure it's funny though to watch me and dd both sprint across the room to hit the button before he starts crying.