sleeping

Hiya, everyones babies are different but, with each of mine I have kept them with me till I went to bed at about 2200hrs for the first 6 weeks of their lives. That way I got to just feed them still two hourly-ish right up till my bed time.  By 6 weeks they have all seemed ready for bed at about 1900hrs, had a big feed then, then fed them again at 2200hrs when they were actually still asleep.  This way I have been managing to get a chunk of sleep before she wakes me again for another feed.

That is just my experience, as tips I would suggest trying to feed in the dark so she doesn't wake up completely, feeding her whether she's awake or not before you go to bed, squeezing in as many feeds as she'll take between about 1700hrs and whenever you put her down for the night. Good luck! You think you've got it sorted then they change!

Hi Sarah,Evan is quite good however last night he was up 3.22 and didn't drop off til gone 7am oh not a good start to the day!!!!

We keep him up with us downstairs for(like the other 2) about 8 weeks,feed him before we go to bed,say 11-11.30 then he sleeps til 3.30 usually. Then he can sometimes drop off til 7am,lil angel. Have you tried a bedtime routine,such as bath 9pm,feed,and allow her to settle herself-but not when your'eknackered and dropping off!!!!

I really hope she starts to sleep for longer for you,sleep deprivation isn't pretty!!!! I should know,I feel like worzel gummage

hi sarah,

this is just the beginning! my son didnt sleep well till he is 3! my daughter sleep well when she is 3 mth old!

have u try gina ford method?? try to play with her more in the day! and leave her in bed by 10pm. give her a mid night milk at 12 mn.

hope this help!

My babies mostly slept well.Of course we had sleepless nights at the start,that's all part of having a new baby.

What worked for me was wrapping them,it helps them feel secure like in the womb.Also they don't feel you put them down.I find that settles them whatever time of day or night..I used to take me and baby to bed at ten,get myself ready for bed ,and feed till they're asleep,feeding them in the bed.It just felt like I had a bedtime,and I could doze while feeding,bringing up wind,and when I was sure they were settled,put them into their cot and me into bed.I have everything we need for the night ready in the room and I always try and get to them as soon as possible ,they seem to settle back down easier.We have a dim light,it's quiet,the telly's on low,and I avoid too much talking or playing,and only change them if they're dirty.Feeding as much as possible in the day sometimes helps too.

Ten days is still very early,you'll struggle to get a normal day and night pattern yet,but it will come.

Rest as much as you can in the day.This stage doesn't last long.

Mia slept constantly which was awesome but Ava gets a little more unsettled. I bought her a sleeping bag instead of covers and the trick of snuggling one of her teddies so it smells of me. She sleeps with her legs straight up in the air so shes a cover kicker. I used to leave a night light on but she sleeps better in pitch black.

Hope you get some sleep soon ;0)

we co slept when she was home...obviously, having a prem I didnt have the 10 days old...or even any of the early weeks with her until she was 8 weeks old and at 38 weeks gestation home with me.

She did get unsettled so we brought her into our bed and she slept better having me close.

Alice came home on wanting to feed every 4 hours. none of this two hours stuff.

Basically, your little one doesnt know night from day. just knows when hungry.

I used to keep her "up" until 10am and then lay her down in her moses basket and go to bed myself. 2 6 10 were the feeds from then on sorta (maybe an hour later but always 4 hours apart) until she got more wakeful.

but babies need to be told when its day and when its night. they need to be told when its "sleepy time"
So at about 7...put to bed in a dark room. either swaddled or not. Alice never liked to be swaddled. She slept and since being home has always slept on her tummy (bad reflux, so milk stayed down!)

I think its good from the start to have a bed time, even if in 2 hours you will be feeding again! but do th feed, breast/bottle in the bedroom. change nappy if it needs it and lay back down. no talking. smiles should never be withheld I think!
She will soon learn to go to sleep...but also she will also learn when she feels awake and wants you to play with her...but as she gets older she will "understand" more what bed time means

xxxx

I used to wake my daughters if they went longer than 3 hours without a feed during the day, as toddlers they still eat every 2-3 hours!  I also made sure they learnt the difference between day and night by having all feeds downstairs in the light and the noise during the day and in quiet, semi-darkness upstairs at night, I found that this way I only got woken between 2-3 for a feed in the morning and I always had to wake them!  Had to change nappy and strip them off to vests to wake them sometimes, after 2 weeks of this they started to be awake and waiting for their feed and rarely cried for them.  I started it in the hosipital with my 3rd daughter and the midwife thought I was insane at first but I knew it had worked with the other 2 and after the 1st couple of days she was the calmest baby and rarely cries even now and I felt more rested because I was in darkness all night whether awake or not.

I also used to use feeding times as an excuse for a rest and either sit with my feet up and make sure I was comfortable or if I had help with the older girls I would make sure I would lie down to feed.  If your breastfeeding its a great technique to learn as you can feed through the night and still feel like you're resting even though you are awake.  I still try to rest for an hour after lunch when my youngest is asleep and my other daughters know they need to be quiet otherwise I'm ehausted by their bedtime and don't feel like I can cope with them all.  My youngest is 16mths now and still occasionally wakes through the night along with my eldest who is 4 1/2yrs.  I try to think of it as our special time when we are the only ones awake and have a quiet cuddle until they settle.  Try to enjoy your little girl and just sit quietly for a cuddle if she wants you to, trust me in a year you will miss it when you are chasing her around the house!

Good luck, hope you feel more rested soon xx

wow, thank u everyone for the tips and advice. at the moment we are trying, bath at 7.30pm then feed, wind, swaddling and rocking her til she sleeps then putting her down in her moses basket. i have been sleeping downstairs on the sofa with her moses basket besides me. she won't settle upstairs in my room even with me. as soon as i put her up there even in the same moses basket she will wake up and cry cry cry. the past two nights downstairs havent been too bad. shes woke about 2-3 times then gone straight back off after feeding, winding and changing. i try keeping her up during the day too, obviously she sleeps during the day too like now but shes waking up more often during the day which is good. 2 weeks old tomorrow.  already a little madam but i love her to bits xxx

Sounds like routine taking shae hun,that's great. Hard to keep a LO awake during the day,I know !

Neither of mine settled in moses basket ever,so didn't bother trying Evan in one,he sleeps in pram carrycot on a stand,very handy.

It's lovely when they stay awake that little bit longer and have a look/nosey round at their surroundings,sure Evan smiling at us now.....could be wind but looks like smiling to me he's got dimples too.....like a cabbage patch kid!!!!!

Almost 2 weeks eh? Time flies doesn't it,you wonder how life was before her now! Does she enjoy her baths Sarah? Evan hates being undressed then relaxs the minute his bum hits the water!!!!!! Cries when taken out,then all smiles when the soft towel wrapped round him! Hope you get a good night tonight x

I say get into your own bed! she will get used to being up there.

Alice used to scream all the time though the bath, getting undressed and dressed and nappy changes. she will grow out of it

xxxx

I agree, get her upstairs! You will sleep much better in your own bed and she will get used to being in there too.  My youngest was the same to start with but I had to put the radio on very low for a bit of background noise for her for an hour or two but she usually settled well if I was there.

Glad she likes her baths, both my youngest girls hated it from the minute I started undressing them until they were wrapped in the towel.  Have you tried leaving her nappy off on the changing mat for a minute or two when you change her?  My youngest used to have to be left whilst her sisters were on the potty and she used to love having her nappy off, might help her bellybutton finish healing too, my middle daughter got an infection due to her nappy rubbing it a bit and I was told to do nappy free time to let the air circulate around it more and dap it clean with cool boiled water.  If you're concerned take her to the GP and get it checked out. 

no poop accidents and coming out the nappy as we use fuzzibunz cloth nappies

glad she slept upstairs!!! xxx

Sounds to me like she needs to be in cloth, as never had any poop or wee accidents coming out

 Is she BF? maybe let her be on for 10 minutes, wind and then back onto the same breast. then put her to the other breast and then after that feed wind.

if bottle fed maybe stop to wind every 2-3oz..unless she is on that much (I dont know my girl was BF for 9 months!)...xxx

Not sure if your on the road to solving this already but i just wanted to add my little bit

With my daughter i used to put her to sleep in her moses basket in the living room till we went to bed and she was really unsettled so when our son came along we slotted him into Kayleigh's routine so bath, bottle then bed by 6, obviously i didnt expect him to go straight to sleep and stay asleep but i used to comfort him till he went off then he woke every 4 hours through the night and gradually expanded that until he was sleeping through. Anyway in that waffle what i'm trying to say is i'd go with the putting her down upstairs plan

As for poopy incidents Ethan always does it just as we're in a hurry to head out the door!