Please could anyone give any tips on this as we are dreading this transition?
Here is the situation…
Our LO is 12 weeks old and has been going to sleep swaddled and in a Moses basket from the start. She has silent reflux and has also had a cold for the last 3 weeks and so the basket is up at an angle (higher at the head end) which has helped relieve her.
She had not been a great sleeper, but by using Tracy’s methods things had started to improve greatly in the last couple of weeks, especially at night, to the point where she could sleep from the 11pm dream feed until 5 or 5.30am.
She also found her fingers a few days ago and has just started to grab and hold things, which is great.
The problem is that she has started to get out of her swaddle. It has ended up over her head 3 times in the last few days - we were alerted by choking noises in the early hours – and obviously this is very worrying. She has also started sliding down the basket and ends up in a heap. We believe that she is no longer waking up for feeding but because of discomfort. When we have fed her recently (at around 5am) then she would not take anything at the 7am feed.
Another issue is that she is starting to get a little too big for the basket and it is awkward to get her into it.
In an attempt to resolve the dangerous swaddling issue we have tried to introduce half (underarm) swaddling and baby sleeping bag (whilst still in the basket) in the last few days. The result has been shortened naps (down from 1 hour 30 mins to 45 mins or even 35 mins) and increased night wakings.
Ideally we want to make the full transition from being swaddled in the basket to being in a cot in bedding or baby sleeping bag and obviously this is not the best start. We are dreading the thought of a return to bad nights having only just getting back a chunk of 4 or 5 hours sleep at night which seemed like heaven.
We would be really grateful for any advice.
Is it just a question of introducing it and then toughing it out by doing the shush-pat or P.U./P.D. until she gets used to the new sleeping arrangements, whilst we have to accept a few bad days and nights?
Thanks for your help.
