How to not be stressed... please tell me not to worry!

[deliriouscow]

We started BW when DS was around 13 weeks I think. I had an awful time getting him to self settle and an even worse time cutting out night feeds when he was 7 months. He us a wonderful sleeper now.

DD is 4 weeks and I'm terrified about the same AP patterns emerging. She really wants to be fed to sleep every nap.

She's BF and gaining well. She was 8lb 2 at birth. At night she's going 3-4.5 hours between feeds and 1.5-3 hours during the day.

Please tell me not to worry too much about nap length/napping on us and that it will all be fine.

[hulagirl]

Hi
I could of written your post. I have a 4 week old and I am trying not to stress about bad habits starting and when and where to start a good routine. I got so hung up n routine and naps etc with my first and I really don't want to this time round.

Sorry am not much help but just wanted to say your not alone.

[*happy*]

Just wanted to drop off hugs&tell you it *will* all be
fine.there will be good days&harder days,but you're at
an advantage already in that you know about APing etc.
At 4wks,your LO is still very tiny-enjoy those snuggles!
I wish i had taken each day/nap!as it came with DD
instead of worrying about what next week would bring.

If you are v keen to change some things now,what would you
see as most problematic?x

[deliriouscow]

I think her being able to sleep without a boob in her mouth is the thing that would be most difficult to fix when she's bigger. From experience, stretching times between Es is not too hard to do, and A times change a lot as baby grows anyway. I don't mind cuddling to sleep at this stage. She has daytime naps in the carrycot at the moment as we have a toddler so need to be able to get out, so I don't have much issue with extending her naps with movement.

Probably I need to work on keeping EAS in order.

[*happy*]

There,see?!your mamma-instinct is working just fine!
You have no need to worry!DD was a rascal for
falling asleep at the boob too-BTDT!i used to do a nappy
change,or hand her to someone else,even just for 2mins,
and that helped us.x

[deliriouscow]

Thank you. There's a lot going on here at the mo - my husband's parents are over from abroad and we haven't seen them in over a year, and last week was my first week without my husband at home to help. And I can't drive yet post-section. I think overtiredness plus all of that was just making me a little irrational!

[deliriouscow]

Good morning!

Feeling much more positive this morning.Fed baby at 8 and she went down for a nap at 9 without needing a feed to get to sleep. She howled before sleeping in my arms but I think it was a mantra cry. If was loud but very repetitive and when she stopped after a couple of minutes she fell asleep very quickly. I then put her in the pram and she's still sleeping. Rocked it briefly half an hour in go her sleep. She was OT after a crap night so waking at 30 mins was expected.

I've been assuming that the loud cry when she's tired can only be solved by feeding but it seems that it will pass and she'll sleep without it. 4 weeks 5 days today

[*happy*]

Hun,you're doing great!
I was super anxious re the mantra cry v real cry with
DD,but i figured it out in the end by v v careful
listening.it's hard.not sure if it's something that you
want to do,but DD loved to suck-still sucks her 2
middle fingers going to sleep!so we started using a
dummy to help that cry-before-sleep issue.we let her
suck that or our finger to settle&tried to take it ov
 before she was fully asleep,kwim?just my
experience though,having had a v sucky baby&a mamma
with v sore boobs that needed a little time-off!

[deliriouscow]

We are doing a lot of watching. Baby is 5 weeks today.

We've done what you suggested - she's very sucky but prefers a finger to a boob when she's trying to get off to sleep. (unless she's really OT). So  I've been letting her suck my finger for a bit then putting her down in the pram. She isn't coordinated enough to suck her own fingers and my husband won't agree to using a dummy.

She seems to have pretty short A times. Maybe she's just got an OT problem that needs sorted out, but I just put her down for a nap after an A time of 45 minutes as she was yawning a lot and just wanted to suck.

We had a rubbish night last night as she was bothered with a sore stomach and poos through the night. I've bought the No Cry Sleep Solution book too which should be an interesting read.

[deliriouscow]

I think she's just quite a sleepy baby. She's really difficult to keep awake at times. I tried waking her this afternoon as we were past 3 hours since the last feed and I was uncomfortable. She fed very sleepily, but wouldn't be roused and slept for 20 more minutes before waking.

I'm looking forward to my husband's parents going home and us having more time at home to focus on having a bit more structure rather than having to be led by other people. I think DS, DD and I need some time to find a system that works for the three of us.

[deliriouscow]

Not so sleepy between 7pm and midnight last night. I couldn't put her down. Yawn.

[Layla]

(((hugs))) hon, don't be stressed and please don't worry! I've also btdt and dd2 was either fed, rocked, bounced to sleep until she was 4mo. She was too a very sucky baby and when we finally sleep trained her, she started sucking on her blanket to self soothe. Before that she was snacking on the boob and catnapping all day long...

I also had great difficulty soothing dd3 towards the evening - she was exhausted but just wouldn't go to sleep! She was really fussy and it peaked around 6-7 weeks and soon after that she started sleeping longer stretches at night.

I am sure you'll be able to find a system that works for you all in due time

[deliriouscow]

Thank you

[deliriouscow]

We had a great night last night with lots of self settling. Today's been good for long naps, but she's been really sick - projectile vomiting a couple of times. Tonight she's unsettled but I would be too if I kept puking.

[*happy*]

Aw,poor pet.hope it's out of her system now.x