Clazzat,
Ohhhhh I see!! He has found his hands and a few times the thumb but not a fan yet haha hmm but something to think about! Thanks for that
...when did you wean your swaddle, and how was it? Yes I mean, generally I can't complain, about night sleep (just yet
) ...he will sleep as of lately, 6 hour stretches then 3-4 after that first feed. On a good night. Do you think this is a sign that he is not using BFing as a prop?
Thank you Ali, that's true. Buuuut, shh pat over my shoulder has never worked for us?! It helps to calm him during awake times if he's fussy. When it comes to sleep, early on I tried to implement shh/pat but it seems as though it stimulates him? Is that possible? As I have him over my shoulder he's lifting his head up or bopping it around, never settles to even a "drowsy/awake" state. I'm currently doing APOP b/c of the toddler and b/c as many have mentioned, at this age (6 weeks today) we have to help them regardless. I end up rocking as hard as I know it is to wean but not as hard as breast was!
Is it possible shh/pat doesn't work for him? I offer breast before naps/BT for 2 reasons:
1) he's tongue tied and always falls asleep easy during feeds and my concern that he doesn't transfer enough milk with his first wake feed in EASY routine (which was an issue in his earlier days. Weight has been good since around 3/4 weeks old)
2) there are times I'm just a pacifier to him and he falls asleep or gets drowsy at the breast, and it speeds up our process to get him to sleep which I need b/c of the toddler. However, rocking and a paci work too. He spits it out almost immediately or I take it out during and he never needs it anymore. Like, he doesn't depend on it much but just to calm him to a drowsy state.
I rock him yes but then stop and let him just lay there as well! Then transfer him off to where he sleeps. Also Ali, if I may add, he sleeps in a swing which resembles a car seat, but I've never turned it on or have him rocking- ever. He sleeps there b/c after his first few weeks at home we noticed he was very uncomfortable on his back. Later I realize he does have slight reflux and sleeps better at an incline. Once it subsides around 3 months or so (according to dr since it's not so severe to be put on meds) I will transfer him to his crib. So my point is, I can't do much shh/pat from the swing... :-/ I read Tracy has them on their side and pats.
What do you think of this? We do use a white noise app from my old phone. Shhing and patting does calm him I've noticed but more like he's thinking, "what is this she's doing" ...it calms him during A times when he's fussy but it seems bc it's more of a sudden alert. Over the shoulder patting without shh sometimes relaxes him a bit.