4 week old nap issues. HELP!

[royjen]

I have read the book, and read other people's issues however am confused about the whole EASY vision when it comes to the new borns. 

I used the pick up put down with my first daughter at 5 months which had great results after 3 days.  Thank god for that....However, with my second daughter, I wanted to start on the right foot which now seems to be making things worst. 

She feeds every 2.5-3 hours.  I usually rock her to sleep or walk her around which works fine, however, as soon as I put her down (or shortly after) she wakes up and I have to start all over again.  Which means I can't nap either.  It is bringing back bad memories of my experience with my first daughter which scares me as I don't want to go down that road again if I can help it. 

In reading some columns, it indicates that she is too young to start the pick up put down....to rock her to sleep or let her fall asleep at the breast is fine.....but it's not for me.  If I can't put her down after, what do I do?  Keep her on my all day?  I am already exausted and desperate..  I need to sleep and get some ME time.  Everybody tells me to let her cry it out, but I hate the idea of that if there is another alternative.

Please help. :twisted:

[momofnewbaby]

How old is your lo?

[royjen]

Sorry, I mentionned her age in my subject, but it is misleading.

She is 4 weeks old.

[royjen]

Does anyone have any suggestions? :?:

[branwen]

Hi there! 

I would try shush/pat technique.  You put them down and shh/pat until they fall asleep.  I heard from some mothers that in the beginning you might have to pat for about 30 mins.  Because of the whole neck support stuff I wouldn't try pu/pd until much older.

I personally would caution against CIO.  I know you are desperate, and don't want to end up doing PU/PD with another baby but right now at 4 wks she really needs your support and help to learn to fall asleep independently.  Eating 2.5-3 hrs is a great start for getting her on EASY.  If you are breastfeeding don't feel you have to rush to 3 hrs too- your supply needs to get established.

Start creating a wind down before placing down to sleep- that also might help things.

[Matthew's Mommy]

Hi there.. this is so common around the fourth week. I know many parents of month old babies, who are finding it hard (hard is putting it nicely!) to help their little ones fall asleep.

Right now, just work on separating eating from sleeping.  Keep awake times short.. so generally, a feed, diaper change and swaddle up for sleep is probably the best approach. As soon as you see the first yawn, then start your settling routine. 

Have you checked out the announcement/sticky at the top for newborns/young infants and sleep?

Also, with newborn/young infants sleep, the first 20 mins. are light, with brief awakenings at the 10 min and 20 min mark, and then into a deep sleep after 20 min, and then wakening at the 40 min. mark. You mentioned that she wakes up after being rocked and then laid down.

Crying it out at this age is cruel, but I know when you're feeling frustrated and at the end of your rope.. you don't know which way to turn. I've been there.. Brendan was a very spirited baby, and had a rough time falling asleep when he was a month old.  And I was at the end of my rope many times..

Another thing to look at.. using a soother. Newborns don't have the ability to self soothe, and sucking can be soothing. It can also save you from being a human pacifier! 

I'll check back, or pm me if you need support. Hang in there..

[royjen]

I have been doing the pat/shh and it works fairly well, but mostly when I lay beside her in our bed.   She does not react well to her basinet.  I am thinking of switching her into her crib sometime in the next weeks so it should fix that problem.  So, she goes down easier with the patt/shh, but like you said, wakes up very often, every 10 minutes for the entire hour sleep...so you can see that I don't get much sleep, or none at all.  Will she outgrow that part and is there anything I can do to help against waking up?

I have been using the soother ever since the hospital, but the problem with that is, as you know, she looses it and cries...At night she doesn't need it ofter, but during the day is a must. 

It's funny, I have a 2 year old and feel like a new mom asking all these questions.  But they are so different, the first was colic. 
I have to say that Mackenzie is getting better compared to the day I posted.

[travis's mum]

Hi there! My LO is nearly 7 weeks old I had the same problem for the first five weeks. He would not rest and when he did it was for no more than 45 min I was a zombee didn't know weather I was coming or going even when he did sleep I couldn't relax because I thought any min now he'll wake up. But he will settle just stay calm it will pass very soon. I know it's hard but try to not create bad habbits ie. putting him in bed next to you. It will only create more problems in the long run. Also try to make your LO relaxed by soothing in a way that works for you then stop I find the less you do the better, the more calm and quiet you are at bed time the easier the transition will be.

Try to remember not to put your LO down to late. You don't want him to be nodding off already just very relaxed. I found that patting was too much stimulation for my LO so i rested my hand on his side and shh'ed only. When he calmed down I Shh'ed more quietly untill I stopped completly. Oh and I recomend the use of the dummy even if it does fall out (if it helps calm him). Then step back and see his reaction you never know he might just sleep on his own. By the way it was at this point to that I put him in his own cot I was a bit desperate and thought a change might make a differnce it turns out having his own space works well and at least now we don't need to start all over again to settle him in a new bed. See what works best for you but like I said it will pass and your LO will settle very soon.

[Matthew's Mommy]

Hang in there.. with maturity, she'll get much better at falling asleep and then staying asleep. Many newborns will jolt at every 10 min. phase of their day sleep. 

I added a post in the TEaching Newborns to Sleep announcement about partial awakenings.  http://www.babywhisperer.com/forum/teaching-sleep-to-newborns-and-young-infants-vt39164.html