Frustrated as usual

[cwolff]

OK, since unswaddling DD about three weeks ago it's been up and down.  Now it seems like she wants to be on her side, but she can't find a comfortable position.  I'm not sure how much intervention is needed, as DH says I "mess" with her too much.  I have so far wrapped her legs still in a blanket, not tight, but not too loose that she untucks herself.  She seems to want to kick her leg over when she's on her side, so far I have been helping her by just moving both legs to the side.  Then I put a wedge behind her so she doesn't turn back over.  But she just keeps turning her head, it's like the exorcist.  You know when babies try and roll over, they throw their leg over and then turn their head to look over their shoulder.  Well, that's what she's doing, keeps twisting and twisting her poor neck and I don't know what to do to help her get comfortable.  I've tried unwrapping her legs, but then she just starts thumping and playing.  She's not good at rolling over yet, and she doesn't seem to like sleeping on her tummy.  So what do I do?  Just leave her to work it out?  It's very hard to watch her so tired thrashing around, settling for a second and the thrashing some more.  The night before last she did this for an hour before I decided to wrap her legs once more, and then she did finally settle down.  i don't know if she'd worn herself out and was ready to settle, or if wrapping her legs helped.  And worse yet is from 5am on she is unsettled, doing the same thing with her head and thrashing and cannot be settled in her crib.  I can't remember how many times I went in there this morning.  I picked her up finally and got her to calm down, only to have her thrashing 10 min after I put her in the crib.  It's terrible!  What should I do?  By the way, she isn't crying, she's fussing.  But if I don't give her the pacifier she will start crying, so I can't just leave her be because when she thrashes she spits the stupid thing out.  I don't think the thrashing has to do with the paci though.  I don't know what it has to do with, but she doesn't just thrash a bit, settle down and go to sleep.

[GG]

She's learning to roll over and she hasn't quite got the hang of it.  Just curious... did you roll her onto her side to pat/shush when she was a bit younger?

My ds rolls to his side to fall asleep, too.  I used to put my arm across his front (my elbow by his chin, my palm by his belly/crotch area) so that he wouldn't roll over completely.  My other arm was across his back (I'd pat him with that hand if he was crying).  If he started thrashing about I was able to contain him by also putting my face by his shoulder and shushing.

You can try that and see what happens or you can just swaddle her legs... period.  She's obviously not ready to sleep on her side by herself.  (If she were an infant you'd probably swaddle her entire body if she were waking herself up by thrashing her arms.)  Unswaddle her in a couple of weeks and see if she's got it.

In the meantime, play with her and help her practice rolling over during her activity time.  She needs to develop the skill and muscle coordination of rolling over by herself, but maybe you can show her how to do it.

HTH

[cwolff]

Thanks Georgia.  To answer your first question, she does roll over during activity time.  Not always, and sometimes she needs some help to get all the way over, but she does do it.  I agree she's not ready to sleep on her side by herself now, even if she wants to.  And as for doing pt/shush, she never responded to it as an infant, and hated to be on her side.  But now, sometimes I can resettle her by holding her arm and leg and patting her butt, if she's determined to be on her side.  I'm just frustrated as usual, because each time I think we have a breakthrough in sleeping, all heck breaks loose.  And she actually seems to not WANT her legs wrapped anymore, fights and kicks while I'm holding her.  But she won't settle well without it.  I think eventually when she really is rolling both ways proficiently, she might end up being a tummy sleeper.  At the moment she doesn't like it, but we'll see.

[GG]

I'm just frustrated as usual, because each time I think we have a breakthrough in sleeping, all heck breaks loose.

From what I'm told many and varied frustrations will continue until she's a mom herself.   :lol:  :wink:

Just keep in mind that a lot can happen in 1-2 weeks, so keep giving her a chance to 'prove herself' every so often.  Good luck!

[cashar]

Hi 

You could be describing my DS. He is a couple of weeks older though and yes we have been through and still going through exactly what you are describing. I hear you on the frustrating part.

If I can give you any hope it will start to improve as your DD gets stronger and masters the rolling over thing. We still have times when DS gets stuck on tum and cracks but it seems to be improving. I think because he loves sleeping on his side he seems to be strong enough now to hold himself there for longer periods.

I swaddled from armpits down for a couple of weeks when he was really unsettled and found this the only way to calm him once he got going but only use this occassionally now. Still waking about 5am on belly but is settling much better when I go in.

Hang in there, this will pass just in time for the next milestone.

Cas