winding down - crying when swaddled...

[life after jasper]

hi everyone!

my boy (and obviously, my online namesake) will be 8 weeks old on Saturday... so far, we've been co-sleeping and we had originally agreed to only do this until 10-12 weeks or so... now that time is fast approaching and we still have a babe who doesn't sleep for more than ½ hour without lying on or next to us... i've also had breastfeeding supply issues that we've been working on with a lactation consultant... most of my parenting has been reactionary so far (ie: letting him fall asleep on the breast, co-sleeping because it's easier right now for me, etc.) and we've not really had any routine... now i'm seeing that i've probably done us both a disservice...

my main reason for seeking this forum out is help with getting into the independent sleep routine, especially for a baby who cries whenever he's swaddled... we'ven been swaddling him, but inconsistently since he was born... his usual routine is breastfeed, fall asleep on the breast, sleep on or next to me or hubby... sometimes he would be swaddled pre-feed...

so now that we're trying to do EASY, he's not a happy camper... i managed to get him to eat, then hubby played with him and changed his diaper for about 30 minutes... then he started to yawn... hubby swaddled him so we could do the sit and be quiet in his room (the room is already set for sleeping - blinds closed, quiet, etc.), but then the crying started and nothing we've done has calmed him down... i now have a feeling that he's overtired and fighting it... not a good start to EASY...

i'm looking for any pointers or advice you can give us... thank in advance!

[meltown]

Could you post your routine?  just so you know not all babies take to swaddling or need to be swaddled.  my son hated it and we got him a sleep sac instead of the swaddle.  Other parents have used a swaddle blanket and swaddled after they were asleep to get them through the jolts.  so their are other options for you if your LO doesn't like it.  Also are you using shh/pat to calm him and help him get to sleep?  It will take a few weeks to get a lot of improvment you should notice little improvments after 3 days or so though.  sleep training when they are young can take a bit longer but it is SO worth it in the end.  you are doing the right thing to start now. 

[life after jasper]

thanks for the encouragement, meltown... i would post a routine, but we really haven't had one until now ... i've been accidentally parenting (aka: trying to survive) until this point and now i realize that i should have been more proactive about things...

our usual day is something like this (and no where close to EASY):

¤ co-sleep, wake up between 0630-0730 and feed
¤ J falls asleep at the breast
¤ both of us goes back to bed until somewhere between 0830-1030
¤ get up, get dressed
¤ on a good morning, J hangs out in his crib looking at the mobile or hangs out in the swing so i can shower
¤ feed J again if he's hungry and falls asleep at the breast
¤ sleeps for 45 minutes to 2 hours
¤ wake up, play a bit, and repeat until evening
¤ last feed of the evening between 2200-2330, falls asleep at the breast
¤ wakes up between 0230-0330 for a feed, falls asleep at the breast
¤ on a bad night, second waking between 0430-0530

essentially, upon until now, the only time J is in his crib is for his short naps (15-30 minutes) or if he's watching his mobile (which he'll do for 10-20 minutes)... he sleeps okay at night (usually 3-4 hour stretches)...

the reason i was trying to get back into swaddling (besides it being in the book ) was because i noticed J was starting to flail around a bit more and hit himself when he was drifting off... i thought it would help with that...

right now we're only on our first day of this and already, J hasn't slept as much as he usually does so i'm panicking that he'll get overtired (i mentioned that i'm an accidental parent, right? )... man, i finding this parenting thing hard and not nearly as intuitive as i'd thought it would be...

[meltown]

first off take a deap breath and give it a few days.  do you have a plan routine?  like an EASY one?  also have you read about shh/pat?  it works well, it really does!  if you need the link I can post if for you.  it takes a few days for the transition to happen so you will have to give it a few days to get the routine established.  I know it seems stressful but these things aren't quick easy fixes, but they work REALLY WELL so it is worth the time and effort to get it going. 

as for the swaddling, I would try a swaddle blanket and try saddling when asleep or close to aleep.  kind of do trial and error because that flailing is the purpse of the swaddle, to stop them from hitting themselves and waking themselves up.  it happens a lot with some LO's.  you may find the aussie swaddle helpfulas well.  it is in the FAQ's section as wlel.  if you can't find it I will post the link for you.
take a deap breath and do your best.  your a wonderful mother and wanting to do the best for your child.  {{{{{{HUGS TO YOU}}}}}}}}}}