DD doesn't like to lay flat!

Mrs. Theobald

Since Ava has been born she has not liked sleeping in the bassinet or anywhere she is laying flat.  She is currently sleeping in her bouncey seat and has been for a month.  I am afraid we have started a terrible habit.  I can hold her until she falls into a deep sleep and when I lay her down flat she will wake up and start crying.  Should I let her cry?  I am really not sure what to do.  I just want some sleep so I always fall back to the bouncey seat.  Anyone else experiencing this or have experienced this their LO.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

myrall

My pedi told me it was okay to let DD sleep in her infant carseat. And she slept absolutely like a log for the first three months of her life! When we moved her into the crib after, she did fine. I think it was something about how snuggled she felt. I don't think the bouncy seat is a problem at all. She is WAY too little to let cry.

I think there will be lots of moms on here that will tell you they used the swing, the bouncer, etc. to get their DC to sleep. HTH.

Also, you could try swaddling DD when she's laying down. That might help some.

Mrs. atlgatorgirl

We were having an issue w/ DD not wanting to sleep on her back (she would sleep on her tummy).  We started swaddling her again really tight and it seems to do the trick.

I don't think it's a problem to let your LO sleep in the bouncer or swing if she's happy there.  Maybe let her sleep there during the day but try swaddling her at night and see what happens.

MrsL1022

Colin slept in his papasan chair with vibrate on for the first 2 months. Then he's start out in his crib and I'd have to move him to the swing. He'd also sleep in bed with me. I was a total wreck that we were going to instill horrible sleep habits in him. I ended up doing what I had to do to survive and by 5.5/6 months he wanted to sleep in his crib. Now he sleeps in his crib and is a great sleeper. He self soothes and everything. She is too young right now to learn 'bad habits' her nervous system is still probably startling her awake and the bouncy holds her tighter. I think you should do whatever you have to, to get her to sleep so that you can sleep. There is time to wean her from the bouncy. Eventually she won't want to sleep there anymore. GL I know how hard it is to feel like they will never sleep when and where they are supposed to. I promise she'll grow out of it.

andrea922

She is also way too young to be forming habits, so I think you are okay

Mrs. Theobald

Thanks ladies!!  I thought I was being a horrible mother.  I have tried the swaddling thing in the bassinet (even bought a swaddling blanket) and it didn't work. 

 

 

ebearwife

I agree with PPs.  Do what works until about 12 weeks then work on "habits".  In the beginning you gotta do what you gotta do to stay sane and get enough rest.  You have their whole life ahead of you to make and break habits.    We did a big no no and P slept with us in bed for 6 weeks on her belly and then we moved her to the cradle until 10 weeks then the crib.  Each transition was fairly easy.  Unfortunately now that P like to sleep on her own in her own bed we can't really go anywhere without major drama.  She was much easier to move around in the beginning.

slwprincess

I remember having similar issues.  Once I went back to swaddling him and putting him on the slanted sleep positioner, he was fine.  But daycare could not get him to sleep outside of the bouncy seat until he was 8 mos old!  Dr said it was fine.  They just like that cuddly feeling and sleeping on a a flat surface doesn't seem natural after so long in the womb. 

mlhhomier

My son had the same problem when he was really little - we would wake up as soon as we laid in the craddle. We discovered that it was because there was too much space on his sides and he felt like he was falling so what we did was roll up blankets on either side of him so that when we put him down it was in the middle of a tight space and he did just fine. I think he slept like this for a few months - until he started to try rolling over onto to his stomach (which he did at 3 months old).