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Need sleep help

VitaLunaVitaLuna member
in Attachment Parenting
My LO is 3 mos old and sleeps on my chest every night. It started around 5wks, and now I can't get her to sleep by herself. I REALLY need her to sleep on the mattress, since I'm going back to work soon (up at 5am), and she's getting too fidgety at night to be safe on me.

A lot of what I read pertains to trying to get them to sleep alone in the nursery/crib, which is not helpful because we have the crib side carred to the bed, so I can lay right next to her. She will sleep in the swing, but wakes up as soon as I lay her in the crib (or PnP during the day).

Any advice from the experience mamas? Please and thank you.. I'm struggling!

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Re: Need sleep help

  • KateLouiseKateLouise member
    Have you tried swaddling her?
    I'm a bit of a fan of the baby whisperer's shush and pat method. Basically you rock them until drowsy, and then put them down and pat them to sleep, so you stay with them, and it doesn't atter what surface/room you decide you want to be their sleep area.

    The idea is that you start off putting them down almost asleep, and then gradually put them down more and more awake, so that they learn to go to sleep in the crib.

    It's an exercise in patience, but I liked that I stayed with my LO
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  • PhieryBFlyPhieryBFly member
    We did the chest sleeping thing and then moved her to a rock n' play. A few months after that, we moved her to her crib mattress on the floor next to my bed (with pool noodles under the sheets to keep her from rolling out). Getting her to her actual crib from there was cake.
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  • somewhereincalisomewhereincali member
    I would let her sleep in the swing
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  • VitaLunaVitaLuna member
    I'm not comfortable bed sharing because we have a very fluffy mattress and she rolls into me or the mattress because of the weight. I can lay my upper body in her side carred crib, so it's essentially like bed sharing, but I can't even get her to lay in there next to me. :/

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  • Emerald27Emerald27 member
    Most babies will experience a startle reflex when moved in a downward motion, like being lowered onto a mattress, and will wake up even when deeply asleep. It's a defense mechanism against falling. Some moms find that "scooting" baby across the mattress and into his own space can help eliminate the startling awake.

    One thing you could try is letting her fall asleep on your chest with a blanket between you, and move the warm, mommy-scented blanket with her into the crib. Then there won't be a smell or temp difference to wake her up.

    You could also kind of lay across your bed and into the crib, so that you're right there with her in her space. The. Every few days scoot further away.

    Good luck! :)
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  • =Lee=B=Lee=B member

    How are you transferring her?  As PP mentioned the startle reflex may be a cause for wake up.  As well as the temp change etc.

    Can you get her to fall asleep on your chest in your bed then tightly hugging her roll her (still attached to your chest) into her crib and you stay on top of her for a minute.  Then slowly, remove yourself but leave part of you touching (arm, hand etc).  Then slowly ease that away?

    My daughter did well with that, now on tough nights she just needs my hand on her belly for a minute for her to get back into a deep sleep.

    As well, swaddling may help through all this if she likes to be snug.

     

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