He is finally here/Question about co-sleeping!

[Aylaissi]

I was due with my first June 24th, he finally came out July 5th, 5:11 am after 55 hours of back labor, 2 1/2 hours pushing and finally a last minute csection! He was 22.5 inches and 10 pounds 11.6 ounces! Except for a slight water seal in one testicle which the doctors say usually resolve themselves he is completely healthy. So happy he is here now!

I know a lot of people love co-sleeping, but personally it is just not for me. Does anyone have any tips on how to make a baby not demand to co-sleep? I think my problem started in the hospital, he hates his arms being caught in a swaddle so in those small sleeping bins with his size they would hit the sides which would wake him scared. So instead we took turns holding him while he would sleep. Now at home he refuses to sleep any place else! He will lay happy without crying almost any place but unless he let him sleep against us he refuses to sleep and it is driving me crazy ;.; any help would be greatly appreciated!

[mom2many]

At that age it's all about letting them sleep where ever they want. Have you tried a swing, car seat, bouncy chair?

My last one slept in a car seat for almost a year (naps, at night we co-slept). Once she outgrew it it was easier to transition her to another spot.

[Jeremy+3]

Don't use a car seat unless it is completely flat, a child under 6 months shouldn't spend any more than two hours per day in a car seat due to breathing difficulties caused by sitting position of the child, the neck position combined with the abdomen being squashed reduces their blood oxygen levels and increases their blood carbon dioxide levels. Alongside that they can also cause quite bad hip problems and they are far more likely to suffer from a flat head due to pressure, which again would need rectifying with medical treatment.

Obviously when he is lying he doesn't cry, so just leave him there longer and he will go to sleep. Babies do tend to fall asleep much quicker when you hold them because it is warmer and because to them it feels more natural.

If you allow him to just sleep while he is being held he will only sleep while being held, just as if you use any other trigger like a TV he will be reliant on it.

[bssage]

I say do what ever works. I also think making sleepy time a consistent event. I wont advocate my routine. Just any routine you have try and make it very consistent. Its not going to fix anything tonight or even tomorrow. But in the long run it is sure to help.

I had not heard all those things about the auto seat. I know a lot of people who use one for that purpose. never heard of issues with it before. Thanks for the info.

[Jeremy+3]

Originally Posted by bssage

I say do what ever works. I also think making sleepy time a consistent event. I wont advocate my routine. Just any routine you have try and make it very consistent. Its not going to fix anything tonight or even tomorrow. But in the long run it is sure to help.

I had not heard all those things about the auto seat. I know a lot of people who use one for that purpose. never heard of issues with it before. Thanks for the info.

It is something that is also advised in the US. Of course the breathing problems increase the chance of SIDS and so the longer you go over two hours a day the more you increase the chance of your child dying due to SIDS.

[Xero]

Wow that's a big baby! lol Good job!

As for co-sleeping, honestly it's not really about a baby demanding it. It's just natural for a baby to want to be close to his mom, to feel warm and secure and protected. It is just built in instinct for them to get scared or uncomfortable when they are alone, to them they need protection, especially while sleeping. Obviously we know they are safe, but it is still hardwired into the human brain that if I am a helpless baby and I am left alone, a wolf is going to come by and eat me. lol you know? It's not something you can really control. Babies want to be close to their moms.

They aren't babies forever, you wont have to hold him to keep him sleeping for that long. Be patient, he was just born, the world is so new and scary to him. That's just my opinion of course, you can try whatever you like to go against what feels natural to a baby, I just think all that does is cause uneccessary stress for everyone, and doesn't work very well. This is something I would approach closer more like between the 3-6 month range, not for a newborn.

[mom2many]

Originally Posted by bssage

I say do what ever works. I also think making sleepy time a consistent event. I wont advocate my routine. Just any routine you have try and make it very consistent. Its not going to fix anything tonight or even tomorrow. But in the long run it is sure to help.

I had not heard all those things about the auto seat. I know a lot of people who use one for that purpose. never heard of issues with it before. Thanks for the info.

Actually it can be if the seat is kept in an upright position. Most infant car seats when out of their bases lay flat, so there is less risk of anything happening. In cases where there has been infant death the kids were strapped in, flipped forward (as their heads do, since they are larger then body) and parents did not notice it.

When transporting an infant, it is recommended that at least once an hour a parent takes the child out of the seat and moves around with them. This is for road trips of course.

[bssage]

Originally Posted by Jeremy+3

It is something that is also advised in the US. Of course the breathing problems increase the chance of SIDS and so the longer you go over two hours a day the more you increase the chance of your child dying due to SIDS.

Yeah I did a search and found a plethora of links to information. Most are fairly recent. I did not catch the date on the study. It was about preemies and children with respiratory issues. But they go further to say its not recommended at all. And had a big disclaimer at the end of the stories I read. That it was not intended to discourage people from using them when the kids are in the car.

I am sure we used them when the kids were little.

M2M: I thought that also. According to the study even the ones that lay flat are a problem. I guess they make something for Preemies called a "car bed", something else I learned this morning. I looked it up this morning and did not save the link. The study is one of the first things that popped up when I goggled it.

[Jeremy+3]

Originally Posted by bssage

Yeah I did a search and found a plethora of links to information. Most are fairly recent. I did not catch the date on the study. It was about preemies and children with respiratory issues. But they go further to say its not recommended at all. And had a big disclaimer at the end of the stories I read. That it was not intended to discourage people from using them when the kids are in the car.

I am sure we used them when the kids were little.

M2M: I thought that also. According to the study even the ones that lay flat are a problem. I guess they make something for Preemies called a "car bed", something else I learned this morning. I looked it up this morning and did not save the link. The study is one of the first things that popped up when I goggled it.

Yes, it is the position of the body not the head, it pushes the lower abdomen into the upper abdomen and due to the way babies breath it quite severely reduces their lung capacity. This bodily position has no relation as to how the seat is being used, this position is also the reason that children who are left in car seats for long periods are also more likely to suffer from hip problems.

I know in the UK it has been standard for a child to spend no longer than two hours a day in a car seat (whether in a car, on a pushchair or just on the floor) for quite a long time, longer than Jake has been around for sure.

[akmom]

Six days old is still very young to expect any kind of good sleeping routine. Neurologically, newborn sleep is very disorganized. I wouldn't worry about developing bad sleep habits just yet. There are many good books out there on how to sleep train your baby or child, as it can be a very stressful part of parenting. But I don't know of any techniques that apply to kids under 6 weeks old.

My pediatrician recommended swaddling my baby all the way up to the arms until she was about 4 months old. She said that even though they seem to fight it, they actually like it. They push against the blanket expecting resistance, because that's what they felt in the womb. They're aren't actually trying to break free, and it's comforting to them when they can't. I don't know if it applies to all babies, but that's the advice I was given!