Asleep NOT asleep
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
Forum Description: Want help? Need support? Want tips? Men and women share advice and tips in this supportive community
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=30250
Printed Date: 30 August 2025 at 1:27am
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Topic: Asleep NOT asleep
Posted By: Disco
Subject: Asleep NOT asleep
Date Posted: 01 December 2009 at 11:43am
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My baby is three weeks old now and well i was just wondering if anyone had any advice on how to settle her and keep her asleep
Basically she falls asleep either after a feed or in my arms or rocking her in her hammock and then about 5-10mins later she's wide awake again, this seems to go on for hours, during the day and night? disco 
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Replies:
Posted By: lovingmummyhood
Date Posted: 01 December 2009 at 11:53am
 Disco.
Do you have a sling or wrap of some kind? Could you wear her? Even if just for a bit so she gets a decent block of rest. She is only brand new and the world is a strange place for her. Do you have a partner/family who could have her for a couple of hours so you can get some rest yourself? ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: HippyMama
Date Posted: 01 December 2009 at 12:01pm
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funlvn has beat me to it - try a sling, maybe a wrap or pouch since she is probably still quite little? My DD spend six weeks practically living in hers, as it allowed her to rest and me to get things done.
In fact she is in it as we speak as she is a bit out of sorts today, I just wish it wasn't so humid! Have a look at "http://www.slingbabies.co.nz" - www.slingbabies.co.nz if you want some more information on slings and babywearing. ------------- Mama to two earth walkers & two angels. Remember, you are not managing an inconvenience; You are raising a human being. ~ Kittie Franz Next Slingbabies! Meet - Friday 4th May !! |
Posted By: Disco
Date Posted: 01 December 2009 at 12:24pm
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thanks funlvn and hippymama,
i have a moby wrap and a sliing but haven't used either yet, i shall dig them out. how does it affect sleeping by themselves at night? disco |
Posted By: HippyMama
Date Posted: 01 December 2009 at 1:35pm
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It didn't have a direct effect on my DD2's night sleeping, she was still happy to go in her own bed from about 8pm onwards. ------------- Mama to two earth walkers & two angels. Remember, you are not managing an inconvenience; You are raising a human being. ~ Kittie Franz Next Slingbabies! Meet - Friday 4th May !! |
Posted By: SpecialK
Date Posted: 01 December 2009 at 3:20pm
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Does she cry when she's awake? If she's quiet I'd just leave her and let her rest. If she cries, I'd get a wee sleep pattern going - wrap her, cuddle then put her to bed and do it for all the sleeps. Or like others have suggested pop her in a sling.
When H was a newborn he sometimes struggled to go to sleep after his early morning feed (around 3-4am), I used to prop myself up on a pillow and let him sleep on me. Plunket was horrified but it worked for us! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: kmarie
Date Posted: 01 December 2009 at 4:50pm
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Aw hugs, that's tiring Disco! Bethany was the same, just loved people in general - esp mummy. Getting a sling when she was a month or so old was the best thing ever - my quick napper started sleeping for up to 2hrs at a time on me. And I had hands free to do things too :)
The other thing that helped was borrowing my sis in law's pram, I'd transfer her into it once she was asleep enough, then if she stirred at all I'd rock it back and forth (esp over the bump betw our lino and carpet) and that also helped. I quickly mastered the technique of rocking the pram with my foot while chopping veges for dinner etc... you do whatever you can I guess!! At night if she was having a really bad night, or just feeding constantly, I'd put her in bed with us. Often feed lying down and we'd both fall asleep, I was just so exhausted it was all I could do. It was scary initially and though I didn't get much sleep myself making sure she was safe, at least I was resting and lying down - and Bethany definitely slept better for it. It's not something I made a habit of, but on those nights where nothing else worked, it sure made a diff to my sanity!! Big hugs, hope you find some tips that help x ------------- 
twins in heaven Oct07 Is 40:11 "He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart." |
Posted By: FionaO
Date Posted: 01 December 2009 at 9:11pm
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I agree with all others, at that age do anything you can to get her to sleep for any decent period, sleep often begets sleep so the more the better and for you too.
In those early days getting a couple of hours sleep felt fantastic. It will get easier. ------------- 
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Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 01 December 2009 at 9:20pm
When she wakes up, does she cry? or does she just wake up and lie there? If she is happy to lie there then I would just leave her, as she might settle herself back to sleep, but if she wakes up quite upset, then Id go with wearing her in the sling 
Thats what I did with my kiddies at that age. ------------- |
Posted By: kakapo
Date Posted: 01 December 2009 at 9:44pm
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Have you tried wrapping her before putting her down? Just wondering if her startle reflexes are waking her up - arms flailing around etc. Don't think I ever got the hang of wrapping properly (his arms would work their way out), but there are some good youtube clips on how to wrap babies. |
Posted By: Disco
Date Posted: 01 December 2009 at 9:46pm
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thanks everyone for the advice. Will be learning the art of sling wearing this week. Unfortunately I got mastitis yesterday so have been working on getting that sorted out. Went to plunket family center today to check the breastfeeding was going properly, all good there and she gave us some great tips and we got to watch the "happiest baby on the block", we tried some of the techniques out since we got home and well probably too soon to tell, but she was off to sleep in less than five mins twice today and woke up once or twice but i rocked her back to sleep in mins.
I've done some reading on the baby wearing and I think i will try that anyway when I want to get stuff done around the house and they seem to learn watching. So will see how the week goes but fingers crossed tonight wasn't a one off. disco:) |
Posted By: lovingmummyhood
Date Posted: 01 December 2009 at 10:02pm
 That's great Disco!------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: mummymonster
Date Posted: 02 December 2009 at 8:55pm
I remember those days. Seems so long ago  (DS is 4mths now)
I ended up swaddling DS, rocking him to sleep and continuing to hold him for ages. He'd go to wake up after 5/10min and I'd start the rocking and sssshhing and get him back to sleep, then keep holding. Sometimes I felt like a big softie, and shouldn't I toughen-up and get him to self-settle (for whatever that means) then I thought - he's only this age once, and as long as I can set it up so the remote/good book is in arms reach it's not so bad. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Disco
Date Posted: 03 December 2009 at 10:37am
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well we're getting off to sleep easier now but not staying asleep as long, it's really hit and miss with babies eh?
anyway i was wondering if sleeping times and lenghts jumping around is the norm? sorry just trying to get my head around this and get some sleep, it just seems to change like the wind. disco 
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Posted By: HippyMama
Date Posted: 03 December 2009 at 11:12am
Yup! Babies are clever like that ------------- Mama to two earth walkers & two angels. Remember, you are not managing an inconvenience; You are raising a human being. ~ Kittie Franz Next Slingbabies! Meet - Friday 4th May !! |
Disco wrote:Posted By: E&L+1
Date Posted: 03 December 2009 at 1:06pm
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Most definately. I have days with DD where her day sleeps are 45mins then the next they will be 3 hours and some days I can get 45m-3h in the same day. Night is the same anywhere from 2 1/2-5hours. She's 4 weeks and is slowly getting consistantly longer sleeps :) ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Disco
Date Posted: 03 December 2009 at 2:08pm
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right am starting to get this now :)
comes with no manual, means no manual :) disco 
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Posted By: lovingmummyhood
Date Posted: 03 December 2009 at 2:12pm
That's right, and just when you think you've figured it out they go and change it on you  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Disco
Date Posted: 03 December 2009 at 2:58pm
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so I've heard :)
just put the white noise cd on for the first time and she was out in seconds! be interesting to see if it's a one off! disco
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Posted By: mummymonster
Date Posted: 07 December 2009 at 6:04pm
Yep, yep. DS was really random till about 8 wks, then he started to get into a pattern (mostly). I was thinking, ok I can do this. Not a strict exactly the same time of day schedule but I knew approx the plan for the day. Then he hit 4mths. All bets were off and back to random. I'm hoping it settles down again soon  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Disco
Date Posted: 08 December 2009 at 9:39pm
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Well I ended up back in hospital with mastitis this weekend. Bubs stayed with me the whole time which was hard work as I was feeling rather crap and very tired. But I seemed to have gotten a little bit of a routine going whilst in there! Also the white noise cd is still working a treat. It helps to really settle her down and she eventually drifts off to sleep. would highly recommend it, i think i downloaded a free one off the internet months ago.
that and swaddling :) disco 
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