How do you tell...
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Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
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Topic: How do you tell...
Posted By: Disco
Subject: How do you tell...
Date Posted: 31 January 2010 at 12:12pm
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Ok just wondering if you can tell if you're baby is just not a sleepy baby or I'm just crap at getting her into a routine and not strict enough with her about sleeping?
I'm torn between accepting she's just not a sleepy baby and whether I'm just not doing a good enough job at getting her into a routine. She's three months old tomorrow and only sleeps for one sleep cycle at a time most days. Then she plays catch up and has a huge sleep. But the last week I was wondering if she was having a growth spurt, as she seems all over the place for feeding too. That and baby just really hot with the weather. She seems really thirsty when I do put her on and gulps for ages after. There's just so many variables, it's hard to know where I'm coming or going? Is this just the norm? have i just answered my own question disco 
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Replies:
Posted By: weegee
Date Posted: 31 January 2010 at 1:20pm
Trust your instincts  The weather and growth spurts do have a lot to answer for, and some babies do seem to survive on less sleep. That said, it is easy to miss tired signs when they're little and sometimes if you miss it and they hit their second wind that's it. Might be worth heading to Plunket and asking if you can watch their 'tired signs' DVD?
Really, seriously, I can't say this enough, please don't worry about getting a baby into a routine or sleep training at that age. They can't 'learn bad habits' yet and with variables like the weather and growth spurts etc any routine is only an illusion. (And potentially bad for your supply - sound like you've got it right with following her lead on that front.)  It's hard work, this baby business, huh?------------- 
Mum to JJ, 4 July 2008 & Addie, 28 July 2010 |
Posted By: blondy
Date Posted: 31 January 2010 at 3:03pm
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The best thing I ever did was just accept that Natalie wasn't much of a sleeper. I used to spend so much time fighting to get her to sleep more than 30mins at a go (and therefore she was also feeding every 1.5-2 hours at that age)
Once I stopped stressing about what she *should* be doing, life became much easier. Sometimes you just have to follow the cues your baby gives you and go with the flow. Don't worry about what the books and plunket say  Hopefully in your case, it might be a short-lived phase.
In our case, Natalie eventually started sleeping longer on her own, and now is doing 2 hours+
As weegee said, trust your instincts! You know your baby best -------------  
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Posted By: mummymonster
Date Posted: 31 January 2010 at 3:50pm
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My boy is not much of a day sleeper. He's only 6mths old, but if I had it to do over, I'd spend a lot less time trying to 'make' him sleep.
You can lead a baby to the cot, but you can't make them sleep. The more babies I meet the more I think babies are random and the guidelines aren't for everyone. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Helen1
Date Posted: 31 January 2010 at 9:05pm
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I am totally convinced that babies that sleep for just one sleep cycle are going through a phase. My 1st daughter (aged 7 years now) did this from about 6 weeks until just on 5 months old. Daughter #2 did this from about the same age to about 4 and a half months old - and sometimes still does this.
I learnt to structure my day around 4 x 45 min sleeps and as she got older and cut out one of these sleeps and occassionally put in a longer sleep to work out how and when she would be put to bed and get up again. Really hard I know but as my husband told me "why worry. If that is what she is going to do then plan around that schedule." Hang in there. Remember by the time they reach about 1 year old they only have 1 daytime sleep and by the time they get to 3 to 4 years old they don't have a daytime sleep at all. It will get easier..... promise! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Disco
Date Posted: 01 February 2010 at 8:47am
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Thank you everyone,
it's nice to know there are other babies out there that don't sleep as much. I've been to plunket family center and watched the dvd for all the sleepy signs. I think I'll just go with the flow as spending lots of time trying to get her to go to sleep is just stressing both of us out. she doesn't cry much or get cranky so she must be ok ! She's growing like the clappers so I must be doing something right LOL! Here's hoping she'll grow into longer sleeps during the day. We got 11hrs sleep last night, she's done this a few times recently, hoping that she might make a habit of it! i think i just need to stop worrying LOL! disco:) |