Front sleeping!!

[Rebecca2019]

So my little girl is 7 weeks old and won’t go to sleep on her own we have to nurse her while she is laid on our chest then wait ages to put her down and most the time she still wakes up!! We have been laying her on her front but only while we are watching her and never during the night, we turn her over onto her back when we are going to sleep but she gets so unsettled I was just wondering if anyone had any advice or ideas? Does anyone let there little one sleep in there front??

[Hidden]

Hi Rebecca my little one is a tummy sleeper and I always knew he would be as he would only sleep on me lying on his front....so I used to have to wear a sling for his daytime naps (id go for a walk or just sit and watch the tele) and I also used to feed my little one to sleep and we would co-sleep (lullaby trust guidelines) together where he would be on his side next to me and as he fell asleep I guided him onto his back as we wouldn’t get any sleep otherwise. He is now 7months old and Still to this day I put him on his back in his cot and he now flips himself onto his front. So if they can roll from back to front and back again and because of his age I’ve been told this is ok for him to sleep on his tummy. However, with your little one only being 7 weeks old, it’s probably not recommended that she sleeps in the cot on her front, it sounds like your doing everything right and watching her and putting her on her back. I found a regular night time ritual helped (i did bath, pjs and feed and white noise) so he started to associate this with night time and longer periods of sleep so less unsettling time. I also used to wait until he fell asleep on me and then carefully put him down but that was always hit and miss 😂 I think each baby responds differently to certain techniques but for me it was a matter of survival and you’ve just got to go with your mummy instincts and decide what works best for you. I just did whatever made him happy and got us the best amount of sleep and that was a sling and co-sleeping. My little one did get used to sleeping on his back from about 10weeks to 6months so it is possible.... and then he realised he can now move to his favourite position all by himself! Good luck! Xxx

[Rebecca2019 in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou I tried the co-sleeping but am so worried that she gets to warm or suffocated etc it’s such hard work I think the sling is a must try because as soon as she goes down she’s awake and I feel like she spends the full day in my arms xx

[Hidden in reply to Rebecca2019]

I understand, co-sleeping terrified me and I was adamant it was something I wouldn’t do. However after 3-4weeks I’d literally had no sleep I was exhausted and weepy and this was working out to be more dangerous. I didn’t have a duvet cover (I’d be in my pjs with a jumper and little one in a sleepsuit with a light tog sleeping bag next to me) my partner would sleep in the spare bedroom so we had plenty of space and curl myself around him, arm out so I couldn’t roll or smother him. I figured there are plenty of cultures that co sleep with their children it’s just as new parents we are terrified and slightly scare mongered. Try the sling, was a life saver for me and I also used to take the pram out and he would fall asleep when being pushed along our bumpy road. Have you tried getting her to sleep in the pram in the house by gently rocking her to sleep? It’s perfectly safe for them to sleep in their pram flatbed. It’s also more cocooned and smaller than a cot? Xxx

[Rebecca2019 in reply to Hidden]

Yeah I’ve co-slept a few times because I needed the sleep and she was perfectly fine just people always have a story to tell that makes it all seem scary I’m always willing to give it another go! Yeah I’ve tried the pram and car seat she fall asleep isn’t them straight away especially in the car but as soon as I take her in the house or stop the pram she wakes straight back up and wants cuddling xx

[Hidden in reply to Rebecca2019]

People always have a horror story but I think that’s when the person has been drinking or loose bedding is involved. If your anything like me I was always on high alert even when sleeping and the slightest movement he made would wake me up. I used to do mad things like leave car engine running with the radio on whilst quickly getting the car seat out (with him in it) and put him into the living room with the radio on so that low noise was still going as far as he was aware. I used to put the hummy (white noise toy) in the pram when I went out and when he went to sleep and I brought him back into the house I would jiggle the pram for a bit longer so the change in environment wouldn’t be noticed as much and that sometimes worked. Hit and miss though! Xxx

[Rebecca2019 in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou I’ll try anything at the minute having to get family to come and hold her and sit with her just so I can do house work etc any tips are helpful at the minuite xx

[Hidden in reply to Rebecca2019]

Yes accept all help! I was lucky and both mum and mother in law would help me with the night shifts as he just wouldn’t go down in his cot for first few weeks. Absolute torture at times. You’ll get there! Xxx

[Penguin19 in reply to Rebecca2019]

We have a ‘Rockit’. Husband bought it before baby arrived and I thought it was just a gimmick... But, it really does work.

We use it when we’re out as sometimes baby gets frustrated if we stop pushing the pram or we’re having something to eat out. Also use in the car if stuck in traffic or stopped etc... makes the transition from car to home much better.

It freaked us out to start with as the vibration seemed quite vigorous, but it works and is no harm to baby.

amazon.co.uk/Rockit-portabl...

[emmab178]

Have you seen the babocush rocker thing? Not sure where it sits in the lullaby trust view.

I think all babies hate sleeping on their back. It's a phase. I ended up going from her sleeping on me to sleeping on my arm next to me, then slowly took my arm out till she was sleeping on her own on the bed. Took ages. Did this mainly for naps.

I had a next to me crib so it was easy to transition her into her own crib and also to slide her from my side to the crib.

We found that having a hand on her tummy settled her. Again easy to do with a next to me.

Stroking her eyebrows or side of the face etc whilst she was on her back in the crib. Eventually she'd go to sleep.

[Rebecca2019 in reply to emmab178]

I have a next to be and I always lay next to her and hold her hand or stroke her nose but only works sometime other times she screams and kicks around until she’s picked up x

[emmab178 in reply to Rebecca2019]

The joy of new babies. Just as you think you've cracked it, they change the rules on you!

It's a phase. Keep repeating that. White noise machines, ewan the dream sheep, lullabies etc might all be worth trying.

Even though people say they don't cosleep you do what you can to survive. It will get better.

She's had 9 months all snuggled up inside you and now the world must be very frightening.

You could try swaddles?

[2nd_time_mumma]

Have you tried swaddling her? I swaddled my baby for the first few months as she would wake as soon as I put her down/ not snuggled up on me x