Logistics of baby wearing at night?

[lise]

Hi ladies,

Hoping you might be able to help please!! DS2 is six weeks old and will only sleep on me. I'm more than happy to carry him during the day (I have a close carrier and a ring sling, though I need some help with the ring sling as DS hates it so I don't think I'm using it right) but he also wants/needs to be held for half the night. For now I sort of half lie back on a whole stack of pillows while he sleeps on my chest on his tummy, but I'm not sure how safe this is really, and it seems to cause some logistical problems in the morning with showering, looking after DS1 etc.

So just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and if so how did you resolve it? Is there a safe way to baby wear at night? He doesn't like lying flat (a touch of reflux) so doesn't like lying next to me, he vomits, chokes, gags, coughs etc and wakes up crying and won't resettle unless on me/in my arms.

Thanks

[LimeSlice]

I don't wear my kids OVER night.
You can get wedges of foam to put under your cot/bassinet mattress if he won't lie flat, but I would suggest that babywearing in a CC whilst you are both asleep, is really not safe.
We cosleep and bedshare, will he sleep if he is laying swaddled with your elbow under his neck? So like you are holding him in cradle position on your side laying down? That is usually how we slept for the first few months.

[Jaycee]

I agree with Lime, it's probably not safe to wear him in a sling overnight. We did exactly as Lime suggested, I'd kind of cradle him and he'd sleep in the crook of my arm while I either slept on my back or side, still do for at least part of each night.

[lise]

Thanks, might try that and see how we go. I have a wedge for the bassinet but even being slightly elevated isn't enough to stop the reflux it seems, hence why I currently sleep half sitting up!

[onthefly]

I slept like that in the early months with DS, though he wasn't in a sling. no other way to get any sleep. he needed to be upright. the only other option was to wedge him upright in the pram.

[Beach Mama]

My DS wouldn't sleep flat either until we got a hammock. Have you thought about getting one? We hired one, then loved it so much we bought it from the lady.

[lise]

How did you wean him out of this MadB?? I actually sleep better than I thought half sitting up but it would be nice to lie flat!! I should point out that I DON'T wear a sling at night, was just wondering I guess if there were any other parents out there who slept sitting up and how you coped.

Unfortunately Tanstar he hates the hammock too I bought one (second hand because I suspected he wouldn't like it!) a few weeks ago but he seems to hate it even more, he just doesn't seem comfy. What kind do you have, I guess some are better than others...

[LimeSlice]

How did you wean him out of this MadB?? I actually sleep better than I thought half sitting up but it would be nice to lie flat!! I should point out that I DON'T wear a sling at night, was just wondering I guess if there were any other parents out there who slept sitting up and how you coped.

Oh right! I thought you meant you were "wearing" him over nights!
We had many nights of upright chest sleeping. It does pass. Is he on any meds for the reflux? Neither of mine were bad enough to warrant them and it passed, but there were nights when it was the only way they would sleep.
Maybe you and your DH can take turns?

[LuluHB]

I slept sitting up with Miss I and Miss E for months but agree with the others that having him in any kind of carrier wouldn't be safe. I never dropped either of them but on the nights when I was just dead dead tired DH slept in the spare room so I could sleep in the middle of the bed so if I did drop them then it would be onto the mattress. I als put pillows or long cushions off the couch either side of me to support my elbows and arms a bit.

Good luck. Its an exhausting way to sleep on a regular basis.

[onthefly]

DH and I tag-teamed in teh first 2-3 months so did half the night each.
He just grew out of it on his own by 12-ish weeks (I can't remember exactly).

[HotI]

i lay down and baby sleeps sitting up supported by my arm.

Have you tried adjusting the hammock? DD wasn't comfy originally, but we adjusted it to have more of an angle. adjusted it earlier for DS.

hope you both get some sleep soon.

[lise]

How do you adjust the angle? I have an Ila baby hammock, similar to an Amby hammock...

[HotI]

with the amby, you adjust by pulling on the material up the top (on the coat hanger looking thing) and then tie. so you have material from the head end pulled tighter which brings the head end higher than the feet.

[lise]

Thanks HotI, tried that but he still doesn't like it.

I must say after holding him for 23 of the past 24 hours I've really had enough...

[LuluHB]

Have you tried swings, bouncers, vibrating seats etc? I've had mixed results with all of them but sometimes it can buy you even 15 minutes of having them out of your arms.

[lise]

Usually he'll sit in his bouncer for a few mins but he's particularly unsettled lately (I think it's another wonder week??) and nothing but my arms will do

[LuluHB]

I remember those days and they're so hard. I hope this stage passes quickly for you both.

[forshelby]

your DS sounds a lot like mine when he was little.

Nothing but my arms would do! So I slept in the 'pillow fort', upright. If you call that sleeping. I never did drop him although I was terrified I would. I think somewhere around 2-3 months I was able to sleep with him beside me in bed. (alone) Although I did have to have an arm under him and sleep on my side cradling him. The next progression was to the bassinette beside me, although it never lasted all night until he was at least 6 months old. Suddenly one night when he was 7 months old I just couldn't take the pressure anymore of sleeping with one eye open and fearing I would roll on him or something, so I popped him in his cot. And he stayed there! I haven't looked back since. Now he refuses to sleep in my arms, which ironically makes me sad lol.

DS is now in a toddler bed. Needless to say I'm very proud of my sleepytime battle scars.

As for the logistics of the morning routine etc, I used to pop DS in the bassinette when he was really little, and wheel it right up to the ensuite door so he could see and hear me. When he was a bit bigger, I'd pop him in the bouncer with a few toys etc right inside the bathroom looking into the shower. He seemed to enjoy it, and I could have a few minutes of peace. Having said that, I was doing all this with one baby, not two. All the same, I hope some of my ramblings have been useful

Motherhood eh? Challenging would be an understatement! It seems we all turn into MacGyver................ minus the mullet.