Why is he doing this?

[lee09]

For the last week or so, DS (11 weeks) has been wriggling in his bassinet, so his feet are in one corner and his face is pressed up against the opposite side. When he does this, he also wriggles deeper under the covers, so they cover part of his face. The first time he did this was during the night and I only realised after he started crying for a feed - I was so upset and worried that he had done that! He doesn't do it for every sleep, but many times he does. Weirdly, he sleeps much better and longer in this position, but it just doesn't feel safe to me.

He sleeps in a Woombie, and I place him with his feet at the bottom of the bassinet, with the covers pulled up to his shoulders and tucked in tightly. So, I'm thinking either he needs more room and is ready to move into his cot (though I'm not ready for that! He sleeps in our room and I hate the idea of him sleeping in another room, but his cot would never fit in with us - the bassinet we have is a King Parrot one and quite large, I thought we'd get another month or two out of it!), or he is snuggling down deeper because he is cold? Though I have added blankets and run the heater in case this is it, and it doesn't seem to help.

Anybody got any ideas what this is all about? Did your bubs do anything similar? If it's time to transition him to his cot, any tips on how to make this easy for him (and me!)?

TIA.

[emc2]

He is on the move like most babies that age.

To me it sounds like you might have to move him into a cot.

[lee09]

Oh dear, could it be that straightforward? Trust me to complicate something so simple. Thanks emc2 for your post.

[MumtoA]

I would say cot to
Dd went in her cot quite early and to help her we put her basinette basket in the cot for a few sleeps - she looked way to little in the big cot without it but yeah she moved around so much that she was much happier in the cot. Maybe also time for a sleeping bag rather than swaddle? Dunno but might help if he can move a bit easier??
Good luck! it harder for us than them!

[delphmoon]

He is on the move like most babies that age.

To me it sounds like you might have to move him into a cot.

Yep, I agree!

[HotI]

How is moving him to a cot going to stop him moving under the blankets? Wouldn't there be more room for him to go under them?

[delphmoon]

How is moving him to a cot going to stop him moving under the blankets? Wouldn't there be more room for him to go under them?

I thought seen he is

wriggling in his bassinet, so his feet are in one corner and his face is pressed up against the opposite side. When he does this, he also wriggles deeper under the covers, so they cover part of his face.
He sleeps in a Woombie, and I place him with his feet at the bottom of the bassinet, with the covers pulled up to his shoulders and tucked in tightly. So, I'm thinking either he needs more room and is ready to move into his cot

it would be safer in the cot. Sorry if I mistook the question- I thought she was worried about the positioning of her DS... I dont think there would be any difference in him being able to go under the blankets if he stays in the wombie...

[lee09]

Thanks everyone. DS still startles and flails around in his sleep, waking himself up, so we need to keep swaddling for a little while longer yet - or will a sleeping bag prevent this from happening too? I don't think it's warm enough to not have covers on him at the moment, though that would solve that problem... Argh! We have just found a really good rhythm around his sleeping and settling - I think I'll have to give his cot a go and see if that helps any, but I hate to disrupt his routine now that he is sleeping better.

[HotI]

Sorry if I mistook the question- I thought she was worried about the positioning of her DS... I dont think there would be any difference in him being able to go under the blankets if he stays in the wombie...

Nah, i think i was the one confused!

A bit different but we have just moved my DD from a sidecar cot/co-sleeping to her own bed in her own room and the change has gone a lot smoother than i thought it would, so maybe moving your LO to a cot will be easy for you too.

[delphmoon]

[QUOTE=lee09;2939809
If it's time to transition him to his cot, any tips on how to make this easy for him (and me!)?

TIA.[/QUOTE]

To be blunt- just do it. He would be much safer in the cot- and you will adjust to him being in a different room I know it will be hard, but it sounds like he may be more comfortable in a cot

[Taurean]

DD was similar around this age but the weathe was warm so she was getting out of the wraps then wriggling under them so we decided it was time for sleeping bags and her cot. No sheets, blankets or wraps, just a sleeping bag. She slept right through the first night and we never had an issue Some little ones can surprise us! I cried moving her into her room but I quickly adjusted. We had the Angel Care Sound and Movement monitor in her cot so we could hear her no problems and the alarm would go off if she stopped breathing - it never went off thankfully

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

[delphmoon]

I wrapped DD up to 13 months old. She would do the same thing. Startelling etc.
Hope it works for you and u get some blissful sleep

[JLeigh29]

DS moved into his cot around this time too. I was sooooo worried about the transition and started by putting the basinette in his room during day sleeps. But he slept like a little log in his cot, better than he had been. It was only us who noticed he was somewhere different! I'd personally still keep him swaddled for a little longer. The sleeping bag won't keep him 'contained' iykwim. No sheets or blankets on the cot (apart from the fitted one!), just the swaddling, that way there's nothing for him to slip under. GL and as delphmoon said 'just do it'!

[Heaven]

Both my DD's did that too. I watched them do it and they had their mouth open looking for boob and instead found the side of the bassinet lol.

I agree, just don't have blankets and moving to a cot will help. I may have missed it but will the cot fit in your room? We moved the cot in before we were ready to move them out.

[*Danni*]

Oh I couldn't stand the thought of my baby sleeping in another room and he's 10 months old LOL! i highly recommend the Love Me Baby Wrap. I think it should solve your issues without needing your tiny little baby to move to a room alone (i think still a little too young for that!) you can buy it in many baby shops (I bought mine from baby kingdom but they are also on eBay) and it is a wrap with a zip, therefore no headache of wrapping or risking bub sinking in and moving around getting covered! My boy slept sooo much better in this wrap as he always managed to get his little hands out when I swaddled him in a blanket.

I hope this helps!


Sent from my iPhone more than likely while I should be doing something else

[Taurean]

I just want to point out that it is classed as a SIDS risk to wrap babies or use blankets or sheets while they're in a sleeping bag. Sleeping bags are designed to replace the need for sheets or blankets and shouldn't be used in conjunction with them.

A good brand sleeping bag will cone with a clothing and nursery temperature guide so you have a good idea how to dress them under their sleeping bag.

[Maruschke]

I had no idea! Our sleeping bags look just like onesies but with a drawstring at the baby's feet. Why is that a sids risk?

[lee09]

Hi all,

Well, last night was a rough one! DS wriggled and squirmed for most of it, and I couldn't sleep - I watched him for half the night, to see what he was doing, why he was doing it and whether he was going to end up with his face covered! This morning, I've put him into his big cot for his first day sleep, so we'll see how that goes!

Thanks Taurean for the tip about the SIDS risk... Can anyone help me then with the safe alternatives to a sleep bag? Once DS is less jerky and stops startling himself awake, I will definitely move him into a sleep bag. But in the meantime, I need to swaddle him and cover him to keep him warm! Can I use a cotton sheet and a couple of cotton blankets tucked in tightly? I've tried looking on the SIDS site and I'm not really sure what they recommend.