Should I persist??

[Heaven]

I'm a bit conflicted about what to do and thought if I wrote it down it might help me but also I could get some good advice or at least some support.

DD does not sleep very well in the day in her basinette. I have to rock her to sleep and then when she's sound asleep I can put her down but she will always wake up after exactly 30mins!! It's totally different at night. She will feed to sleep or sometimes she will even just be sleepy and I can put her in the basinette and she just goes off to sleep (amazing!). Then when she wakes during the night she is still half asleep and I feed her and she just goes back to sleep, great!! But she can't do this during the day, she will wake up after 30mins and I can't get her back to sleep. Why is it different during the day?

I have a HAB and she will sleep in that during the day. She usually has all her day sleeps in it and I can get her to sleep usually 1.5hrs sometimes 2hrs or more!! But then I have days like 2 days ago where I get cranky and think why on earth can't she just sleep in the basinette, she should be able to! And I try and make her sleep in it all day which ends up with her only having 3 x 30min sleeps a day!! When I do this she's not happy when she's awake coz she's too tired she's just cranky and cries more. When she sleeps in the HAB all day she's happy and smiley and never cries. And I'm happier because I'm not having to put up with a cranky baby and getting frustrated coz I can't make her sleep longer.

So I think I've answered my own question now. We're both happier when she has her sleeps in the HAB. But I still have all these thoughts......... she should be able to sleep in the basinette.....I'll have to carry her around forever........will she ever learn to self-settle......maybe I should persist with the bassinette.

And then you have other people like family making comments making you think you're 'spoiling' her.

So should I persist with the basinette and teach her how to sleep in there??
Why can't she anyway?? What's different about day time??
Why does she always wake after 30mins?? Even in the HAB she gets restless at 30 mins but bc she's on me I'm able to quickly rock her so she goes back to sleep. Is it just a phase?? It's only been the last week or 2, she seemed to sleep a lot more heavily before that.

Thanks for listening!!!!!!! Sorry it's so long!!!!

[Jellyfish]

Same thing happens here. Sleeps perfectly during the night but during the day will only sleep on me! I've just been going with it because it works and I enjoy the cuddles/closeness. I wouldn't listen to others, if you are happy with the situation then I don't see the problem

ETA: Sorry, don't have any advice about getting her to sleep in the bassinet for day sleeps, still haven't worked that out myself -- she will sleep in the pram (if I am pushing it) or in the car, though.

[LaDeeDa]

Same situation here hun - except I think Blue has spent about 2hours total in the bassinette since he was born....LOL

My situation is almost identical to yours.... when I put him to sleep on the couch with a v pillow around him he'll sleep for max 45 mins on a good day - but if I wear him in the HAB I'll sometimes get 2 hours....
He's the same as your DD at night too....

My MCHN was HORRIFIED when she found out about Blue's day sleeps but I just figure that if he's happy and relaxed I will be too (works well in theory)

I reckon whatever works for you is the best thing!!!

Your doing a great job xoxox

[beckoes]

DD did exactly the same!! slept in her sling for most day sleeps for the first 2 1/2 months, only started putting her in the bassinett for her day sleeps cause i got terrible mastitus (from her sleeping on my boobs i think!!) and couldnt stand the pain to have her in the sling, it killed me cause she wasnt happy but by the time the mastitus was better she was sleeping ok in the cot! so i say just stick with it! people would always say ''oh you poor thing having to carry her round all day'' or other 'usfull' negative comments, but if it works for you and makes her happier... then just carry on doing that!

[Heaven]

Bec- Oh, your DD is named Grace too Did you still rock her to sleep and put her in the cot? Did she wake up after 30mins at first but then get better after a while?

[sneakysparkle]

Hang in there! It will get better, I promise!
My advice is - do what works now, dont worry about "getting into bad habits" or what she "should" be doing... (unless its really bothering you, of course)
As she becomes more active youll probably find she will sleep better in the day - well thats what both mine did anyway!
Youre doing a great job!

[Lady-bug]

Having her sleep is the HAB is only a problem if you've got a problem with, don't listen to everyone else! She has been sleeping in your belly for so long, thats all she knows...but it does get better! You're doing a great job!!

[Willow]

She wakes after 30 mins because that's her sleep cycle and she doesn't know how to put herself back to sleep.

It's totally up to you whether you persist with trying to resettle her in the bassinette when she wakes after her first sleep cycle (ie 30 mins) or you'd just prefer her to sleep in the HAB.

Most babies go through a stage of waking after one sleep cycle. Both of mine did (only duirng the day too thank goodness!) and I persisted with the resettling because that's what I prefered (although it did my head in at the time). Eventually they both learned to resettle themselves after they woke, so for me, it was worth it.

Good luck!!

[berrme]

It seems we have similar children, feeding and sleepwise.
DS1 slept fine in his bassinette until he was about 1 month old, then would only sleep for about 30 mins at a time during the day, but very well at night. DS2 looks like he is going to be a bit the same. The MHCN said with DS1 that as long as 1 of his daytime sleeps was a longer one, and he was sleeping well at night, then it was fine.
Carrying him always got him to sleep longer, but I found that the vibrating bouncer usually did too. Maybe an option if you want some time of your own. Also If I was having a daytime nap I would have him sleep with me and then I could just rock him a little when he stirred and he would go back to sleep.
I have read that it is a good idea to have babies sleep somewhere other than their bassinette during the day so that for them the bassinette becomes associated with longer night time sleeping. I don't know how true that is, but it would certainly mean that you aren't being a bad mum by not having your baby in their usual bed.

Don't worry... if you are happy carrying bubs then that is all that matters. Before you know it DD will be all grown up and not needing so many daytime sleeps anyway. Enjoy the closeness while you can.

[Heaven]

Thanks guys. Went to the MCHN today and she was telling me to put her down asleep etc. This won't work, she will just literally stay awake all day!! She seems to have so much trouble getting to sleep, and fights it.

It's hard to know what I want to do, some days I don't care about carrying her around all day but then I would also like her to know how to sleep in the basinette. But when I try and make her she just gets over tired and cranky and is not her usual happy self so then I feel like a bad mummy coz she's not happy. Usually she doesn't really cry, she's pretty happy.

I think I just don't have enough patience, I just get so frustrated trying to teach her to sleep in the basinette and then I give up. Maybe I'll wait for a time when DH has a few days off work and he can help me teach her. I think I might go crazy trying to do it on my own!