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Swaddling - problems sleeping

Help!!!!

I have posted on here before about Emilia and her ability to go to sleep. Ever since birth Emila has fought sleep, she has always been really difficult to settle, no matter what you do. I have to spend 45 to 30 mins winding her down and even then she will find some way of avoiding it - she is driving me to distraction! I feel like such a c**p mother. I must have been doing something wrong. I have read all the stuff on sleep associations, and tried my hardest to avoid, get rid or encourage the right ones. I feel as though I am letting her down when I hear her screaming with tiredness. I watch her for her sleeping cues and make sure she is not awake for any longer than 2 hours at a time, I have a strict going to bed routine both during the day and at night.

The problem is Emilia seems to be a very sucky baby, we had a dummy as when I was feeding her myself she would demand to be on the breast all the time, and just nipple suck. The dummy did help. When I stopped breastfeeding she continued with the dummy but this then stopped her from settling to sleep. Everytime it fell out she would wake up screaming and couldn't fall asleep again. We managed to get rid of it and as a result Emilia slept so much better at night. We then had trouble with having a sleep during the day. She would sleep for 45 mins and then wake up overtired and screaming. Someone suggested swaddling and this worked wonders, Emilia will now sleep for as long as you will let her and is a different child. I was only swaddling her at lunchtime.

The problem we have now is that Emilia has found her hands!!! When she is tired she automatically puts her hands in her mouth, She then tires to use them to suck on to send herself to sleep. However, it seems to have the opposite effect, the sucking just winds her up and she gets over tired. Last night she got so het up she made her gums bleed with her nails!!! In the end I swaddled her, just to get her to sleep.

Anyway my point is....I have had to swaddle her again tonight, as the same thing was starting to happen. Is this ok? I had read that between 2 and 4 months the rate of cot death goes up and you shouldnt swaddle at this age. I am only swaddlingn her in a short sleeved vest, light sheet and a double blanket. The room is a constant 19 degrees.
It is the only thing that seems to work, but in the long run am I causing more problems for myself?

I feel as though I am contantly fighting her, and it is really staring to get to me.

Any help advice would be much appreciated. I am sorry for such a long post, but as I said I at the end of my rope!

Joanna and Emilia (3 months)

[Modified by: joemoeuk on 26 March 2010 18:58:52 ]

Replies

  • I don't think there's a problem with swaddling at this age. I swaddled my lo during the day until about 6 months, maybe longer. He was also a bad sleeper/settler so I used to swaddle him just for naps to get him past that 45minute mark! I didn't think that swaddling could greater the risk of cot death. I've always thought it seemed fairly safe as at least they couldn't pull the sheets/blankets over their head.

    When he got to be a better sleeper I stopped swaddling which was fairly easy as he'd learnt to sleep longer/re-settle himself between sleep cycles. He can sometimes be a bit of a nightmare to get to sleep, although he's a lot better than what he used to be. He had a few cuddlies and a mobile in his cot which he talks to before dropping off, he also sleeps with his muslin cloth as he likes to sleep with it over his face sometimes!

    Anyway what I'm trying to say is I'd keep at the swaddling until she's older and hopefully she'll learn other ways to settle before then. x
  • Hi there, I'm still daytime swaddling at 7 months - it works for us. I too have a very sucky baby so I feel your pain! x
  • I still swaddle during the day and at night. Tried not swaddling but he has a sensitive startle reflex and punches himself in the face, he then sucks his hand getting more ferocious with every minute he does it waking himself up and screaming. The only way he stays asleep is by swaddling. He is 3months old.
  • my son is 5 months and i still swaddle because he is exactly like alfie and oskars mum above. only problem i have is that now he's a bit bigger he has started fighting to get his hands out!
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