Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Sleeping
I have been getting up with Izzie almost every two hours at night. Every time I put her down her eyes would pop open! It was driving me crazy. Plus I had her all tightly wrapped (like a burrito baby) and she would fight her way out - in her sleep - so she would be grunting and making all sorts of sounds. With that she got kicked out of our bedroom and into hers and in the crib. She looked so tiny, but John and I needed the sleep. But this was harder on her situation for sleeping. Since she was on a flat surface and on her back she hardly would sleep at nights - so John (mostly me) would get 4-5 hours a sleep a night. I was so tired and lost my patience a lot -especially with Matthew. But I did know that she loved sleeping on her belly on us. So during her naps I would place her on her tummy and she would sleep for hours! I couldn't believe it. So a few nights ago I placed her on her belly - prayed she wouldn't die of SIDS (doctors make you feel so guilty if you don't do what they say) and believe or not she only woke up once! I am now getting 6-7 hours of sleep at night and feel so much better. I know we aren't "suppose" to place them on the tummy but what are we suppose to do - be a terrible parent by being sleep deprived or go against the doctor and worry about her dying on me in her sleep. I pray every night that she lives! Plus, I slept on my tummy as a baby and I am still here.
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About Me
- Diane Jaggi
- This is our family of 5 and our crazy fun life. I like to brag about my kids and share my recipes that I try out. I love to cook, read, hang out with my family and friends.
10 comments:
Newborns can be so rough. Sometimes you just have to do what is best for your family, and not worry about what the doctors say. If that is what Izzie needs, then you know best. You are her mommy.
Holy cow, 3 out of my 4 were belly sleepers. I didn't get any sleep the other way, like you and yes doctors make you feel like you are the spawn of satan if you do that, I just don't tell them and call it good. Yeah for sleep.
My sister put here one-year-old on his belly as a newborn, and now when she puts him down for a nap, he immediately flops over on his belly (and he's just fine by the way). I also say you have to do what works for you. I become a beast when I'm sleep deprived, so I feel you.
Hey you!!! I had a similar problem.We put a binder under her mattress and my mom convinced me that this baby liked to sleep on her tummy. (So do I. I was so scared that she would die! But really it was the best for everyone. She slept, I slept, everyone slept and we were all in better moods during the day. I do lie to my doctor and tell her "Of course she sleeps on her back!"
Funny, My second is a tummy sleeper. I am convinced that it happened for several reasons because originally he slept fine on his back, just didnt like to be swaddled once he was home. Of course who can do it as good as a nurse anyway right. They would bring him to me and the minute I had to unwrap him and change him then wrap him again...it just wasnt the same and I do a pretty good swaddle if I do say so myself. Well so here is my thoughts on how he became this way. Towards the end of my pregnancy was when Campbell (first child and 16.5 months when 2nd born) decided that she was pretty comfy with her chest up against mine and the big belly I had. She had always been a cradle me baby but by the time baby 2 came she was all about lying her head on my shoulder and pressing her body against mine. So when I got Travis and was up and around with him I carried him up against me chest up against mine with his head on my shoulder...does this start to ring a bell on how he might like tummy sleep better. Then he got sick at about 3.5 weeks with a bad bad cold. We ended up in hospital a week later. During this time he slept upright and in my arms or inclined and up against me. Talk about no mama sleep. Yikes was I tired. When he was on the mend, now my second therory, is that he was so use to being held that he couldnt sleep unless he felt like he was attached....up against something. So one night in my sleep deprived state of him not wanting to sleep on his own for more than 1/2 an hour at a time. I laid him on his belly in his moses basket. I remember saying....give mama some sleep but PLEASE wake up!!! He did but it was hours and hours later. I of course woke up every hour that first night to make sure he was still breathing. He got the sleep, not me. So the short of it is, I think he felt like he was being held when he slept on his tummy, pressing up against something felt good. Ok so here comes the tough part that I have been living with lately. Prior blissful months of him sleeping like an angel on his tummy have left. He started to roll over. When he flipped he would twitch himself awake (newborn twitches never went away, I am assuming because of tummy sleeping). He would cry and cry. Also he couldnt flip back over. I tried to let him work it out but he screamed like he was in pain. With my first she slept on her back and then had that ah ha moment when she rolled over to her tummy. It was never a big deal. Maybe a cry or two when she first did it but it quickly went away. With Travis this was not the case. Rolling over to his back seemed horrific for him. After what seemed like weeks he has that rolling thing under control as he can go back and forth quite perfectly now. Now he rolls so much that he gets stuck in a "L" position and we are back to crying. But this too shall pass. So ok now you have heard the long of it. I am the mommy of a tummy sleeping baby the second time around. Was it blissful at first. Y-E-S!!! Has it been draining at the rollover stage. Y-E-S!!! Would I have done something different in the beginning...no, I did what was best for him and us at the time. Do I still put him down on his tummy. You bet. Do I still pray every night that he wakes up. YOU BET!!! So far so good. My pediatrician gave me a deadline to get him back sleeping (4 month ck up from the two month) but it didnt happen. We dont talk about it any more and we just had our six month visit. Good luck and Happy Sleeping at the Jaggi home. PS. I hope Izzie doesnt give you a hard time at rollover stage if you stick with tummy sleeping now. PSS. Travis didnt like tummy time at first cuz he always thought I was trying to make him nap. He's grown out of that.
Addy and Izzy slept on their tummy form the get go. They sleeped better and longer too. Sometimes I think Doctor's don't know anything or they just guess. I am gald you are getting more sleep. Mommy's need their sleep!
I put Kaden on his belly at 4 weeks, mostly because I am selfish and want my sleep and I figured SIDS is in God's hands. He always sleeps on his tummy now, occasionally turning over in the middle of the night. But like you, my mom always told me "I put all my babies on their bellies and all of you turned out just fine" So, I think you should feel no guilt... get your rest mama :)
I already told you, but both of my children slept on their bellies when in a crib/playpen. Mine could both turn their heads within the first weeks, so I never worried much. And by the time they can roll themselves the SIDS risk is much reduced anyways. They slept on their sides or back when in bed with me. Tummy sleeping and co-sleeping just need to be done properly to be safe, that's all (which the back-to-sleep/SIDS campaigns never tell you). No extra padding and stuff they could suffocate on, no sleep-inducing agents for parents if baby is in their bed, etc. Take those proper precautions and baby should be fine.
There have been studies, too, that prove a baby sleeps with mom's (or parents') sleep cycles, which is why it's good to have them close at first, because it greatly reduces the SIDS risk just having them near and following mama's lead, never going in too deep of a sleep.
I'm glad you're getting more sleep! I'm sure it's been better for everyone. Trust your mommy instincts and spiritual promptings. You're a great mama!
Hi guys-what a small world when it comes to blogging! It's Phil and Miken Harding from Glendale YSA!!! Your family is beautiful. Looks like life is treating you great!
I think some of the science behind the no-tummy sleeping is because some babies don't seem to have the wiring in their brain that wakes them up when they aren't getting enough oxygen. A normal, healthy baby will turn its head or wake up when it needs to. I think that if your family doesn't have a history of SIDS in it, then most likely your kids have the correct wiring in their brains. The other thing you may want to cosider is having her use a pacifier while sleeping on her tummy. This seems to reduce the risk of SIDS. The scientific thought on that idea is maybe the pacifier keeps enough space between the babies nose and the bed that there is sufficient oxygen flow. Hope this helps!
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