One common misconception: Your darling newborn will love her crib, bassinet, or other bed-like sleep location.
As a naive mom-to-be, I had Noob Baby’s travel crib all set up and ready to go next to our bed. I figured that she’d sleep in our bedroom for the first 2 months or so, and then we’d transition her to her very own shiny new crib (sans all things cute, cozy and cuddly of course…damn SIDS).
Bwahah….and God said, “Awww… Aileen is so cute sometimes. She can be so gentle, optimistic and naive.” Well, our noob baby didn’t make it into her travel crib or crib-crib until about 3 months. And at this point, almost all parents are nodding in nostalgic agreement, right?
So where did she sleep? Why, her bouncy seat of course! Well, that was from Night 3 till about 1 month. Noob Baby was taking blissful little naps in her bouncy seat. Visitors would come over and marvel at what a sound sleeper she was! And most of my friends were jealous, wanting a cozy looking recliner just like her bright yellow bouncy for themselves. At night, she’d be parked in her bouncy right beneath our bed. Of course, this wasn’t our choice…in fact, we had no say in the matter. She had already decided that the bouncy was her one and only bed.
With images of Quasimodo (formerly known as Noob Baby) dancing in my mind at night, I fearfully called the doctor asking if she’d be ok sleeping there. I was reassured that she wouldn’t be a hunchback or a humpback. Well, as any Type A mom knows, the doctor’s assurance is simply not enough these days. So I called our hospital’s Babyline. And Googled everything I could about bouncy seats and babies. It all checked out. Many babies had survived the bouncy-car seat-swing sleeping to develop into real live normal humans!! Hurray!
Well, just as I was starting to get used to this strange setup of our baby chillin in her “La-Z-Boy” beside our bed, Noob Baby decided to be Miss Unpredictable again. At about 1 month old, she decided to resist sleeping in her bouncy at night. So, I rocked her and rocked her till she fell asleep. Then it dawned on me that we have a Fisher Price Papasan Swing all ready to do the rocking for me!
With my fingers crossed, into the swing she went…and there she happily swung like a monkey in a tree. She slept there all night with the mechanical clicking lulling her to sleep. Once again I called the doctor and made sure it was ok for her to be swinging all night. By this time, we had moved her into her own bedroom because it was just way too loud having her grunt, snort, swing, and whatever else weird noises she was producing alllll night long. *Side Note: If you haven’t discovered yet, newborns make the craziest old man grunts. Think Category 5 Constipation* For several weeks, I just slept right next to her on a blow-up bed. And by sleep I mean, what you call those few hours between nursing and being a zombie.
This went on for another month or so. Eventually, we would move her into her crib after she had fallen asleep in the swing. Then that slowly transitioned into us rocking and walking with her until she fell asleep, and us gently-sweating-nervously-doing-10-Hail-Mary’s before placing her into her crib. The whole maneuver is like that tablecloth and plates trick where Cool Guy removes the tablecloth without moving the plates.
So, here we are at 4 months doing this same trick every night and at every naptime. And what’s the moral of the story? Rock and swing with caution….because you may be doing that for months and months as baby gets plumper and plumper! As for us….we may be “Ferberizing” pretty soon. Look for that blog in a few….that is, if we survive to tell the tale!
Noob Mommy, I soooo needed to read this tonight. My baby has been sleeping in his swing for a couple of months now, and I keep wondering if I’m being a terrible mom by putting him in there. But damn it, I need sleep! And that’s where I can put him so we both get some sleep. So thanks for reassuring me that I’m not a terrible mom.
Yes, I know this post was almost 3 years ago…but, I NEED sleep toooooo and I have read it all it seems. (now I am on to Google) Especially now since all I do is nurse, play,( briefly), then pray she falls asleep easily for nap and bed time. Easily as in not walking/rocking/swinging for and hour or more. I do not what to do the CIO method especially since she is only 10 1/2 weeks old but I am slowing getting more aggravated everyday. Any advance about the swinging,rocking, walking approach to bed time?
Amber – Thanks for commenting! This one is really hard because it’s a double edged sword. Babies, by nature, need to suck and feel comforted in the swaddling, rocking motion that they knew so well for 9 months. But at the same time, who wants to create a baby with a bad habit right? I’d say to do what you must so that you keep your sanity. If you’re not getting any sleep, but putting your noob in a swing gets you that shut eye, well go for it. She won’t be an Igor in the future, I promise! Use a pacifier, keep swaddling, try the white noise, pat her gently to sleep, lay her down when she’s semi-awake, etc. The goal is to eventually have her in her crib, still mostly awake when you leave the room. It may be a little early yet, but it doesn’t hurt to prepare her. Also remember that it’s ok for her to cry a bit and see if she’ll just fall asleep after a little fussing. Sometimes we rush in too soon because our mommy guilt and panic mode kicks into high gear. If you’re still frustrated at 6 months, then you can consider CIO … but don’t get yourself stressed about that yet. Best to you!
I APPRECIATE your response. It seems to get easier everyday and I try hard to soothe her as much as possible which can be difficult at times since she is unable to suck a paci and HATES to be swaddled…..she is however, starting to find her thumb, But, it still presents a problem when she loses it in her sleep. I think for me I just need to relax and remember she is still learning about this new world.
Anyhow, just wanted to say thanks!!
Whoa! your description/experience was very similar to mine!
This in particular:
*Side Note: If you haven’t discovered yet, newborns make the craziest old man grunts. Think Category 5 Constipation*
THIS is VERY TRUE!!
I had Ikhwan’s grunts recorded (n he was asleep all the while) n it lasted a whole 1 minute and 14 seconds!!! … entertaining yes … lol …