Sleeping on the couch with our 4 week old.....advice. - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

OrangeCouture · 05-02-2006, 05:07 PM

Our daughter is 4 weeks old. The night we brought her home from the hospital she was up and from the very first night I began sleeping with her in my arms sitting up on the chaise end of the couch. I have been doing this for four weeks and it works and it is easy for me. I want to transition out of this because although I am a light sleeper, I am aware of SIDS, and I also don't want her to become accustomed to sleeping with me. I know she is only four weeks, but has anyone else ever done this. When did you transition your baby to a bed or pack and play bed? It seems like when I do try to lay her down in her pack and play or her papasan bouncer she cries at night, she wants to be held to sleep. Any suggestions, personal stories, or advice? Thanks.

wendyr · 05-02-2006, 05:28 PM

Orange ~ I understand your concern. My ds won't go down in his bassinett for long.

Our evenings are always as follows : he lays in my mother's arms at around 6pm while I go to bed for a couple of hours.

I then get up to feed him, then go back to bed for another couple of hours or so. At 1am, my mother and dh go to bed and ds and I go through the same routine - I change him and feed him and put him in the bassinett at the side of our bed, where he frets for a while and I keep stroking his forehead or adding slight pressure to his legs. He EVENTUALLY settles for maybe 1.5 hours, then we get up for a feed and I then put him in his car seat, laying on a soft blanket, where he settles for a while. Then we feed again and change, then I put him in his 'infant to toddler rocker' with the vibration going and I lay on the couch at the side of him.

It's tough as it takes him a while to settle, he's very hiper and wide awake in the early hours, sleeping during the day! Typical.

The SIDS thing is certainly a worry and we have to be very careful. I really don't know what to advise you but I hope you can use one of my methods with success.

Good luck.

shelliam · 05-02-2006, 07:32 PM

I felt very concerned with my babies sleeping on our chest or arms while on the couch and such. I understand that SIDS is a very big concern and I actually had this conversation in a post about 9 months ago when my DD was that same age. I really feel now that the scary part is over for the most part that babies need this connection with you at that time and will soon ajust to sleeping on their own. I helped this along by putting them in the pack in play while I took showers or did dishes during the day. I found it easier with my second as I was perfectly content holding DS 24/7 and probably felt that it was my duty even. My advice to you is to enjoy this short time that they love to have you snuggled with them as much as possible and try not to worry. A poster has brought up that it is less than 1% of 1% or something like that for SIDS. Good luck and enjoy

friday13 · 05-02-2006, 08:01 PM

well maybe because she is propped up in your arms and then when you lay her down she is totally flat??? is she in your arms on her back or does she lay on your chest?

My baby has been a belly sleeper since about 8 weeks or so - she is now 13 weeks. She sleeps much better that way - we switched her when she went thru a fussy /gassy phase... and she won't switch back. I used a slanted sleep positioner when she was first home from the hospital it elevated her head like the hospital bassinets... and also - I took the wheels off the foot of the bassinet so the bassinet would be on a slant as well - and this has worked nicely for us.

I let my girl fall asleep in my arms often at that age - but the older she got around 6 weeks or so I started to put her down when she was ALMOST sleeping etc. it took a few rounds sometimes - of going back to get her - walk around with her, put her back down etc. - and try again - and again - but eventually she got it. Try it during the day to start and let her fall asleep in your arms at night for a while - ...

Friday
13 week old - baby girl

BioAdoptMom3 · 05-02-2006, 08:42 PM

Most babies do not sleep well flat on their backs. Our first two of three were born during the era of tummy sleep and I can tell you that it was almost unhead of to have a baby less than about four months old who didn't want to sleep almost all of the time. Try tummy sleep as the PP suggested if you are comfortable with it. SIDS rates are actually not even 1 in 1000 for a newborn tummy sleeper and for a newborn back sleeper are about 1 in 1500.
You might also try having him sleep in his carseat or swing, swaddling him tightly in a light blanket or the Miracle Blanket or propping him on his side in his crib in a positioner.

Nancy