Longer Naps Needed

I love the book BABYWISE. It's about scheduling eat/play/naps and it worked wonders for all three of my kids! They all slept through the night by 3 months and took two good daytime naps. But it does take work....stick to it and you will be happy you did. Good luck!

A. - You may be expecting a bit too much too soon from your baby. My baby (who is 6 months now) was still on a sleep/wake all day pattern and did not take real naps until about 3 1/2 months. If she cries, pick her up. The whole fall back to sleep on their own thing is way overrated for someone so little. Pick her up, put her to sleep, and put her back in the crib. I'm finding that all these things we are told to expect from babies tend to happen a little later than everyone says they should. As for nursing, let her nurse when she wants and your milk will pick up in production. It will only take a couple of days.

Have you heard of The Happiest Baby On The Block? There is a book and a video by Dr. Karp - he has a website, too. He considers babies to need intensive care during their first three months, and calls it the fourth trimester. Feed them, rock them, hold them - do all that good stuff in the first three months. The hospital where I delivered shows this movie to all new moms. Good luck, and listen to your instincts!

Hi A.,
What kind of mobile do you have in the crib? I used the Fisher Price Butterfly Dreams with remote. It plays a lot of soothing music and the best part is you can re-start it from the doorway without disturbing baby!!! This helped me a lot in getting my daughter to fall back to sleep on her own. Someone bought it for us and recently when I was trying to decided how much to sell it for I found out they retail at $69, so they are pricy but it worked for mine. Keep in mind, all babies are different and what might work for one might not work for another.

Good luck and congrats on your new little bundle!!!

It sounds like your little one is going through a growth spurt. Keep putting her in the crib to sleep and look for sleepy cues; rubbing eyes, long length of time between blinks, yawning. Once you see a sleepy cue, put her in the crib with the mobile on or a just some soft music. Don't let her cry it out, pick her up, reassure her that you're there and when she stops crying, lay her back down. It might take a while before she falls asleep but each time you put her down this way, it will take less and less time until she figures out how to put herself to sleep. You have to re-teach her how to go to sleep since you've taught her how to sleep in the swing. Good luck.

Maybe it's time you try supplementing your nursing with some formula. It sounds as if you aren't producing enough milk for your baby, it's nothing to be ashamed about, try to continue nursing for another couple of months but add 2 or 3 bottles of formula a day to your babies diet.

It is not uncommon for breastfed babies to nurse every 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. YOur milk supply will increase with the increased nursings as long as you drink enough liquids, get enough rest and eat nutritious food. The more baby nurses, the better it insures your milk supply. Breastfeed as often as needed and enjoy....in the span of a lifetime, it is really very short, and baby will one day stop. Enjoy every moment of it while you have it.

How long do you let her cry it out? I let my daughter cry it out at around 8 weeks and it took her awhile, but she finally got it and slept well from then on. Honestly, I don't think she took good solid scheduled naps until 4-5 mo. old. They are just too little and their sleep patterns are so sporadic. Does she use a binky to sooth herself? That helped put my daughter to sleep. Also, white noise like a fan or sound machine. That works wonders and then you don't have to tip-toe around your house. You could supplement with formula but still do most of the feedings. I was so scared to do that becuase I thought my daughter would not want my milk anymore but she did fine I promise. As long as you are stimulating your milk every couple of hours it will be there.

There's no limit to the amount of milk you can produce! If she nurses, she'll be able to get some out, even if you can't feel it. Also, remember babies sometimes go through growth spurts where they need to nurse more (even though you don't know why or don't agree). Most lactation specialists will tell you to feed *on demand*. That improves milk supply and meets the babies needs. Chances are, this phase will pass, as long as you are meeting her needs and helping her learn how to sleep on her own when necessary. Personally, my 3 1/2 month old still sleeps in his swing. I'll move him into his crib at 4 months, which is usually a little better to let them cry it out once they're bigger. I say, if you really need a break and need her to sleep, then put her back in the swing if she sleeps better there. Don't worry-she won't still be sleeping in the swing at 5 yrs old. :)

Hi A.
I know the first time mothers issues can be frustrating. I have 2 daughters....2 1/2 year old and 12 weeks old. Neither one of them took very long naps in their crib. I actually let them sleep in a co-sleeper next to my bed. But both of my girls slept 8 hours a night by their 6th week and then would wake up to nurse and go back down for another 3 hours. And that was pretty much all I could consistantly count on for the rest of the day. My first baby transitioned herself into 2 one hour nap....in am and afternoon. I have yet to find out about this one. I like to hold my babies so they are more comfortable sleeping in my arms during the day than in their crib. I would say just keep being consistant about when you put her down....same time everyday and eveentually she will get it.....it is tough. As far as your milk supply goes, your breasts should be able to produce as much as she wants to eat as long as you are healthy and able to produce. The more she nurses the more milk you will make. So don't worry abouyt that. Just make sure she is getting a full meal each time she nurses. If she only nurse for 3 minutes on each side then she is not getting the thick breast milk that fills their tummy better. It is quite thin when it comes out at first. If she is falling asleep when she nurses try to keep her awake. At 8 weeks, she should easily be able to go 2 1/2 to 3 hours between feedings. good luck to you

My daughter did the same thing she would not nap for long and I had to put her in the swing and she wanted to eat all the time. I just let her suck something was coming out and it's what she wanted. I put a darker cover over her window and she started to sleep longer that helped a lot during the day. See is now 4 months old and naps for 3 hours and doesn't eat as often and she falls back asleep on her own.

I have to agree that you are expecting way too much from your baby. She is only 8 weeks old! Self-soothing is a behavior that has to be learned, and it really can't until AT LEAST 5 months! If she wakes up, feed her quickly and put her back to bed. Then, eventually, she will stop waking up. She also might be going through a growth spurt. I highly, highly, highly recommend reading The No Cry Sleep Solution by ELizabeth Pantly. I would aslo check out www.askdrseasrs.com for some great information.

Lots of babies nap for 45 min., including mine. - Sometimes, shorter! I hear about 2 hour naps and although that happens on occasion, he can nap for 15 min. or 20 min. Just stick with it. All patterns shift so quickly.

My son was on my breast 24/7 for that first 8 weeks! Just let her eat whenever she wants, as long as she wants- don't worry about a schedule yet. And don't worry about not producing enough milk unless she stops wetting at least 6 diapers a day. Your body will catch up to her demand. Good luck, stick with it, it will get better!
Erika

Hi A.,,
It is normal for your 8 week old baby to take short naps. They usually eat every 2 hours. She will sleep longer as she gets older and can hold more milk. Make sure you are eating a balanced diet and drinking plenty of fluids so your milk will be rich with nutients for your precious gift. I always cuddled mine while nursing and that seemed to help them feel secure and sleep longer. Longer naps will come, your baby is still rather young and still need her mommy's warm special touch. Be patient and the rewards will be a happy baby. Congratulations! Enjoy every moment they grow up so very fast.

A little about me: I am a mother of 3 adult children. I nursed all my children and my 2 daughters for 14 months each. I have 4 grandchildren who were nursed also.

My daughter had the same problem with her now 4-month-old daughter. She and her husband began to realize the baby may have a sucking or swallowing problem. Their pediatrician sent them to (first) a lactation specialist, then to a feeding therapist. It has turned out that the baby will not suck on ANYTHING except mommy. She does not like feeling anything on TOP of her tongue, so she always puts her tongue over the nipple. They discovered no problems swallowing, but in order to make sure Abby is ready for solids soon, she goes to feeding therapy twice a week. It is definitely helping. She will now let me put a pacifier in her mouth on top of her tongue and actually sucks for a couple of seconds before pushing it out. They say this is great progress. She arches her back sometimes (not so much to worry about as my daughter does), but if babies arch their backs a lot, it could be an early sign of cerebral palsy. Unfortunately, this cannot be definitively diagnosed sometimes until a child is three or four years old. Was the baby given oxygen immediatedly after birth? If not, then probably no worries. Some babies just have difficulty changing routines and environments like my granddaughter does. She is also a very light sleeper. The important thing is to discuss all concerns you have with your pediatrician. Also, try swaddling the baby for naps (wrap her tightly in a lightweight blanket). Eventually they start getting their arms out if they wake up, but it seems to make my granddaughter feel more secure like being back in the womb. The other thing we do is to play a nature CD when we put her down. Abby's is one of the rainforest, and as soon as she hears the "rain," she's on her way to sleep. She still takes shorter naps at my home than her own, but I feel that as she adjusts to the new environment, she will sleep longer.
K.

I think that 8 weeks is super early to let your baby cry it out because they are still needing to eat often and need that reassurance that you'll be there for them. Someone once told me that you can never spoil a newborn. My babies wanted to eat every hour to hour and a half. They just needed it. Have you tried a pacificer to hold her off from eating a little. Anyways my babies didn't start taking good naps until about 5 to 6 months. If you can't produce enough milk then maybe you could supplement her with formula. Anyways, good luck and remember she's still really little.

My son is now 4 months old and so far is breastfed only. I'm not gonna lie to you. Breastfeeding is a challenge.. right now she is helping you establish your milk supply.. so let her nurse whenever she wants to. I know sometimes it feels like they are attached at the boob, but it'll start getting easier and longer between feedings. When my son was that age there were times when I would just finish feeding him and 15 min later he was hungry again. I thought I was doing something wrong or he wasn't getting enough.. but just kept on letting him nurse on demand. And it worked out. He's almost 20 lbs now.. and a chunky little monkey. Keep at it.. you can do it. I'm proud of you... (i didn't think I'd be able to keep it up.. but I promise you it does get easier)

Hi A.,

It sounds like you may have a problem with your milk supply, not only not producing enough but maybe not having enough nurishment to keep your baby satisfied. Talk to your doctor, they can have your milk tested. In the mean time you can always supplement breastfeeding with bottle feeding. I wish you luck.

D.

Lactation consultants advised me to feed on one breast at each feeding. This way your baby will get more of the fat hind milk that comes after 10 minutes of feeding. So let your baby stay on one breast, burp her and put her back on the same side. Of course if she demands more, switch her to the other breast. This way your other breast will get a bit of a break and you will have more time to make more milk. It might take some time to adjust, but this method worked for us. My son used to eat every hour for almost three months and i let him nap wherever. He has improved a lot once I started feeding him like I described. Also make sure you drink a lot of caffeine-free liquids, it helped me with my supply. And most of all remember that this stage will pass!

Good luck,
A.