Never Before Night Wakings

Do you have him swaddled or in a sleep positioner? He may just want to be wrapped tight or feel something against him. He may have been used to that feeling from the swing. Just a suggestion.

My daughter had relux too and I used a wegde so she was a little more upright. You can find them at Target for $15.

I hope you find something that works for you! Good luck!

Around 4 months is when babies become aware of their sorroundings. It is very normal for him to now realize he is alone. Just remember around 4 months is also when you have to come up with a plan to establish healthy bedtime and sleeping habits. If you don't you'll have many more posts about what to do later on. Please read dr. ferber's book, it helped me when my son was 4.5 months and never had any problems since. Now at 27 months, he sleeps better than any other babies I know. Congratulations on becoming a mother.

I had the same problem with my son . Moving him back into your room is going back to step 1 i don't recommend it. Becareful as to watch you watch on tv when he is around that may cause night terrors. He may just start to have night terrors or teething. It's rough but it's just a stage and I promise this to shall pass. I tried different thing. Music -- babies lullabies - works or get something that he can focuse on in the crib like a fish light or something like that something with slow motion.
I hope I helped hang in there

One of my daughters had reflux, and she slept in her carseat in my room until she was 8 months old. I think it's an excellent idea to put the crib in your room. Follow your motherly instincts.

I would say this is quit normal. And I wouldn't suggest moving baby into your bedroom. Are you sure you baby is not hungry or thirsty? Not cold or hot? Is air fresh enough in his room? Is his crib very big? He might feel uncomfortable in big crib if he used to sleep in small swing before. I would try to make him feel comfortable - offer formula (or breast), check if he is not cold, then cuddle him a little, trying to put him asleep and then put him back into crib. Probably you will have to do that several times a night for a while but it will be over sooner or later :) Everything is changing very fast with our little ones. Even if you baby did OK first week he might suddenly feel stressed because of moving. Be gentle and patient. I would suggest to try making his crib more comfortable. At your age I offered my baby new sleep-companion, little bear, made of clothing (completely safe for such a little baby). Since when she goes to sleep holding him in her hands. That makes her comfortable and relaxed. We never had issue with "too big crib" since my baby slept in big one since day one. But I know people how had issues like that. One of the suggestion is to make crib smaller - for example you can divide crib in half using bumper. If baby is not turning on his stomach yet and not crawling that should be safe. By the time of turning he should be comfortable in bigger crib :)I also heard suggestion to put baby on his back on the large pillow (like breastfeeding pillow) to narrow space around him so he would feel warm and comfortable but I think that might be dangerous if baby turns on his stomach and i wouldn't do that.
Good luck!

I don't think it's a bad habit to move your son's crib into your room. Our bedroom is teeny-tiny, so we've always had our babies sleep just outside our bedroom door. It's worked out great for us. Once they get bigger, we've moved them further away from the door & closer & closer to their room (it takes a few weeks) so it's a gradual change for them. They'll still get scared occasionally, but it's never been a nightly occurrance.

Your son also may be reacting to the switch from swing to crib. Did you start by having him take naps in the crib during the day before he began sleeping in it at night? Keep in mind, too, that a crib is MUCH higher than a tyical swing, so his perpective of objects in his room is radically different. He may not be recognizing familiar objects from this different angle, which may be cotributing to his fear.

Hi jen,

He probably is scared because its unfamiliar surroundings NOW
he has been in the swing till now

i would suggest putting him on a pillow on his back so he is propped up, like in the swing,

and then when he cries, and you go to him, get up right away ,and DO NOT TALK, pet his head, and cheek to quietly let him know you are there, and give him a pacifier.
Then LEAVE.

If he is wide eyed, just reposition him to his side, towards the wall, and cover him up, give him the pacifier, and pet his head and cheek and then LEAVE, but NO talking.

Talking is a stimulant to babies.

This worked for me with my 3 kids.

M

Hi-Well If you think about it, Ther was probably a blanket tucked in around him in the swing and he was "cacooned" and secure....Now he can move around a bit and Flat vs upright might be a biggie. Have you trieda boucy chair. it has a slight angle but it's not flat.
He could be having reflux again too.
Good Luck!~

your son could have been very comfy inhis swing since it cradles his body and kind of "hugs" him. have you tried using a wedge in the crib to keep your son's head elevated
a bit? they come with bolsters on the side to hold the baby in place so they won't slide down or roll over. i think this also gives the feeling of being held or "hugged" as the swing did because of the cushioning and support on the body. my son, who is 2 years old now, had reflux for about 6 months and he slept with a wedge pillow in his bassinet & crib for that time.
good luck & congratulations!

Hello, I have a 4 year old and a 6 month old- I think that sleep is not as natural as it should be and that children actually have to be taught how to sleep. My doctor explained that people naturally go through patterns of deep to light sleep through out the night and that sleeping through the night just means the person is able to put him/herself back to sleep. I think it was almost a year before my first "slept through the night." I tried everything, but what I think helped the best was patting her back (while she cried or whimpered) so she knew I was there yet she had to learn to sleep with out me picking her up, nursing ,or rocking her. I would pick her up if the crying got out of hand but would try to put her back down before she fell asleep. Another doctor also gave good advice to put the babies down when they have "a drunken sailor look" almost asleep so that they learn and know how it feels like to fall asleep by themselves. Hope all this helps a little, and hang in there eventually they do sleep!

Do you swaddle him when you put him in his crib? He may have felt very warm, cozy and secure(in essence swaddled) in the swing and now he is in this vast open space and "scared". If you don't want to swaddle, you could also try a sleep sack. It works wonders for our daughter.

Good luck!

It is always a big transition when a baby's schedule changes or shifts in any way and you changing him from swing to crib is big even though you may not think so. Perhaps you should let him fall asleep in his swing and then move him to his crib. Try that for a week and see how it goes. If it works, maybe you can make the full transition of moving him into his crib at a later date. Perhaps, you may want to try, swaddling. Continue to use the crib, but swaddle him nice and snug, so he isn't flailing. At times if they are not swaddled, babies kinda jump in their sleep and startle themselves awake. Good Luck!

For a million years we've been sleeping with our children in our arms keeping them safe and warm. Can't change evolution even with the recent century invention of the crib. Of course he wants to sleep with you because he's scared. He belongs in your arms at night.

My advice is along the same lines of everyone who says that the crib might be too big. When we put my son in his crib at 2 months we put him in his Moses basket in the crib. I thought the Moses baskets were silly but got one for my baby shower and loved it. He would also nap in the Moses basket during the day, where ever we were, so he was used to it. That way he was in a familiar bed, but got used to his crib also.

As for bringing him in your room - that is up to you completely. My whole family slept better once my son was in his own room. When he was in my room he was always waking, and we were so conscious of being quiet that we had a tough time getting to sleep. When he went into his crib he started sleeping through the night (10PM-7AM) immediately. And we were able to sleep as well.

But that may not be the case for you, I see some people recommend co-sleeping. If you think he is scared or anxious you might want to consider that, or just bring him into your room in his crib. Co-sleeping, or not, is definitely a personal family decision.

Hey Jen,
I know how u feel. I was like that with my first. So I decided to follow my motherly instincts and co sleep with my children. I had both of my children in a bassinet on the side of my bed for about 4-5 months, then they just came in thebed with me. My 3 year old is still in there with me, and we all couldn't be happier. I suggest that you check out ATTACHMENT PARENTING websites, it just sounds like you want, and need to nurture your child using the motherly instincts that are naturally with you. If you feel like yur child is scared, pick up your son, hold him. My first daughter was very colicky, had acid reflux, she was a miserable cranky baby, and to add to it I had post partum depression. Everyone was telling me what to do with my daughter, put her in the crib let her cry, etc. etc. etc. BUT my natural, God given motherly instincts said, hold your baby, nurture your baby, and when I finally followed my instincts, there was more harmony in the house. People will tell you you are wrong, as long as some doctors, but, follow your instincts. Nurture your son. Get attached, check out the web, google attachment parenting, see if it i a right fit for you.

Just remember when you think you have a routine and have figured your baby out then bam they change it on you. Do you think he's hungry? Maybe that's what is making him wake up? My son started needing more to eat right around 3 1/2 months. (we started cereal a 4 months and he started sleeping better) He's too little to do the cry it out method so you should go in to sooth and comfort him until about 6 months. As far as him being in the same room that's a decision you and your spouse have to make. I personally didn't want my son in the habit of sleeping w/ us or in our room pass 3 months and having to break the habit later when he's more aware and it will be much harder. Good Luck

J., it is NEVER bad to bring your children into the room with you as long as your husband supports it. If not, then you can put a mattress on the floor and sleep in the room with your baby. I have an 8 yr., 6 yr., and 9 month old baby. My first two slept with me until they were 7 and 4.5. I do not regret it and would not change a thing. My 9 month old has slept with us from day one. There are families in America that co sleep with their children. In countries like Africa, Asia, and India, this is SOOOO normal and they would not have it any other way. Only in America do we scorn mothers for "spoiling" their children. Love your child and don't aplogize to anyone for doing it. Parent the way that is comfortable for you and not everyone else.

Hi! Is your son on meds for the reflux? He may need a higher dose (especially at night when he lies flat). I found that my daughter was waking at night more when she needed her meds increased.

He may also feel not as secure in the crib compared to the swing. Is he swaddled? I know moms who swore by the Miracle Blanket: www.buybuybaby.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=11316...;

Another thing you could try is nesting him in his crib. This is what I did to transition my daughter to the crib from her bassinet and it worked really well. You need a sleeping wedge, 2 beach towels and a knit (stretchy) crib sheet. Put the sleeping wedge at the top of the crib. Lay the 2 towels on top of each other and roll them together the long way so that you have a very long, fat hot dog. Place the rolled towels in a horseshoe shape at the end of the sleeping wedge. This creates a "nest" for your baby to sleep in inside the crib. Put the stretchy knit sheet over the towels and wedge. Your son should be put in the crib so that his upper body is on the wedge and his lower body is in the nest. You can adjust the nest so that it is snugger as need be.

I found this tip on another site and it really helped me out. The hospitals use this technique for the preemies. HTH

Hi J.,Your son may be teething or uncomfortable for some other reason. Follow your heart, you are his mom and you were connected for 9 months. Give him all the hugs and cuddles you can. They grow up so fast. I had 5 children and my last two shared a room with us until they were 6 and 7 when we bought a house. One came into my bed every night. He is now 26, owns his own home and was not spoiled, only loved.
Do what you feel is right and works for both of you. Mary

the swing probaly helped him sleep for the last 3 months with the angle and feeling cocooned. or he could be teething, still have reflux, be hungry, be cold, hot, could feel every time he pees, or want to be held. it could be anything, but he cant communicate to tell you what. i dont recommend letting him cry, i personally dont believe in it, but even if i did, he is too young. things you could try are swaddling(i love the miracle blanket and aiden and anias blankets but since he is 3 months you might want to try the snug and tug swaddling blanket as it has 3-6 month size). my children are light sleepers, so when they are little and startle with their arms it actually wakes them up. the swaddle keeps them feeling all cocooned like in the womb. also pacifiers and a white noise machine. make sure you have a bedtime routine, and he doesnt sleep longer than 4 hours(might even be 3) at once in the day.
as for the crib, if you both agree, you should def bring the baby in. it will allow you to sleep better as you can answer his cries sooner, and maybe even soothe him before he is fully awake. i co-sleep and it has so many positive results. some people are highly misinformed about the subject, and these are the ones who usually are extremely against it. anyway, if you read dr sears or even look him up on the web, he explains it well why babies sleep so good next to their mothers. if you want your baby to sleep thru the night, cosleeping can do this for you. my 2 month old is right next to me now, and has been sleeping from 8pm-4:30am for a month, and she is breastfed so you would think she would be up more. the first 3 weeks she was up all the time in the bassinet, but as soon as i brought out our cosleeper, she slept great, waking only around 3 am for the first month of life. but just so you know, some babies dont sleep matter what. i just read somewhere that the first year of life, moms lose like 360 hours of sleep from the baby. good luck!!!

J.,

My son had reflux too...I can completely understand your comment about him challenging you. My Dr didn't even diagnose him until 2 1/2 months so it made it even worse, because you're made to feel that you're an 'overreacting 1st time parent'. I am going to give you some advice that worked for me, though some will not agree.

My baby slept in his swing or in my arms during the day, at night, he'd would gag and choke if left on his back and my fear was that he would die during the night. Because if that I had him sleeping between my hubby and I in a 'boppy' type pillow that I fixed so that he couldn't slip through. I kept my hand on his chest, because when he would choke, he wouldn't make too much noise. Needless to say, I had never believed that anyone could get by on such little sleep.

He was on zantac, and the blandest food after that. Watch out for the baby food meat mixtures. Most of them have tomato puree or onions in it.

Back to sleeping... After being in our bed, he would scream as though he was having night terrors when I put him in his crib for the night. He's extremely stubborn (as I am) so we tried the 'cry it out' stuff, but he would go until he threw up. I couldn't see doing that to him.( or me) He ended up back in our bed, strictly for the path of least resistance, until he was old enough for his own toddler bed. (Just about 15 months) It was a godsend!!! Even though he woke up at 3am like clockwork and came into our room & climbed into bed with us he slept, for the most part, in his own bed. Now, he comes into our room only when he wakes up in the morning.

If this is what you want to go with, but are worried about him never going to his own bed, think about this.. I have never heard of an 18 yr old graduating high school and sleeping in their parents bed. I thought that I'd have a hard time with the transition of getting him into his bed, but he loved it! He 'helped' daddy put it together, and was so proud that it was his. He's now in his twin bed and has all of his stuffed animals set up on it when we fix his blanket in the morning.

EVERY ONE will have their own opinions about what you should do but no one is in your shoes but you and your family. Do whatever works for you and know that it'll all work out without traumatizing your child. This worked out for us. I wish you good luck.
M.

personally, i think it's the BEST habit to have your baby in your room with you (my daughter slept in our bed until she was almost 3). it's easier for both of you and once things settle for him and he gets used to the crib, you can probably move him back to his room more easily.

Where does he fall asleep? If he falls asleep in your arms and you are moving him to his crib, you're right he is scared...babies have no concept of time....when they close their eyes and open them 3 hours later it's kind of like they blinked...they don't understand time has past...so if they wake up and they are somewhere else...it could be scarey...my son had rsv and couldn't lay flat for about 16 months due to breathing issues...we would put him in his carseat and place that in a locked position in his crib...after awhile he slept in his crib with no problems...and no if it will help you and everyone else sleep better move the crib into your room, I would try a few things differently first to see if you can solve it or it solves itself but there is nothing wrong with moving him closer. Good luck!