Sleeping - San Diego,CA

We had the exact problem when I brought my son home (he was born at 29 weeks) with the bassinette. I eventually had to start playing soft music and leave a light on all night (with a cover over the bassinette to filter the light; I just put it over the hood and laid it gently over the rim so that he could get plenty of air but the light was filtered) and it worked incredibly well. I called my NICU nurse and asked her the same question you are asking here and she said that since babies spend so many days in the NICU they need a lot of light and noise for the first few weeks after coming home in order to sleep. I slowly weaned him off the light after about 1 week and he was fine with just the music and then after about 5 months, I weaned him off the music and he slept perfectly. Good luck!

If developmentally he's 7 weeks, I'd say try swaddling him in a blanket or one of those swaddleme blankets. Does he take a pacifier? Did he go from an icealet to a crib, that can be a huge spacial change for him. Maybe try having him sleep in a co sleeper bed (one that attaches to your bed). And if everything fails try the infant swing, that is where my son slept until he was too big for it. Another thing that worked for us was co-sleeping.

Good Luck

Dear L.,

My daughter pushes a pillow up close to a one month old's body, it is a breast feeding pillow . So Cynder thinks someone is there and sleeps better that way. If you don't have a breast feeding pillow, then just use a regular pillow up against Je's body. So he thinks that someone is laying beside him.

Also, maybe Je wants human contact because of his
immature body needs that comfort. You really cannot 'spoil' a baby at this stage, but you can control Je's sense of security. Good luck, C. N. and Susan A.

Personally, I didn't have any problems with my baby sleeping (he's now my 15 year old baby). I put him in a baby swing and there he sleep...practically all day. I recently heard that if your baby can't sleep, put him/her in a car seat and place the car seat on a running dryer. The sound of the dryer and the vibrations it makes put's them to sleep. You can also try Veggie Tale's music. You can pick up a CD at any local Christian book store. Some babies don't like to feel alone and the Veggie Tale's are Educational and Inspirational.

I had the same problem with my daughter. She would NOT sleep in the bassinet. 10-20 minutes at a time was all she would do. I had a friend suggest putting her in her crib. I tried that and the first try she slept 3 hours straight!!!!! It worked like a charm for me. Good luck and congratulations on your little miracle.

Try the Amby Motion Bed. It is the only thing my baby would sleep in...she went from 30 minutes sleeping in her basinet to 5 1/2 hours in the Amby bed!!
ambybaby.com.
Expensive, but well worth it if you need the sleep!!

It's been awhile since I had a baby. My son is 12 and he was also born premature. He was a 28 weeker. Have you tried creating a nest like surrounding? Try rolling up a couple of baby blankets and putting them around his body. This will create a feeling of being in the womb. The nurses probably did this for him in the NICU. It's common. I also used to use a small heart shaped gadget that would mimic a heart beat. I don't know if they have those anymore but he used to love it. I hope this helps. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

God bless.

Bassinettes are a bit flimsy - he might feel unsafe as he wiggles about in it... I would put him in a sold cradle or portable crib - a bed that doesn't shake when he moves... Most babies don't stay in the bassinettes too long I know he is tiny, but he has been here a while and might need to feel more secure - I am sure the hospital beds felt more secure to him...

Congratulations on your little miracle - - - I have 4 of my own.

Ive heard that you have to make sure that a little one has a bed time routine and then if they wake after you put them to bed at least let them stay in the bed. for a while dont go running to them when they cry unless it exceeds fifteen minutes. Then go to them talk to them rub their back. This lets them know that this is where they are to sleep.

I am studying "The Happiest Baby on the Block" By Harvy Carp. His ideas are fantastic. Look for his book or DVD. He says that newborn babies need a "fourth trimester" Wraping your baby tightly in a blanket, making a white noice and mimicking the movement that they felt whie inside you will help turn on the calming reflex. Please pick up the book or DVD. It will be worth it!!!

My neice was born early (was only 2 pounds) and is now 19 months old and perfect!!

My sons was premature and he wouldnt sleep good unless he was wrapped up tight in a blanket or maybe he just need to feel you next to him babys like to keep warm espically if premature because they are taken out of a warm comfortable womb

Hi L.,
Congratulations on your baby! Just to add to the white noise - we bought a white noise machine on Amazon and it's fantastic - about $45 I think but we have it on every night or my husband can't sleep - and it won't dry the air out like a fan or heater. I'm sure you know that all babies, but especially preemies need a lot of skin to skin contact in order to thrive - they don't get as much as regular babies right after birth because they're in the NICU. Whether you do that at night or during the day, it might help...you never know. Good luck.

Have you tried putting him in a crib instead? My son didn't like his bassinet at all, but liked his crib. He was also born early, but 2 months. Not sure if that really has anything to do with it. But he definitely preferred his crib over a bassinet. So maybe just try resting him in a different place.

Hi Linday,
I can fully understand ur concern. I am a mother of wonderful twins, a girl and a boy. They turn 2 yrs on the 14th of this month, but I still remember when I rushed to the hospital in emergency bcoz they were 6 weeks early.
My son was born at 4 lbs and my daughter was at 4 1/2 lbs. They were tiny. My daughter was in the NICU for 6 days and my son for 9 days . After they came home separately I was still in shock.
My son was so fragile bcoz he had lost weight after he was born, so he was not even 4 lbs. He would cry incessantly and he would not nurse or take a bottle. And he did not want to b left alone. So I had to hold him mayb for hours at a stretch. He would not sleep in his bassinet. And he did not go to anybody else even his Dad.
So I took out the bouncer and put him in that with the gentle vibration on. He loved it and would sleep for hours in it.
I would sit in the rocking chair till he fell asleep then put him in his bassinet. Once he was asleep he would wake after a couple of hours.
This worked for me, I hope it helps u in some kinda way.
Its not easy looking after a preemie baby, but the mother knows best .
All the best.

E..
I am a mother of twins, a girl and a boy. I have been married
for 6 years.

Have you tried swaddling him tightly when he sleeps? Most babies, especially those who are premature, need that feeling of being tight in the womb to feel secure. The bassinet and crib are just too big of spaces for them to fill, and they don't feel secure with so much room. Also, have you tried giving him a pacifier to comfort him to sleep? Definitely do the swaddling, and think about giving him a binky if you're comfortable with it.
My daughter cannot sleep without some sort of white noise - when its quiet, she can hear everything that is going on, and wants to know whats happening. I run a fan in her room at night and at nap time, and the sound soothes her to sleep in a jiffy. You can run a fan, a small heater, anything - you can even buy white noise cds to play.

"Healthy Sleep, Happy Child" by Dr. Marc Weisbluth has a section on premature babies and sleeping. This is the sleep BIBLE in my opinion!