The new "New Moms" thread!

[kjs1976]

Ok, Moms...I need help with the age-old question...HOW DO YOU GET YOUR 3 MONTH OLD TO SOOTHE THEMSELVES BACK TO SLEEP!!!!

Tessa is 3 1/2 months and was sleeping 7-8 hours a night until last week. Last week she started waking up at 2, the between 5 and 6. Now she wakes up at 11-12, 2 for her bottle, then another two times. We only try to put in the pacifier or re-swaddle her and it works most of the time. DH's aunt, who is a pediatrician, said she's hit her 3 month growth spurt and it is normal for sleeping and eating to be way off. She suggested getting her to go to sleep by herself to aleviate the other times she'll wake up so she can get herself back to sleep. I also read that we should try feeding her more in the evening so she stays fuller longer through the night.

Any one else have any "magic" tricks????? We're "Sleepless in Minnesota"!!!

 

[Marshmelo]

Birth Announcements: I ordered mine from Walgreens.com and picked them up at the store. They have some really cute designs (we got a Pooh one) and are inexpensive and you can get them quickly (in an hour).

 

[helenabear]

We used Costco for our announcements. Just used a picture my DH took. They turned out great! We'll most likely use them for Christmas cards too.

Dom hated and I mean HATED slings. I tried a bunch and he was only happy upright by my chest. So we used a baby bjorn.

We're horrid parents, we make Dom cry it out now with sleep. If we soothe him more ourselves he sleeps worse. We just turn the monitors off for 10 minutes now (used to be 5), and if he is still upset we pat him on the back. I was told that the trick was to not pick them up.

Bethany, silly question, how does Owen sleep (what position)? You might want to try the side, tummy or something else. I assume he is strong enough to hold his head up and do "mini push ups" right? If he is, then you can try others. Dom can now flip himself over and even scoot himself across the floor slowly (He puts his legs beneath his stomach now) so we definitely don't worry how we do it.

 

[Dusted]

Hello ladies! I was lurker sometimes poster in the mommies to be thread, so I recognize a few of you already!

Our little one will be coming with us on an upcoming trip this May for 5 nights! I should be thrilled, but feel aprehensive bringing him because he's so little.

We brought our first child when she was 7/8 mo and that didn't seem as worriesome.

What tricks, tips, would you share with me? We just got a tandem stroller ( Joovy) so we can use car seat and let our older cruise on the back. I know we can't use sunscreen, and have considered the airconditioning/heat issue with a sweater and blanket being packed at all times. Clip on fan maybe?

I'm rambling. Any suggestions would be helpful.

I am a dVC member - please confirm if you can that there are regular sized pack and play cribs in the closets...

Thank you!

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Ok, Moms...I need help with the age-old question...HOW DO YOU GET YOUR 3 MONTH OLD TO SOOTHE THEMSELVES BACK TO SLEEP!!!!

Tessa is 3 1/2 months and was sleeping 7-8 hours a night until last week. Last week she started waking up at 2, the between 5 and 6. Now she wakes up at 11-12, 2 for her bottle, then another two times. We only try to put in the pacifier or re-swaddle her and it works most of the time. DH's aunt, who is a pediatrician, said she's hit her 3 month growth spurt and it is normal for sleeping and eating to be way off. She suggested getting her to go to sleep by herself to aleviate the other times she'll wake up so she can get herself back to sleep. I also read that we should try feeding her more in the evening so she stays fuller longer through the night.

Any one else have any "magic" tricks????? We're "Sleepless in Minnesota"!!!

Wish I could help, but we're in the process of teaching Owen ourselves, so I can only offer sympathy. I've also heard that it's best if they can learn to fall asleep by themselves so they can self-soothe at night, and to try feeding more at bedtime. Owen is just coming off his 3 month growth spurt - I swear he grew a ton in just a week - but during his he was waking up every hour or two overnight and constantly wanted to eat. I'm still wiped out from it, and thankful he's back to "only" waking up twice in the night!

We used Costco for our announcements. Just used a picture my DH took. They turned out great! We'll most likely use them for Christmas cards too.

Dom hated and I mean HATED slings. I tried a bunch and he was only happy upright by my chest. So we used a baby bjorn.

We're horrid parents, we make Dom cry it out now with sleep. If we soothe him more ourselves he sleeps worse. We just turn the monitors off for 10 minutes now (used to be 5), and if he is still upset we pat him on the back. I was told that the trick was to not pick them up.

Bethany, silly question, how does Owen sleep (what position)? You might want to try the side, tummy or something else. I assume he is strong enough to hold his head up and do "mini push ups" right? If he is, then you can try others. Dom can now flip himself over and even scoot himself across the floor slowly (He puts his legs beneath his stomach now) so we definitely don't worry how we do it.

In the Amby he sleeps on his back, and right now he sleeps on his side in my arms at night. We have tried putting him on his tummy or propping him on his side in the cradle or by himself in our bed, and it sometimes works, but not consistently. We're getting closer to trying the Amby for overnight, though! This week we're moving him to a regular sleep/eat schedule with two long naps each day instead of his random napping/snacking. So far he's doing great, and he's been taking two 2-hour naps in the Amby with only occasional mid-nap wakings. He's not good at falling back asleep on his own yet, and right now we're helping him with that. Once this schedule is set, we're going to try the cry-it-out method again and see if he's ready for that this time around. We've already got Owen used to a specific bedtime routine, so the only change will be we put him in his own bed rather than taking him to ours.

 

[mrs.explorer1977]

Hello ladies! I was lurker sometimes poster in the mommies to be thread, so I recognize a few of you already!

Our little one will be coming with us on an upcoming trip this May for 5 nights! I should be thrilled, but feel aprehensive bringing him because he's so little.

We brought our first child when she was 7/8 mo and that didn't seem as worriesome.

What tricks, tips, would you share with me? We just got a tandem stroller ( Joovy) so we can use car seat and let our older cruise on the back. I know we can't use sunscreen, and have considered the airconditioning/heat issue with a sweater and blanket being packed at all times. Clip on fan maybe?

I'm rambling. Any suggestions would be helpful.

I am a dVC member - please confirm if you can that there are regular sized pack and play cribs in the closets...

Thank you!

Hi there! We're DVC members too and when we stayed in AKV in January, there was a full sized pack n play (Graco) in the closet that hadn't even been used yet. There was also a sheet included with it. Because we used ours in the livingroom for night time, we set the other up in our bedroom for naps and it was fine. Colin didn't even mind that the sheet didn't smell like home.

We ended up buying the Mickey Fan from the baby center in AK -- I think it was $15 and worked great. We only really needed it one day, but now we have it for all the rest of our trips, including the one in May! ;-) I found that the Baby Centers were great -- good for changing bums, taking a break, feeding a bottle. Because we were formula feeding by then (I pumped exclusively for 5 months and then just couldn't take it anymore...) we used powdered formula in a premeasured divider container and room temp water. I think it was our nurse who suggested getting Colin used to room temp, since you don't have to worry about heating that way.

I would definitely suggest a baby carrier of some sort...it was great for lines etc. Colin slept through The Haunted Mansion in his sling...

Don't forget a hat with a big brim...Colin wouldn't wear his Baby Banz sunglasses, but would at least keep his hat on!! We used sunblock, but he was also over 6 months when we went in January.

Just go at the little one's speed -- there were a couple days we didn't even get to the park until after 10, others when we got out the door right away and came back to the resort for a nap in the afternoon.

Have fun! You'll be fine and I'm sure you'll find that it's not as bad as you're thinking it's going to be.

 

[Dusted]

Thanks Mrs. Explorer!

I didn't know the baby centers had fans. That's good info.

Also thanks for the info on the pack and plays. Was the upper level there too, the one you would use for a basinet, or just the lower play part? I will remember to pack our sheets. Good idea.

Jack hates the infant carier we have, I've tried it a few different times and he just cries and cries. I really have to get somewhere I can try different slings. I tried teh hotsling from target, but the size 4 was still too small, even though I fit into their size ideal.


Any one love the sling they are using?

Many thanks!

 

[helenabear]

Thanks Mrs. Explorer!

I didn't know the baby centers had fans. That's good info.

Also thanks for the info on the pack and plays. Was the upper level there too, the one you would use for a basinet, or just the lower play part? I will remember to pack our sheets. Good idea.

Jack hates the infant carier we have, I've tried it a few different times and he just cries and cries. I really have to get somewhere I can try different slings. I tried teh hotsling from target, but the size 4 was still too small, even though I fit into their size ideal.


Any one love the sling they are using?

Many thanks!

Do you have any mom's groups or friends with babies you could try a few slings? Dom hated every single sling I tried... mostly due to him hating to be on his back with his reflux. So we do a Baby Bjorn that he really enjoys now that he is big enough to face forward.

We are also DVC members, and we are bringing our own sheets. Mostly because we have a "spitter" and I don't want to do laundry unless I need to. The one I saw at BWV last trip did not have the bassinet. Keep in mind the weight limit is 15 pounds though. Not sure how big your little one is. We had Dom sleeping in his until he was 3 months and hten he outgrew the upper portion.

Just curious, what are the fans like that they sell at the Baby Center? I know they have mister fans everywhere, but I would love a clip on fan or something small and portable to bring. It shouldn't be too hot, but it would be nice all the same.

 

[beckmrk04]

Dusted- I would ask your Ped about using sunscreen- even though it says not before 6 months, ours said it was preferable to a sunburn (we were headed to the zoo for a day, and I wasn't sure I could keep her completely shaded).

As for the sleep thing- Vaylie was easy, really, but I rocked her and gave her a bottle every night. A lot of nights I put her down while she was sound asleep. Once we hit 3 months she was sleeping through the night, usually. The only time she wakes up in the middle of the night is when she is teething (OR if she, I don't know, gets the stomach flu and throws up all over herself, her sheets, and every stuffed animal in a 10 foot radius). THAT was fun.

I'm also in the cry-it-out camp. Not all the time, but sometimes there's nothing wrong with her except that she's TOO tired and cranky, so I let her cry for 10 minutes (usually by 10 minutes she's out cold). If not, then I'll go in, rock her a bit, and put her back down. She may cry another couple of minutes, but never long. I make exceptions if she's sick, and sometimes when she's teething- she just needs some extra cuddling then. But on normal nights, we do a bath, put on lotion and jammies, she drinks her *warm* milk (she won't drink milk before bed unless it's warmed), cuddle a while and read a book, brush her teeth, and it's lights out.

Even though she's older now, the routine was basically the same when she was 3 months old- minus the teeth brushing. And we did try to get her to take a bit more formula in her bedtime bottle.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

Dusted - I tried one of the Infantino slings from Target with Christopher, and didn't like it very much. The Hot Slings they have there now look interesting though. I have an Ergo for him, and I love it. I didn't use it when he was really small, so I never needed the infant insert for it.

Jen

 

[HollyJoy]

Hey ladies

I haven't tried a sling, for I don't think Amanda would like it. She's very particular! lol I've been using a Baby Bjorn that a friend loaned me (so glad I didn't have to make that purchase!), and I love it! I just recently started facing her outward so that she can see what's going on. However, when she's sleeping, or it's too cold & windy (like at my daughter's games), I face her towards me. She sure is getting heavy!!! She's also not keen with lying down. She prefers sitting up! I think she'll be doing so soon. She's already holding her head up extremely well. We just got her a high chair for that reason. (We got the Chicco Polly - Candy - from BRU). She loves it! She can sit up, and see everything. It has made dinner much more enjoyable! lol

At her next doctor's appt., I'm going to ask about starting her on a rice cereal. She seems to want to eat ALL the time! She's also become much fusier lately. I'm not ruling out that whole 3 month growth spurt though. She went from sleeping all night, to getting up once. I know, that's not bad, but still..!!

 

[kellyf2626]

Holly - Amanda is so cute!! We started cereal at 3 1/2 months old - our ped told us to wait until 6 months. But, Brady was taking in so much formula and clearly wanted more. It took him about a week to get used to it, but I would try a bit at breakfast and dinner. Pretty soon he was loving it!!

Brady has been sick for the past week....yuck. I think it's just a cold combined with teething. He finally doesn't have a fever, but still has bad congestion and a cough. Makes for tough sleeping - he has always been such a great sleeper, this past week has been killing me! I am not used to being up so much at night!

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Well, after a week Owen has adjusted to his new fixed schedule and we've started doing cry-it-out for naps. Yesterday went really well and he fell asleep within 10 minutes with very little crying, but this morning it took him 45 minutes. The good news is that unlike the last time we tried CIO, this time he never got to the point of making himself sick. Last time we did this he would get so worked up after just 5 - 10 min. of crying that he'd throw up and it would take 45 min to an hour to get him calmed down again, so we stopped CIO and waited for him to mature some more before trying it again.

This morning has been hard, though. I know we need to do this, DH and I agreed that this is how we wanted to do it, and Owen's been showing me that he's ready for it, but it is still tough. I'm going to give him lots of extra snuggles after naptime to make up for it!!

 

[Dusted]

Thanks ladies! I will talk to my ped next week when we are in for more shots.

I will ask about the sunscreen - what is the concern with young babies and it anyway? The chemicals, I suppose...

I will definitly bring my own sheets, you just never know. My first born threw up all over the bed a year ago- I wish I had had an extra set with me that night why is it always in hotels ????

I will keep trying Jack in the carriers we have. I have a hand me down sling that I can't figure out and two carriers. I also have to take back my hotsling and hope to find it in a bigger size.

Thanks again - it's a pleasure to be back on the boards.

Oh, and by the way, as I type, my little one is in my bed fast asleep. I will cuddle in next to shortly and sleep and nurse, and nurse and sleep. It's bliss.

I realize it won't be bliss later, and we'll deal with it then. My 5 yo is now in her bed, but we don't push the issue when she wants to sleep with us. Our rationale is that we doubt she will come home from the prom and want to sleep with us. Although we probably will want her to then too!

Best to all!

 

[kellyf2626]

Well, after a week Owen has adjusted to his new fixed schedule and we've started doing cry-it-out for naps. Yesterday went really well and he fell asleep within 10 minutes with very little crying, but this morning it took him 45 minutes. The good news is that unlike the last time we tried CIO, this time he never got to the point of making himself sick. Last time we did this he would get so worked up after just 5 - 10 min. of crying that he'd throw up and it would take 45 min to an hour to get him calmed down again, so we stopped CIO and waited for him to mature some more before trying it again.

This morning has been hard, though. I know we need to do this, DH and I agreed that this is how we wanted to do it, and Owen's been showing me that he's ready for it, but it is still tough. I'm going to give him lots of extra snuggles after naptime to make up for it!!

Bethany - I know it's so hard, but keep it up!! We went through about a week of tough naps/bedtimes with Brady while doing CIO around the same age as Owen. Some days he would only cry about 10min, other days much longer. But, in the end, he really learned how to self-soothe himself sleep, and has been sleeping like a champ ever since. It was soooooooo worth it!!!

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Bethany - I know it's so hard, but keep it up!! We went through about a week of tough naps/bedtimes with Brady while doing CIO around the same age as Owen. Some days he would only cry about 10min, other days much longer. But, in the end, he really learned how to self-soothe himself sleep, and has been sleeping like a champ ever since. It was soooooooo worth it!!!

Thanks for the encouragement! Yesterday afternoon's nap was horrible. It took Owen about an hour to finally doze off, and then he kept waking up and having crying spells every 20-30 min. Out of 3 hours I think he got about 45 min. of sleep, and it wasn't very deep. He kept making little whimpering noises and doing sobbing breaths in his sleep. It broke my heart to hear him, but I do know that this is best for all of us. Owen got lots of extra snuggles during his awake time, and he's still just as smiley and chatty as if the nap drama never happened, so he seems to be bouncing back from it better than I am!

 

[helenabear]

Bethany, this is a really dumb question, but for a nap, are you sure he is tired when you are putting him down? We are trying to get Dom on more of a regular schedule, but I still won't put him down at the "set time" if he isn't acting tired. Same with bedtime. Granted it usually only varies an hour, but for a nap letting them cry for that long never seemed worth it to me. Especially knowing that the amount he will need to sleep will become less and less or change when he wants it all together. If after 15 minutes or so he is still crying, I take him out and get a feel for if he really is tired or if he was just acting grumpy. Now for bed time, it's a different story Not picking on you, just giving food for thought Feel free to ignore if you want

I have an opinion question. Dom will be 5 months old when we go to WDW. I keep going back and forth with what to do about clothing. We have quite a few nice thin cotton sleepers that will have him covered save his hands and face. I know using sunscreen on small parts is fine, but on larger parts of his body, it can mess with his body temp control. Would you put your child in the sleepers at all times or would you do the short sleeved onsie and shorts with sunscreen on arms and legs?
From what is a good guess on the temps it will be low of around 60-65° and high of around 80-85°
Right now I am leaning towards the one piece sleepers, but curious what others would do

 

[kellyf2626]

I have an opinion question. Dom will be 5 months old when we go to WDW. I keep going back and forth with what to do about clothing. We have quite a few nice thin cotton sleepers that will have him covered save his hands and face. I know using sunscreen on small parts is fine, but on larger parts of his body, it can mess with his body temp control. Would you put your child in the sleepers at all times or would you do the short sleeved onsie and shorts with sunscreen on arms and legs?
From what is a good guess on the temps it will be low of around 60-65° and high of around 80-85°
Right now I am leaning towards the one piece sleepers, but curious what others would do

Elaine - we brought Brady at 4 1/2 months this past Decmeber. We had some extremely hot days, and some extremely cold days. Very weird weather! But, for the hot days, he was so sweaty and unhappy - and we just had him in a onsie. I can't imagine putting anything more on him. I had a hat on him whenever he was in the sun - but I didn't use sunscreen. He really spent most of his time in his stroller in the shade (with a Mickey fan on him). He was the happiest like that. I brought a crib sheet and would put it around the top of the stroller when it was really sunny to keep him completely in the shade - the elastic part wraps nicely around the whole thing, and he was able to sleep well and be protected from the sun. We had him in the Baby Bjorn at times, but with his hat on and a onsie, he was fine.

 

[helenabear]

Kelly thanks for your thoughts. We already have a sunshade that is made for my stroller (as well as a rain shade) and will be bringing a blanket and if I remember some safety pins to keep the blanket in place. The way our stroller works (jogger) we have the ability to do this and have it safely cover him if we want to try to let him sleep in it. though he is NOT a back sleeper so we may just have to go to the room or go indoors and hold him while standint or sitting for a while (he sleeps like that at church)

Again if anyone else had any real good suggestions let me know. I might just bring sunscreen, onsies, shorts and then the sleepers all with us. Like his clothes take up a lot of space

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Bethany, this is a really dumb question, but for a nap, are you sure he is tired when you are putting him down? We are trying to get Dom on more of a regular schedule, but I still won't put him down at the "set time" if he isn't acting tired. Same with bedtime. Granted it usually only varies an hour, but for a nap letting them cry for that long never seemed worth it to me. Especially knowing that the amount he will need to sleep will become less and less or change when he wants it all together. If after 15 minutes or so he is still crying, I take him out and get a feel for if he really is tired or if he was just acting grumpy. Now for bed time, it's a different story Not picking on you, just giving food for thought Feel free to ignore if you want

I have an opinion question. Dom will be 5 months old when we go to WDW. I keep going back and forth with what to do about clothing. We have quite a few nice thin cotton sleepers that will have him covered save his hands and face. I know using sunscreen on small parts is fine, but on larger parts of his body, it can mess with his body temp control. Would you put your child in the sleepers at all times or would you do the short sleeved onsie and shorts with sunscreen on arms and legs?
From what is a good guess on the temps it will be low of around 60-65° and high of around 80-85°
Right now I am leaning towards the one piece sleepers, but curious what others would do

Yep, he's tired when he goes down. He's yawning and almost asleep in my arms when I lay him down. He wasn't crying the whole time, but he'd cry for 5 - 10 min, then settle down and "complain" for a few minutes. He'd be quiet for a little bit and I'd think he'd fallen asleep, but then he'd start crying again. He's pretty clear on his cues for when he's tired (at least to me), and we've dubbed him "the clockwork baby" because he gets tired and wakes up at almost the exact same times every day. He's just had a hard time with sleeping on his own from day one, and all of our gradual approaches haven't worked, so we're going back to trying "cold turkey" again. Yesterday I never picked him up to reassure him, but I put my hand on him and rocked him in the Amby bed and sang to him to help him out a little, and just made sure I left the room before he was fully asleep.

No worries - no offense taken. Thanks for the thought...

As for the sunscreen/clothing issue: We've had a few days with those temps here, and I started Owen in a light sleeper but ended up changing him to a short romper and putting on sunscreen because he was sweating so much. He seemed more comfortable after I changed him to the shorts. When it started to cool down a little, I wiped him down with a washrag and put him back in long pants and long sleeves. I can understand the concern with sunscreen, but Owen was dripping sweat and I didn't want him to get heat rash, either. So that's what worked for us...I'd guess you just need to see how Dom reacts to the heat and go from there. Have fun!