As any new mother, I struggled with sleep the first couple of weeks after Grace was born. The day after I had a really bad night of waking up about every hour, and then having to fight a WIDE awake baby back to sleep, I went to Target.
My sister and I wandered through the store and were checking out when I saw someone who looked familiar. Obviously, I was familiar to her too, because she approached and said hello. She had a little baby with her as well, who was about 3 months older than Grace. As most people do, she asked how she was sleeping. I honestly told her that it was probably the worst day to ask me that question, since we had a horrible night previously. She then told me that she had the same problem, until she started swaddling her baby. After she swaddled her little girl, she slept for hours on end. I had tried swaddling Grace the first week, but it just didn't work that well for me, so I had given up.
We finished checking out, and said our goodbyes. I kept thinking about this woman throughout the day. I couldn't remember a name, and wasn't even sure where she was from...but I really felt like I should trust her and take her advice. Later on that day I finally remembered where I knew her. I have seen her on countless occasions at the temple. Immediately, I understood why I not only recognized her, but I TRUSTED her.
That night, I pulled out the swaddle, that I had prematurely thrown into the back of the closet and swaddled my baby girl.
Grace woke up ONCE that night, and has been ever since.
The morning after I tried the swaddle again, I nearly cried in relief. I was at the point of exhaustion the night before, and Heavenly Father knew it. He put this woman, that He knew I'd trust, in my path that day for her to tell me what I needed to hear. I am forever grateful for 'tender mercies'!!
As far as the swaddle, it is my best friend! Grace loves it and immediately calms down when I swaddle her at night.
BUT, she has become very strong at 4 months.
More and more often, I wake up to a different noise on the baby moniter.
No, no crying.....SUCKING!
Grace is a little Houdini, and wiggles her fists or arms out of the swaddle, so she can suck on her hands.
Grace caught being Houdini first off in the morning.She looks like she has a guilty conscience, huh?
I think its almost time for me to give up the swaddle again, and I'm a little concerned for my sleep patterns!
6 comments:
Basically, that picture is hilarious.
My little houdinis outgrow the store-bought swaddle blankets VERY EARLY because they are TOO SMALL!
But never fear--I have the solution. Make your own. Go to Joann's and buy some cute baby flannel. Buy 45 inches (1.25 yards). Flannel usually comes in 45" widths, so you'll have a perfect square. Then find a serger and finish off the raw edges. Don't turn them under or anything--just serge right along the outside.
Now THAT is a swaddle blanket. My kids get their arms out at about 6 months, but that's okay. Because by then, they're so used to the cuddly feeling that they don't wake up. My second baby girl slept with her swaddle until she was 23 months old!!! And my one-year-old still uses hers at every nap and nighttime.
Good luck!
so cute and yes, with my experience, i LOVE the swaddle as well! it works hooray!
I don't trust her. Try duct tape. Works for diapers too.
That's a neat tidbit to know...I'm gonna' have to get my sister-in-law to try that when Mason is born!
Yup, we swaddle babies around these parts... Until they are six months old. Double blankets once they get too strong for just one. At six months, we swaddle everything but one arm and train the baby to fall asleep like that. Once that skill is mastered, only the body is wrapped. And then when that skill is mastered, no swaddle blankets at all. It's really the only way to go!
Between swaddling and nursing lying down, I have only experienced two or three sleepless nights between both of my girls. So glad you got it worked out.
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