getting baby to sleep

[slterwil]

so, my girl has reflux and takes zantac for it. She will only sleep at night in her bouncy chair. I'd love to transition her to the crib, but she just won't. I'm not sure if it's because of the reflux she prefers being upright or because she's cradled in the chair...did any one else have their little one do this? How did you manage? Should I just be happy she's sleeping somewhere? Thanks ladies.

[jarezuny]

Laren slept in her car seat for the first three months or so... She really did like being partially upright a lot better than lying down. So long as it's safe, I say go for whatever will help the wee one sleep!

And if it is any comfort at all, Laren did go to sleep just fine in her crib when she was better laying down. There was no transition-issue later!

[mmichelle]

DD and DS both slept in the swing for as long as they fit. they both had really bad colic and it was the only way for me to get a little bit of sleep. Neither had problems switching to the crib.

[eliana1300]

Caleb had reflux also and refused to sleep anywhere. Most of the time he slept with me on our couch (I don't recommend this!) until he was 6 months old, and I had it. I told my husband, who was fully against co-sleeping, that I didn't have a choice to sleep with Caleb, and so he could at least let me sleep in bed. If he chose to stay there, fine. We began a bathtime-bottle-bedtime routine with him, and that helped considerably. We started him in his crib at night, but when he woke up in the middle of the night, we brought him to our room. We also got a positioner pad for him, because he would normally only sleep on his belly and we weren't comfortable with that. We all found a compromise on him sleeping on his side.

There is something out there called a Tucker Sling. It is kinda expensive, but it holds baby at a 30 degree angle, specifically designed for reflux babies. I think it is still available. I didn't try it but it looks like it could help some babies.

[slterwil]

thanks you guys! I feel better knowing we're not the only ones who've struggle with this and that you all didn't have probs transitioning to crib when it got better. I was just working on starting the bedtime routine thing weekend before last since it seems like she's actually settling into a pattern now but I slipped in the bathroom and broke my arm, so now I have several more weeks before I'll be able to do the whole bathing part of the routine for her...just sucks. Casts and newborns don't go together.

We too had to sleep on the couch holding her for a good few weeks if we wanted any sleep. The boppy kept her safe and sound in my arms. I get nervous cosleeping in the bed (but did for a few weeks) but the reflux got worse and now the bouncy is what does it for her. I guess I should just be thankful she's getting some rest. How did you all know when it was a good time to transition?

[eliana1300]

I honestly let Caleb sleep where ever he would, because I needed sleep so badly. Several times he slept only in his car seat, so it was next to our couch for a long time. The positioner helped a lot, but it wasn't perfect. The swing was a great thing too, once we figured out the setting for him (he preferred front-to-back rather than side-to-side--fortunately, our swing had the choice!). When I received a bouncy seat at my shower, I honestly didn't think I would ever use it. It stayed on the floor in my living room for a VERY long time, because that was the first place Caleb fell asleep on his own without being held.

As far as the transition goes, we decided to move away from co-sleeping as soon as we could. Caleb moves a LOT during sleep, so when my husband and I woke up more sore than we went to bed, we tried to get him to sleep more in his crib. Like I said before, we tried to start him out in his crib at night. My husband typically would stay with him until he fell asleep (not too long), and we periodically moved out of the room. DH did it at the beginning because I nursed for a time, and we didn't want him to want to nurse to sleep instead.

The routine definitely helped us a lot, as did very dim lights, and some radio/music in the room. Caleb is just starting to not use a light in his room (I insisted at the beginning to have a light because I didn't want to trip in the middle of the night--he got used to it). Caleb was and still a VERY picky sleeper

[jarezuny]

I don't remember how or why the transition happened... I think DH just tried it one day and I was shocked that it worked.

Laren did have a few weeks of hating going to sleep in her crib at about 1 year, but I think that was more a developmental thing. She is fine again now. We also do the bath-bottle-story-bed routine every night and I notice a big difference if we skip the bath step. I think staying with a routine when you do transition to the crib can help a lot.

And sometimes? You just do whatever it takes to get some sleep. Both my kids have spent their fair share of nights in the big bed. No shame in that!

[Danielle31]

We had this issue, too!!! Major reflux kept Meleah from being able to lay down after eating, which was a real difficulty for all of us at night. We would take turns bouncing her on our exercise ball, bleary eyed, some days upwards of 2 hours after she ate. This was the only way she would stop crying and rest her eyes.

Eventually, after taking her to the doctor and getting the Prevacid (worked so much better for us than Zantac),we stuck a bunch of rolled up towels in her crib so she'd be at a 30 degree angle. Some days this worked and she was able to sleep within 30 minutes or so of eating and being bounced to sleep.

By 3 months, she was in her crib, in her own room. We knew that we could transition her because she took almost no time between eating and being able to lay down.

By 5 months we weaned her from her medication as her symptoms seemed to get better. Now she eats like a mad woman before bedtime and can lay down immediately for the night. Yay.
GOOD LUCK!!!! XOXOXOXO!!!!

[slterwil]

thank you, Danielle. That's very encouraging. hopefully we will have a similar smooth transition. I'm gonna hold off until my arm's out of the cast and then give it a go.