my 2 month old daughter, wont sleep for longer than1 hr for naps, she is breastfed any help to keep her down?

Question

if i hold her then she might stay longer, and she sleeps 4-6 hours during the night, she is sleeping with me. it seems that when she wakes up and doesnt see me she cries,,, how can i help her take longer naps without too much grief? the swing helps for 1 - 3 hour nap, but i only do that once a day...HELP

Answer 1

Young babies aren't *made* to sleep for long periods of time. Long or deep sleep is a risk factor for SIDS; babies fall so fast asleep that they can't wake themselves up!! Also, different babies have different sleep needs and sleep patterns. If your daughter is tired, she will sleep.

I would suggest you not worry so much about how often or how long she sleeps. If anything, find a way to carry her when she sleeps; she will sleep more comfortably if you are right there. Baby slings (or other carriers) can keep her close to you while still leaving your hands free to do other things. (Just be careful with a front carrier if you are cooking!)

Please *don't* try to give her "just a bit" of cereal or other foods to help her sleep "better". It probably won't work; even if it *does* the reason is that she can't digest it, so it sits in her stomach making her *feel* full and missing out on needed calories that she needs for growth and development. In addition, giving her *anything* but your milk before she is 6 months old increases her risk of allergies, asthma, cancer, diabetes, and many other illnesses and conditions. This is the reason that *every* health organization worldwide recommends *exclusive* breastfeeding for at least 6 months old. It *probably* won't kill or permanently damage her, but why risk it?!

By encouraging her to sleep when she needs to instead of trying to get her to meet some arbitrary artificial schedule, you are teaching her to listen to her body's needs.

Answer 2

I'm not a mom but from my experience babysitting I learned that swaddling the baby in a blanket makes it feel like some one is holding her...let her get used to sleeping in her crib otherwise she will be sleeping with you until she is 4 or five(I've seen that in 4 different family's I babysit for) try keeping her up longer at night and she should sleep longer and don't give her many naps that should help at night. You also might want to ask her doctor they should be able to help!! HOPE I HELPED!!

Answer 3

She does NOT need formula or cereal!!!!!!!!! That is a perfectly normal way for a baby to behave. My breastfed daughter wouldn't nap without me until she was about 7 months old. If you can't sit and hold her maybe you could try a baby sling and carry her with you. Society wants babies to grow up too fast and make all the concessions, what she needs right now is her mommy. There is NO reason to give her formula (EEEEK) EVER, and it is a very bad idea to give solids before six months.

Answer 4

It is wondereful that you are breastfeeding! I would continue nursing her as much as she will take, but I would not introduce formula or solids unless her doctor says it is ok. Talk to her pediatrician about the problem to make sure there isn't an underlying medical cause. There is no stupid question, and the doctor expects parents to call with questions like this, so don't be afraid to ask. Your best resource is your pediatrician, call him/her if you have any questions. Taking advice off this site from strangers regarding what to feed her or how much to feed her is not safe at her age. It depends on her weight and other factors that her doctor is trained to evaluate, so listen to what s/he says.

As she gets older, she will settle down into more of a routine nap schedule and it will be easier for you. Good luck!

Answer 5

Is it possible that she isn't really waking up, but is just stirring a little?

With all 3 of my children, I had to keep re-learning that sometimes babies will make noise and fuss a bit while they're laying down, but they're not really waking up and will soon settle down and go back into a deeper sleep.

Try just standing out of her visual range, and keeping an eye on her to see if she settles back down.

Also, you couldyou cover her crib with a sheet so that she can't see what's going on in the room and be distracted by it...this has been working well for my 4.5 month old baby

Answer 6

my son had the same problem. but for naps thats about what she will sleep. but for bed time. try a swing. she will sleep longer while rocking. and that way you wont have to rock her your self. its okay not to hold her all the time. face the swing toward you have a little night light on so she can see you. if she sees you seelping she might fall back to sleep too.

Answer 7

You might try this trick I used with my children and my grandchildren. Wrap her snugly (not too tight) in a light blanket. Hold her next to you until she falls asleep. Then place her while she is still wrapped, in her crib. Place a rolled up towel or soft cloth next to her, so she is slightly turned on one side. This should fool her into thinking she is still being held and she should sleep longer.

Also, if you play soft music while she is sleeping, it should further lull her into a longer sleep. It always worked for me. Maybe it will also work for you.

Answer 8

Try swaddling her tightly before she falls asleep. Sometimes they jerk at this age and wake themselves up and the feeling of being wrapped up snugly gives them a feeling of security. You could also try putting a fan of some kind under her bed so a piece of it touches the crib. This gives the bed a gentle vibration that is soothing for some babies.

Answer 9

Swaddling! It works miracles. My son loved to be swaddled. In fact, he liked it until he was about a year and a half! Of course he grew out of it, but when he was small he sure loved it, and it did help him sleep for longer periods of time.

Answer 10

If ur daughter is high quality, she is'nt exhibiting any indications of being sick or no longer feeling properly then u shouldn't b traumatic. i in no way heard anyone catching the an infection as a results of using the undesirable scent. And who ever advised u, that u would desire to cover the toddler from head to toe basically for conserving her from germs/infections, is relatively incorrect. you will desire to gown ur toddler in accordance to the climate and that's it. I cant think of masking my toddler throughout in 40 stages warmth.