My 3 week old won't sleep unless she's on the breast. She doesn't want the binkie, she'll doze off to sleep and i'll remove my breast and then she'll start rooting and if she can't find it she'll cry, we can do this for hours. any tips or ideas
2006-08-22 12:30:05 · 16 answers · asked by Nickname 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
a newborn is used to a warm environment. imagine staying inside the tummy for nine months and all of a sudden, she's exposed.
it will get a while before your baby will let go of the warmth of your body. she gets on your breast to find the comfort and shelter she needs and at the same time, get food.
try to wrap her with warm clothings and a pillow warm enough but not too big for her. I usually put the pillow on top of the baby's tummy and sometimes even let them lie down on their tummy with a pillow. they will think it's mommy and not the bed.
also the newborns eyesight is not that clear yet, so they've got very sensitive smell. if your baby is clingy to you, it's because she's used to your smell.
2006-08-22 12:44:28 · answer #1 · answered by Busy Diyosa 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My baby did the same thing, who is now 6 months old, when she would doze off to sleep, I would carefully slip her a pacifier, yet still hold her close to the breast so that she still felt comforted by the smell and feel of mommy for 10 or 15 minutes or however long it took to get her into a deep sleep, then put her to bed. It may take a while to get her to take the paci, but she is still young, all this is new for her, she has been close to mommy for a long time...I spent the first 6 weeks, sleeping in the recliner with her attatched, it was so nice when she was finally trained to take the paci and give me a break...I got to sleep in the bed again!! Be patient and keep trying, if you offer her the paci after every feeding, it will become second nature and she will expect it and gladly accept it.
2006-08-22 20:36:51 · answer #2 · answered by mamaduck4 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a bad habit in the making. My friend's daughter did the same thing as a newborn and the mother didn't do much to discourage it. The baby slept that way on the breast until she was 6 months old. The kid never slept away from her mother. It was exhausting and depressing for my friend.
I would read up on ways to help your baby learn to soothe herself to sleep. You don't want to let a baby that young cry it out, she's too young. But I would start by putting her down for a nap in the bassinett or crib after a feeding and stay with her, rub her forehead, sing to her, let her know you are there without nursing her at the same time. Hopefully she will learn to sleep on her own. Good luck!
2006-08-22 22:06:07 · answer #3 · answered by brainchild 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a 5 month old and she was the same. So I let her fall asleep while feeding(laying down) then if she seemed like she was waking up I would give her a binkie. She only liked the playtex binkie(it has a spacial shape) so maybe your baby needs a certain type of binkie.
2006-08-23 01:34:18 · answer #4 · answered by preciousbums05 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My baby did the same thing until I stopped removing my breast when she dozed off. Now I let her decide when she is done. She keeps drinking while sleeping for a while and then removes her mouth. That indicates taht she is full now and is fast asleep. To check .. I keep tickling her (tapping gently) under her chin or squeezing my breast...if she is not full she starts sucking again and if she is full she immediately responds to my tapping my moving her mouth away.
2006-08-22 20:53:44 · answer #5 · answered by RST 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Im from australia, so im not quite sure what a "binkie" is??? has she got a dummie or passifire?? my bubba is 10 1/2 months and sleeps with a dummie, its a comfort thing. you could also try putting a piece of matirial (baby safe size) that has your skin sent on it (stuff it in your bra for a couple of hours) so she thinks your there. good luck
2006-08-22 20:30:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try laying down in bed with her to nurse in a side-lying position and then slowly slipping away once she is asleep.
Try wearing her in a sling.
When slide one finger in to unlatch her, keep another finger under her chin and press upwards as you do so. This trick works for some babies.
Is this a new behaviour? At three weeks she should be going through a growth spurt and needing to nurse a lot. Maybe the growth spurt is part of it?
When she is asleep, wait several minutes for her to get into a DEEP sleep before you try to take the nipple away. (Give her maybe 10 minutes before you try to remove her.)
2006-08-22 19:34:33 · answer #7 · answered by momma2mingbu 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My advice is to patiently feed her as long as she wants...let her let go. She is still very young, and true might be growing right now. Trust me, everything will be different in a few weeks :) And you can't spoil a child this young, but giving them everything they seem to need or want is going to help them become more independant in a few months. Don't worry about bad habbits just yet. Go with her flow, and I promise you'll both be fine
2006-08-22 20:21:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
well. I breastfed all my kids, but, i have never had this problem, but, my kids wanted to be held while they were sleeping, and the way i broke that, i wouls wrap them up very tight in a recieving blanket, and lay them down in the bassinet, crying is also ood for a baby but, no more than 15 minutes
2006-08-26 07:59:47 · answer #9 · answered by crazy2have3kids 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
your baby may not be getting enough to eat. She might be getting just enough to get comfy next to mom and fall asleep. when she doses gently wake her by tickling her feet or something. The lactation nurse told me to squeeze my breast while she was attached its supposed to wake her and remind her what she needs to do. My baby was the same way until i called the nurse and I started waking her.
Hope it helped.
Congrats on the new baby!
2006-08-22 20:12:38 · answer #10 · answered by Kimberley S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋