Thursday, November 12, 2015

How do your baby sleep?

As the baby grows up, her sleeping pattern changes. How do my baby sleep? Our second baby started co-sleeping with us sooner, right after she first started rotating 180 degree around in the cot and got her legs stuck. My hubby has already given the cot away before my maternity leave ended! For my elder kid, she was often turning in the cot and getting stuck, which resulted in us waking up plenty of times at night to shift her in the cot, and eventually we co-slept together.

Then, there was a time when my baby just learnt how to flip and she would keep flipping in her sleep and then she got stuck between us, got frustrated and started fussing. Come on, little one... there's only this much space between your mummy and daddy, where do you expect to roll to?!

When my first girl started flipping, we were more worried about her flipping onto her front in her sleep. We didn't want her to have her head stuck with face down in the mattress. However, this girl started flipping earlier and she flips effortlessly from back to front and back again so we weren't so worried about her sleeping on her front. Furthermore, she has a strong neck that can hold her head up very early, and she swaps sides of her head easily in her sleep too. Fortunately, that "rolling in the sleep and getting stuck" stage was over too.

Early in the morning before leaving for work and she's sleeping on her front

Now, she's at this stage where she's... stuck to my breasts. She needs to be latched to sleep, and once again I'm treated as the ultimate pacifier. Both my girls are like that, and I'm telling myself it's okay! It'll be over soon... just like how this phase has already been over for my first girl. I tried to lie beside her when coaxing her to sleep at night, but she'll be fussing nonstop while clawing her tiny hands at my chest... until I expose my chest, lying on my side facing her, and she will automatically latch on within seconds. She's so well trained at latching now, she could latch on immediately once I bare my chest to her, even in the dark.

And there was once in the earlier stage when she slept through the night for over 6 hours... my elder girl also could sleep through the night from 2 months old to 5 months old too, until she started teething. Now, this baby will fuss very frequently in the middle of the night to latch... I could latch her 4 to 5 times throughout the night! It makes me wonder: Is she looking for her 'pacifier' to satisfy her addiction, simply hungry sooner, or seeking comfort because of her teething discomfort?

Always sleeping so well against my chest inside the comfy baby carrier

Then what about napping in the day? As I'm a working mum, my MIL helped me in the day and she's been telling me that my baby's napping lesser in the day. Some days when I get to be home earlier, I will accompany her in bed. I realized that she'll open her eyes and scan around her. When she saw me, she smiles and goes back to sleep. She's done this twice in one afternoon nap that I happened to observe. When she doesn't find anyone with her, she wakes up and cries. And that's probably the reason why she naps lesser in the day if she's left all alone in the bedroom. She keeps waking up to ensure that she has company... (>__<) and she is not happy (probably feeling less secure) if she realizes that there's no one with her.

In my bro's bed: 2 pillows, 2 bolsters, my mum and my 2 napping girls

She sleeps extremely well in the carrier though, although her naps are getting shorter. There was a time when she could sleep for 5 hours in the carrier, from when I left home to the time I reached home from my lunch or tea or a little shopping break. MIL said that's because she's constantly resting on my chest and sniffing in my scent which makes her really comfortable. However, as she grows older, her nap time is getting shorter, even when inside the carrier. Plus she needs company when she sleeps. Plus she doesn't sleep, or can't go to sleep, at night unless I'm around.

Oh, I've forgotten to mentioned that for the very few times when I was away at night, she didn't sleep until I got home! And it could be as late as 1 a.m.! Now, that makes me feel extremely guilty for staying out late, as she usually can sleep between 8 and 9 at night... but of course, that's when I latch her to sleep. She loves sleeping with her face in my chest as I lie on my side... I guess she's still addicted to my scent and needs it to give her comfort and a sense of security. Not complaining though, I do love this special bond I have with her. For a working mum, it's very satisfying. Because I know that despite not being her main care taker in the day, there's something in me that no one else can replace!

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