just a few questions

hello again, im almost 25 weeks along with my baby boy. he is very
active. one question i have is how can i get a better nights sleep, if
there is even an answer to that. i am not sleeping very good at night.
also someone told me after the baby is born, the baby should sleep in a
bassinet because it is smaller than a crib and babies have been so used
to being in a small area. should i really go out and buy a bassinet or
just use my crib?

http://community.webtv.net/lindo_84/LindysPictures

On Wed, 28 Jul 2004, Lindy wrote:

hello again, im almost 25 weeks along with my baby boy. he is very
active. one question i have is how can i get a better nights sleep, if
there is even an answer to that. i am not sleeping very good at night.

It depends on why you're not sleeping well. If you're not sleeping well
because you're going to the bathroom all the time, well, that's just a joy
of pregnancy, so welcome to the club :^) but if you're having position
problems or problems falling asleep, there are some things to try.

For position problems, you may want to try using extra pillows to arrange
yourself. If you're sleeping on your side (recommended) you may want to
put a pillow or two between your legs (I found that between my knees and
ankles helped the most) to relax some of the muscles that are compensating
when you're sideways. When I had hip and back problems, I found that
sleeping on the couch with my back against the back of the couch helped.
Some women use a body pillow for the extra support all along their spine.

If you're having problems getting back to sleep, you can try some of the
recommended methods: Use relaxation methods (consciously relaxing all
your body parts, breathing deeply), drink warm milk, take a warm shower to
relax, don't stay in bed if you cannot sleep -- get up and do a little
something (Dishes! Sort baby clothes! Something quiet because, as much as
you'd like to, your husband doesn't need to get up too, yet :^))

also someone told me after the baby is born, the baby should sleep in a
bassinet because it is smaller than a crib and babies have been so used
to being in a small area. should i really go out and buy a bassinet or
just use my crib?

All babies are different. Someone lent us a bassinet, but we RARELY used
it, and even then it was to prop Kay into for very brief periods so she
could see us while we were doing something in the kitchen, like at the
stove. Some people find their kid likes sleeping in the snuggly car seat,
so they just put the whole car seat into the crib. Some families co-sleep
-- bringing the baby into the bed with them. Also, you could just do
swaddling in the crib to give the baby that feeling of snugness.

Getting a good nights sleep is difficult later in pregnancy. Try to avoid
all caffeine later in the day to help your baby be less active - although to
be honest most babies are lulled to sleep by your movement during the day so
they wake up as soon as that movement stops when you are in bed!

Try using extra cushions to support your tummy - sleep with one between your
legs, try sleeping sat more upright - try anything

As for the bassinet. I never used that or the crib - my babies all slept
with me at leats until they were 6 months old and then two of them stayed
there until they were old enough for a real bed. But thats a personal
choice. You dont need to get a bassinet - to be honest they make little
difference - you can get special boards that go across the centre of the
crib to make the crib half the normal length - this aids in the feet to foot
theory that the SIDS campaigns recommend. babies often will wriggle until
their head touches something - possibly a comfort thing - feeling enclosed
etc. But to me it seems a waste of money to go out and buy a bassinet that
often babies are only in for a few weeks as they quickly outgrow them.
Avoide the wicker ones with handles either side - they are dangerous -
several babies have died because people carry them in the bassinet using the
handles. The handles are often not strong enough or they pull away etc and
the baby tumbles out.

bassinets are pretty and look nice but are not necessary. Why get the baby
unsettled twice? Once after birth and then again moving it from bassinet to
crib? If you do decide to go with a bassinet - when you are ready to put
the baby in a crib place the bassinet in the crib and have the baby sleep in
it in the crib for a few nights to get used tot he sight of the crib, smell,
its surroundings etc.

Bws
Jane
expecting # 5 at New year


"Lindy" wrote in message
...
hello again, im almost 25 weeks along with my baby boy. he is very
active. one question i have is how can i get a better nights sleep, if
there is even an answer to that. i am not sleeping very good at night.
also someone told me after the baby is born, the baby should sleep in a
bassinet because it is smaller than a crib and babies have been so used
to being in a small area. should i really go out and buy a bassinet or
just use my crib?

http://community.webtv.net/lindo_84/LindysPictures

"Jane Thorpe" wrote
You dont need to get a bassinet - to be honest they make little
difference - you can get special boards that go across the centre of the
crib to make the crib half the normal length - this aids in the feet to
foot
theory that the SIDS campaigns recommend. babies often will wriggle until
their head touches something - possibly a comfort thing - feeling enclosed
etc. But to me it seems a waste of money to go out and buy a bassinet
that
often babies are only in for a few weeks as they quickly outgrow them.

I agree completely. However, we were given a bassinet and E slept in it for
three months in our room beside my bed. We loved it because it meant she was
close but not in our bed. (When we attempted to have her in our bed, none of
us slept well.) As for her head touching something, we simply put her in her
bassinet and, when we moved her into her own room in her crib, her crib with
her head touching the side. It was kind of cute seeing this tiny baby
squished into a corner of the crib with the back of her head jammed against
a bumper and the rest of the crib empty.

bassinets are pretty and look nice but are not necessary. Why get the
baby
unsettled twice? Once after birth and then again moving it from bassinet
to
crib? If you do decide to go with a bassinet - when you are ready to put
the baby in a crib place the bassinet in the crib and have the baby sleep
in
it in the crib for a few nights to get used tot he sight of the crib,
smell,
its surroundings etc.

Or not as it really depends on the baby. E, although not a fabulous sleeper,
doesn't sleep any worse in a pack-n-play. She transitioned from the bassinet
to the crib straight away without any interim steps. YMMV and remember to
try not to let your feelings about where the baby is sleeping and his/her
ability to change interfere with what the baby needs. For example, we spent
two nights with her sleeping in the bassinet in her room because we were
worried about how she'd make the transition. We needn't have bothered and I
should have trusted my instinct that she was easy about change.
--
Melissa (in Los Angeles)
Mum to Elizabeth 4/13/03
and ??? due early 3/05

"Jane Thorpe" wrote
You dont need to get a bassinet - to be honest they make little
difference - you can get special boards that go across the centre of the
crib to make the crib half the normal length

That seems a little silly to me -- why not just put the baby in crossways?

--Helen

I think the worry is that the baby will wriggle and go under the covers if
you put the baby horizontally - I don't know - I have never used a crib
until the baby was 6-10mths old and then sometimes not at all so I wouldn't
bother either way I am just saying what the recommendations re SIDS are

Babies can wriggle horizontally and go under the covers - so they don't
recommend putting the bbay in horizontally - but then again they don't
recommend babies sleeping on their tummies either and yet 2 of mine did - I
go with the flow and know the risks and know my family risks and just do
what works best for us

Bws
Jane


That seems a little silly to me -- why not just put the baby in crossways?

--Helen

wrote:

I think the worry is that the baby will wriggle and go under the covers if
you put the baby horizontally

I don't see why it would make any difference. We had one small blanket over the
baby, no matter which way the baby was facing. It wasn't tucked in anywhere
(unless we were trying to swaddle the baby, and then it was tucked around the
baby, not the mattress). I've never actually heard of anyone recommending
against putting the baby crossways.

--Helen

"Jane Thorpe" wrote in message
news:zQaOc.132220$od7.49156@pd7tw3no...
I think the worry is that the baby will wriggle and go under the covers if
you put the baby horizontally - I don't know - I have never used a crib
until the baby was 6-10mths old and then sometimes not at all so I
wouldn't
bother either way I am just saying what the recommendations re SIDS
are

Huh? If you use a blanket (which I do) you put it the other way. Really not
that hard to work out.

Babies can wriggle horizontally and go under the covers - so they don't
recommend putting the bbay in horizontally - but then again they don't
recommend babies sleeping on their tummies either and yet 2 of mine did -
I
go with the flow and know the risks and know my family risks and just do
what works best for us

Bws
Jane

Lindy writes:
: hello again, im almost 25 weeks along with my baby boy. he is very
: active. one question i have is how can i get a better nights sleep, if
: there is even an answer to that. i am not sleeping very good at night.

Are you a first timer? This is practice for when the baby comes. :-)

: also someone told me after the baby is born, the baby should sleep in a
: bassinet because it is smaller than a crib and babies have been so used
: to being in a small area. should i really go out and buy a bassinet or
: just use my crib?

Basinette? Crib?? Why not just co-sleep? It's a lot easier. :-)

Larry

On 28 Jul 2004 11:52:01 -0600, Larry McMahan
scribbled:

Basinette? Crib?? Why not just co-sleep? It's a lot easier. :-)

Not necessarily. It was easier with my first, but not my second.

Nan
--
"when the sun goes down we'll be groovin'
when the sun goes down we'll be feelin' alright,
when the sun sinks down over the water
everything gets hotter when the sun goes down"
~Kenny Chesney