Pinecone had an appointment yesterday with a pediatric surgeon to look at her umbilical hernia. She was referred to him by our pediatrician because her hernia seems to be growing. The surgeon assessed it and said, "The risk of this causing a problem is nearly 0%. We can operate if it is still open when she is 4." He showed me how to assess the true size of the opening in her abdominal muscles, which is considerablly smaller than the appearance of the hernia at her belly button. This is a big relief. I knew they are fairly common and rarely a problem, but the fact that it looked like it was growing, and that it is MY CHILD (who knew I would be so paranoid about every little thing) made me a little anxious.
In other news, we are working on the nap thing. I was relieved to hear a friend related her napping experiences. She had one good napper, and one who only slept in her arms (like PC). So, for a year, she parked herself on the couch every day for a couple of hours. She read, taught herself to knit, and got a new laptop for couch-time entertainment. She also said that, like PC, her son would go down for a nap for other people but not her. That is a relief, because I was feeling a little like a loser of a mom that my husband could put her down for naps but I couldn't. Yesterday I heard that from another mom too. Turns out babies don't like to leave their mama's arms. :-)
And while naps are a challenge, nighttime is not. She wakes up to eat, then goes right back to sleep. Last night she slept for 6 hours, and the night before for 7 hours. Granted, I was still awake for a few of those hours, so I'm not getting that long stretch, but I am really pleased with her nighttime sleeping. But if we don't get a good nap in the afternoon (morning naps are ok), then the late afternoon and evening are pretty unpleasant for everyone. S has just gone back to work after 12 weeks home, so I am on my own now, and need to figure out how to help my LO get the daytime sleep she needs.
Any mom's out there reading this, I'd love to hear about your napping experiences, and hear what worked for you and what didn't. I've gotten rid of the sleep books, because they just make me feel like a failure. Who needs that?
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4 comments:
With my daughter I used a heating pad to warm up her crib while I rocked her to sleep. Then, once she was asleep, the transition from warm arms to cold sheet didn't wake her up. Just be careful the crib isn't too hot... newborn sensitive skin and all. I do think however, that all babies are VERY different and you have to find what works for you.
I also heated the crib sheets - it did seem to make a big difference. But I also found that she would nap in my bed, so I got those portable railings and removed all of the extra bedding and just let her nap in there.
I know you don't want a book, but check out this sleep consultant:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Smith-Sleep-Consultant-and-Parenting-Coach/112816952492
She was the nanny for a woman I know who had terrible problems with her daughter's sleep and after this woman came to them things were fabulous.
ALSO, a preschool teacher told me that if you sing to a baby and stroke their eyelids down from the forehead toward the cheeks they will almost invariable drift off. The eyelid muscle actually gets tired, which is why sometimes you just want to close your eyes when you're really exhausted. If you can encourage that first step, the process somehow gathers steam so it's easier for a kid who is trying to fight sleep to just give in.
Good luck! I remember that phase and send you lots of sympathy!
I have heard that no matter how medically savvy you are, when it is your child the worry just trumps all, glad to hear the hernia should be fine!
No nap advice yet, though I do remember holding my newborn brother (I watched him from age 6-12 weeks the summer I was 16) on my stomach on the couch to get him to sleep...
One question: what is different night vs, day?
Thanks for the suggestions Michelle & Lorraine. Good Q Poppy. I think part of it is that she's old enough now to have a biological clock that says sleep and regenerate at night. Also, night is boring. No talking, no fun sights, lights are dimmer. Our house is all open and our bedroom is a loft, so it's not dark & quiet during the day. I just bought fabric to make curtains - I hope that helps.
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