[Previous entry: "Cue the Music"] [Next entry: "If You're Happy and You Know It"]
07/24/2007: "Small Victories"
In a major departure from the norm, last night Dessa slept in her Pack 'N Play. I knew I should make the effort towards this, but always felt too sleep deprived to try it. It turned out to be much easier than I'd expected.
See, we've gone through quite a progression of sleeping spots so far. On the night she was born, I was too exhausted and in too much pain to reach her in the ridiculously high hospital container she was in. I guess it's all done for the convenience of the nurses, but the little plastic holders that they stow the babies in while you're rooming in with them? You can't reach the baby unless you haul your ass completely off the bed and stand up. Which, directly after giving birth and with a fresh episiotomy, was nothing like quick and easy. God help you if you've had a C-section, though I suspect they give you better drugs but still. Stupid design.
So I couldn't easily reach the baby when she cried and I couldn't stand to have her cry for longer than absolutely necessary, so I brought her into the bed with me. I knew I wasn't going to be getting much sleep and I felt better holding her, so I did that. Once, a nurse came in to check something or other (they barge in all night long to check either you or your roommate, which is how I knew I wasn't going to be sleeping much), and asked me, "Are you feeding her right now?" and when I said no she was a bit taken aback, but I didn't much care.
I continued to hold Dess through the night for the first couple of weeks. I simply couldn't bear to put her down. While we fought the breastfeeding battle it was simply easier to have her there when she was hungry. If you're feeding every hour or so it starts to get really old to have to get up out of a warm bed and trudge to wherever the baby is. We spent the first two or three weeks camped out on the couch and I held her all night. I liked that.
Finally, though, I was exhausted and Dave convinced me to try to put her in the bouncy chair. We'd tried, unsuccessfully, to have her sleep in the Pack N' Play, but she didn't like all the space and would startle herself awake almost immediately. The bouncy chair cupped her and she slept more soundly in it, so we stayed with that.
Until yesterday. Yesterday I decided we needed to start moving towards having her sleep on her back in a proper bed-like situation. We're closing in on Dessa's two month birthday and I think enough is enough. The Pack N' Play is set up in our bedroom (you didn't think I was ready to have her sleep down the hall all night, right? Enough may be enough but there are limits) and with much ginger maneuvering and judicious use of the swaddling blanket I actually got her to nap in it for about an hour.
The big test was overnight, but it was anticlimactic. Again, I used the swaddling wrap, rocked her until she fell limp in my arms and then gently set her down. She was out, and stayed that way until she woke to eat. I fed her and then we fell asleep on the couch for about an hour before I took her upstairs to return to bed.
She's back in the Pack 'N Play at the moment, sleeping happily. Today we tried the vibration option and she seems to really like it (there's a little battery powered pack that sits under the bassinet part and vibrates for up to 25 minutes).
This whole victory is attributable to my mother-in-law, who got us both the Pack 'N Play and the Miracle Blanket that makes swaddling Dessa a breeze. My little Dessa burrito is happily conked out in the other room - the other room! I am making progress too! - sleeping like a regular baby.
Next step? The crib, of course, but honestly I'm in no rush. This is about as grown up a baby as I need at the moment.
Notes from a Yarn Hacker
