Napping on me together

I had a really rough night. He woke every 45 mins. I got about 1.5/2 hours sleep spread over 12 hours. I was so grumpy and I couldn’t hold him to comfort him as I was falling asleep with him in my arms. So I’ve just caved and had a hours nap with him laid on my chest. I propped myself with some very large cushions so I couldn’t turn or roll. And locked my fingers in round my hold of him so it’s harder to let go. I woke up every time he moved or made a noise but I deffo slept as I dreamed.

But now I’m feeling like I made a risky choice just because I’m exhausted. I’m a single ftm and had the same little sleep for a few nights now and I literally have nothing else to give. I had to sleep. But when I put him in his next to me he screams (I think cause his tummy hurts). Laying on me seemed to help his tummy as he did some whopping great farts.

I know what sids risk says and cosleeping advice (which I don’t want to do) but did I do something stupid just to sleep?

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my little girls been doing this. i put her in her moses basket and she’ll wake up 10 minutes later and refuse sleep. either that or she’s up every single hour crying wanting to be held. i’ve caved in and held her to sleep because i’m so exhausted with it. last night i had to take her downstairs to the living room and we slept on the settee as she calmed down

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Have you tried co-sleeping in a c curve with him beside you? It’s much safer than chest sleeping. Co-sleeping has such a bad reputation in UK but if you do it safely and within guidelines it actually has minimal risk and can be safer than the alternative because it stops you accidentally falling asleep in less safe situations like you have been.

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we have usually contact napped during the day while I’m awake. Then at night we have 20 mins of upright time cuddles after a feed then he is usually sparko for me to put him in his cot. But the last week or so he can be out of it and screams bloody murder the moment I lay him down after his bottles. I think it hurts his tummy 🤷🏻‍♀️

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I think cosleeping has just scared me as I’m terrified of accidentally hurting him. But I think being this sleep deprived can be as dangerous now.

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My midwife always said ‘planning to co sleep is safer than falling asleep holding’.
Our daughter won’t co-sleep so there have been occasions when I’ve fallen asleep holding her. I hate it but sometimes you’re so sleep deprived you just can’t help it.
If your baby will settle next to you, that would be a better alternative.
I would get rid of the duvet and just wear warm clothes

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One of my friends has had to sleep with her baby on her chest because their reflux is so awful! It’s not ideal and not the safest but it’s the only way she is able to get any sleep. Even though it’s not recommended cosleepy on Instagram has a blog on how to ‘safely chest sleep’

Please try not to put yourself down! In the end of the day no one is thriving if you aren’t - it’s really hard but it will end! Xx

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We chest sleep when my baby won’t settle using Cosleepy’s guidance. It feels really safe and intuitive if you’re set up for it

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what do you normally dress yourself and baby in? Xxx

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I haven’t done chest sleeping (other than accidentally a few times) but for side co sleeping my little boy is in what he’d usually wear for bed. At the moment that’s a vest, a sleep suit and a 2.5tog sleeping bag. I wear pjs, socks and a nightdress securely tied, otherwise I’m freezing. I’m not sure how you’d adjust that for chest sleeping but maybe if he’s on you, you wouldn’t need the extra layer as you’ll warm each other

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I have to cave and co-sleep when I’m alone. It’s safer than me falling asleep unprepared
I clear my bed from everything then let her cuddle up to me face to face so she’s nestled in, then ease her off so she’s just asleep next to me

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I finally caved and begun co sleeping and I can say it’s changed my life. I was so sleep deprived and crying everyday. I started co sleeping and we both finally got rest and it’s the best decision I made. I know it’s not for everyone but it really changed my life. I follow the safe sleep seven! And we do chest sleeping as well depends on how fussy he is. I found it safer to plan to co sleep as once I fell asleep feeding him and it scared me!

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I wear long sleeved well fitted pyjama top (I think it’s an H&M MAMA set so easy to feed in). Baby is in a sleeveless vest and sleep suit.

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I think Motherhood has made me more bitter than I realized…

This is such a ramble but I don’t know where else to put it all.

I’m four months in and I don’t really have hobbies right now. I don’t do anything for myself except maybe doomscrolling or listening to a podcast while I breastfeed my baby. I used to craft and have game nights with friends. Activities that usually are at least 2 hour stretches. Now if I have an hour free my mind immediately goes to baby, or doing something in the house for baby.

And I thought I didn’t mind. Like I knew postpartum could be very mentally consuming. But I think it’s altering how I view people around me and it’s prodding at my relationship with my husband.

He spends most of his time making food for us, looking after our dogs, playing with the baby, ect. But he still has time for his hobby. Spends maybe an hour a night on it. Even adapted to using a bot for shopping for his hobby after a certain incident where we had to have a heart to heart after he left me home alone with the baby for hours during a busy workday (I work from home) to shop for his hobby.

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We took a family trip last weekend to see his best friend and their kids and let them meet the baby. He brought the laptop. He’s always brought a laptop on trips and it’s never been a problem to me before. But one night we both woke up while the baby was still asleep, and he wandered out of the room. I tried to fall back asleep but couldn’t. So I went to the kitchen to try having something warm to drink to settle me. And he was there at the table running the bot from his laptop. I flipped out at him. But there really wasn’t reason to. It’s not like I needed help with the baby and he was ignoring me. He wasn’t avoiding our friends. He was just awake and unable to sleep and found something to do with his time. Yet my snap reaction was “why the hell would you do this on a family trip?”

I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s the less complete sleep from baby’s middle of the night feed? My brain being just consumed by baby? Maybe I’m not as over that shopping incident as I thought? But I’m just so annoyed at his hobby right now. The green eyed monster thinks “you could be using that time differently” but realistically to do what exactly??? Stare at our baby in the dark???

I spent probably an hour apologizing to him after I snapped. And he’s of course hurt and frustrated because I said some very mean things in the moment.

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