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I have a four month old baby who just started this week. This baby does not sleep all day unless he is being held. And then he wakes up at the slightest movement we make while holding him. Last night I was talking to dcm and she said he sleeps in a swing at home because his crib is upstairs and it is just easier to put him in the swing downstairs. So now he won't sleep in a crib for me at all. Even if he is asleep when we put him down, he wakes up as soon as he hits the mattress. Rubbing his tummy, shushing him, ect. does no good. I tried letting him cio for a few minutes at a time during our nap time yesterday and that didn't work either. Mom said she is going to try to get a doctor's excuse for him to sleep in a swing, but I don't know if she will be able to get one since he has no medical problems. And I am not comfortable with him sleeping in the swing even if he does have a doctor's excuse. He cries a lot even when he is being held and wants to eat all the time. He has been drinking way too much formula...six ounces every two and a half hours. I think maybe he needs some cereal. He is just so over-tired. What in the world can I do?
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Yep, same here. Licensing won't allow it here either unless there is a doctor's excuse on file.Comment
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A parent can't give you permission to do the wrong thing.
A Doctor can't give you permission to do the wrong thing.
Even if a Doctor would offer a note for upright sleeping it would not absolve you of responsibility if the child should succumb to positional asphyxia. Having an order like that INCREASES your liability to where you would be required to have the child within your eyesight AT ALL TIMES in the swing. You would have to continuously be monitoring head position.
Babies under six months should NOT be given ANY food. At this age he should be eating four ounces every three hours.
If he is that fussy he needs a TON of supervised belly time. I would have him on his belly for hours a day after working him up to that. He needs to get his exercise on so he can drop to sleep easily.
At four months old... after ruling out medical issues... I would give him a bottle about a half hour before nap... change his pants and put him down for a two hour nap. I would check frequently and reassure him with smiles and a soft face. I would not take him out during nap. He's a great eater and as long as he has had a rocking morning of belly time and activities he needs a LONG deep sleep in the p.m.
If he's sleeping all night long in a swing his brain is very very very overstimulated. That energy HAS to come back out. It is with his crying at your house. Just understand he is balancing himself out by crying off the excess stimulation he has had during swinging. The opposite of swinging is laying on back and sleeping without motion. Do the opposite.
I would also print out a sheet on positional asphyxia and have the mom sign that she has received it. If this child (who is in PRIME time for death by asphxia) should die on her watch... it needs to be understood that she was warned but choose to do what was best for her.Comment
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MY son when he was 3 year old, had severe reflux, like had to be in the ER on fluids he was so dehydrated reflux, long story short, we couldn't get him to sleep at home, as he had to be upright after eating, and even then he screamed and screamed, finally bought a very nice swing and he passed out in it, and there was his bed for 5 months(this was prior to do daycare, I was still working, so this wasn't illegal) I never knew he had such a hard time at daycare, she never told me, but she did a long time later, I think she knew i would have done anything to be home with him, and she might have lost him(although with the amount of crying he did there I'm amazed she didn't send him packing) but eventually at 5 months he started throwing himself forward, and he needed to move, I tried everything as everyone told me you can't spoil a baby under 6 months old, well nothing worked that didn't make him screaming mad, so eventually he went into the crib and we let him CIO 2 grueling hours later he was asleep, and the next night 30 minutes, and after that he would sleep no where but his crib, but the following monday, when I picked him up at daycare she was so happy saying "oh my god you fixed my baby!" and then he slept for her..........I currently have a 4 month old and he naps only in arms at home, and sleeps in a cozy little angled cradle thing at night, so he will not nap here for longer than 20 minutes, but this will not be fixed until he gets a little older, I do think he's still a little young to CIO, and I have talked to them so they are trying to work on transistioning to the crib, but I do know they need to choose the right time, and I know until he's sleeping in his crib at home, he won't sleep good for me, so I'm just hoping they change things sooner than to much later.. my baby also sleeps swaddled, which I wish they would stop, he had no control over his arms while sleeping, and constantly smacks his face awake, and smacks his nook out, and if they would stop swaddling he would gain more control, and I have mentioned this to, and I know they want to get him good, but its a fear to switch your babies sleeping habits as you know it will keep you up at night, but until then, its just going to stink for me.
And to add on to nanny above, my son slept in a swing, but it was never on, its just where he slept, it was never in motion, and my pediatrician who is amazing, knew of the sleeping and she recommended the angled sleep. I never worried for my sons safety in his swing. But I agree that you can not do this for childcare, but I know with my current 4 month old, he just screams in the crib, he will sleep for 20 minutes but after that at 4 months old I don't feel comfortable letting him just cry and cry....not yet maybe in a few more weeks.Comment
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Sleeping in a swing can be very dangerous. I would let mom know this and honestly, if she knew he was going to be going to daycare she should have been trying to get him on a decent schedule or at the very least able to sleep in a bed...poor thing. It will probably take quite some time for him to adjust/transition but the parents must be doing the work on their end!Comment
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I had no idea this stuff could be so dangerous!! Thanks for sharing. I cringe now thinking about how when DS1 was little if I couldn't get him to go back to sleep shortly before I had to get up for work I would put him in his swing, put cartoons on, and go back to bed!! Scary! thanks!!
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YEARS ago I had an infant with such horrible reflux he would only sleep in his car seat or scream (not cry, blood curdling, wake the neighbors screaming). Mom got a doctors note saying he had to be upright in the seat. I had her sign a release stating that this could increase the liklihood of SIDS/strangulation, etc and she could not sue/persue charges should anything happen to the child from sleeping in a non recommended position. The scary thing was she signed it without hesitation Licensing was also made aware of the situation (they were not thrilled and recommended he be transitioned to a PNP as soon as I could) I was a WRECK and would not let the child out of my sight the entire nap.
In all honesty I should have termed and would never do it again regardless of notes, releases, etc. This job is exhausting enough, but feeling like I *have* to allow a potentially dangerous situation just to keep a kid? Never again.
As for cereal, I thought the recommendations was 4-6 months? I haven't taken infants in some time (and prefer not to) so it may have changed?Comment
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No the aap recomends earliest six months. I recommend 8YEARS ago I had an infant with such horrible reflux he would only sleep in his car seat or scream (not cry, blood curdling, wake the neighbors screaming). Mom got a doctors note saying he had to be upright in the seat. I had her sign a release stating that this could increase the liklihood of SIDS/strangulation, etc and she could not sue/persue charges should anything happen to the child from sleeping in a non recommended position. The scary thing was she signed it without hesitation Licensing was also made aware of the situation (they were not thrilled and recommended he be transitioned to a PNP as soon as I could) I was a WRECK and would not let the child out of my sight the entire nap.
In all honesty I should have termed and would never do it again regardless of notes, releases, etc. This job is exhausting enough, but feeling like I *have* to allow a potentially dangerous situation just to keep a kid? Never again.
As for cereal, I thought the recommendations was 4-6 months? I haven't taken infants in some time (and prefer not to) so it may have changed?Comment
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Well, dcd showed up at the door this morning with doctor's note in hand. I was shocked! I really didn't think the doctor would want to put that responsibility on himself. So I tried the swing and guess what. He doesn't like my swing. YEAH!!! I sat riight next him and watched him the whole time. I was so nervous. I think I may just get rid of the swing. I don't feel comfortable using it at all anymore. It used to be my lifesaver at one time. He is still screaming. Hasn't slept more than 45 minutes all day. Bottle at home at 6:30...four ounces. Arrived at 7:30. Held in my lap for fifteen minutes while other kids arrived. Diaper changed. Played next to me in baby bouncer for 10 minutes. Placed in swing. Slept for 45 minutes with me staring at him the whole time. And then that was it for the swing. He wanted nothing to do with it after that. Bottle at 9:30...6 ounces. Diaper change. Tummy time on the floor. He only tolerated that for about 5 minutes. Another feeding at 12:30...6 more ounces. He wanted more, but I cut him off. Frequent diaper changes and changes of scenery. I spent a lot of time making sure I got all the burps up. The rest of the the time he cried unless he was being held. He slept in my arms, but the minute I laid him down he was immediately awake and screaming. He is now getting hoarse.Comment
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By the way, I am thinking is probably not so safe with him sleeping in my arms either unless I am constantly making sure his head is positioned right. Something I bet a lot of people maybe never thought about.Comment
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The APP and WHO have changed their recommendations to no solids until 6 months at minimum. Some pediatricians are still saying 4 months, however. I would agree with Nannyde, in waiting even longer.
Plus, you should also consider the levels of arsenic that new studies are finding in rice products. Sometimes the organic rice cereal has an even higher arsenic content.
We currently have 1 DCM who is ver conscious of the arsenic levels. We didn't do rice cereal with her daughter at all, and we don't do puffs either (as they are rice based).
The other day of Facebook, I saw a former client feeding her new baby cereal at 3 months !!!
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I have a family who stared their 3 month old on food, carrots, fruits....ugh, why?????? all because you can't wait to see their reaction, c'mon, I personally waited with my own, but I'm not a fan of the baby food stage, they don't need it.Comment
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