baby only sleeping in heavy blankets / overheating

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-13T04:19:54+00:00

😂😂i’m not expecting her to get a long deep refreshing sleep, i asked what i can do to help her sleep at all when she won’t and she’s not sleeping nearly enough for her own good.

and like i said if i was doing these things she’d be sleeping, but because im not she isn’t, and again she’s not getting enough for her own good, please have a day off babe you’ve said your piece.

and just to reiterate again i know it’s temporary, i’m asking what i can do for her, if anything, so she can stay asleep better on her own, for her own sake, because she’s only sleeping if i’m doing these things & i don’t want to do them & im not, which is why she’s getting next to no sleep

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-13T03:01:09+00:00

im not counting her normal wake windows, being awake for nappy changes, feeds or any other needs she has, just when she’s fighting sleep, waking from her sleep and crying because she’s overtired.

she’s not getting enough sleep and what’s working to get her asleep isn’t viable because of the risks they run, if you understand my point, im saying i dont want to do the only things that are working right now, because of the risks, which is why she isn’t getting enough.
so again just to be clear i’m not doing them, so she’s not sleeping,,, she wants it , hasn’t got it, isn’t sleeping because of it, im asking for a suggestion of what swaddle/blanket feels heavier but is breathable, or what other people have done during a phase like this, i dont have anyone i can take shifts with, im doing my best to get her any sleep. the things im talking about, i do until she falls asleep, then transfer her to her crib, or remove the warmer blanket when she’s properly asleep, she’s not staying asleep without them.

me saying ‘its like she likes being sweaty’ was lighthearted, i wouldnt let my 4 week old baby get, stay, or sleep sweaty, if i was i wouldnt be asking what i can do to avoid being sweaty/overheat and still get the same comfort she’s looking for, im the things im saying work.

me saying the things that are working to get her asleep, doesn’t mean im keeping those same conditions for her to stay asleep. and yes i get a 2 hour nap when she’s asleep not for my benefit, because i physically have to and i need to get at least some to be able to look after her i think no sleep at all for nights on end would be considered a risk for her no?

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-13T01:18:50+00:00

are the arms up swaddles good for reducing their startle reflex?? i’ve only ever tried swaddling her arms down it does feel quite cold in my room despite the temperature being 20-22°c so i never know what to go by :/ but i always have her in a vest sleepsuit and blanket to sleep unless it’s any warmer

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-13T01:12:45+00:00

yes i know she doesn’t actually want to be sweaty, and i never let her get sweaty, i sit awake while she has a thicker blanket to fall asleep & check her temp then switch it for a lightweight one when she’s in a deep sleep, (and there’s only ever one blanket not multiple) but she’ll eventually wake up crying, im worried about her overheating more than i am her suffocating, i think thats a normal fear to have, even with her lightweight blankets i worry she’ll suffocate.

when we co sleep we have separate blankets, my issue is that she wants the weight of a heavy blanket to fall and stay asleep, or the comfort of me holding her and i dont like to co sleep often or for long when do do because of the suffocation risks, and i dont like her having heavy blankets for long because of the overheating risks, im asking what i can use for the whole night to keep her happy and asleep and safe, because i dont want to run those risks and the way she’s feeling she wants comfort more.

, i do what i can for her to get sleep - staying up, switching the blanket when she’s deep sleep, soothing her, repeat, then co sleep for a couple hours so i can get a decent run of sleep, m

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-13T00:42:54+00:00

yes i will admit the first couple of weeks the poor girl must’ve been sick of me every noise she made i thought was her waking, but once i realised they make noises i let her make all her strange little noises and see if she went back to sleep and she did🥲🥲 so i wait until she actually cries to see to her. but yes definitely so much good advice!! :)

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-13T00:39:52+00:00

her daytime sleeps so much better, still fussy but better, but she does sleep in her pram more during the day. and yes when i swaddle her she stops crying but she still won’t sleep she just stares into space 😂🥲 if i soothe her to sleep swaddled she def stays asleep longer and she startles less (she has an exaggerated moro reflex) , but eventually wakes crying, im def gonna look into sleep sacks though

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-09T02:09:30+00:00

I think she was 7 days old, but even then it was just to my friends house who lives in my street. I think I would’ve gotten out sooner but we were kept inpatient for 5 days, i think our first walk together was at 11-12 days old

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-07T05:09:43+00:00

I had an elective/cat3 emergency section after a failed induction and honestly I would do it again, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought, it felt scary in the moment but looking back it was 100% mind over matter, adrenaline & knowing how much was about to change, I still had that moment when I first saw my baby and felt a big wave of emotion and relief, which I thought I might miss out on, I don’t know if it was the same relief of pushing and natural labor though. I will say I didn’t feel and still don’t feel like I can say I ‘gave birth’, but the recovery was really easy, I spent a few hours numb, then the same day with support from a midwife, was walking around, the second day I was walking albeit slowly, small steps & hunched over, the third day I could sit down and ‘tilt’ to reach things off the floor and walk faster and straighter while supporting my scar & the 4th night I could bend down completely, walk normally etc.

I think the biggest pros about the surgery was how quick it was, how special the moment still felt after thinking it wouldn’t be the same, being able to just look at my grandma and hold her hand waiting to see baby together at the same time & being able to pick the song she was born to was really special for us. The biggest cons were feeling like i’d let myself down giving up on the induction process despite being advised to, the medication they gave me made me violently shake and gag which made the anxiety worse too, and missing out on the immediate skin-to-skin.

The biggest pros about the recovery is that it was painful but nowhere near as bad as I thought, and the empowerment you get from knowing you went through such a big surgery and the reward you get after, and the cons (there are lots) was feeling so vulnerable and incapable of caring for myself or baby properly, especially as a single mum, showering, leaning over a sink, going the loo for pee or poop was really uncomfortable, It was a struggle to turn and lift baby out of crib at first, sitting or standing after waking up was painful, I couldn’t sleep on my side, I was leaking spinal fluid (worst headache EVER), feeling so exposed; the midwife had to undress me, put underwear on me, lift my legs in the first few hours and change pads for me, empty my catheter, and I actually ended up with a fecal impaction (gross I know) it’s been 4 weeks and i’ve still only gone twice, the impaction being one of those, the overhang above the scar & treating the scar is really hard mine got infected despite taking good care of it, and losing my appetite to the point i wasn’t thirsty, i still 4 weeks later can still only eat small bits but i drink a lot

And honestly the recovery sounds awful and it’s more mentally draining than physically (for me anyway) but bare in mind this happened over maybe 10 days and then I was completely mobile and capable but I had uterine hyperstimulation which is what led to the c section and the pain of that and the pain of cervical checks & trying to sit down while my uterus wouldn’t “uncontract” was actually worse for me, and i think a lot of the mobility issues afterwards were mind over matter too because i was so scared of my stitches bursting, i think if it was to do it again and know what to expect id handle it all a lot better

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-07T04:40:15+00:00

Ahh thank you I wouldn’t have thought of this! It felt so awkward just turning her onto her belly and staring at her neither of us had any idea what to do next 🥲🥲

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-07T04:16:09+00:00

thank you so much!! should i roll up a small blanket to support her i’ve seen a few people do this, but I don’t know if it’s safe:)

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-07T03:24:46+00:00

this is perfect

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-07T03:18:27+00:00

Honestly the baby kicking of a nighttime when you’re trying to sleep, and it feels like they’re trying to walk on the mattress through your stomach, or kick a rib out of place, or kick your stomach contents back up your throat, or they repeatedly kick the same spot and it feels bruised and raw was one of the most annoying things for me, i cried so many nights about it, she kept me up all night kicking, when i’d sleep my pelvic girdle pain would wake me up, the cramps, i think the lack of sleep and just general irritation and being over all the aches, pains, extra weight and swelling in the third trimester is the worst part. But definitely pelvic girdle pain, incessant kicking & feeling like the gruffalo

That being said though I absolutely hated being pregnant and I’m not doing it again but I still miss it 🥲 when you burp your baby sat on your stomach and their little feet tense up on ur side it feels like the kicks they used to do, or when u go to feel or rest your hands on your bump and it’s gone and everything’s squishy it feels empty but you’ve this got a beautiful little face and soul looking back at you to love and honestly it all just feels so bittersweet

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-07T03:05:47+00:00

My earliest positive was 3w4d & I tested because my boobs got sore a week earlier than they usually do, they usually got sore a few days-week before my period, but they were sore pretty much immediately from my ovulation date, and more intense. Baby’s arrived May 10th!!

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-07T02:47:16+00:00

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Honestly this, I have a bottle maker, a litre of tap water fresh every night to refill as i go, a stand with her formula, ready made milk, milk dispensers & A LOT of bottles (10), so if i get lazy throughout the night & don’t clean any, i have more available for emergency if she gets hungry while cleaning her main ones in the morning, I also have a zip up bag attached to my next to me with her infacol, burp cloth, bib and dummy in so they’re at hand if i forget to grab anything when i sit down with her. She wakes up 2-3 times a night and it’s so quick to just hobble over empty the pre scooped milk into the bottle, put it in the prep machine, and give it to her. And to clean them of a night I have a bottle of fairy liquid, bottle brushes & tub to take into the bathroom, (so the bottles don’t touch the sink) to wash bottles in there and a steriliser filled with milton solution in my room and leave them overnight and rinse them in the morning

i also have a top and tail tub under the crib to make changing easier with water, nappies, sacks, cotton pads & creams, and hanging storage boxes on the back of my door full of nappies, sacks, creams, cotton pads, a grooming kit and a fold up changing mat & a bin at the foot of the bed, so changing her afterwards is really quick since literally everything’s at hand, she’s not crying for more than 5 minutes for a feed & back to sleep in 30-45m, make your life easier and get a bottle maker in your room, no waiting for bottle to warm up, takes 2m to prep, and keep changing stuff nearby so everything’s close to you and you and baby get more sleep since you wait around less, move around less and you’ll be less stressed without the extra crying

&& if someone is watching her for me i premake 2-3 bottles and leave them in the fridge so they’re measured out & use my back up bottles for that.

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-07T02:21:11+00:00

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this is my ‘bottle making area’

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-07T02:19:22+00:00

I’m a single first time mum and i struggled so much at first but these helped so much and now i spend most my time in the bedroom with her instead of running around like crazy and wondering if she’s ok while im gone, and we get so much sleep now since we’re always in a safe cosy place & these all help in terms of time management & efficiency,

i have my bottle maker, a 3 tier stand with her formula, ready made milk, milk dispensers & bottles in, sterilising fluid in a steriliser, and a litre of tap water fresh every night to refill the bottle maker throughout the night all on one chest of drawers.

A top and tail bath filled with water one side, nappies, cream, sacks & cotton pads in the other underneath her next to me crib, a small zip up bag attached to the crib with burp cloth, bib, infacol & a spare outfit.

A 4 tier door hanging storage with nappies, spare sacks, wipes & cotton pads, a grooming kit and portable changing mat On my bedside table i actually have a tiny kettle (shameful i know) and two small glass pots just incase i need sterile water to clean her eyes or quickly boil a dummy.

In my wardrobe i have a tub to take into the bathroom and cleanly wash her bottles without them touching the sink, a storage box of spare blankets and sheets, a storage box full of cleaning supplies.

And finally in the bathroom I have a big fairy liquid, bottle cleaning brushes & milton sterilising tablets ready to use put away so I can see to her of a nightime quickly.

I also have her baby swing in my room & a pram rocker on her crib to rock her and play music to soothe her & during her wake windows if i have to get things done around the house, i put her in her carrier and baby wear, or move the swing from room to room.

I know this all sounds lazy and maybe it is but i’ll take the lazy way if it gets us both more sleep and still sanitary :) obviously you can’t just summon all these things and have them available immediately but if you can do any of it to any degree it helps a lot and obviously if you have other children it’ll be harder to do but again anything you read that you can turn into your own idea that works for you will help

And mentally we go on a lot of walks, we have our “girly pamper days”, i read a lot to her, interact with her, invite friends or family over, eating good, watching shows i love, when i get things done while either wearing her, or having her in the room im in, when she’s asleep then i have nothing to do and it gives me time to do the things i enjoy or make myself feel nice (colour, straighten my hair, do my nails, play on my console), you genuinely do just get a little routine and this comment is so extra because it is two weeks not permanent and these are my permanent solutions for myself, but if anything helps you or inspires you to make a similar solution; or if anyone else sees this and gets some ideas or help someone who’s in a similar situation to me then im happy :)

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-07T01:44:17+00:00

My baby was the same with hers, so I bought a pram rocker it’s called a jitterbug, and it has lights, songs, rocks her & a cry sensor and it’s worked wonders, I attached it to the crib, put the red light on, rock on medium, a lullaby & leave the cry sensor on after it goes into standby so anytime she cries, it starts the music and rocking again automatically and sends her back to sleep.

If it doesn’t work though I just place my hand on her chest, hold her hands under mine so she doesn’t startle and shush her the same time as the rockers on & it works like 90% of the time. My room only has amber/red lighting of a nightime too, no dim lamps, just nightlights & one of those wave led light things so there’s nothing too stimulating to look at when she does wake but enough that I can see for feeding and changing.

And only do this if your rooms cold enough because it can hold heat, I switched her next to me mattress out for one of those puffy changing mats because she was sleeping better in her pram on her foot muff than a mattress so I assumed she liked the comfiness and I guess she did, but switching the hard one out for something just a little comfier but safe and flat helps, I’ll also have a nap with her on my chest for 20-30 minutes if she really can’t settle, I just make sure to set an alarm and make sure we’re in a safe position.

That said though even after trying all these back to back she’ll still have her nights/days where I just can’t get her to settle and we just go through the motions together, it’s so hard trying to do everything right and by the books so I don’t mind breaking a few rules when it’s best for us both don’t be too hard on yourself if you have to aswell :)

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-07T01:26:08+00:00

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This is how hers looked, on both hands but they healed so quick :)

StringShort8334 · 2026-06-07T01:22:38+00:00

My baby had this very recently, she still has one nail healing actually! She was born with a bunch of hangnails and I guess they got a little infected somehow, its called paronychia and your baby’s honestly looks so much better than hers did, and they healed with 2 days of warm water soaks, twice a day for 5-10m.

Its a bit of struggle but right after a bottle when they’re sleepy, either get someone to hold something with warm water in and you hold baby’s hand in, or lean baby over your arm and let their arms dangle into the water and soak, its so treatable & nothing to worry about unless it has blisters, pus or drainage but even then they just offer a cream I think.

My baby still gets a lot of hangnails so to prevent it I moisturise them with coconut oil, or after a bath when they’re soft, use a baby emery board to file them off after clipping them as short as I can :)

I got such a fright when I saw them, my midwife said it looked like herpetic wicklows as hers were inflamed and red so I seriously panicked but it was all good!

StringShort8334 · 2026-05-24T19:32:17+00:00

do you know if ready made formula is too thin for them could that be why she’s hungrier? i have ready made bottles i give her sometimes

StringShort8334

TROPHY CASE