Sleeping Like a Baby

“I sleep like a baby. Every two hours I wake up and cry.”

-Hunter S. Thompson

Yes. I am mother to a 9 week old. He’s finally started to sleep decent at night, and even past 4 am. Of course, he sleeps in bed with us, curled right up against me in all his impossible babysweetness. He wakes every few hours, not crying though, just wiggling around and grunting like a little piglet for milk. But then he falls right back asleep, so I can’t complain too much about nights anymore.

No, it’s days that are getting me. Both my babies just wanted to be held, or worn in a carrier, all day long. I’m all for baby-wearing. But seriously, all day long, day in, day out??? C’mon kiddos. Give mama’s back a break, errr– I mean, don’t break it!

Oh yes, naps too. Naps even more so, in fact. The only way he’ll stay asleep for any length of time is if I’m wearing him. The days that I try to set him down to sleep are often infuriating to the point of depression. I nurse/walk/sing him to sleep, then ever so, eeeever so gently I lay him down, taking a good long time about it. Slowly stand up and back away. Tip toe out of the room…. “WAAAAAAAAAA!”

It takes another 20 minutes to get him back to sleep and, if I can manage it, lay him down again. Sometimes I’ve done this 3 or 4 times before it works, or I give up and wear him. Mostly I give up and wear him, because otherwise I’m going to lose my mind! But I know he’ll never get used to sleeping in a still, horizontal, alone way unless I keep trying. So I do, every few days.

Yesterday I had a brainstorm. I already often swaddle him when I’m trying for the solo naps. Which helps. But then, after I laid him down, pressing my hand on his little self to make him feel secure, I thought, “It’s too bad you can’t just weight ’em down…. Although, why can’t you?…. Hmmmmmmm….” I tiptoed into the kitchen and brought back a big 2 lb bag of beans. Then I laid the beans right on top of him.

Sound weird? Oh, I know. But is there really anything wrong with putting something that weighs about as much as, say, my arm, over my sleeping baby’s chest?

It wasn’t any kind of miracle. He didn’t suddenly stay down for any three hour nap. But he did stay sleeping for 45 minutes or so, which is pretty great. Hey, I’ll take what I can get!