Thursday, June 18, 2009

Can You Carry Your Baby Until She Sleeps?

If, unlike me, you’re blessed with a baby who can comfort herself to sleep, then you can probably just lay her on the crib and give her a one-time gentle swing.

But if you are not, then be prepared to do some cuddling extravaganza, standing up with matching side to side dancing until she relaxes, closes her eyes, and goes to sleep. Hopefully.

How long are you going to waltz with baby in your arms? It actually depends on a lot of factors. Assuming the baby is full (not hungry) and she is not irritated by any clothing, somewhere around 10 minutes. If you’re rocking her to hard, then she may never get that sleepy feeling.

Most of the time you’ll feel your arms get sore and your back ache. With constant practice, you’ll eventually get the soothing rhythm and the perfect grip that’s right for your baby. Unless, you had your share of babysitting before, nobody gets it on the first try. Perhaps a strap-on baby carrier can help.

After a while, if you feel that the baby is deep in her sleep, VERY carefully lay her down on her crib. Otherwise the baby may sense a shift in position and wakes up.

2 comments:

  1. Yes I can carry a baby until he/she sleeps. I cared for my niece and nephews when they were babies :) I loved it.

    Marly

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  2. I used to cuddle my baby standing up for several minutes when she was barely a year old. Loved that feeling too of being able to put baby to sleep :-)

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