Things We've Tried Putting Peter In

As I've hinted rather subtly in earlier posts, trying to get Peter to sleep (or just be) somewhere other than his parent's arms has been a bit of a saga. This came as a surprise to us, as Peter had been more or less peacefully sleeping on his back in a little plastic bassinet for weeks in the NICU (before which he had been decidedly more peacefully sleeping on his tummy in an isolet). Lest you don't believe me, dear reader, the evidence is here:

A silver lining to having a hospitalized baby, I foolishly reasoned, is that the wee thing has, by the time he comes home, gotten used to being put down to rest. Unlike the scads of unlucky parents who bring their lads and lasses home fresh from the comforts of the womb, our young man would be used to sleeping flat on his back, on a firm mattress, and so would naturally continue this pattern when the amateurs took over his care. Not so. The following are the various receptacles that we've bought, borrowed or stolen in an effort to save our spines and put Sir Peter down:

The Crib

I remember the days, mid-way through my pregnancy, when I pored over Consumer Reports and formulated strong opinions about sleep safety. The safest place for a baby to sleep, I wisely informed anyone interested in our selection of a nighttime venue for our son-to-be (anyone? anyone?), is on his back in his own crib. Moreover, I read that SIDS risk is reduced when a baby sleeps in his parents' bedroom. Naturally, then, our child would sleep on his back, in a crib, in our bedroom. Why exactly did parents struggle with this choice? Enter Peter. This is Peter in his crib:

Note the prone position: Pedro is perfectly happy to lie, and even - gasp! - sleep for short spurts, in the lovely crib handed down to us by Mark and Pascale, so long as he is placed on his tummy. However, since this position is only medically sanctioned under close parental supervision, this makes sleeping at the same time as Peter something of a challenge. And so the crib has beeen moved to the nursery, where it has become something of an art installation.

2 Play Yards

We are in possession of not one but two slick Eddie Bauer play yards with bassinet functions (thanks to Pasc and Amber for the hand-me-downs!). Peter has so far spent a collective twenty minutes in these, mostly when I put him down for a few brief seconds while I attend to some business that can't be accomplished with him in my arms (this category does not include using the washroom ... sorry, have I shared too much?). I have not included a photo because it seems cruel to subject Peter to even a few minutes of the dreaded play yard solely for blogging purposes.

The Co-sleeper Cot

This was our first real diversion from the traditional sleeping arrangement. Thinking that perhaps proximity to his beloved parents would coax young Peter into sleeping peacefully in the supine position, I borrowed this little cot from Chris and Michelle. I guess it's hard to visualize without a photo (and the cot was too short-lived for me to have taken one), but it was basically a little bassinet that you put in the middle of parents' bed and anchored down under the mattress. Peter seemed to tolerate this slightly better than the crib, I think because it made him feel more contained, but, even swaddled and with both of us close at hand to rub his tummy, pat his head, and otherwise make vain attempts at soothing, he only made it about 5-10 minutes before waking up and howling. We made a few repeat attempts and then gave up the ghost.

The Car Seat

This receptacle showed great promise during Peter's first venture out into the non-hospital world (note that he is in fact sleeping in the carseat photo included in the NICU stay post). In fact, in the early days I resisted the temptation to place him in the carseat to sleep because I know they're not safe for long periods of time (an amusing warning issued to parents of newborns, who, as far as I can tell, don't sleep for long periods of time in any venue). Since then, however, Peter has regressed in the car-seat-sitting department. He seems relatively content in one so long as it is moving (either in the car itself or because someone is frantically rocking it while watching the clock, in an effort to prove that they have managed to get Peter to stay in something other than arms for a prolonged period), and also so long as he has the beloved pacifier in his mouth. A stationary car seat is another story.

The Weego Preemie

Ah, the Weego. It was a piece of dumb luck that we had already purchased one when Peter came home from the hospital. The Weego is a soft carrier made by, I think, a German company. Like so many feats of German engineering, it is simple and functional. The magic is that they make a "preemie" version that, unlike most carriers that have a minimum weight of around 8 lbs, is good to go from 4 lbs or so (and goes up to 25 lbs, which seems a lifetime away). They also are, as far as I know, the only company to make a carrier for twins, and had superb customer service. More importantly, however, Peter is in heart with the Weego:

Okay, so this does nothing for our ability to get some shut-eye, but it does allow us to carry Peter around while doing other stuff with our arms. And that is, as they say, a good thing.

The Stroller

When we shopped for a stroller, I never contemplated the possibility that Peter would object to being put in one. Thank goodness, he doesn't. That is, as long as said stroller is in constant motion (is it bad that we considered tethering it to a treadmill while we slept?). Although I know the attachment parenting police would object to my pushing Peter around in a stroller rather than wearing him in a sling, I think it's fair to wheel him around during a daily stroll given that we have him in our arms the other 23 hours of the day.

The particular stroller is the Bugaboo Bee. I love it. Some (including dear husband) will say that it's an overpriced umbrella stroller, but I am a big fan of its small size and manoeuvrability. Also, unlike an umbrella stroller, the Bee allows me to put Peter in a fully-reclined position and facing me (any NICU parent will appreciate that I need to see Peter's face at all times, having been trained to watch it for any signs of respiratory distress). Plus it folds up easily, is really cute, and has a good-size, easily-accessible storage basket. I will defend my purchase decision with my last dying breath.

The Amby Baby Motion Bed

This was our second attempt at a non-traditional sleeping arrangement, and one for which I still hold out hope (this may have something to do with the $400 I shelled out for it, yes?). The Amby Bed, which I think was developed in Australia, is this hammock thing that hangs from a steel frame. It rocks and sways slightly if the restless babe initiates movement, provides a slightly inclined sleeping position, and is supposed to replicate more closely the comforts of the womb (if you consider sleeping in cramped quarters surrounded by a goo composed of your own waste products comfortable). It is supposed to be helpful for preemies and for babies like Peter who struggle a bit with reflux. This is what it looks like (photo taken from their Canadian site):

Cosy-looking, n'est-ce pas? The first couple of attempts at putting Peter down in the Amby Bed met with some limited success. He would sleep for a half hour or so and then wake up, fuss a bit, and eventually, despite our fervent bouncing, tummy-rubbing, etc., cry. Still, this was better than previous alternatives. The lad then went through a "no way no how" phase with respect to the putting down, during which he never made it more than 10 minutes in any kind of receptacle. More recently, Mark has on four separate occasions gotten Peter to sleep for 2 hours or so in the Amby Bed using a method that involves swaddling, 20 minutes of rocking him in a seated position, 5 minutes of walking with him, 5 minutes of holding him and swaying in a kneeling position in front of the Amby Bed, and, finally, 5 minutes of swaying the Amby Bed slightly with Peter in it. However, this is a bit of a Polkaroo situation, as I have been unable to replicate Mark's results, and am always in a different room taking a much-needed nap when it happens. My hope is that as Peter gets a bit bigger and more mature, he will take to the hammock. I will keep you posted.

The Vibrating Chair

This one was not intended as a sleep receptacle, but rather a place that I could from time to time put Peter, perchance to, say, pee. The chair vibrates, has a little dangly thing intended to keep the babe interested, and plays music. Here's how it went:

As in so many pursuits, we're fine so long as the pacifier is firmly intact; however, some of you will recognize the "make it stop" posture from bath time ...

We lose the soother ...

... and we're done.

The Maman Kangarou Stretchy Wrap

This "invention" (if you can so call a large piece of hemmed fabric) is on par with the Weego in terms of Peter's affections, and is the lynchpin of the unorthodox napping arrangement that I can't tell you about, dear reader, lest you inform our Paediatrician. I'm a fan of the stretchy wrap for around the house, but it's a little cumbersome to wrap yourself in several yards of stretchy goodness when you're, say, in a shopping mall (not that I've visited such a place these last four months). Here I am, demonstrating the "hands-free" feature of the Kangarou wrap:

Looking Forward What will we put Peter in next? As mentioned, in terms of sleeping, I still have high hopes for the Amby Bed. For daytime use, it's been suggested that we try a motorized swing. Seems to make sense, given Peter's predilection for constant motion, but I haven't had the heart to spend the money on yet another thing that might not work. Do you know of a magic swing that will keep even the most discerning baby content? If so, please let me know.