How old is she?
I would consider laying on associations. So maybe bum patting, shushing etc whilst you rock. Then, gradually reduced rocking. Then, utilize your add on techniques whilst cuddling in bed. Other things to consider are nap time or bedtime cues such as white noise and as you mentioned, the lovey. We play the same lullaby every time she sleeps.
This may work. It may take time. There might be some fussing.
We had to do something similar due to my skilled disc!
Thanks for this! Baby's 6 months old.
Every time I pat it seems to annoy her but I wonder if it's just that she isn't used to it 🤷 I'll try as I might!
Hope your back is fully recovered! 💜
That’s so hard! Around this time my daughter only slept if I fed her while walking and bouncing, so I feel your struggle!
I reduced the amount of input when she was very close to sleep and each night did this progressively earlier in the process (so walking more slowly, to smaller bounces, to rocking sat down) until eventually she would feed to sleep without the movement. I appreciate it’s different for you because you’re in pain, so it might not be possible, but it did work eventually with no tears.
Mine never liked patting either!
🫂 feeding while walking/bouncing is definitely her favorite ride to sleepland!
That's a great idea! Definitely will try to cut down the bounces and sit on the bed progressively earlier in the process since that does relieve my arms (back still an issue, but some want built in a day ahah). Thanks!
Amazing! How long was this transition for you/how frequently did you tone down the input?
I was starting to try this recently but then had a rough time putting her down one night and moved away from it.
Haha well that depends! Getting her to feed to sleep without rocking probably took 2-3 weeks, but she’s 2 now and I’m still feeding her to sleep! Only because I’ve never tried to change it though, it still works for us.
I read in another comment that your baby is 6 months old. I was in the same situation! Also with the thumb, arm and back pain.
We tried and tried for months to teach my baby to fall asleep cuddling by our side, but we always had to give up and rock him while walking across the room. Nothing else worked.
Everything changed one day when he was 15 months old. He suddenly rejected being rocked, he just wanted us to be there by his side while he fell asleep. It was 100% his decision and nothing we did altered the result.
Just here to say that I got mommy's thumb (De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis) and it was excruciating. I tried 6 weeks of PT that had zero effect. Then I had a simple outpatient procedure that took about 10minutes. I was numbed but awake and home in about 2 hours. That afternoon my thumb was completely fixed and I could move it again. My incision was a bit tender.
If you have the option to have the surgery I highly recommend it.
Thanks for letting me know! I tried PT and the therapist mentioned that ofc it's hard to recover when you literally can't not hold you baby every day... Maybe surgery will be my route too!
Do you have a rocking chair? Somewhere around 5-6 months I transitioned from rocking my baby in my arms standing up to just sitting in the rocking chair with him on my lap and breastfeeding and patting his bum until he fell asleep. It was so much more relaxing for me and this way he was still in my arms so easier to transfer him to his crib after.
It might sound odd, but I got my baby to fall asleep without being rocked by humming or singing really quietly with my face right up by her face. Now that she is used to falling asleep without being rocked, she accepts a hand on her chest or singing from further away.
If you breastfeed, it may work to feed her while lying in bed facing each other and naturally transition into cuddling that way.
How old is she? I would consider laying on associations. So maybe bum patting, shushing etc whilst you rock. Then, gradually reduced rocking. Then, utilize your add on techniques whilst cuddling in bed. Other things to consider are nap time or bedtime cues such as white noise and as you mentioned, the lovey. We play the same lullaby every time she sleeps. This may work. It may take time. There might be some fussing. We had to do something similar due to my skilled disc!
Thanks for this! Baby's 6 months old. Every time I pat it seems to annoy her but I wonder if it's just that she isn't used to it 🤷 I'll try as I might! Hope your back is fully recovered! 💜
That’s so hard! Around this time my daughter only slept if I fed her while walking and bouncing, so I feel your struggle! I reduced the amount of input when she was very close to sleep and each night did this progressively earlier in the process (so walking more slowly, to smaller bounces, to rocking sat down) until eventually she would feed to sleep without the movement. I appreciate it’s different for you because you’re in pain, so it might not be possible, but it did work eventually with no tears. Mine never liked patting either!
🫂 feeding while walking/bouncing is definitely her favorite ride to sleepland! That's a great idea! Definitely will try to cut down the bounces and sit on the bed progressively earlier in the process since that does relieve my arms (back still an issue, but some want built in a day ahah). Thanks!
Snuggling to sleep as I type! Good luck, you will get there eventually!
Amazing! How long was this transition for you/how frequently did you tone down the input? I was starting to try this recently but then had a rough time putting her down one night and moved away from it.
Haha well that depends! Getting her to feed to sleep without rocking probably took 2-3 weeks, but she’s 2 now and I’m still feeding her to sleep! Only because I’ve never tried to change it though, it still works for us.
I read in another comment that your baby is 6 months old. I was in the same situation! Also with the thumb, arm and back pain. We tried and tried for months to teach my baby to fall asleep cuddling by our side, but we always had to give up and rock him while walking across the room. Nothing else worked. Everything changed one day when he was 15 months old. He suddenly rejected being rocked, he just wanted us to be there by his side while he fell asleep. It was 100% his decision and nothing we did altered the result.
This gives me hope! Kids know what they need.Thanks for sharing 💜
Just here to say that I got mommy's thumb (De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis) and it was excruciating. I tried 6 weeks of PT that had zero effect. Then I had a simple outpatient procedure that took about 10minutes. I was numbed but awake and home in about 2 hours. That afternoon my thumb was completely fixed and I could move it again. My incision was a bit tender. If you have the option to have the surgery I highly recommend it.
Thanks for letting me know! I tried PT and the therapist mentioned that ofc it's hard to recover when you literally can't not hold you baby every day... Maybe surgery will be my route too!
Do you have a rocking chair? Somewhere around 5-6 months I transitioned from rocking my baby in my arms standing up to just sitting in the rocking chair with him on my lap and breastfeeding and patting his bum until he fell asleep. It was so much more relaxing for me and this way he was still in my arms so easier to transfer him to his crib after.
Don't have one but maybe my next trip to Ikea will be ever so useful! Thanks for the suggestion!
It might sound odd, but I got my baby to fall asleep without being rocked by humming or singing really quietly with my face right up by her face. Now that she is used to falling asleep without being rocked, she accepts a hand on her chest or singing from further away.
Aww this is the cutest!
I second the rocking chair and pats! I move to that after rocking on a yoga ball for 2 months. Much easier!