Sleepy Time Problems and Solutions--Wednesday, June 15

There are a few unforeseen problems preventing Jackson from falling asleep easily and sleeping peacefully at night.  Here are the problems and our attempts at solving them.

Problem: Losing Pacifier
Jackson was a bit lazy sucking on his paci.  He loves sucking, but he lets go all the time and then gets mad.  Then I get frustrated giving it to him again.  I never wanted him to be hooked on the pacifier, but the sucking reflex helps soothe him during nighttime fussing and bedtime.  He is much lazier when he is tired and needs the sucking action the most.

Attempted Solution: Reverse Psychology
I read in The Happiest Baby in the Block that you should train your infant by gently tugging on the pacifier as soon as he begins to suck it.  As he resists your tugs, he is learning to keep a stronger grip.  It's become a bit of a game.  We've done this so many times that Jackson can now smile, cry, talk, and sneeze while keeping the pacifier in his mouth.  (We plan to discontinue paci use after four months once he is able to self soothe.)

Problem: Uncontrollable Arms
For the past two weeks Jackson has unravelled his arms from the SwaddleMe.  We tried putting him to bed in the crib without swaddling him, but he still lacks arm control and continues to scratch his face and smack himself.  It's almost impossible to nurse in the middle of the night without him swaddled because he flings his fists at me and himself. 

Attempted Solution: Miracle Blanket
Unlike SwaddleMe, the Miracle Blanket has a double wrap for the arms, making it seemingly impossible to wiggle out of.  It offers all the other comforting features such as gentle pressure on the stomach and securing his limbs close to his body, just like he was in utero. 

Problem: Trapped Merman Legs
Jackson gets his legs stuck through the crib slats almost nightly.  He awakes absolutely screaming.  I feel so bad for him because I can only imagine how panicked he feels. 

Attempted Solution: Breathable Crib Bumper
I exchanged over $30 worth of unopened Medela breastmilk storage bags for the Breathable Baby crib bumper at Babies'R'Us this afternoon. The bumper is made of mesh material, preventing suffocation but providing a safe boundary for Jackson's wiggling limbs. 

We have purchased, installed, and practiced each of these solutions today.  I'm curious to see if it enhances Jackson's sleeping experiences.  I'm not concerned about Jesse and I sleeping; I just hate to think that Jackson isn't comforted and safe in his crib at night.  Good night, Jackson!