Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

DH and I have beent taking turns watching our week old DS throughout the night.

The routine is from 9pm to 2am I'll sleep in the bedroom while DH watches him while watching tv in the living room. From 2am to 8am I'll watch him and then my mom who lives a few houses down will come to watch him around 8am and I would head back to the bedroom and sleep for a about 3 hours.

Is this insane?

DH's parents say that we should both sleep when the baby sleeps. The problem with that is that I'm afraid I wont hear him cry or he might turn over or something.

How did you guys handle the sleeping situation in the begining? This is our first child so our nerves are a bit high.

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

We have almost the same routine! DH watches her from 10-4ish, and then I take over and let him sleep. She is super-fussy from 2am-4am so there is no way both of us could sleep during that time, and hubby is usually not tired before 2am.

He's still on vacation from work, so we're okay for now. I have no clue how to handle next week when he goes back to work!

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

DH is a night person so he doesn't go to sleep until late anyway. I'm usually passed out by 11 the latest.

DH will pretty much do the same as your DH but I get pizzed because he blasts the tv and keeps the lights on so she does not sleep which means mama can hear her in the bedroom and I can't sleep.

I usually take over around 2am and it's all me from there on.

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

Please don't be insulted, but yes, that is insane. DH and I slept when our DD slept. I too was afraid of all those things, but you still need to have your rest and live normally. If you're afraid you won't hear the crying, set up a baby monitor turned all the way up and put it right next to your head. TRUST ME -- you WILL hear it! As far as the rolling over, I think the baby is too young yet, and if you're really afraid you can get one of those sleep positioners. If this still doesn't set your mind at ease, get one of those Angel Care monitors that rings if God forbid the baby stops breathing.

I remember how nerve racking it was in the beginning, because all this little baby has to depend on is you, but you will be fine. Get your rest now, while you can.

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

GO TO SLEEP!!!! If you get a moment to sleep, take it.

DW is a SAHM, so she took the entire night during the week, and I took the entire night on the weekends. That way, one person is getting a full night, and the other one gets 2-3 hour blocks of sleep all night. For DS, we slept in DS's room for the first few months. DD's room doesn't have space for us, so one person is responsible for answering the monitor.

We found that sharing the duties during any particular night just means that nobody gets any sleep.

Your baby is fine. With the voice monitor, you can hear more detail than if you're in the same room. The Angelcare monitor sense motion (or lack of), and alarms if DC isn't moving/breathing. Let technology help you.

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

I do sleep, but I have the monitor turned up to full blast so even the littlest peep wakes me up.

Go to sleep!!!

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

I agree, you don't need to watch the baby while he sleeps...honestly, just go to bed. You will go INSANE if you don't sleep when that baby sleeps!

Get to bed!!! NOW!!! You will hear the baby cry....

Oh, one day you will laugh about this.

Message edited 11/6/2007 7:43:02 AM.

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

Everyone told me to sleep while the baby slept but I never was able to. I think the first month of her life I got maybe 2 hours sleep a night. The weird thing was I think I passed the point of being tired then. I think my body just got use to the lack of sleep.

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

That is crazy You should both sleep when the baby sleeps. One of you can get up when the baby fusses for a feeding, etc.

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

On the weekend me and DH did the same thing I would stay downstairs with them from 9-3 and then DH would from 3-9, BUT we did that so the person upstairs could soundly sleep. The person downstairs was responsible for getting up and feeding the babes. I slept though.....I needed to, I was so exhausted. And trust me when those babies cry you hear it. So try and get some sleep even when you are the one on baby patrol.

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

I agree with everyone else....You need to both sleep when your baby is sleeping..seems a bit much, IMO...You will hear him trust me..Its just one of those mommy things.

Message edited 11/6/2007 8:17:17 AM.

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

you need to go to sleep while your DC sleeps
I understand your nervous even after I had my 3rd child I was nervous the first night but you need to sleep

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

Basically, I got up for every feeding and DH slept through the whole thing!! But it was fair, he is going to work every day!! I tried to sleep during the day but couldn't. I'd get 2 hrs of sleep between each feeding so by the time I got out of bed I'd usually have 6hrs of sleep combined.

Message edited 11/6/2007 8:40:17 AM.

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

HECK ya I sleep. Me and DH would be divorced if we didn't. We are just sleep loving individuals. We may not get half of what we used to, but I appreciate every second I do get.

Now do I sleep as soundly? NO, I wake up a few times a night and check the video monitor (still do this 11 months later) but I go right back to sleep most of the time!!

Try to get some sleep. Its best for all of you!!

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

We both slept when the baby slept.

Message edited 11/6/2007 8:50:36 AM.

Re: Did you and your DH sleep at all during the night while your newborn slept?

It's actually safer for the baby if you DO sleep. If you are beyond exhaustion, you will wind up passing out and sleeping so deeply that nothing will wake you up. If you sleep whenever you get a chance, you'll only be exhausted, not to the point of collapsing. When the body needs sleep, it will find a way to get it. You don't want to fall asleep with the baby in your arms....