The need to protect her sleep is real. The fear of her waking up is real. Her sleep has suddenly become the most precious thing to manage and handle in my life.
Let me elaborate.
Come November 2021, and a new phase began in my life. A tiny one in my hands again. At a stage wherein my older one is beginning to trod on the happy path to independence, I was gifted with a new being who is completely dependent on me. A blue-grey eyed beauty, who looks very similar to her father. Yay I exclaim! With the older one looking similar to me and this one taking after her father, we realize that the Universe has indeed taken equality very seriously in our case 😀
Being a second time mom came with its advantages and disadvantages. The good part was being aware of the numerous challenges that come up during pregnancy and post partum. It let’s you make more informed decisions. The not so good part – believing that your first child is the only way a baby could possibly exist 😀 Little did I know how wrong I was going to be!
I was under the false belief that having handled one baby, I was going to know how to feed, entertain and put to sleep the second one. However, from the first week itself, several things struck me. Many aspects where my older one had been a challenge, sailed super smooth with this baby. Awesome!
But then came new challenges which were specific to this baby. Things that I did not even know existed in my first time!
I remember a naptime event when she was about 2 weeks old. Nursed, asleep and smiling in my arms. I was super tired. Looked at the watch. 2pm. Great – she will nap for about an hour now. And I will get to catch some much needed sleep as well. I assemble her pillow and blanket. Swaddled and snug I lay her down to sleep and I lie down beside her. In a flash, I see two eyes open up and look toward the ceiling. No crying, no fuss. But fully awake! I wonder, didn’t I just put her to sleep 5 min ago? Alright, I get up, cradle her, rock for a while. She closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep. Phew. I lay her down again. And as if there is a magical switch button in her back, the eyes propped open again!!!
What is this going on? Asleep on my lap, asleep in my arms, awake on the bed? This was new to me. Not once had I experienced this with my older one. I was puzzled, unable to fathom the situation and feeling mostly helpless :D.
Okay little one, your sleep is more precious to me. I placed her on my lap and did not lay her down again. She completed her nap happily.
And thus began the saga of the baby napping on me all this while in the day. I found a fancy word for this online. Contact napping. Apparently common among babies, but the first experience for me. This thing has put up challenges at different levels for me. Not only has it resulted in backaches taking long to resolve, it has eaten up all the time that I would have used up for chores or other work. With my older baby, I had this wonderful memory of planning my work around her nap times and successfully executing it. That luxury seems to have gone for a toss with this little one!
I smile as I realise how my two babies are so different. And I am sure that as kids and grown up adults also, these would be two different beings. Giving me different experiences and different challenges as well. In the word of Janaki’s paediatrician, ‘nava gadi nava rajja’… Meaning every baby is a different player in the game. So as a parent you ought to perceive them differently and manage them as per their specific needs. Truer words were never spoken 😀
In my current state I have not given up hope though. I try every day to put her down and see if she can start sleeping on the bed comfortably. Sometimes she does, sometimes she doesn’t. No guarantees yet. I know that someday she will grow up and grow out of this need. Till then, I am mentally prepared to have her sleep on my lap, on my shoulder or even as just being cradled up in my arms 😛 Any of you out there whose babies gave you this experience? Any tips on management are welcome!
It’s been over 3 months now my younger one, you are so different and yes, unique in your own way. Welcome dear Meera, you have bestowed upon me an honour that your sister never did – of becoming a human mattress 😀 whoever coined this term (I found it randomly while browsing), hats off to you Sir/Ma’am!!
The curious crackle 