Crunchy Sleeping

I brought home a very early preemie when he was 3 weeks adjusted with the knowledge that preemies have significantly higher rates of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) than do term babies. He was also a refluxer. And high needs. Natty had spent the first 14 weeks of his life in a couple of rooms that did not get dark. The nurses needed the lights to be able to see and care for the babies. He'd listened to other babies cry, and cried himself, for weeks. People were constantly moving. Natty was fed and changed every 3 hours, clockwork. And now he comes home to a mom who wants to sleep during the night hours. Needs to sleep. His sleep rhythm was a little off. But so too were his senses. This place was QUIET! No banging trash can lids, no talking, no swishing feet or other babies making noise. How can anyone get some sleep in this place? So Mommy set out to make the adjustment for Natty. Air purifiers helped cleanse the air of cat hair (we were blessed with four at the time) - the purifiers also made some noise! Grandpa provided a nature sound maker. Because we had two cribs (long story), Mommy went out and got the second Nature Disk. And then humidifiers. Preemies need humidification to keep their nasal passages open. Add in the noise from a humidifier. Last, the crib shaker. Simply put, Natty slept soundly in the bouncie. A crib shaker does the same vibration technique, all night long. With an inverted mattress and a crib shaker it was ALMOST a bouncie and that was good enough for him to sleep. So he slept. Well. Until the ear infections. Oh, ear infections are no fun. Babies can't sleep with ear infections because their ears hurt when they go horizontal. It's the pressure. So Mommy and Natty learned how to sleep standing and sitting up. Natty slept very well in the front carrier. He also slept on Mommy with Mommy sitting up in the rocker, pillows around, making it almost as comfy as the crib. Six months of ear infections and Mommy and Natty were doing well. Teething. Oh teething. Not fun. It is not fun when a kid's teeth are coming in 4 at a time. So he'd cuddle with Mommy in her bed. Mommy did not sleep much, too worried she'd roll over on him or smother him with her blankets, but Natty did. Deeply. Even with teeth coming in. It was a long teething time. So between the different issues, Natty learned to sleep, crunchy style. I still sleep in his room, at 17 months adjusted. This way when he awakens and cries, I can be there. Quickly. He is as secure as can be in his life. I've never understood why we have societal conventions that dictate that babies have their own rooms. It's crazy. Why do we do that? It has been so much more organic and humane for me to stay in the same room as him ... easier. And since he didn't sleep through the night from 6 months adjusted through 16 months adjusted, it made it a lot easier to get up for those 3 night feedings with me in the same room. Soon, I will be leaving his room, moving back into my old bed. I've found I make noise which awakens Natty from his deep sleep ... so if I move to another room, he may sleep better, deeper, and longer. But in the meantime, we've been very crunchy.