i know i've done this before, so i shouldn't be so dim, but someone please remind me how the hell i get a newborn to settle after feeds at night [yawn]

[Tutter]

ds2 appears to be a realllly cuddly baby

would really like to be able to feed him and plonk him down in his moses basket

have no recollection whether this was possible with ds1 (only 2 years ago but memory v fuzzy)

atm he ends up in with us, and even then he only settles if cuddled right up against me and even then it can take an hour or so to get him to sleep

worst is first 'settle' of the night

any tips?

he's 10 days old btw so i know it's early days, shouldn';t expect too much yaddahyaddah

[madmumof5]

hi if you get a t-shirt or nightie that you have worn for a few hours wrap him in it and then he should settle as it will have your scent on it so he will feel secure thisd is wat my health visitor told me to do and it worked good luck

[yogimum]

Swaddling can help. it didn't work with my ds but it works with the babies I'm looking after at the moment. I always make sure they have been winded (which can take ages) then I swaddle with a cotton sheet, stops them flapping their arms about.

[yogimum]

I also did the t-shirt thing with my ds.

[MamaG]

yes, swaddling was the only thing that got my DS off to sleep

[Tutter]

will have another go at swaddling - gave up with ds1 as he hated it but will have a crack with ds2

he seems to love having his hands up at his face (was like that in every scan pic (and i had 8 or 9, and fiddles around with his eyes and mouth even now) so am not sure how he'll take to it, but worth a go

[MorocconOil]

I found the Jaygee Babysooth pink noise worked a treat with dc3. It is a cassette of pink noise.

Basically after feeding, winding etc, I popped her into the moses basket, turned on the tape and voila, she fell asleep as if by magic.

She's been really easy to settle ever since. She's now 2.

[MamaG]

Tutter, my DD hated it too and although DS wasa wriggly baby, he really responded to swaddling.

Good luck

[Tutter]

ooh get you with your pink noise

i did try the white noise thing with ds1 (untuned radio) and it worked a treat, although dh hated it - thought it would damage ds1's hearing (i used to have it loudish )

[Tutter]

thanks mamag

will have to go and dig out a decent sized sheet - the moses basket ones too teeny tiny i think

[MellowMa]

Message withdrawn

[MorocconOil]

You can mock my pink noise Tutter, but I'm enjoying unbroken sleep

I was very when a friend told me about it, but am complete convert now. I think you can download babysooth onto an ipod, if you've got one.

[Tutter]

pure envy mimizan

we do indeed have an ipod

i shall give dh instructions to download your fancy pink noise later...

[MorocconOil]

Oh word of warning. Dh hated pink noise and had to sleep in the spare room

[Tutter]

i don't want to tempt fate but i swaddled ds2 after his 4pm feed and he slept for 3 hours without moving a muscle

he is Now Swaddled in preparation for an early night

wish us luck

[MamaG]

Hope it went well Tutter - am going on holiday in an hour or so, but wanted to log on and see how you were going [saddo]

[Tutter]

awww

dare i say it...

it worked! well, it did last night anyway - he settled easily, and went 4 hours between feeds. i fed him swaddled too which was good

[yogimum]

glad to hear it worked tutter

[MellowMa]

Message withdrawn

[snowleopard]

Running taps worked for DS, although that would mean he'd be asleep ON me and then have to be carefully put into cot. We also used to lie him down awake, sit close to him and pat his chest and chant "Sleepy time for DS, sleepy sleepy time" and I think this eventually became like a kind of Pavlovian trigger that made him fall asleep.

[princessmel]

I think all newborns are like this to some extent.

Ds wouldn't go in his basket atall till he was 6 weeks and even then dh and I had to sleep with our arms over the top of the basket so we could rest them on his body. Yes the basket was between us in the bed Nightmare!!
We did the Jaggee babysooth cd too! I've never known anyone else thats used it though.
And we swaddled.

Dd was swaddled but didn't need the cd

[NoviceKnitter]

my 4 wk dd the same - isn't even fooled by the sideless cot we bought - basically it's an extension of our bed but even transferring her from our bed on a pillow case and surriunding with breast pads doesn't fool her. We're now doing co sleeping and it's going fine - cot now bedside table! naps in day a bigger prob. wd love to get her to sleep in moses basket - at mo omly naps in carseat pram or sling, ie on the move. Swaddling improves things but she's getting too strong and kicks herself out.

what u swaddling with? also, at the mo she feeds and cuddles all eve and goes to bed with us at 11ish. settles at 12 or 1 and wakes a couple of times before we get up at 8.30. should i be trying to introduce a 7ish bedtime? can't see her buying it yet but...

sorry for waffling on - bit tired