Question about sling use

[Tootiredtocook]

I have a five week old who cries all the time. The only time she is happy is in the sling (moby) because she falls asleep straight away in it. I am trying to keep to a routine to get her sleeping better at night, so I only put her in the sling at nap times and keep her out of it the rest of the time. I would like to use it more but presumably if she sleeps all day in the sling she will be awake all night? How do other people who use slings get around this problem?? I'm really struggling as she literally cries all day when not asleep in sling.

[mrsmartin1984]

Because she's five weeks old! You are her world and she feels comfortable from you. A routine at this time doesn't work. I have been baby led all the way. She sleeps when she is tried, feed when she is hungry etc. My DD is a good sleeper and generally goes through the night (7 months). Babies are hard work at this time but it does get easier.

She used to only sleep on me (and sometimes still does). We co slept in order for her to settle better at night. And then during the day she would be cuddled or in a sling for a nap. I still nurse/cuddle her to sleep but she can be put down

[chezchaos]

You might find that if she gets a good sleep in the day then she'll be calmer and sleep better at night. I slung both my babies and did find they were happier to spend some time in their Moses basket etc from about 8 weeks. Essentially the sling is very similar to being in the womb (and will help digestion too if they're not flat) so it's great for babies - it can get tiring I know but it's so comforting for them and won't last forever!

[Tootiredtocook]

I do wish I could be totally baby led but as we are sadly formula feeding I don't have the option to just feed her when she's upset as worried about over feeding so I was hoping a routine would help me know if she was tired rather than hungry. But I guess it's not working!

[HadALittleFaith]

Sleep begets sleep! If she sleeps well in the day she is likely to sleep better at night. I agree, she feels safe next to you. When I read about the fourth trinester it all fell into place for me.
My DD spent a lot of time in her sling when she was little. She would only sleep there or in the car! She cried whenever I put her down. It gradually got easier. We did also get a fisher price rainforest swing chair which she settles in. I'd just go with it, keep working on putting her down on the floor (when you can stay with her) and she'll gradually get better.

[enderwoman]

Agree with the others.

You shouldn't stress about routines- she's tiny!!

I slung ds1 and ds2 (who had colic and reflux) until they were 3 months old ish when they became more settled and didn't seem to need the swaddled feeling of a sling so much. Sleeping well during the day is important for sleeping well at night. Over tiredness means longer to settle and more likely to wake up cranky in my experience.

[Mondaybaby]

I agree with what other posters have said. She's only 5 weeks and still thinks she is part of you. Trust your baby and don't worry about routines at this stage.

[BotBotticelli]

Also,

[BotBotticelli]

Oops posted too soon. Also, please do not worry about over feeding your baby.

Even babies who are beig FF should be fed on demand. I always fed my DS on demand and he was FF from 12 days old. The hV told me its not really possible to over feed a new born baby and I think she was right look for your baby's hungry cues (rooting, chewing fists, a particular unrelenting scream) an feed whenever she wants it.

DS feeding was all over the place for the first 8-9 weeks or so, occasionally screaming for another bottle 90 mins after his last one and sometimes happily going 4 hours without one. After 9 weeks or so he settled down into a diarlyte consistent routine of feeding every 3 hours during the day, which eventually stretched to 4 hourly by around 4mo. I did nothing to set this routine, just followed his lead. His growth has been textbook: on the 75th centile throughout.

[BotBotticelli]

Ps - also I don't think many 5 week old babies have a structured 'nap time' as such, despite what you might read in certain baby routine books Gina ford I am looking at you

I think most newborns expect to be able to sleep off and on for most of the day and night, waking up only to feed (every couple of hours!) and poop?? With maybe a few 30 min periods of wakefulness, looking at toys/your face etc a few times a day? These wakeful periods will get longer and more often over the coming weeks as your baby develops.

Try not to get stressed about getting your baby into a routine that way madness lies: they will get there themselves by around 3-4 months old if you follow their lead. Might be a different routine to the ones in the parenting books, but if it works for your baby I say go for it.

[Sunnysummer]

DS of 5 months has been a sling addict from birth - at 5 weeks we were just thrilled with any sleep at all so let him doze on and off, as he got older he naturally moved towards more of a routine where he had distinct nap and awake times, so there was never a concern with oversleeping.

He still has most of his daytime naps in the sling, and demands to get out when he wakes up - he will then happily go back in awake once he is fed and has had some play, but gets grouchy if it's getting to nap time but his hood is not up... So as previous posters said, they work it put for themselves and there's no need to worry. If you do both like the sling, though, it's worth investing in a manduca or an ergo!