Our 1 week old baby girl just wont sleep in her moses basket - help

[rachndan]

Our daughter is 9 days old and for the last 2 or 3 nights she just will not settle in her moses basket and to get some respite we have to let her sleep on us or in the bed - which were advised by the hospital not to do.

She sleeps fine in her car seat when we are out, she also had been sleeping ok in the moses basket during the day but now she just moans and cries, but the second you pick her up she is fine.

She has her feeds (bottle fed) every 3(ish) hours and it takes a while to settle her back off, we check she hasnt got a dirty nappy and also that she has been winded ok but still hasnt been settling.

We have seen suggestions on her of a tshirt or pillow case smelling of us underneath her or let her sleep on a pillow in the moses basket or even a rolled up towel shaped as an upside down U around the top of her head to make her feel closed in.

Please can we have all your suggestions.

Yours truly a very tired rachndan

[Pascha]

A hot water bottle in the basket for 10 minutes before you put her down can help as it makes the sheet all warm (take it out before you put her in, obviously) Also try sitting on a pillowcase to warm it while you feed her and then lay her down on top of it in the basket.

The rolled up towel does work.

In the end, though, what she really wants is you close, lots of babies never settle in moses baskets. Mine certainly didn't for very long. The Boy slept for the first 3 weeks on his daddy's chest (very wrong I know but it did work)

Get a sling for daytime as well and don't bother with naps just yet in a basket or crib. It does settle down but right now she just wants to be close to you and you should let her as much as possible because the feeling you get from those newborn cuddles doesn't last forever...

[GhostInTheBackOfYourHead]

sorry, don't have much time but have you tried swaddling?

[BearWith]

Swaddling and pre-warming the basket worked well for my little one, when they are swaddled they can't feel so much that they have been put down and the swaddling stays around them all warm and nice - grobags are good for the same reason, and then you just warm the bit of sheet under their head. I always felt that the moses basket mattress wasn't very comfy and was crackly, thin and rather chilly so both of these things helped until he was being put to nap in a cot.

[coastgirl]

I put a fleece blanket under the sheet of the moses basket to make it more comfy. To be honest, though, my 10wo takes a lot of his naps on me when it's convenient or in his pram when we're out. He's comfy and I like to cuddle him - they're not little for long.