advice please! 6 week old content in basket?

[buddy79]

Hi, I'm a first time mum and just after some advice from more experienced parents! My 6 week old son is doing well, I am ebf on demand and he has got himself into a natural rhythm of very frequent feeds during the day, (1 - 1 1/2 hourly), even more frequent feeds during the evening (at least hourly and often just continuous clusters), but then he will sleep a good long stretch at night - 6 hours the last couple of nights! He is a big baby and gaining weight well. We have just started introducing a very loose 'bedtime' routine - not that I am expecting him to sleep after this, but just to try and gently introduce some cues, so we do feed, bath /massage, lullaby at around 7, and after this try and make things quiet. Obviously he continues to be awake and feeding for several hours after this and we bring him back into the lounge with us in his basket, until I take him into the bedroom with me at about 10, and continue feeding until he falls asleep, and I am totally happy with this. My question is, after the 'bedtime' routine, if we pop him into his basket, until he gets hungry he will lie perfectly contented but wide awake. I feel mean leaving him there awake on his own (although he is in the same room as us!), but last night we took him out after about 30 mins as I felt I was neglecting him, and he then went from having been completely content to crying!! Perhaps we should have just left him having quiet time on his own? I never leave him awake in the basket during the day but always take him out to play (well, to look at things and bounce!) so it feels odd to just leave him..i do think he is a bit of a 'hands off' baby, he likes being held but not snuggled and sleeps fine in his basket. What are people's views on this? I just don't want to be neglecting him at such a tiny age but perhaps I am worrying too much!! Thankyou for any advice!

[GotToBeInItToWinIt]

If he's content I would leave him! We went through a phase of DD being really fussy at about 12 weeks. After a few days I realised it was just because she wanted to be out down and left alone! After that id put her down somewhere quiet and she would gurgle away contentedly.

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

Both of mine liked their own space, and would happily lay in the basket/on playmat/in bouncer for an hour or more. Sounds like he just is similar. Dont worry!

[buddy79]

Thank you both very much, that's really reassuring to know!! We'll give him a bit of his own space and see how we go!!

[NickyEds]

My DS always quite liked a bit of time left alone. He'd be fine playing in his bouncy chair or on his playmat. You're not neglecting him!! Some babies prefer not to be fussed, even now he's one he's not really one to snuggle up for long cuddles.