So how on earth do you get a young baby to sleep in a moses basket?

[KitKat1985]

I've been really trying with DD2 (6 weeks) to get her to settle at night in her moses basket. I've tried white noise, rocking (the basket has one of those rocking stands), propping the mattress up slightly (I think she gets a bit colicky and I've been told lying flat can make this worse), and transferring her in a blanket (so she doesn't feel the temperature change as obviously when I move her off me and into her basket). It's not working - she's awake within 5 minutes wanting to be held again. I've ended up co-sleeping a lot just because I physically need some sleep (having a 2 year old to run around after in the daytime mean sleeping when DD2 does in the day isn't possible) but would like her to sleep in her basket really as I know it's safer, but I feel like I've tried everything! Any advice?

[Heirhelp]

We tried putting DH t shirt in it so it smelt familiar but not of my milk and prewarming the basket with a hot water bottle. It did not work.

[DoItTooJulia]

Oh-you have one of those babies. No advice I'm afraid-still Co sleeping with my just turned 4 yo who was one of those babies too.

My dear friend says it is because I didn't follow the GF method. It wasn't for me, but perhaps worth a try because it clearly works for some people.

You have my sympathies!

[Heirhelp]

www.dur.ac.uk/resources/isis.online/pdfs/ISIS_bed-sharing_2014.pdf

[GiraffeWithAShortNeck]

I too had one of those babies. In my case what worked was:

(1) only transferring child to basket when so utterly deeply asleep not even a rocket would wake her. Usually by this point only about 29 mins of her sleep cycle left, sadly.
(2) application of time. Said dd magically cured herself of moses basket aversion in week 13.

[beela]

Don't know. DS hardly slept anywhere (or that's how it felt). When DD came along I was too tired to try, and just co-slept with her for the first 8 months.

Co-sleeping is fine if you follow the guidelines to make it safe.

[Muppetslikecoco]

Could a light swaddle help? DS used to flail his arms and wake himself up at that age. Also a hot water bottle in the Moses basket for ten minutes before baby goes in might help.

[mimiholls]

I too had one of those babies. She would wake up the instant put down doesn't matter what you do. I co slept for first couple of months but this meant going to bed with her at 7 and not being able to get up to go to the loo at all or she would wake. Just wasn't sustainable so she had to learn to settle herself in crib. I just stayed with her patting/shushing until she went to sleep the first few nights. It took at least an hour but now she settles herself very easily. If co sleeping works for you then by all means continue though, she's still very little.

[KitKat1985]

Relieved in a way to know it's not just me. To be fair DD1 was very similar, and I ended up co-sleeping with her too, until I decided to cold turkey with it about 6 months. I guess it's going to be the same this time around. I know it's all pretty normal '4th trimester' stuff' but doesn't make it easy does it! x

[Muppetslikecoco]

Sorry I just thought. Does your pram have a carry cot/bassinet? We had a lot of luck letting DS sleep in that.

[dudleymcdudley]

I've had 4 of those babies and I've rationalised with co-sleeping that while it may not be the safest option in theory, it's actually the only viable option if you can't get any sleep any other way.
Not sleeping because you can't put the baby down is more dangerous as it's likely to lead to you falling asleep holding the baby in a chair or sofa which is much more dangerous than safe co-sleeping in a bed.
Not all babies will sleep alone, they just won't.

[TheDisreputableDog]

Mine out grew the Moses basket and was in her cot at 11 weeks anyway, slept much better in that - she'd go down initially in the basket but not once she'd woken up once!

[FATEdestiny]

Have you tried swaddling? It reduces stimulation which makes moving easier.

After awake time and nappy check, I'd swaddle, feed (whilst swaddled), wind/rock/sway in uprightish position and then put down.

Dummy helps to resettle if slightly stirring awake when put down.

[5moreminutes]

DC1 slept better in a full size cot after refusing to sleep in the Moses (but I had never really heard of swaddling except in a historical sense so didn't try it, and she was a big newborn who kept whacking her hands on the sides of the small, old fashioned Moses my mother insisted I used because it was a family tradition ) Proper cot solved the sleep problems to a degree.

However after being lulled into a false sense of security by DC2 who had clearly read the Baby Whisperer in the womb and decided to be an angel baby, I had DC3 who never slept no matter what, until he was 2.5 years old (and not through the night til he was 3).

Swaddling and / or a more spacious cot are worth trying... Lots of things are worth trying, something might work... But it could be you just have a non sleeper - if so do not count wake ups or look at the clock or use social media or forums or go and make cups of tea or wake your OH to share your misery (waking them to take over - yes - but not to both be awake together) etc during the night as it means you stay awake longer - you need to keep yourself in night mode even if the baby wakes every 45 minutes in order to survive and keep your sanity if it goes on long term.

[Blue2014]

Worth trying a grobag?

[FATEdestiny]

slept better in a full size cot

Yes. True of all four of my children too. I get maybe 2 or 3 weeks of daytime sleep out of the moses basket when they are really tiny newborn and will sleep pretty much anywhere. Then moved all daytime naps into the bouncy chair and nights into full sized cot bed with one side removed.

[KitKat1985]

Thank you for all of your replies. She didn't seem that keen on swaddling when I tried it, but I could give it another go. I can try a grobag, she's probably big enough for it now (she was only 5lb 5oz at one point)! Bigger cot is also worth a shot... Just got to assemble the bugger first!

[Blue2014]

Oh wow, she was tiny! I worried about gro bag sizes but mine was 10Ib at birth!

[Gollygeewhizztits]

My DD was like this. When she was about two months old I tried putting her on her front, which I know is against SIDS guidelines but it stopped her from waking immediately and she slept for far longer than she did on her back (at least, for a while). The first time I tried it, I think she slept for over two hours. I thought it was a miracle. Prior to this I was completely sleep deprived and had fallen asleep several times while sitting up with her on the settee, which I think was far more dangerous! Although sadly, I have to say, the extended sleeping didn't last for long.