Why won’t my baby sleep in his crib anymore?

[ShortyKoalaKay]

I’m a about 11 days into not being able to put my ebf 15 week old son in the crib which is right next to me attached to our bed. He is only happy lying on me (or my husband in the morning when I’ve had enough of no sleep!) or feeding to sleep. He’s managed two 2 hour stints in the crib until midnight and now won’t go down again and it’s past 4am .

Whenever I try to put him in his crib he cries. I try to pat him/hold his hand/comfort him etc. but he doesn’t settle and it escalates to crying so I pick him up, put him on me and he falls asleep straight away. Is this normal behaviour for a 15 week baby? He used to sleep 6 hours+ straight, then wake up to feed a couple of times but stayed in his crib until 5am/6am ish then have 1 hour sleeping on me. I’m fine if it’s normal for this age and hope it’s just a phase but can’t work out what I should be doing to help the situation and hope it doesn’t go on for months because I’m so tired! Is this the 4 month sleep regression early?

I don’t know why but I never realised this would be an issue before parenthood 😂 I really hope it doesn’t continue for months. Anyone else have experience of this with a similar aged baby?

Any tips or advice about getting baby back into the crib? Don’t want to do controlled crying and he won’t take a dummy... Help!

[JumpingJamboree]

My baby went through this phase which started at 15 weeks too. I think it is part of the sleep regression. Ended up cosleeping as that was the only way to get some rest. I did that for about 10 weeks and then moved her into her own room where she has slept so much better since.

[Bettyboop82]

I’m up feeding and holding my 12 week old as am having exactly the same issue! Won’t go down in the day either so have resorted to sling naps!

[ShortyKoalaKay]

@JumpingJamboree Thank you for your response. I have a feeling we might end up doing that. Is there a knack to keeping the bed clear? I’m worried about the duvet accidentally going over LO. He’s been sleeping on my chest while I’m upright so I don’t sleep but I can’t continue much longer as I’m just so tired!

[JumpingJamboree]

I just used to fold the duvet in half lengthways and then pop her on the closed side (does that make sense?) so that she wouldn't go underneath the duvet. When it was warmer, I just used to tuck it around my waist while she slept up near my head. DH moved out into the spare room as there wasn't enough room for 3 of us in the bed comfortably. Worked well for us and I have had no problems getting her to sleep in her own bed now, although I did sob like a baby on the first night I moved her out as I missed having bedtime snuggles.

[ShortyKoalaKay]

@Bettyboop82 Yup, LO is a serial cat napper too. He sleeps for half an hour then his eyes ping open and he will only nap on me or in the sling. Occasionally he will go off in the pram but he hates the car. My husband and I both love our sleep so we weren’t prepared for such an awake baby! I know people will probably think we’re getting into bad habits but we’re probably only going to have one child and I can’t bear the thought of him crying and they’re only little for such a short amount of time. It’s just strange that he slept so well before which makes me think maybe he’s started the 4 month sleep regression a little bit early...

[ShortyKoalaKay]

@JumpingJamboree Not sure I understand but I’ve been awake a long time so I’m sure it does make sense and I’m just not able to process! DH has been looking my an excuse to sleep in the spare room and there is no point in us both being tired so I think I’ll suggest we start tomorrow. Was your LO happier sleeping next to you or did she sleep on you? The crib is right next to me and he won’t go back in it so I hope he still doesn’t need to be on me when we have the bed to ourselves...

[JumpingJamboree]

A better explanation might be if the duvet is laid out on the bed, I would lay on one half and then fold the other half over me (a bit like a sandwich) and then pop the baby on the side with the folded edge so that there was no risk of her getting underneath the duvet. When cosleeping, baby should sleep next to you, not on you incase they roll off. My baby used to snuggle right up close to me and would often just fall asleep while breastfeeding.
The Lullaby trust has some good tips on safe cosleeping - www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/co-sleeping/

[ShortyKoalaKay]

@JumpingJamboree Thank you for the info. We never actually managed to co sleep yesterday as DH didn’t end up leaving the bed! He managed about 3 hours in the cot then most of the rest of the night on me. I’m sort of sat up leaning on lots of pillows so he’s at a 45 degree angle. I know it’s probably not ideal but I just couldn’t get him back settled into his cot...

[ScarMatty]

Regression

However, my best tip would be to stop thinking 'they used to sleep 6 hours so why aren't they doing it now'. Babies going through weird and wonderful phases and it's unlikely they'll keep the same routine for long so just take each night as it comes

[ShirleyPhallus]

I could have written your post OP, DD absolutely loves our bed but hates her next to me crib. A friend of mine suggested that it might be that the mattress is so much thinner / harder / more uncomfortable in the next to me plus it isn’t as warm / cosy / smells like parents there. We tried everything - T-shirts smelling like me etc in there but she wouldn’t have any of it.

Also started around the 4 month sleep regression mark and sadly never returned for us. She also hates the car seat!

Co-sleeping hasn’t really worked for us because she then got used to using me as a human dummy basically so sleep training is to commence soon. Nothing helpful to say or suggest but just to say that we had exactly the same experience!