8 day old needs help going to sleep - is this bad??

[Thankyouandgoodnight]

In the evening, I end up rocking him and/or feeding him to sleep - otherwise he screams the place down until he's in such a state. I haven't quite got to the bottom of whether or not it's wind / he needs to cluster feed etc at this time. I absolutely know that the biggest gift that i can give him, is the ability to put himself to sleep BUT - is he too young for this? If not, how do you propose I sort this out?

[Thankyouandgoodnight]

p.s. once I've got him down for the night as it were, subsequent wake ups aren't an issue as he feeds and then goes back down without any problem.

[SorenLorensen]

He barely knows he's here - cuddle/rock/feed away...he honestly, truly doesn't need sorting out And congratulations, btw.

[TigerFeet]

8 days is far to early to worry about spoiling a baby, imo

Cuddle him, rock him to sleep

Congratulations

[snickersnack]

He's tiny tiny tiny. Just enjoy the cuddles. You've got months (and months and months) before you have to worry about that kind of stuff. The biggest gift you can give him is making him feel secure. Plenty of time to teach him to sleep later...

Congratulations, btw!

[Guadalupe]

He's eight days old, barely in this world. The biggest gift you can give him is to cuddle and feed him whenever he needs it. He doesn't need to scream or learn any lessons or sleep by himself or be sorted out in any way at all. Just relax and snuggle up together and congratulations!

[peggotty]

At 8 days old, just do whatever you can to make him happy and sleepy - he's much too young for you to worry about him not being able to put himself to sleep. Cluster feeding doesn't last that long really, my ds had stopped doing it by about 9 or 10 weeks I think. He can settle himself to sleep now (sometimes!) at 6 months. You've got loads of time to sort it out when he's older.

[BreeVanderCampLGJ]

Eight days ago, he was like this....

Safe and secure and living inside you.

Now it must feel like this.......

Ok the child is older.

[BreeVanderCampLGJ]

Have you been shown, how to swaddle ??

[PortAndLemon]

Nine days ago he was cuddled to sleep all the time; indeed, he was cuddled 24/7. No matter how much you are cuddling him at the moment it's still a huge, huge reduction. It's quite natural that he needs cuddles and rocking and feeds to get to sleep. Really, there's nothing for you to sort out.

[MyDingaling]

We have a nine day old DD and we are feeding her to sleep, this started at every 4 hours but yesterday and last night it was every 2 and a half hours. Today has been very 3 hours. We are feeding when she needs it.
We did this with DD1 and she is a fab sleeper

[tellnoone]

When I read the op I thought this must be troll! I'm shocked that someone thinks getting an 8 DAY old to go to sleep by himself is important/necessary Sorry to be so blunt. But your baby sounds totally normal and as someone else has said the greatest gift is your love and attention

[rachaelsara]

Throw away all clocks and watch the time you have got to enjoy this new person. Before you can blink you will only be allowed to place a kiss on their cheek when no-one is watching.

Follow the instructions on the packet the baby came in - i.e. what feels right to you when you trust your instinct.

[cornsilk]

awww! My 10 year old can't get to sleep! Cuddle him all he wants. (broody emoticon)

[funnypeculiar]

What everyone else said
Don't let yourself get swept up in this idea that if you don't 'start as you mean to go on' you are 'making a rod for your back' etc etc. Do what works, relax and try and enjoy it as much as you can.

Come on, you know there are better gifts that the gift of being able to sleep? Otherwise, your babe has some rubbish birthdays coming up