Need help urgently!!!

[bubloo]

Hi everyone my dd is 14weeks old and I have major problems. Since day one she would not sleep in her crib/cot. The only way she would sleep is either on my boobs while feeding or on my chest. I was told that this could be b'cos she went through a difficult and long labour and she would settle down.
I have been trying to get her into a rutine for the past few weeks. But she would just not sleep on her own in the cot. I have to constantly hold her or keep her on my chest.
She is my first child and I'm totaly lost as to what to do.....

Someone please help!!!

[RTKangaMummy]

Hello

Is there anyone else that can try to put her down so she can't smell the milk?

Does she scream so much when you try?

What happens at night?

I am sure others will come along with better tips in a mo

[Twiglett]

what are your views on co-sleeping? ie having her in bed with you .. it can be wonderful and calming for both parents and child

this, like everything else, is a phase and probably given time and love she will come out of it .. I don't think you need to worry too much at 3 months old . .

[lilaclotus]

there was a similar thread on a while ago with really good tips. i really sympathise as my dd slept in her carseat for the first month of her life as she just wouldn't settle in her cot and would only sleep in that or on my chest.

[katierocket]

bubloo, what kind of labour/birth did you have?
sometimes if you have a very prolonged or difficult labour it can result in unsettled baby. You could try cranial osteopathy which really worked for us.

see \llink{http://www.cranial.org.uk/page3.html\here} for further info.

sympathies, it is so hard dealing with an unsettled baby. One thing to remember, it is not you. Sometimes you can start to feel like you're doing something wrong.

[katierocket]

here
oops

[aloha]

Have you tried swaddling?

[JiminyCricket]

Much sympathy, its really hard to get any kind of routine going. Does she sleep in the pushchair out and about? With my dd I started putting her down in the moses basket during the day first, and she would cry, but then sort of settle herself and go to sleep. We used to have awful evenings from about 5pm to 10pm which I've heard isn't uncommon, but in the end we just started making sure she had had plenty of feeds at that time and then bit the bullet and started to put her in the nursery in the dark, and again she would cry but then soon settle herself (we used a lullaby cd too, tho I can't remember if this really helped in the early days) Its horrible to put them down crying, and obviously I wouldn't advocate it if you feel she is too distressed or if it makes you too distressed, but it sometimes does help them learn to settle themselves. fwiw my dd has been a great sleeper since and never needs much settling in the night if she does wake. really hope you find a way through this, but i personally think the main thing in establishing a routine is to decide what you're going to do and then stick with it the same each time - then this becomes comforting to them because they know what's going to happen.

[bubloo]

Hi evryone thanxs for your quick replies.
I have been taking her to cranial osteopathy for the past 4 weeks. After her sessions she does sleep for a couple of hours in her carrier but the next couple of days she just goes back to her old self. I even tried to give her a bottle in the nights to settle her but she wouldn't take it. She screams so badly when i try to give her the bottle. I keep thinking that she's hungry as she's not sleeping and try to feed(breast) her. But she would only have short feeds and cries in about an hour. I almost tend to feed her every 1 or 2 hours (she's constantly on my breast).

The labour itself was 26 hours long and she had to have a suction cup at the end.
My mum and my hubby try to put her down to sleep but she always cries for me. She also seems quite energetic during the day which actually surprises me as she only sleeps for about 8 hours a day. I've also tried to swaddle her but she hates it. I am considering getting her a baby hammock to sleep in. Has anyone tried this? Do you know if this actually works? Also how long do I have to keep taking her to cranial osteopathy?

[katierocket]

bubloo, I know this is probably no consolation but it will get easier. It is only a very short time that they are small like this (although I know it feels like forever). I took DS to cranial os for about 6 weeks and although it was not a miracle cure it definitely helps.

Do you have much support? Someone who can watch your DD for an hour while you can have some rest.
Don't know anything about baby hammock although anything is worth a try! The only thing that soothed my DS was the car or the pushchair.