Newborn will only sleep on me, specifically. Losing mind.

[Gorpuzzle]

My 5 week old DS2 will only sleep on me. That's me. Not his Dad, not any of his grandparents, not aunties or uncles or friends. Me. During the day he will not sleep anywhere but the sling, on me. If Dad tries to wear him in the sling, meltdown. Pram, meltdown. Car seat, meltdown. Bouncer, meltdown. He is fairly happy when awake but as soon as he gets tired it has to be me.

At night, forget it. He will not go down in a moses basket, a cot, a next2me crib, and nor will he co sleep next to me - he must be on me and only me. I have tried all the tricks- white noise, swaddles, rocking, hot water bottle in cot, something that smells of me in cot. Nope.

I have an older child and this isn't sustainable. He doesn't have reflux or cmpa or anything else physically up with him. He's just an extreme velcro baby. Can anyone give me light at the end of the tunnel?! I need to be able to put him down at least sometimes!!!

Are you breastfeeding?

They do that! But he’ll grow out of it. I tried to make sure they had the opportunity to sleep somewhere other than me at least once a day, and eventually they start taking the opportunity. DD lived in the sling for a couple of months and then turned into an anywhere-sleeper, I like to think because the months of contact naps made her everso secure :)

have you tried pram outdoors in the early afternoon? I found babies slept better in the cool air (well wrapped up) and would drift off to sleep without much fuss. But you have my sympathy- it’s such a nightmare when they’re tiny and won’t sleep.

I am breastfeeding, yes, and he HATES the pram. Goes absolutely crackers in it.

God I hope so. It's the opposite of what everyone tells you they'll do. Already had MIL telling me I'm making a rod for my own back.

My elder DC was difficult in their own way but they could be put down.

I would persevere with the pram if I were you. Get his dad/gran/grandad any responsible adult to take him out for a little walk few times a day. He will eventually go off and you will get some peace.

It's so hard to persevere with something you know will involve 90 minutes of crying followed by 20 minutes of sleep, when I get 2.5 hours of peaceful sleep in the sling.

My neck and back are fucked though.

I’m sorry I have no advice. My son was like this and just randomly grew out of it one day, I didn’t do anything to make him stop. Just try to remember everything is a phase at this age and it won’t last forever. I know it’s very hard though.

I've lived through two of these types of babies it improved around the 8 week mark which is no help right now. I'm not going to give you any other advice as you've probably tried it all. It's just shit atm.
I broke and made people take them out in pram just for a break from it all. It eventually worked.

Sorry its shit atm

Sorry, no solution. This sounds so tough. My daughter would be like this when she was poorly, no sleep as she wouldn't be put down at all... but at least in my l was temporary. I really hope you somehow turn a corner soon xxx

Fourth trimester and completely normal, in fact your wee baby is clearly a survivor as they know YOU and you’re the one their survival literally depends on… clever baby. So everyone else takes up the slack for you- grandparents can see to some housework and make some food and help out with your other child. Husband can do similar… everyone is there to wait on you do you can be everything to this small teeny new human. By 10-12 weeks they will be so much more aware and interactive and ready to be part of the wider world…

Hand over and go out. Will be tough, really tough, but one day it will change.

Hey I am going through this with my 8wk old. I think its because of the smell of the breastmilk on usthat they prefer the comfort of that.

DD2 lived in the sling for the first three months of her life at least. We coslept too and she just was on and off boob all night.

We went on holiday when she was 7mo, put her in a cot in another room just to see if we could get an hour or two to ourselves one evening, and she slept through the night and has ever since (she's 2 now!).

So just do what you have to do to survive.

Here for a hand hold! My second was like this for months when he was a newborn and it nearly broke me. He only slept at night if he was upright and on my chest. It will get easier, I promise. My velcro baby eventually did settle and slept in his cot, and I did sleep and rest. You'll get there too, even if it feels neverending now.

If it helps, I put whatever top/jumper I was wearing in the cot with him so it smelt like me and warmed up the bed first with a hot water bottle, so he didn't transfer onto a cold bed and wake up straight away. Pushchair naps always worked luckily, he cried/grizzled for half an hour or so but always fell asleep. Keep trying and something will work. It's horrendously hard now but it will get better x

Dummy? Not for everyone but I would try anything at this point in your position. DD1 refused one but it saved my sanity with DD2.

He's already got one! That was one of the first things I tried!

The thing is as long as he's on me he's incredibly settled, happy, and sleeps well and he's happy on his changing mat and just generally being awake regardless of who is holding him. But when you try to get him to sleep anywhere other than me he goes bananas. It's not like he's generally unsettled like a refluxy baby for instance.