2.5 week old won't settle or sleep without feeding / sucking or being held

[shopswat]

I am a first time mum and my 2.5 week old son needs to feed, suckle or be held in order to fall asleep. I feel like I spend all day breast feeding, rocking, comforting etc... to help him sleep. He won't settle in his basket or pram even if we go for a walk. I have a baby carrier which at least means I can be hands free when not feeding but the whole sleep / feeding thing is making me so anxious. Sometimes even when I hold him he seems so desperate to suckle that he gets worked up and cries himself in to a state (I am sue he is not hungry or needs changing). I don't want to suckle him all the time and I'm desperate to find a way to help him settle in his moses basket or pram. Has any one else experienced this? Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do? I have thought about trying a pacifier but I am worried it may cause problems with breast feeding. Any thoughts / ideas appreciated!

How bizarre that you feel not training a baby to sleep only in a cot in a dark, silent room is the same as forcing an unwilling baby to do something Parenting doesn't have to be a battle of wills with your baby as the enemy.

It does pass - I remember having exactly the same thoughts as you in the early days! Have you tried swaddling? It worked for my DD, I think we did it for about the first six weeks and then she was happy without the sheet. It's not for every baby though, some don't like to have their arms restricted, but my DD found it very comforting. You can buy swaddling cloths, but I just cut an old bedsheet down to size. There's a photo guide here: www.babycentre.co.uk/photo_galleries/how-to-swaddle-your-baby/

Also, I used a pacifier and never found that it caused problems with breastfeeding.

Good luck - it does get easier!