1 week old dd can't sleep without being held - any advice?

[classicmum]

Our first born 1 week old dd will not sleep without being held - this is not such a big deal during the day, in fact it's quite nice, but we're becoming frantic at night . She won't co-sleep with us, she needs to be held in our arms and sleep is becoming a bit of an issue! Any advice gratefully received.

classicmum totally normal - shes just come out of a very cosy place for her, it takes a while for them to get use to a whole new world! swaddling is great and babies like it.

Our girl couldn't sleep on her own on her back at first either. She kept flailing her arms about and hitting herself in the face. Swaddling was the answer for us. The Miracle Blanket (we got our from the Mothercare website) was wonderful.

My last 2 were like that - I practiced putting them down in the cot when they were a bit tired but awake and not overtired, picking up when not happy comforting and putting back down. In a couple of days they learnt it was ok & safe to go to sleep on their own in the cot (too big for moses basket). It is something you can "teach" them if you want to or you can go along the sling/attachment parenting route but that was not for me. I just saw it as helping them adapt to such big changes. I did it from about 5 days old.

HTH

Coming late to this, but i wanted to back up the swaddling advice.

My 2months old DS absolutely loves being swaddled and laid down on his side - i just roll a blanket and put it down to stop him rolling forward.

another tip if baby is waking when being put down in the moses basket - if you use a blanket to swaddle baby, fold one corner behind his/her neck, then when you lay baby down, fold it back out so when you lie them down they've got warm blanket behind their head and not a cold sheet.