Baby wakes up when i put her in her crib

[mummy2b85]

Hi mummy's

Just want a little advice, my baby girl is 4 weeks old and i am struggling to get her to sleep on her crib. She probably sleeps in her crib every other night but on the other she just will not go down, i get her to sleep by either feeding or rocking or singing and try to put her down but she instantly wakes up and won't settle. i know it is controversial but in the end i give in and but her into our bed on my side, i do not want her to get used to this and was wondering if anyone had any advice and i am not really up for the controlled crying method
any advice would be appreciated
Sarah xxx

All of mine have been like this! (DD is now almost 4 weeks, and has only been in cot for last 2 weeks... fellow co-sleeper if it means getting more sleep here)
I think babies find it a bit odd to be laid out flat when they have been used to being scrunched up for the best part of nine months, but that's just my theory!
I found making sure they are properly winded helps... I found it very tempting if she'd fallen asleep feeding to just do a couple of mins patting, but she would wake instantly if I did this.
The second thing is using quite a thick/fleecey sheet or blanket. I think the shock of a cold bed (especially this time of year) puts my LO off.

I also had this issue -with DS2. The trick is to put them down in the cot when awake but it is easier said that done. This teaches them to fall asleep on their own which means that when they go through their light sleep patterns during the night, they are able to fall back to sleep unaided.

A fabulous Mumsnetter responded and said, basically watch them closely for the moment just before they go to sleep - just before that point where they are between awake and asleep- and put them done now now now!!!! There a probably loads of useful posts on this matter in the archive.

It took me (and him) a couple of goes over a few nights but it did work. I remember using a warm hot water bottle to warm up the sheet in the cot so no 'cold sheet' trauma! Also lots of standing by the cot in odd positions trying not to breathe! Good luck. Training DS2 to sleep was the most difficult thing I have ever done!

Swaddle.

Oh a tip my DSis gave me was to put something in the cot that smells like you. DD sleeps with the muslin I tuck under my boob while I feed her ( how glamourous do I sound) but she used a tshirt she'd worn. It's supposed to be quite comforting.

it isn't controversial to co-sleep (at least not on MN)

at 4 weeks old you do whatever it takes to get sleep

dd was fed to sleep and co-slept for 4 months

she is now 18 weeks and goes down awake and in her cot without tears

sing/rock/feed her to sleep - really it is what she needs and it isdn;'t forever

how did you get from one to the other ruby? I'd love to figure it out - especially when you get as little sleep as we both do - just don't have the patience for the hours of patting and shushing I did with DS when they alternative beckons

I found using sleeping bags helpful.

stealth

I started with naps - would unlatch her and let her fall asleep in my arms

I would then transfer her to the cot

i did this for a few days

Then i began to unlatch her and put her in the cot awake - if she moaned, I laid her on her side and patted her bum until she went to sleep

after a few days she could go down without patting about 50% of the time

after 2 weeks of this she was going down awake for all her naps

weirdly, i have been able to put her down awake in the night since she was tiny and she would settle ... i couldn't put her down for bedtime awake until a couple of weeks ago when i just went for it (after knowing she cold do it at nap time)

the first few nights she needed patting/
and her mobile on ... i also use a phrase "it's sleepy time" a lot. If she cries, i pick her up and comfort her until she stops and lay her back down but she rarely did

i also knew she was tired and fed, so i just needed to help her get to sleep

last night i put her down awake and she went off within a couple of minutes

the whole process has taken around 4 weeks - not quick but it worked for us

Have you tried using GroBags / putting a hot water bottle in to warm up the crib before you transfer her? It was always the change in heat that woke DS up fro me.