4-week-old baby won't sleep anywhere except in our arms

[mpops]

Hello mums

Please tell me if this is normal (bearing in mind normal means a million different things of course!). Life with our lovely 4-week-old DD has been really difficult in the last three days. She is refusing to be put anywhere to sleep and will only do it when we're holding her. This is new: we could easily put her in the pram, crib or on our bed and she'd happily nap there. But right now she's refusing all the above and even if she's deeply asleep in my arms, the moment I try and place her anywhere, she'll scream her head off. I'm really worried: not because I think we're spoiling her or anything but because I get the feeling she's not resting and she's pretty much constantly upset. Also, during the day when my DH is at work, I have no hope in hell of doing anything, let alone nap with her as everyone keeps telling me I should be doing...

Any ideas? Should I be talking to the GP or my HV?

Thanks.

It's very normal. My DD is the same. There's certain tricks you can try, putting something that smells of you in her crib, putting a hot water bottle in first so it's nice and warm, putting them down when their sleepy but awake and try to settle them like that but tbh I found that just accepting it was the easiest way. My DD is 15 weeks now and I go with what she wants so she sleeps in a combination of in her sling, in my bed and in her Moses basket.

Normal - I spent all of January this year holding my newborn daughter. It's exhausting but it will pass.

Normal, would worry until 4-6 months. They are newborns till 3 months and need comfort.

Normal. Do not worry about housework, it can wait. Do you have a sling?? Might help.

Second Brooms advice.

Babies v v sensitive to temp changes. They are snuggly and warm in your arms then you try and put them in a cold, cold bed. Warm it up first with hot water bottle.

We discovered this after 8 weeks with our first.....transformed our lives!

I spent the whole summer holding My DD! She is 4 months now and still sleeps best on us! She will be put down the day time naps never last long,great at night now though.
Just go with it and enjoy the cuddles,I do! Also get a sling you'll go mad otherwise you need to be able to get up and move about sometimes!

also try wrapping/swaddling in a baby blanket when you are holding her, and then putting her down in the blanket. Also she will be able to go in a nice warm grobag soon.

Very normal. Our dd2 would need to be in deep sleep-about twenty mins asleep before she'd go down at that age. It will pass.

Definitely try a comfy wrap style sling, revolutionary.

Thank you all very much for the suggestions! We tried swaddling again last night and it worked really well. Not the hardcore arms-in version but yes, it worked very well. We're going to give the hot water bottle a go as well as I keep wondering about the whole temperature thing. I'm never sure if she's too cold in the flat even though we keep the temp at 20 degrees.

I've also ordered a carrier - didn't get on with wrap-style slings but hopefully the Beco will do the job...

Thank you, it's been very helpful!