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Please help me get 6 week old into moses basket...

25 replies

earlgray · 15/11/2013 12:59

From 1st week dd has co-slept with me. First few nights in hospital were spent in the cot but once home she wouldn't settle and I started bed sharing.
I have tried to put her down in the day and maybe 1 in 20 tries she'll sleep there for an hour. Usually she wakes and cries immediately.
I have left her cry but it goes on and on and I don't feel comfortable leaving her. I've tried using a worn t shirt to settle her and warming the blankets 1st but its not working!
Please tell me stories of how you over came this!

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ClipClap · 15/11/2013 13:00

Try swaddling? I used a sheepskin liner (designed for a car seat, I think) in the Moses basket, which seemed to help.

moonblues · 15/11/2013 13:16

No advice, but watching with interest as my 5 week old DS wakes up within 5 minutes of being put in his Moses basket and I've ended up taking him into bed with me. I think the trick might be to put him down when he's awake as he will settle and fall asleep during the day in his Moses basket ok, but somehow it doesn't seem to work at nighttime.

MrsNormanBates · 15/11/2013 13:22

Have you tried white noise? Change nappy, feed, burp in moses with white noise app.

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willyoulistentome · 15/11/2013 13:23

Not sure if it might be bit too late for swaddling if you are not already doing it. I would also probably go straight for a cot. Moses basket will be outgrown in a few short weeks anyway. Mine were too long by 3 months.

theoriginalandbestrookie · 15/11/2013 13:24

Agree with willyou - DS hated his moses basket, but happily slept in his cot.

MsJupiterJones · 15/11/2013 13:52

We put hot water bottle in to warm sheets (obv removed when put DS in). Tbh he was the same and then suddenly got a bit better at it. Don't worry to much and just try short periods at first.

earlgray · 15/11/2013 13:59

Damn, just lost my reply!
Short version- hated the swaddle, being well fed, clean and winded makes no difference nor does trying to leave her awake or put her down asleep.
I've not tried sheep skin (did try a sleepy head without success) or white noise properly, we've been bought a toy that plays this so will try that.

She slept well on her tummy the other day, 1st time I'd tried, but hasn't since and I don't feel safe leaving her like it while I sleep.
We have the cot ready so could try it.
Thanks, hoping for more success stories! I think all this time I've been expecting it to just 'resolve' one day, and I'm realising this is probably not going to happen!

OP posts:
earlgray · 15/11/2013 14:03

Thanks Jupiter, we used hot water bottle without success. She's getting better at amusing herself for short periods in her baby gym which is a big improvement.
The other big obstacle I forgot to mention is that I often lie down and feed her to sleep. Difficult to do that when she's in a basket :-(

OP posts:
Pobblewhohasnotoes · 15/11/2013 15:56

Slumber bear worked for us. They have some in tk max at the minute.

superbabysmummy · 15/11/2013 16:41

Ewan! (The sheep)

earlgray · 15/11/2013 18:49

Almost bought a Ewan, ours is a cheaper version though. There is a lot of 'noise' with the heartbeat setting but I guess that's the point!

OP posts:
BarberryRicePud · 15/11/2013 18:58

DD is 6 months old and has just started napping in her buggy and cot. Up til now it's been a case of holding her of she wakes. DS was also like this but worse!

I got through by using a sling for naps a lot and accepting that it wasn't something i could "fix". The no cry sleep solution is a good read for the later stages butat 6 weeks i think you're just going to have to ride it out. You may find a sleeper cot useful?

Also, have you tried getting her off to sleep and then waiting 10 whole minutes (exactly) before putting her down. It's the best time in the sleep cycle.

BarberryRicePud · 15/11/2013 19:01

Also get her to sleep in your arms with a muslin under her head and then when you transfer leave it under her head so the smell and temp is the same.

Rooners · 15/11/2013 19:05

Afraid I have not 'overcome' it at all as such - I had a baby that never really cried and always seemed happy to sleep like that, and then this one who cried whenever he was put down on his back, or on his own.

I tend to think that it must be for a reason and if he is not happy then I have to try and help, and if he stops when I hold him, then, well I hold him.

Thankfully he is much easier to look after now at 10mo but at the time it just meant I didn't do so much - or got someone else to hold him while I did stuff that was needed. (including ds1 who is 10 and got very good at it!)

The important thing is that no one is upset and crying, and using a sling can be a Godsend, with babies like this.

Try everything you can think of but please know that your instinct to hold her when she cries is faultless - it's Ok, you can do this without making a 'rod for your back' etc etc.

Take care x

MightBeMad · 15/11/2013 19:08

We had this problem but saw a poster in the birth centre at our 5day check that really helped. It suggested feeding until little one comes off and then staying totally still, no moving, winding, talking. Wait 20-30 mins for them to fall into a deep sleep (you know it happens because their breathing goes really quiet, almost silent. That's the moment to gently put them down.

Once they happily sleep in their basket or cot, then you can graduate to putting them down less deeply asleep and eventually sleepy but awake, but one step at a time!

Good luck. Hope it works for you!

rosiedays · 15/11/2013 19:35

Agree with go straight to cot.

Dd has slept in her's since day one . It's a co sleeper so i lay in her in then lay top half of me in (rest on the bed) to feed to sleep. For naps I'll often feed her to sleep on the bed and just leave her to nap there.
Not moving her once she's sleeping is the trick here
Or put your feet up and let lo sleep on you. .. stuff can wait. :)

MrsS28 · 15/11/2013 19:37

Try rolling up a towel and wrapping it round her head in a horseshoe x

Shoutymomma · 15/11/2013 19:49

Put a 'previously enjoyed' muslin in the cot (not Moses basket - rustle, rustle) and put the world service or classic fm on very, very low, have a large glass of wine, go to bed.

beginnings · 15/11/2013 20:15

earlgray a couple of things. First, don't panic, this too will pass. I thought I was never going to get my 18mo to go to bed easily and started doing a bedtime routine at five weeks. I thought it was going to take an hour and a half forever. It doesn't. By 12 weeks it was down to an hour and now I can do it in 20 minutes. that's what I keep reminding myself when I'm trying to settle DD2 who is 8 weeks!

Neither of mine were mad keen on the moses basket to begin with although, I think actually they weren't mad keen on being put down.

My view is never to put down solidly asleep. Mine are two very different characters but if I put them down deeply asleep, they would wake screaming at the end of that sleep cycle (after about 40 minutes), in my view, because they couldn't remember going to sleep where they were waking up.

I do the following, bath, then bring them into my room and get them into the gro-bag. Turn off the light (I have a little night light on under the bed so I have enough light to see what I'm doing), feed until they are very sleepy. Wind her, then put her into the basket. The first few times you do this she will scream. Pick her up and see if she wants a bit more milk and repeat. With DD2 I also threw in a bit of shush-patting (hold her in the crook of your arm, pat her back with the hand underneath her while saying ssshhhhh, sssshhhhh) until she calms) although that made DD1 furious. When she's calm put her back in the basket. If she grizzles or fusses a little, leave her, don't actually pick her up until she's properly crying. With DD1 it took about four nights, with DD2 it took more like 10 for it to work. DD1 slept through from 13 weeks (and I mean 7 to 7). DD2 is currently waking once a night although is then up for 90 minutes which isn't ideal.

In the daytime, I confess DD2 sleeps where and when she can as I'm running around after DD1 and her main nap tends to be in the pram in the front room. DD1 did nap in her moses basket eventually - I used to use the hairdryer for about 10 minutes to get her to go to sleep. She has never been a good day time napper and would only ever reliably nap for one sleep cycle. She was doing three short naps a day until 6 months but didn't start doing them properly until about 13/14 weeks. Most of the books will tell you good daytime sleep leads to good night time sleep. IMHO it's the opposite but that's on a sample of two so hardly scientific!

One last thing - I have a friend who basically co-slept for six months and then popped her DC into the cot. They didn't even give a backward glance. It may be that you just need to ride this out and she'll let you know when she's ready. DD1 went into her cot at 18 weeks. I just had a feeling one night it was the right thing to do, and off she went.

Good luck!

UniS · 15/11/2013 20:24

I gave up and bought a cot, squeezed the bed over a bit, put up with not being able to open the wardrobe doors properly for 6 months and found that DS slept better when he didn't touch the sides everytime his arms moved.

earlgray · 15/11/2013 21:17

Some fab suggestions and I really appreciate those comments of support. Its good to know that's its not a bad habit I've encouraged.
beginnings thanks for the details. Our routine is similar, I haven't persisted with the pick up, put down thing but it sounds worth trying, we only did night and it was exhausting and we didn't win either!

I have tried cuddling in a blanket to transfer heat and smells without success.

MrsS how does the
towel help? Is it for comfort?

Thanks to all who've added their suggestions.x

OP posts:
poocatcherchampion · 15/11/2013 21:18

try it in the middle of the night.
neither of my two were a fan in the day/evening in early weeks but ok in the actual night. I dont get it but I like it!

workingtitle · 16/11/2013 07:44

Beginnings, my DS is 7 weeks and I was struggling with this. He slept well in his cot for the first three weeks then developed painful trapped wind and was unsettled unless with me or on my chest. I've had four weeks of trying everything and the night before last I just went with it and let him sleep with me. I didn't get much more sleep but I felt so much better not fighting it.
I read a lot that convinced me I HAD to get him into good sleep habits now. On reflection I think the most important thing developmentally is that he is getting as much sleep as he can. I don't think I'm doing anythingn that is going to ruin our chances of him sleeping independently in due course. He's still so tiny and I don't want to struggle all the time with this--he obviously needs our closeness right now.
I do always try him in his cot first after each feed/period of wakefulness. Last night he actually went down alone without a fuss at about. 04.30-7 after sleeping on my chest til then. I think he felt safe and comfortable enough to do it by that point.
A few things that I think do help are - I do his night feeds on a muslin and transfer him on that. I keep a hand gently pressed on the top of his head to start with, and shush him. He sometimes sleeps slightly on his side, which he finds more comfortable and helps to avoid him waking himself with his startle reflex.

workingtitle · 16/11/2013 07:46

Sorry, meant earlgrey not beginnings

bouncysmiley · 16/11/2013 07:55

I feel for you.I had exactly the same problem. Try putting baby down when sleepy but not asleep and then lying next to the basket or cot with your hand. Maintaining contact with baby, so on chest or stroking face until sound asleep. You'll have to repeat when baby wakes, after change feed burp etc but in a few days baby should get the hang of it. Good luck.

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