Getting baby to sleep in crib

[Cariad007]

I hired an NCT Bednest thinking that would be better than a cot but my 9 week old DS has had maybe 4 sleeps in it, preferring to sleep next to me. I don't mind cosleeping but I'm aware that he isn't going to get any smaller, and also I worry about the risk of SIDS as I heard a 2013 LSHTM survey founs bed sharing increased the risk of it even if you were a non smoker, didn't drink, breastfed etc.

I generally breastfeed him to sleep but if I try to put him in the crib he wakes within 5-10 minutes. He also tends to flail in his sleep, which wakes him. I tried swaddling but he didn't like that either. Last night I tried settling him in the crib 3 times before finally putting him down next to me as I was exhausted.

Any ideas how I can solve the problem? I am at my wits' end as he's also a crier and goes from happy to screaming in the blink of an eye.

Is the LSHTM the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine? (just interested)

Your baby sounds very like both of mine, and to be honest, many many other babies I have met!

I don't really know what to suggest, as we coslept eventually with DD1 and did so from the start with DD2. I do hope it improves for you, though.

Yes, that's right. It was published last year but I only found out about it last week.

We bought a slumber bear. It was the only thinks that got DS to sleep in his crib!

If money isn't tight a sleepyhead may be a good answer. Feed lying down with baby in it, then move it over in the bed or gently pick up and put in the cot.

Or swaddle for feed and transfer swaddled to prewarmed cot (lower body only swaddle if he's not keen.

Or abandon the crib and try the cot as he won't bang his arms on the sides. DS preferred his enormous cot for similar reasons.

Neither of mine spent a single night in their Moses baskets. With DS I struggled on til about 6 weeks then coslept in absolute desperation. With dd I made an active choice to cosleep as soon as it became obvious she wouldnt sleep alone, and was a much happier mum with a much more settled baby.

My experience was exactly the same as theyaremysunshine's!

Do you wind him after feeding to sleep? I had to do this with dd for a bit, try to bring up a burp after she'd nodded off or she would wake while it was on its way up. I know they say you don't need to burp bf babies but mine was such a noisy guzzler she definitely needed it!

Also she used to wake when I put her in her crib until one night when I put her on her side and hey presto, one sleeping baby. I can't remember how old she was when I tried that though, maybe 3-4 months.

DS managed 4 hours in the Bednest last night. We put him in a Gro Bag before settling him and DP slept next to him rather than me, which helped. Settling after his night feed is proving difficult so any tips there would be appreciated too. He wakes up hungry and screams if we change his nappy prior to feeding but if we change it after then it perks him up and he grizzlies and wnt sleep.

re the nappy changing at night, unless they have done an actual poo or it's really really heavy, don't do it!

yy to no nappy change at night unless it's pooey or full!

have you tried gently warming the crib with a warm hot water bottle while he's feeding so it's not cold when he goes back in it?