helping a newborn sleep at night

[aroha77]

Hi,
My LO is just 2 weeks old so I'm not expecting much sleep but wondering if there's anything I could be doing differently.

During the day she's happy to sleep in moses basket, will settle herself when wakes and sometimes doesn't mind lying there whilst awake. But during the night she doesn't want to be put down at all. Sometimes it's just cos she's feeding a lot but then she'll fall asleep on me, look really peaceful but as soon as I put her down she becomes wide awake!

Any top tips?!

Thanks!

That's completely normal unfortunately Sorry to be so spectacularly unhelpful but it's just what they do at that age, they hardly know they're out of the womb. Not sure there's much you can do right now although feeding lying down on your side in bed with her and then drifting off afterwards yourself can help you get more sleep instead of trying to get her down in her basket multiple times.

Doesn't mean she'll be in your bed forever btw.

Oh and congratulations!

Co sleep

It's like magic.

Hi OP.
Congrats on your new baby. That does sound normal to me for this age I'm afraid.
One thing you can try though (if you're not already) is making sure your DC starts to understand the difference between night and day. So in the day time don't keep the baby in a dark room, go out for walks in the pram and generally get them a lot of (safe) sunlight exposure. That is supposed to help them sleep better at night.

First 6 weeks baby only wanted to sleep on me or dp. Then gradually was able to put in moses basket between feeds. Ewan the dream sheep really helped me.

I co sleep with baby 2 and am getting much more sleep

They want to feel you nearby

I'm so tired I'd feel worried about co-sleeping safely - how do you manage it?

Assuming it is your first, are you sleeping in the day when she does to make yourself less tired. My first didn't sleep day or night

My daughter did this and it is hideously exhausting. Read up about feeding lying on your side and co sleeping. They do stop after a bit.

I know, it's a worry considering co-sleeping when you're shattered. Could you have the Moses basket right next to your bed so that it's super easy to rock her/pop your hand in/ pop her back after a feed? You will be able to hear each other's breath and feel the warmth. My DP took one side of the cot off so that DT's could be next to us but in their own space, which worked. I co-slept with DS1 but was still at it 5 years later

Cosleep.

Took til 6 weeks of utter exhaustion for me to cave with dc1. About 6 hours with dc2 and I enjoyed those early weeks so much more.

Or if you're nervous my SIL has found a Sleepyhead to be amazing.

To cosleep safely:
No alcohol or drugs(!)
No "could pass out while standing" level of exhaustion.
No one else in the bed, turf out DP, or at least don't put dc in the middle. Must be you, dc then edge of the bed.
Put a rolled up towel under the sheet at the edge of the bed to reassure yourself they can't just roll out.
Lie on your side with your lower arm out at a right angle. Baby sleeps under that arm without touching it, cuddled up near you without touching. With your arm out like that you can't roll over on to them.
Duvet covers your legs only, wear a jumper if cold. No duvet or pillow near baby.
Dress baby in 1 less layer than you would in the cot, they get lots of heat from you. In this weather I'd go for vest, sleepsuit no sleeping bag nor blanket.
I used a cardigan with no buttons so when dc woke they could be latched on (and from about 3m latch on themselves) and then I went back to sleep.
Change only leaky or pooey nappies.
Enjoy blissful sleep!

HTH. You will survive this. Motherhood gets much easier IME. The early sleep deprivation and all the other uncertainties of being a new mum are just horrific.

Your baby wants to be close to you as much as possible Google 4th trimester and as pp have said cosleep & enjoy the cuddles!

My DS slept on me at night for 7 weeks, just telling you this as I wish at the time I knew it was normal, rather than getting stressed about it. I realise now it was because I was warm, smelt of yummy milia and he wanted his mummy's warmth ;-) My tips would be to go with it and adopt the mantra 'it's a phase & it will pass'! ;) I propped myself up with cushions and slept sitting up. I bought a bednest which attaches to side of the bed & it made me feel more secure he could not fall out of the side of the bed. Don't be scared to introduce a bedtime routine now, even if you don't feel like you are getting anywhere you will eventually. Lastly, you could try a coccon a baby x

Yummy milk not milia!

When my dd was born earlier this year a midwife gave be a great tip. Half hour before you out baby down in Moses baskets just warm the mattress with a hot water bottle, it worked a treat for me although it was winter and chilly anyway when I did this. Not sure if I would do it again in summer but she did say that baby misses your body heat that it used to get in the womb.
It does get easier though, it doesn't feel like it at the time but it does.

Try sleeping with a muslin/blanket for a few days and then put in Moses basket with them, they can smell you and feel they are close to you. This worked for me! X

Unfortunately this is normal. I feel your pain OP lack of sleep is a killer. At about 6 weeks we started bedtime routines but it's pointless before then. Definitely get a Ewan the Dream Sheep. Mamas and papas stock them or amazon.
It will get better
Enjoy these precious moments with your baby. Congratulations

Swaddling can help.

Or I used a sleeping bag (grobag) from birth so just scooped baby up to be fed in the bag. Then when I put baby down he was still cosy in his bag and didnt feel the cold sheets.

We coslept, but made the discovery about 7 months too late that our cot was exactly the same height as the bed. So could have had it like a sidecar cot, which I really like the idea of.

You can get those foam things that mould round the baby, I think DD liked being held so one of those might have made her feel secure as well?

We did the hot water bottle thing too, just to warm up the moses basket before he went in at bedtime. Again we had a winter baby though, so not sure of how this would work in summer.

DS wasn't happy until I ditched the Moses basket and put him in his cot right next to the bed... He was close enough so that I could reach out to comfort him if necessary but without the worry that co sleeping brings! I was always too scared to try co sleeping and also was told by HV that if you want to co sleep then DP/DH must vacate the bed and we didn't have a spare bed for him!