Settling a 5 week old at night - any tips?

[Barnes79]

I have a 5 week old DS (my first and only) and during the day I can quite easily put him down to sleep once he's eaten his fill. At night it's a different matter - it can take 1-2hours if holding him /trying and failing to put him down, before he'll stay asleep for more than 15 mins. Tonight is a prime example - I fed from 9-10.30 and he's just been put in his crib for the third time at 1am (I'm just waiting to see if he wakes again).

I've tried a variety of things (admittedly only once or twice for each):
Ewan the sheep
Muslin which smells of me as a sheet
Hot water bottle to warm his mattress
Rocking his crib
Swaddling / grosnug sleeping bag

Any tips?

How do you feel about cosleeping? Babies are suppose to be be awake and feeding during the night but it is bloody hard work.

Not a fan of cosleeping really

We started cosleeping at 6 months. I have hazy memories of the early days and I seem to remember DH held her and watched films until12 and then brought her to me where she mostly bf. It does get better but I don't have any suggestions.

I think babies are hard wired to feed more and be more awake at night as your milk is different and it's the time your supply is stimulated most.

What are your reasons for not wanting to cosleep? This was literally a life saver for me as I could snooze/feed whilst laying on my side. Both my babies were far more settled like this and done safely is very low risk.

I don't want to cosleep due to SIDS risks. My LO isn't feeding all night, he falls asleep in our arms but if we try to put him down he wakes and cries and if we put him down not asleep he cries. I just want to be able to put him down... 😩

If you follow all the proper advice given, the risk of SIDS while co-sleeping is actually really low.
White noise (I know it's a bit like Ewan) but you can get some great (phone) apps that have various settings. My lo sleeps really well with the vacuum noise.

How is his weight gain?

I can understand your reticence for co-sleeping, I had colicky first baby and was terrified of co-sleeping, we used a dummy which def helped and swaddles him tightly. But have to say it was so much easier all round with DC2 when I decided to co-sleep from the start

It's exhausting! Just make sure you get some daytime sleep and take turns with your OH in the night. Things will get better. I always had to cosleep or just stay up (watching repeats of brooklyn 99 in the middle of the night). because they wouldnt be put down at night. In hosp they showed me to roll up a blanket into a sausauge and put this around the baby so they feel something is all around them. That worked sometimes. And tilting the head end of the cot/basket if baby has some indigestion.

Safe co-sleeping is very low risk. There are lots of sids risk factors e.g. Formula feeding that no-one bats an eyelid. Co-sleeping is just one risk factor and actually if it's done safely then it's very very low risk.

A dummy will also probably help settle him though.

Evidence based information on sleep and if you are interested evidence based information on how to cosleep (baby's level with your boobs not your safe etc) can be found on the link below.

www.isisonline.org.uk/pdf_info/

It should get better soon, I know that doesn't help now.

Check he doesn't have reflux - if so get it medicated. If not my DS started to get better around the 7/8 week mark. In the meantime split shifts with DH

Thanks everyone - how do you know if they have reflux? I think he has trapped wind (bottom end rather than upper) as he does writhe a bit to fart it out. He hates tummy massage etc so I can't really help him. I've started infacol to see if that will help.

His weight gain is ok - he's a small baby (2nd centile) but gaining on that curve so far.

Reflux - My DS threw up a little but it was more that he wouldn't let us lay him flat. Even in my arms, he had to be in an upright position