Getting baby to sleep in crib

[SundayTwizzle]

DD is 2.5 weeks and I'm really struggling to get her to sleep in her next2me cot.

She seems to hate being put on her back - I will feed her and let her fall asleep on me and she is content but the moment I put her in the crib she becomes really restless and rocks/writhes/squeaks/grunts. Occasionally she will go quiet and doze for a bit but always wakes within the hour.

We keep resorting to letting her sleep on one of us in shifts so we can each get a little stretch of sleep, but DH goes back to work soon so that wont be as easy.

We've tried white noise, warming the sheets with a hot water bottle before she goes in, swaddling, stroking her belly until she falls asleep, nothing really works.

I put her down for a few mins on my nursing pillow (supervised obviously) this morning and she dropped off straight away but apparently this isnt safe either!

Any tips would be much appreciated :)

She's tiny still. She just wants to be near you. It's quite normal I'm afraid.

Mine was like this - with persistence he did eventually get better! Something that helped us was using a lightweight muslin to tuck him in tightly. It went over his swaddle and tucked under the mattress. It meant he couldn’t rock from side to side, so I think he felt more secure.

We also had ours sleep in his pram for about the first month. The smaller space enclosed him better and he was happier in it. Then when he was used to that, we moved him to the snuzpod with the sheet to tuck him in as above.

All babies are different so what works for one may not work for another.

Do you tend to her immediately when she becomes unsettled? If yes, maybe leave her a few minutes or instead of picking her up place a hand firmly on her chest so she knows you’re there. DS also liked hands around his sides.

Have you considered breastfeeding lying down and bed sharing? I was really skeptics but an “old school” midwife suggested this and we both got 2-3 hours sleep. I do this whenever he gets unsettled. DH and I don’t share a bed and whilst I wouldn’t describe it as the best sleep ever I do at least get rested.

Turn the white noise up, not sure if it helped DS but it definitely drowned out the sniffles so I could sleep but wasn’t so loud I couldn’t hear him cry.

For clarity DS is now 7 weeks. So we’re not sharing a bed presently. DS is in his cot in his own room (out grew the Moses basket at 4 weeks) and I share with him.

Mine was like this til 10 weeks I'm afraid... it's brutal but it will pass!

Have you got a Moses basket or pram carry cot? The next2me seemed huge and not very cosy by comparison, mine settled much better in a Moses basket.

White noise, dummy, swaddle, rock to sleep then gently lay her down