Lol at the post saying I ‘created’ this situation - I must have done so when he was in the womb as it was clear from the very first night in the hospital that he would not be put down in the crib! 😁
Thank you for asking how we’re doing @scoobysnaxx, it’s interesting to read through this thread again.
Quite simply, it was really tough! They all say things reach a turning point at six weeks, but for us, it was more like 12.
I went to a couple of sling libraries and experimented with a few, but I didn’t really get on with them. I felt they were a faff to put on, a faff to take off when DS started to cry, they made me feel hot and sweaty, and I was never sure how I was supposed to sit down in one without squashing DS.
What did help, eventually, and only in very small incremental ways, was getting a bouncer. DS would tolerate a few minutes in it here and there which allowed me to go to the loo or put the kettle on. I also found out just before Christmas that you could get newborn attachments for high chairs. We bought a Cosatto Noodle which again let me have a very precious 10+ minutes here and there.
But overall, it was quite hard having a Velcro baby in those early months - and the only ones who truly understand are the ones who had one themselves! There were some days before Christmas when DH would come home and I hadn’t even changed out of my PJs or brushed my teeth, let alone made/had lunch etc.
We still co-sleep as DS at first would never go down in the Moses/crib to sleep, and nowadays simply won’t be transferred without waking! We have tried everrrything. We try daily. But - he knows he’s being put down! 😁Co-sleeping has been great though as it meant I got more sleep than if he’d been in a separate cot and I would have had to physically get out of bed to nurse him. We recently side-carred a cot so we’ll see how that goes. I do want him in his own space in the not-too distant future but I think it’ll be a slow process.
DS is still very Velcro, but I’ve just leaned into it now. I’ve stopped asking ‘what am I doing wrong?’ and realised that you can only parent the child you have and they are all so different! The days go by so quickly so I just try to soak up each day and find the joy, even when I am shattered or having a bit of a harder day.
What I wish I could do is go back a few months and tell myself to stop comparing myself, and DS, to everyone else. No one else has got it sorted and often if they say they have, they’re bullshitting. I didn’t realise that back then! I also learned that you have to find your tribe, and that might take time. But they are out there!