6 week old baby cannot sleep during day

[hjk]

Our 6 week old daughter quite often at night after breastfeeding will fall off to sleep in a semi-conscious state, when I lay her down in her cot. However during the day she doesn't sleep much and only then if we cuddle her and rock her to sleep. If she isn't fully asleep when we put her down, she cries and we have to start all over again. Her grandma was with her for the 1st month and always held her to sleep and now she seems to have gotten used to that. What should we do to get her to sleep?

Also when she is awake should I encourage her to sleep or play more with her? She has always slept less than the average and doesn't seem too tired.

Don't blame her grandma - babies this small don't like to be left alone, it's normal and natural for them to be carried and held a lot. It's evolution's way of protecting them from predators. She doesn't know she's living in a nice safe house with no wolves running around!

Personally I would do whatever you feel you need to do to get her to sleep and not worry too much. This time last year I was asking the same questions as you about my terribly sleepless baby but now he goes off to sleep all by himself, and not because I did anything to "train" him, just because they learn to do it as they get older.

Others may have different opinions but I am really missing the days when he was tiny and wanted to be held all the time - now he can't bear to be sitting on my knee, he's got better things to be doing

Only try to get her to sleep if she seems tired. I think trying to make a baby sleep when they aren't tired is setting yourself up for a fight.

Try to make the best of this - hard but lovely

My son was like this (and my 6 week old DD also at the moment!). I ended up cuddling him pretty much for the first 6 months - he always slept on me, in my bed etc etc.

At 6 months he went into his cot and slept really well! At 2 he is now a fantastic sleeper and has been for the past year or so - easily 13 hours a night and can have a 2 hour nap still too. He is really independent, happy secure etc and I put this down to having all those cuddles he did when he was little (like to think so anyway lol).

I echo the idea of making the most of it - this time around instead of resenting it I love cuddling DD as I know it will all end - he rarely cuddles me now let alone falls asleep on me. Perhaps try and take a different approach to the day - put your feet up and just cuddle her - she will love it and feel all happy and secure.

Babies are meant to be cuddled - thats why they are so warm and lovely. Its just society that tells us we should be getting on with life. Theres a lovely poem somewhere about letting everything else wait because you are cuddling your baby.

xxx

My DS was exactly the same and I echo what the others have posted.
Just to say we did it gradually. So at the beginning, he had to be held and asleep before we put him in his cot.
Then, as he got a bit older, he was fed and dozy and we put him in his cot.
Then gradually, he got more and more awake when we put him in (which I think also happens, they don't fall asleep so readily after milk).
I have read so many similar posts - from mums who cuddled baby a lot when they were very little, 'grown up' to be very good sleepers when toddlers. It seems to give them security to sleep alone when they are a bit older.
6 weeks is so young, it really is. I think at that age, do whatever to get them to sleep! They 'relearn' so quickly in a few months (when you will be feeling much stronger and more awake!)
Good luck and congrats.

PS it took me ages to recognise my DSs sleep 'cues', but just watch what your baby is doing / acting at different times of the day. You will learn to recognise when she is tired.