DS all of a sudden wont settle in his cot!!

[shellmc]

We're having a bit of trouble getting DS to settle in his cot he has always been okay and has been in his cot from 5 weeks old as he got 2 big for his moses basket.
He was sleeping great, but latley over past week or so, when he falls asleep i place him in his cot at night he is okay but soon wakens up, we try settling him bk down which usually by placing our hands on his tummy and gently patting and making the ssssshhhhh sounds sends him bk over but OHHHH NOOOOO not now he doesnt settle untill i pick him out and hold him, i have been awake for hours through night trying to settle and get him to go back over. I am shatterd and cant understand why he has suddenly started being like this. DH has been saying to put him in bed with us just to try and get some sleep ourselves, which we have for past 3 nights, but is this gonna make it harder to get him settled back in his cot???
I must say that when we do lay him in bed with us within seconds he is flat out, and it seems he likes to be elevated on a pillow not too high just slightly, through the day he sleeps in his car seat when out and about and at home he sleeps on the sofa for a nap with a small pillow propping him up, but it is dangerous to use a pillow in cots aint it??
We just dont know what to do persevere and hope he settles soon or let him sleep with us to help beat the tiredness!!! Help
Anyone else having same problem DS is 4 and half months old.

what about shoving a couple of books under the top cot legs? that would elevate his head end safely. i am interested in any replies too as my 5 month old has mysteriously started resisting bed time!
you have my sympathies shellmc!

Thanx becktay for ur reply now theres an idea!!
Its weird how he has always been soo settled but then as i say theres just no sttling him bk down at nights.

xxxx

Whatever anybody does - don't accept this as new...it's one of many short lived phases so don't start bad habbits, be consistant.
Propping with books is a good idea.
The more he realises you will pick him up the more upset he will be in his cot.
Cause and effect.
Go in, let him know you are there, leave.
Go back in, let him know you are there, leave.
Do it as many times as needed.
It will have the same effect as what is happening just now.
He will think, oh, thats what happens when I cry in my cot!! Only the second option is far less interesting to him so won't become a 2 year habbit!

Oh and no, can't use pillow until 1

You can get a pillow that is safe and was recommended to us by a cranial osteopath - apparently they give them to all new babies in Sweden to prevent them from getting flat heads! here

They are very lightweight, so even if they end up with their head under it (dd likes to lift hers up and wrestle with it when she wakes up) they can't suffocate. You will need the bigger cot size, not the small crib/basket size.

Agree with whensmydayoff. We did something similar from around 4.5 months (go in, cuddle, put down, five mins crying, then repeat) and at around 6 months, one night she just went back to sleep on her own after a cuddle and 5 mins crying.