Need an alternative to rocking to sleep

[PickledLily]

Just when I thought things were progress
So LO has successfully moved on from being fed to sleep and will now be rocked to sleep. But I don't think my back can cope much longer.
What do I do or try next?! She's 3 months.

You could do some naps on the go? Or in a sling? I found DD didn't settle in the cot for naps until 6 months.

Rocking crib? Gentle bouncing on one of those pregnancy balls?

Swinging chair or push back and forwards in pram

I had a rock-to-sleeper. My advice, buy beg or borrow a chair with some bounce, eg ikea poang, or even a rocking chair. Use the chair to do the rocking. To begin with it will take ages. Stay calm, resign yourself to sitting there for maybe an hour. The time will gradually reduce, then gradually reduce the rocking. We went from 45 mins plus rocking and then waiting over 30mins to transfer at 3 months ish to falling asleep lying on our lap in said poang and just 5 mins waiting at 5.5 months, at which point we started putting her down awake in the cot. Best of luck, you've done really well to stop feeding to sleep already.

Ah, I should have added, she needs body contact too!

I might investigate the swinging/rocking chair/ball option. I've still got the birthing ball somewhere

Interesting that 5-6mths seems to be the point when some of your babies started to self settle. So there is still hope...

Marks place

Ds usually falls asleep in 5-10 mins on ball, started using it v early on as couldn't stand and rock after emcs. I know I'll have to look Into breaking this association but usually too weary to start.

OP hope you have a less sleep resistant baby. Heat packs are good for a sore back, voltarol gel good for back and assorted other sore joints

DH lies DD on his chest and pats her bottom up and down to give a vertical rocking motion. An alternative I do is cross my legs with my left ankle on my right knee. DD then sits on my left thigh and I manage to rock her in the same way by rocking my left leg. I also tap her on the back with my hand and shhh gently. She's normally gone in a couple of minutes. Also we used a rocking chair a couple of time and that was brilliant.

But I want to phase out rocking now, so am putting her to sleep by herself in her cot with swaddling, which has been working.

I hope your back improves sadnoonie.
Gloucestergirl - at trying to work out which leg goes where, but I think I've got it now! Will give that a go. I tried the swing in the garden earlier today but seems LO has now decided she no longer likes that either. Grrrr. Congrats on getting her to sleep on her own.

I had tried a grow bag to help the arm to cold cot transition but LO wakes herself up trying to kick it off.

@ PickledLily: :o it's a knack that needs practice, but it is a godsend when it works. As I've just written in another thread, I could write a book about our attempts to get our sleep-fighting little toad beautiful daughter to sleep. Good luck :)