Slings and sleep

[toomuchtooyoung]

ds only just 6 weeks but since he arrived sleep has been getting worse rather than better. He used to nap in his cot or pram for a few hours at a time but he'll last about 10mins now before screaming. Also have a 23 month old dd to care for and entertain so started putting him in a sling where he'll always fall asleep. But now he wong sleep anywhere other than on me.

Dd was always a rubbish but hated slings too so I have nothing to compare

Am I creating a sling shaped rod for my own back or will ds eventually settle?

We had similar - there is photographic evidence that DD used to sleep in her Moses basket when she was tiny, but all I can remember is the next phase where I desperately tried to get her to sleep anywhere other than on me. I didn't have an older DC so often used to let her lie on my chest while I put my feet up. She did sleep in the pushchair though, but she quickly decided not to stay asleep in it longer than 30mins. She slept way better in the sling so I used to do one nap a day in the sling to make sure she got at least one good sleep. She'd generally have at least another one in my arms and the rest in the pushchair. It wasn't until about 12 weeks that I began to be able to get her to sleep lying on the bed with me. I was a bit paranoid about it too in the early days so used to try to make she she had at least one nap a day in the pushchair, or subsequently lying next to me. Bit harder with another little one to entertain. If it were me, i'd go with the flow for now but keep trying other methods so you don't get totally stuck in a rut as he gets heavier!

Should add she didn't sleep in her cot durin the day until 6 months.

DD (who has a brother 23 mo older) was just the same. Didn't sleep anywhere but sling for first 11 weeks. Drove me slightly mad but it got her sleep and allowed me to play with DS at a crucial point. At 12 ish weeks we slowly got her into her cot with lots of shushing and patting. And she's been there since and has had stages of reasonably good naps (although everything has recently gone tits up) so there is an end.

However she still won't sleep in pushchair or car so any naps on the move are still in the sling (and she's getting heavy!). Good luck- it will happen!

8-14 weeks DS would only nap in the sling. After that I started to be able to rock/feed him to sleep and put him (asleep) in cot.

He didn't sleep in the pushchair or car till about 12 months. Sadly he stopped being able to stay asleep in the sling from about 5/6 months so all naps had to be at home from then. He's been a fab napper since though - and is only gradually giving them up now at 2.8 y.o.

Same here - napped in the moses basket for ages when tiny. After 3 weeks he decided that sleeping on a person was the way forward and from 6-12 weeks pretty much all napping happened in a sling or in a moving car. It does get better though, now I can get him in his cot or pram but he will wake up after only 30 minutes.

It isn't a rod for your own back at all, it's an excellent practical solution to the nap issue that means you will have your hands free to take care of your other child.

Thanks for all the words of reassurance, pleased to note that this Is hopefully another of those phases. He'll already go an extra 5 mins since last week without screaming.

Just difficult trying to play with dd with ds attached, and whilst she adores her brother she does get annoyed when I can't do something.

Don't want to wish the weeks away but hoping he'll chill out soon and be happier to be put down!