4 week old will only nap if held

[Haddock73]

The problem is I have ds1 who is 2, so this is not always possible. Unless ds2 is held, he will go from 8am-9pm with only 2-5 mind naps. He won't sleep in the carrier, pram, bouncy chair, only held.

Any advice is appreciated.

Just FYI, I know 4 weeks is very little and believe me I wish I could hold him for every sleep and just sit back and watch tv like I did with ds1, but its just not possible as. Have a toddler to run around and look after.

If he napped in a carrier or pram then it wouldn't be so bad, but he just screams until he's picked up in a pram and in a carrier he's a bit better, but still will only doze for up to 5 mins before he starts to screams.

Anyone?

Have you tried a wrap sling like a moby/kari me? My DD2 lived in hers for the first few weeks. I found it was like being held but not!

Otherwise you tried swaddling? Baby sleeping bag? DD2 settled well to white noise (blocks out the toddler noise)

I second a sling, like a Caboo carrier. Saved my life!

I have an ergo which he will only nap in for maybe 5-10 mins, he hates being swaddled - screams til red in the face and tears streaming to free his hands. Have also tried hair dryer noise apps - nothing works unless I hold him!

Does your toddler nap? You could hold him then? Or call in back up to hold your baby or entertain your toddler.

If you have tried everything just know that it will pass.

This is really normal - and a sling is a good way around it.

I've had a look at the ergo sling and it looks quite "strappy" in the pictures which wasn't something mine was comfortable with until round about 4 or 5 months. Can you try a cloth wrap-sling (e.g a mobi, or just buy 5m of t-shirting fabric! - perhaps borrow one perhaps to see if it works before buying?) which I'm sure would be more comfortable. The advantage of these is that their flexibility means you can make the transition from arms to sling so smooth it is almost imperceptible - you have the sling on your body already and the baby asleep in your arms - you can then have a few naps during which all you do is manouever perhaps the baby's legs inside the sling but he's still in your arms. Then go for a bit more each time so that the baby is entirely inside the sling but you are still holding him with your arm outside the sling. Eventully by tiny steps like this you might get to a point where the sling is accepted?

I can't promise it will work, every baby is different but remember it's just a phase - and remember how long ago this stage seems when you try and remember your 2yo being this tiny - it won't be that long till you have a 3yo and a 1yo and have sorted the sleep one way or another. 4 weeks old is still very tiny - compared with other mammals development stages human pregnancies ought to be more like 12 months rather than 9, but we evolved to give birth much earlier because of our large brains, which is why age 0-3months is sometimes called the 4th trimester. If being held is what he needs then finding a way to keep your 2 year old occupied while you hold him is more likely to work than trying to get him to sleep without being held.

halo ds1 naps from 1-3pm so I try to hold ds2 then but he doesn't seems to nap in that, just screams....guessing from over tiredness.

iris yes the ergo is a soft carrier, perhaps a stretchy type sling would be more comfortable. I will try and borrow one.

Do you have the infant insert for the ergo haddock? If not, you could try that as it may make LO feel more secure. Otherwise, I second a stretchy wrap. Kari-Me or Moby are good ones. There's also the 'Victoria Sling Lady' wrap, which is the same but cheaper. Here's the link

My DD would only sleep on us or in the stretchy sling at that age. I spent a lot of the daytime trapped under her, having forgotten to put remote/ phone/ food in near enough reach and being terrified to move in case it woke her up. It's a tough stage (but also lovely, in its own way).

city yes I have the insert...it's quite bulky I find though.