Baby sleeping on my chest

[CuteLittleToes]

My 4wo would not settle in his crib. The only way for his to sleep in there is to let him fall asleep on me and once he's deeply asleep transfer him into the crib. Unfortunately 9 times out of 10 he will wake up within 30 mins - an hour...

He's now waking up and feeding every 1-2 hours (2 hours is actually rare), so I just gave up the idea of putting him into his crib, as it means about 20-30 mins of him staying there and then waking up anyway. He now just sleeps on my chest, and he has no problem settling there. This means that even if he only sleeps for an hour I can just drift to sleep straight away with him without staying awake for 20 mins waiting for his deep sleep.

I have tried swaddling/wrapping him tightly into blankets, but I can only do that once he's asleep as he hates it, so really same process as putting him down without swaddling...

I am worried that if I don't try to put him to sleep in his crib he'll never learn to settle there... Has anyone else had similar experience? Do they outgrow this need to sleep in your hands themselves, or do I have to try to wean him off?

My ds was the same, I think most babies are. At 4 weeks they are so tiny and just want the comfort of being with/on you. He's just a bundle of urges and needs at the moment. Don't worry about bad habits at this very early stage. Just do what you feel is right for you both (safely of course).

I went through similar with Ds and had exactly the same worries as you. They do grow out of it. One thing I found that helped was warming the basket before I put him back. We had an electric warmer pad thingy that I think was meant for back pain but was perfect for this job. Oh and also I used to wrap the top I'd been wearing that day round the mattress so he could smell me. Dont stress about it though as it won't be ever. It'll get to a point where you miss the newborn snuggles!

*Forever

Bloody phone

Agree, 4 weeks is very small and they want to be near you.

On the swaddling, my DD fights it and grunts for about 5 mins, then passes out like magic
, it might be worth continuing with this.....

My son would only sleep propped up against my chest apart from the one long sleep at night. I think it sort of ended when it became a bit uncomfortable for him as he grew and his legs weren't dangling anymore but getting a bit squashed against my lap (around 10-12 weeks I think)! I didn't worry about it as I was usually almost upright so there was no issue with his breathing being restricted.

Both of mine slept on my chest for the first few weeks. I found it the only way for me to get any rest. I'd swaddle them in a sheet and wear a long sleeved dressing gown so I didn't get cold and accidentally pull the quilt over them. They never fell off...

Like you I worried that it would get them into a terrible habit but once I'd recovered from the birth a bit I managed to get them settled into their own cots over a couple if weeks without any issues.

Try not to stress about it and enjoy the lovely snuggling

Same here. Then he was hospitalised at 9 days old with jaundice. The treatment was to lie under uv lights with a mask on. Absolutely heartbreaking as neither of us knew how to be apart from each other. One amazing nurse built a nest for him by rolling up towels and putting them in an oval shape and he fitted snugly inside. We adopted this on return home, and it took a couple of weeks, but now at 7 weeks he no longer sleeps on me (still falls asleep on me but will happily sleep in his basket when I put him down). Next challenge, getting him to fall asleep not on me- but I think he's still a bit young.

Thanks for your replies. Good to know it won't last forever, and I must admit I do enjoy the snuggles, although I do miss being comfortable at night...

I guess I'll just continue keeping him on my chest for now and will resume crib training once he starts sleeping for longer intervals... I know he's going through a growth spurt at the moment (I swear he looks bigger every day!), so hopefully once that's over he'll be able to sleep better...

I like the towel nest idea, will try that.

Thanks

Once your baby is big enough is also recommend baby sleeping bags. My DD hates being swaddled & kicks it all off but the bags keep her warm, and it means when she's in the Moses basket she doesn't feel the cold transfer. It was a real turning point for us & she'll sleep for 3-4 hour stretches sometimes now!

I think co- sleeping is lovely- children will learn to "self Settle" in their own time, but sometimes not quick enough for us adults. I don't think it's somethig that needs to be taught.