My baby won't sleep anywhere except in my arms

[Jaxsmummy2014]

My baby is 12 days old, he refuses to sleep anywhere except in my arms so I've had to sleep with him in our bed which I'm not really happy about and constantly worrying about it as I'm a fairly heavy sleeper.

We have a sidecar attached to our bed and he won't sleep in that, even though it's right next to our bed and I'm right there next to him. I've tried dummies, putting something that smells of me in there, I've tried swaddling, I've tried all sorts!
He falls to sleep really well and doesn't cry that much... Until I put him down on his back in his cot.

I am super stressed and NEED him to sleep in his own space...
Please mums - tell me how you solved this problem!?

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along but I wanted to add some encouragement... my DD is 11 weeks old and even a few weeks ago I could have written this post, my son was exactly the same. I went through hell with DS, he screamed the house down when I put him down and is still quite limpet like now at 12... with DD I ignored everyone and said she would grow out of it, I just carried her in a sling or made myself comfy with the sofa, Pinterest and a coffee! DD now is much more independent, I still co sleep but I take her up at 9 to bed and she doesn't stir till 2am! She still likes a cuddle for daytime naps but micro sleeps so I don't worry too much. It will end, and so far DD is ridiculously confident from the prolonged cuddling!

Firstly, he's only 12 days old he's been attached to you for 9 months and doesn't want that to change. I know it's hard but that's what babies do. My DD was exactly the same - she'd only sleep lying on my chest (even at night) which we had to do to get any sleep at all. She grew out of it with time and graduated sleeping in the middle of us and then at the side in her cot. Don't worry he'll get there. I know this is not recommendation these days, but we found with my daughter that she would only sleep on her front. I think she felt too vulnerable on her back and would startle reflex herself awake. when she was on her front she cuddled down to sleep much better, especially if we warmed the mattress with a hot water bottle first - just an idea. Good luck! and congrats on being a new mum btw.x

I think most babies do this - they don't know they are supposed to sleep in a cot, sleeping with you is an instinct.

My DS is 17 days old and we have a co-sleeper crib thing next to our bed too (Chicco Next to me). We had him home on day 2 and predictably he didn't sleep great in his crib. He didn't scream as such but didn't settle either so I ended up pulling him next to me just to get a couple of hours sleep. Then we bought the Sleepyhead - I'd read about it and sent DH to John Lewis after 3 bad nights. Coincidence maybe but he has slept in 3/4 hour blocks in it ever since. We've had a few bad nights due to colic but overall it has definitely done the trick. In fact his first night in it, I ended up waking him up as my boobs were about to explode and needed milked!

It was about 15-20 days or so before our baby would sleep anywhere except one of our arms. We slept in shifts, taking it in turns in two hour spells. It was unbelievably hard. We just kept trying putting him into his moses basket (asleep) after a feed (he'd wake up )and putting him back in around 10 minutes before he was due a feed. Gradually he spent longer there and started to have proper sleeps there. Sorry op it really is so hard-it gets easier.

I really don't think it has to be hard if you can accept it - I slept with the baby on my chest propped up in bed at first, then by my side, then in a co-sleeper cot and eventually in their own room (6 months for DS1, DS2 went in with DS1 at 3 months).