Newborn being a madam with moses...help!!

[HollyC255552]

Hi ladies,
My 6 day old wont sleep in her moses basket at all. Me & my DP have literally tried everything from swaddling to raising the head part of the moses. She only seems to sleep on us or very occasionally in her bouncer for 30minutes max. Me & my partner are so tired & dont know what else to do.

I'd be really grateful for any tips/advice you may have re this.

Thank you x

Thank you very much ladies really appreciate you responding. You have given me a few more ideas, i.e something with my scent on, hot water bottle or a couple of celluar blankets rolled up either side. Me & DP swap over at 4am so getting into bed for 3/4 hours is nice but he goes back to work next week so getting those hours covered without holding her would be nice. I know she may never get use to moses but want to give everything a try. I mentioned to DP whether or not it could be when she flings her arms & legs out it disturbs her, thats why thought swaddle would help.

Ehric - Should of thought someone like you would make a comment. Dont bother next time.

Oh & thank you for all the congratulations - she is absolutely beautiful!

6 days old is so teeny and the last nine months she's been attached to you. I remember it being hell and cursed the blooming Moses basket but she'll get there! Both of mine hates their basket for a good couple of weeks.
Good luck.
Cc

How is she during the day OP? Bizarrely enough DS was ok in the Moses basket during the day downstairs, just at nighttime he wouldn't have any of it. When he was a couple of months old after cosleeping for a while we tried him in his cot and he slept well.

A lot of babies just don't want to be separated from mum at all to begin with, and however strikingly obvious that seems, it wasn't to me! I honestly thought the baby would just sleep in the Moses basket and wake up when hungry hollow laugh it never occurred to me that he wouldn't like it. I was glad to see the back of it in the end, but have friends whose babies were fine in theirs.

You'll find a way that works for you - they're all different. I remember the first couple of weeks were very hard but once you find your feet and work out how to settle her things get much better.

The longest she's been in it during the day is 30 minutes. At night its only about 2 minutes before she stirs. I guess i should be more patient she is only a week today bless her.

Well you have some good tips from here to try tonight and hopefully it will improve things for you. A week feels like a long time when you are struggling to get any sleep, I know I've been there, don't worry about being impatient, just try different things out until you find a solution for you. It's a bit trial and error to begin with I'm afraid and what works with one doesn't with another! Good luck, hope you get a better night tonight.

We had the same! Slept snuggled on either me or daddy for the first week. We got a hot water bottle for the moses basket, a lavender scented teddy and a turtle shaped white noise/light show thing. All helped her settle into her basket and she now sleeps there (well, at 4 weeks old I say sleeps, not always aa much as we'd like! ) it's true, they miss the comfort of the womb. But she will get there. In the meantime, I'll pass on the advice others gave me, which is to try and enjoy this snuggly time - it won't last for long. Not much consolation when you're so tired you can't see, I know...

Also if something doesn't work today or tomorrow it doesn't mean it won't work next week or next month - they do change!

I found the '4th trimester' stuff quite helpful with my clingy newborn (which I dismissed as so much hippy, trendy attachment parenting nonsense before DS turned up and had other ideas). It helped to look on it as a period of time where the baby is extra needy, and to do what it took to keep him happy hold him all night and all day , knowing it would pass.

congratulations!

i had my DD 8 days ago. By day 3 we cracked and ended up co-sleeping as I was nodding off when breastfeeding her sitting up & my DP fell asleep with her on his chest on the sofa which I wasn't very happy about. It helped me and DP get some sleep as I could snooze a bit whilst feeding her lying down.

I'm not boasting but last night she randomly slept in her crib which was great, fingers crossed she does it again. There doesn't seem to be any logic to it though.

How is she in the pram carrycot? DS didn't like the Moses until he was quite a bit older, the pram carrycot was smaller and more cosy.

White noise can be a godsend, too.

Thanks all. My DP's friend has just mentioned white noise & how that worked for them.

We used the carrycot yesterday for the first time when we went for a walk & she was awake the whole time absolutely fine. I should maybe try that to put her down.

I will just keep persisting with it all - i wont give up. I shall enjoy all the snuggles we're having in the meantime.

X

Oh yes, Ewan the dream sheep - worked for us and we still use it now for naps and bedtime in the cot.

Ewan is a bloody marvel. And the woman who created him is lovely. I emailed the company when DS was about 6 months old to ask about spare parts/repairs (made it clear I was very happy to pay) as DS had sucked one of Ewan's feet into a malfunction.

She sent me a new one by return post, and was just so nice to deal with.

DS2 (due October) is getting a brand new one, partly because DS1 still likes to listen to the music function on his sometimes, and partly to support such a lovely business.

We Found a feather pillow fitted perfectly in the Moses basket so DD slept (slightly better) on this. Sort of cradled her snugly. When she got too big after a couple of weeks she slept on three mattresses in it he basket with a blanket rolled up beside her to make it more snug and I wrapped one of my t-shirts around this. White noise too and when she was a few weeks older swaddling worked well. The basket was right next to my bed so I could reach in and comfort her if she started stirring when she was asleep.

A lot of the times I had to have her sleeping on me, just so I could get some sleep (breastfed and nursed a lot during the night). I would sit up in bed, leaning back, supported by pillows and an l shape pillow and then wedge cushions under my arms so she couldn't slip away. I wish I had realised that "letting them sleep with you is spoiling them and they won't sleep on their own later" is bollocks. Of course they want to sleep with you!

It does improve though. You will get more sleep, she will learn better sleep, everything will settle down. My DD is six months now and some advice that I do have in hindsight: when someone offers to look after your baby for half an hour even so you can lie down, accept the offer!

Congratulations and enjoy your lovely baby

Oh how cute.
all mine hated it too...
Pram in daytime was ok.
One thing that worked sometime was that I cuddled and did the side-to-side sway WHILST holding the moses basket mattress up against her back so that she was used to it when i did eventually try to move her from an upright position to horizontal...
Give her a sniff from me... congrats...

Jobrum it's not safe for babies to sleep on pillows

Oh god feather pillows are so dangerous. The baby could get far too hot and die. Same reason you don't put a baby under a duvet, but anything with feathers is highly insulating and therefore extremely dangerous for a newborn.

Ehric, you know I remeber thinking that at the time but when my husband pointed out "oooh look, she's settling to sleep" I just collapsed into the half hour or so sleep it gave me each night. I think it might have been why the three matresses worked - just a bit more comfortable for her to lie on. I did look at an 'expensive' (compared to how little teeny foam matresses cost) sprung moses matresses but was talked out of it as an unnecesary expense. If we have any more children I would get something like that and perhaps a Sleepyhead or similar. I think they key is to make them feel as safe and cosy sleeping alone as they do in your arms but that unfortunately just takes time. But I do remember waning to punch someone who toldme it gets easier at six weeks when df was nly a week old!