3 week old won't sleep in crib at night...any suggestions?

[nini1406]

Hello

I'm struggling to get my 3 week old to sleep in her crib at night. The first three days after she was born she cried whenever she wasn't been held. We tried swaddling which worked quite well for a couple of nights and now she doesn't seem to like that and tries to wriggle out. I've put rolled up blankets under the sheet to make the crib appear smaller not that it's big anyway and attached to my side of the bed. But that hasn't improved the situation. She will sleep a bit in her rocker during the day but she would have to be asleep first before I put her in it. Anyone got any other suggestions? Thanks in anticipation

At that age I prioritised sleep and started sharing a bed with my daughter. We all slept better. I'd never have considered it if I hadn't been so fed up of getting her to sleep over and over again and watching her eyes pop open as soon as I put her down and I was able to find guidelines on how to do it safely. Sorry this isn't an option you would consider but I just wanted you to know that it is an option. Take care of yourself the first few weeks are exhausting.

Sorry if this isn't an option...

DD was like that. At four weeks I got a sleepyhead and things got much better. It felt safer too, as we had been co-sleeping but I didn't feel comfortable with it. She wouldn't be swaddled and would only sleep on me or DP.

I'm another who Co slept from birth then dd went into her crib at 3 months.

When we first started trying to put her in the crib I'd wrap her in her blanket and feed her to sleep then heat the crib with a hot water bottle. Worked about 90% of the time for us. I no longer feed to sleep or heat the crib so it isn't a rod making exercise in my experience

Try warming a towel and placing it on her mattress to warm it up before putting her in. If worked for us.

I got a sleepyhead which helped bit and meant my LO did cope with being put down for some periods of sleep but the thing that really saved my sanity was cosleeping. Before he was born I thought it was something I'd NEVER do but once he arrived and was completely un-put-down-able I had to change my mind! The book Sweet Sleep was a massive help as was the Babycalm book, both helped me understand why he didn't want to be put down, and find ways to cope with it which meant we all got some sleep. At 4 months we're still co sleeping some of the time though he is gradually being able to cope with being in his own crib next to me more and more. Best of luck, take care of yourself.

ETA - the other godsend was the baby sling for daytime naps. He's napping on me right now.

Mine was similar and certainly didn't like being swaddled.

We put a toddler cotbed against the side of the bed with the side down and a towel across so we co slept but I could rill her away after feeding if need be!

Thanks for all your suggestions. The crib is a co sleeper and I've kept the side off and sleep with my arm down her body. Which has not improved anything. Will have a look a other co sleeping suggestions and see if there is something else we can do. See how we get on tonight

Roll a blanket up like a sausage and place in the crib in a U shape around the baby. Makes them feel secure. Also with Ds1 who was a winter baby I had a heatpad which I used to gently warm the mattress before I placed him back in.

With my first I started insisting on him sleeping in his basket for first sleep of the evening, then 2nd sleep etc and co-slept the rest of the time. He did get better, 3 weeks is very very early.

With 2nd baby I co-slept from day 1but 6 months later am not having much luck at all getting him last in cot beyond midnight....

My carry cot fitted inside the crib so for about 1/2 weeks, my DS managed to sleep in that, I think he felt more secure and he liked having something to touch.

Gradually, we started to take the carry cot back out until he was sleeping in there on his own

At 3 weeks my LO mostly wanted to sleep on me, it got easier from about 5 weeks I think when I started being able to put him down next to me for some short periods of sleep once he'd nodded off as long as he was pressed right up against me. We are still cosleeping now at 15 weeks but he will go in his sleepyhead in his cosleeper crib for the first part of the night and sometimes I manage to put him back in there after a feed during the night too if I'm sneaky. Hang in there, it gets easier!