Newborn DD won't sleep unless she is being held

[Starlight85]

Hi
I'm a first time Mum and had my DD on 30th December.
She sleeps really well but only when being held or laying next to me or my OH!. She just won't sleep in her Moses Basket even if we put her in there when she is asleep.
For the last few nights we have had to take it in turn to stay awake with her to hold her.
After an induction and a labour that then went over the second night we are both exhausted and just would like to be able to get a couple of hours sleep overnight as well as trying to catch up in the daytime. I'd also like her to be able to sleep in her Moses Basket during the day.
Any tips or advice would be so helpful.
Thank you.

[CupofTeaTime]

My DD is 7 weeks old and is still like this I'm afraid 😳

[Heatherbell1978]

Starlight1985 you'll probably find the Sleepyhead a a bit big for the Moses basket but it'll fit in the cot. We had a Chicco Next to Me crib which it fitted perfectly in. The combo suited me brilliantly when I was breast feeding as baby was right next to me in crib (in Sleepyhead) so I didn't need to get out of bed to feed etc. I'd change nappies on the bed too. If DS was struggling to settle back to sleep I'd just lay my hand on his tummy. After the 4/5am feed he'd be reluctant to go back in so I'd co-sleep for a few hours then before getting up but for the rest of the night he was in his crib.

[Chlandy]

My son is 8 weeks old tomorrow and still won't sleep in his Moses basket! For night time we bought a chicco next2me crib majority of the time he will sleep in there, however occasionally he won't settle in there and will only settle in my bed with me. During the day I either get comfy on the sofa with a box set and let him nap on me, or if I'm in the room (as this is against advice) he will sleep on the sofa, we have a corner sofa so he lays in the corner and put a maternity sausage pillow around so he can't roll off but I stay in arms reach of him when we do this anyway! We also bought a mamas and papas swing which he will nap in but only catnap really! Sorry this isn't any advice really but maybe reassurance it's normal and you'll find little tricks to grab some time here and there :) I'm sure it won't be forever. Congratulations on your baby xxx

[MooMooTheFirst]

Oh I just remembered... it sounds really silly but i used to feed/sleep with DS on a blanket because it was easier to wash than the bed sheet every time he was sick or leaked through his nappy. To get him into his cot I would feed him to sleep then transfer him in using the blanket... not even touching him just holding all for corners I'm not recommending it but I was finding that the jostling from me picking him and moving my arms from under his head etc as I put him down disturbed him and woke him up, plus the blanket probably smelt of me and it was already warm etc.

[girlelephant]

Once EBF is established you'll be okay to introduce a dummy and can help when they are feeding for comfort as opposed to need! My DC was orally fixated so a dummy helped massively in soothing him moving through the stages of sleep

[BaublesandBells]

Sleepyhead! Worth its weight in gold. Would pay 10x the cost of it it was that great. When he grew out of it we got a toddle pod but it was crap. Made a nest in the cot out of towels under the sheet which worked well.

[Aliveinwanderland]

The sleepyhead is so expensive we didn't bother with it. We had a poddlepod that is much cheaper and DS would sleep on there in the day time so we could at least put him down. They are not signed off as safe for overnight sleeping though.

[Wisewisewords]

I used to hold baby wrapped in a cot sheet so when I put him down it was already warm. I would keep my hand behind his head for a while and hold my other arm against his body until he had settled then gradually pull my hand from behind his head, cover him with a blanket and slowly move my other arm away.

[malvinandhobbes]

My DD slept beautifully as a newborn in the sleepyhead. She hated the pram and moses basket, so I credit the sleepyhead.

(she is now 5 months and sleeps terribly, but the sleepyhead was worth it)

[Tabitha1983]

Ps Massive fan of white noise here too 😬 Both of mine sleep better/longer with white noise machine on in bedrooms or cooker extractor fan on in kitchen lol! X

[Tabitha1983]

I agree with everyone else that unfortunately!....it is completely normal behaviour for a new born to want to sleep/be held all of the time (bit of a design fault really lol!). I've had success with swaddling my DS (9 weeks) but my DD1 hated it so they are all different. A lot of people love slings but personally I find it restrictive and end up with a bad back/shoulders 🙁
...I've just ordered a woombie for DS as he is breaking out of swaddle now...but wish I had seen this thread first as the sleepyhead looks amazing! Might have to persuade DH 🙊

[Bogoffdailymail]

A woombie swaddle worked really well for us. Also warming the moses basket with a hot water bottle before putting her back in it. MyHummy is great and also a Sleepyhead too. It all takes time though, it's such a massive change for them

[BreatheDeep]

Starlight85 Yes and we wrap a cellular blanket around his body (not swaddled, just so it covers his back) while we're cuddling him and put him down in the blanket. It helps with the shock of going into a cold bed from warm arms! We'll move on to sleeping bags which really help once he's having a more regular bedtime and less nappies to change!

[Nameforsaken]

Totally normal. My dc lived in the sling for 1st 4 minths

[LegoCaltrops]

My DD (who is now 4 & at school in her 1st year) was like this. Absolutely wouldn't go to sleep unless she was being held or was right next to me or DH. We were so tired, it was awful. What helped us was finding out about baby sleep cycles, see below link. Particularly section 2 in the link. We still had to cuddle DD to sleep but, once we managed to get her to sleep & into her cot, she usually stayed asleep for a decent amount of time.

www.askdrsears.com/topics/health-concerns/sleep-problems/8-infant-sleep-facts-every-parent-should-know

We worked on the "cuddling to sleep" business later.

[Gallavich]

Best to avoid a dummy for a few weeks.
Have you researched safe co sleeping?

[Starlight85]

@BreatheDeep do you put the Cosydream in the Moses Basket?

[Starlight85]

@girlelephant I had thought about using a hot water bottle to warm it up. I also kept a comforter in my top yesterday which we put in the Moses basket last night when we tried again to see if she wanted to sleep there.

I'm BF and didn't know if having a dummy would be ok with that?

[holidaysaregreat]

Baby sleeping bags are good to keep them warm if you don't want to swaddle

[girlelephant]

OP remember that when you transfer her to the Moses basket she goes from smelling you strongly & warm to losing this. Some people keep a hot water bottle in the Moses basket to warm it slightly while the baby is fed then exchange them. Also worth having a small comforter toy in there that smells of you.

I also recommend white noise/sounds & a dummy. My DC falls asleep every night to the Eddie the Elephant nightlight on the heart noise mode. But he also loves white noise & lullabies that I play him

[BreatheDeep]

My first was the same. Me and DH took it in turns to stay awake with him as we were terrified of co-sleeping and he hated swaddling. It didn't last long from what I remember - a couple of weeks probably.
Our 2 week old is much better at sleeping in his basket or crib. We have a Babymoov Cosydream this time which really helps. It's a bit like a sleepyhead. But I think he's also a better sleeper in general.

[Starlight85]

@elsiemarleysellsthebarley Thank you. I think I will try the carrycot today to see if she likes that better, as it's smaller maybe she will :)

[Starlight85]

@Aliveinwanderland We've been trying in the day too to get her used to it but without much luck either!

[Starlight85]

@MooMooTheFirst

Thank you. I will google the 4th Trimester.

Even if she is fast asleep when we put her in the Moses Basket she wakes as soon as we do.

[Starlight85]

Thanks All.

I'll have a look into a sleepyhead and a co sleeper cot. Does a sleepyhead need to go in a cot rather than a Moses basket?

@MoreThanUs Thank you for that, I know it's normal but I just want to do what's best for all of us and I think me and my OH being able to catch on a little bit of sleep will also be good for our DD. Particularly when my OH goes back to work because if she doesn't sleep apart from on me I don't see how I will sleep if I can't sleep at night or during the day!