Baby won't sleep in her basket after being fed

[Dueindecember2016]

I have a gorgeous 4 week old daughter who has been fed breast milk by a bottle until a few days ago. I have now opted to get her back on the breast and it's going great!

The thing is, she won't sleep in her basket after being fed now. She'll fall asleep after a feed on me and then I lay her down and she cries A LOT!!!

Any advice, hints or tips??

Thanks :)

It might be an obvious question, but are you winding her enough?

So after a breastfeed is done, lift her to your shoulder and have a cuddle there while you run her back.

It might also be worth adding in a swaddle so that she maintains the "tightly secure" feelibg if being held.

If you want baby to sleep independently of you, you will find a dummy helps. But if you are newly establishing breastfeeding, give that a couple of weeks.

That alternate is not to transfer into basket and let baby sleep where she falls asleep - ie the breast.

Feed in an upright position (as upright as possible)
Lay down on a warm blanket, not just the sheet
Wind, wind, wind!!!!
I have always found that when they wake up, do not rush and pick them up straight away; amuse for a minute (even if wingeing) so that the cot/basket isn't a place of lonely doom. I also put my son in there when folding washing etc and he likes his cot a lot.

Hi everyone.

Thanks for the tips but I've tried all of these :( she's a sicky baby so I keep her upright for 30 minutes and she's asleep Within minutes.

She has a dummy but she cries it out of her mouth.

I haven't slept in my bed for two nights now as she will only sleep on my chest.

Can the basket rock? That's what I used to do to mine rock them to sleep. It could take an hour but if you have done everything and you know she's fed well. Then rock her to sleep.

You could buy a rocking it is a life saver. Only 5 more months left before you start weaning her. She will be a different baby then. The first 6 months is knackering.

Can you co sleep? It's the only thing that's worked with either of mine. They both had lovely moses baskets that neither one of them slept in. I feed DS2 lying down then don't have to move him. His cot is pushed up to our bed with a side off. Sometimes he'll feed and sleep in there, other times he stays in my bed. He's 17 months.
A bouncy chair worked for daytime sleeps when he was smaller and he sleeps in his pushchair for DP.

You say you haven't slept in your bed for two nights. Have you considered looking into safe methods of cosleeping? Dine correctly it is much safer than sitting up all night and risking dozing off with baby on the sofa/armchair.

Also, you could try and feed lying down, it can be more restful and some babies get less wind when fed lying down (mine didn't) .

Have u tried the crib or cot? Ds1 hated his basket slept so much better in the cot. Ds2 has a sleepyhead it has been amazing! Worth the money

I know it's bloody horrible I really do feel for you. 4 weeks can seem like a lifetime, especially when there isn't a definite end.
It sounds like something is hurting when she is put down, have you tried a pillow under the mattress? Or a fan on in the bedroom during the last feed before nap/bed and keep it on during sleep? A sleepyhead in a cot worked wonders for my youngest.
You will get through this and there will be a time where you laugh with her fondly about how shockingly awful she was at sleeping, sooner than you'd think

Oh forgot to say put sleepyhead in the cot, I didn't even bother with a Moses basket after my first.

When she was being fed breast milk via a bottle she loved her basket. It's only since I went back to the breast that she's so much more restless.

Sorry may have been mentioned but it brings to mind acid reflux, could it be this that is making baby cry so much laying down?

Can you feed lying down? It might take a bit of practice at first (look up images so you can see position). You may be able to sleep/doze while she is feeding or move away once she is finished and she might have more chance of staying asleep than you trying to move her.

Look up safe co-sleeping so you can make the bed as safe as possible.

Well done for getting her back onto the breast! It doesn't seem like it at the time but this phase won't last forever.

I did wonder if it is acid reflux as she'll be sick after an hour or so of being fed.

She's also constipated and it was confirmed by the doctors today, this isn't probably helping with her sleep

My advice is to go back to the bottle if she was happier on it, but that's just my two penny worth. Good luck and I hope you find a solution

I would make a food diary of what you eat. It's more than likely there is something in your milk that is not agreeing with her.

If she is more irritable now after going back on the breast. It could be she is not feeding properly. You have to remember she has to make more effort with the breast and the bottle is far easier to drink from. So she is more satisfied.

You need to keep her more up right - the mussel in her stomach isn't quite closed allowing acid burn - if you keep her head above her head the acid can't burn and the wind comes up -

DONT LIE FLAT EVER

Put a pillow under her mattress raise her head during happy change -

Make the transition between you and cot/basket really quick and smooth - she won't wake

It doesn't make any sense that she would suddenly develop reflux after swapping to the breast. She might want to feed more, she might be windy, she might just like to be close to you. It sounds quite normal for a 4wo. My newborn is similar, with her it's wind. She takes forever to give it up. If it's a bad night I will feed her lying down (following safe co sleeping) and she'll go off that way.

Her basket has been wedged since day one, maybe I should elevate it some more?

She just prefers sleeping on you. Lovely snuggly Mummy or basket. You win every time.

Co sleeping at night and sling during the day. Ds here point blank refused to sleep without me for the first 6 months. Doesn't last forever.