How do you get them to sleep without motion or boob

[Monstersincq]

I have just had my fourth DC and I recall all books/experts recommending not to get into bad habits of rocking or booking the baby to sleep. But I honestly don't understand how this is done. None of my DC have been sleepy newborns that drift in and out of sleep. I'm not going to leave a three day old to cry it out obviously so tell me in your successful experiences what you've actually done to make this happen. From friends who've achieved this it seems like their newborn would just nod off of its own accord when it was tired. None of mine have ever done this so am v interested!

I swaddled my first. It was the only way he would sleep. I would also rock him. He's 4 now and doesn't need rocking anymore. In fact he stopped needing sleep aids at around 4 months old. I wouldn't worry about "bad habits". They can be broken when they're a bit older. Just do what you need to do at this stage.

Dummy!

Dummy and swaddle as a newborn when stationary, often with your hand on chest to settle.

Dummy and hands-off movement (bouncer, pushchair) outside of newborn if extra help needed for daytime naps. With baby going from fully awake to fully asleep in the thing that moves and staying there, rather than being moved.

Then up to about 6 months gradually reduce how much movement needed until the act of just being put in bouncer with dummy gets baby dropoing off. Then move daytime naps into the cot with dummy.

I'm 7 months in and still feed to sleep, never managed to do it any other way

Mine have never accepted a dummy! With my last I tried so hard literally held it in her mouth! But still no luck. I think I'm just doomed. :)

Fate you bang the dummy drum everywhere. Whilst this is helpful to some parents, there are plenty of parents out there whose babies won't take a dummy. (mine included!)

Personally I think babies grow into it, with a little bit of training and being put down when drowsy etc.

Fate you bang the dummy drum everywhere

Guilty as charged!

Just as there will be people who bang the drum about cosleeping as default, mine will always be dummy. I do make loads of other suggestions on sleep threads in addition, but dummy will always be my preference.

True you do make a lot of other suggestions!

I bet you've never had a dummy refuser right?!

dermot

That is fates advice.
Everyone will have different advice and different ways that have worked for them etc.

Cross post

Mine have never accepted a dummy!

Maybe DC4 will be different Monstersincq? You never know! My fourth was the one not keen on dummy (or bottle) when all the other three took to it without any difficulty. So just because the others didn't doesn't mean youngest won't.

Your not doomed though, fear not. Sling may come in useful though.

I'm a fan of the dummy too.... it takes a while of sort of popping it in their mouth and tapping it gently sometimes.
Swaddling and gently rocking the Moses basket.

DermotOLogical - DC4 was a dummy and bottle refuser. I don't want to make this thread all about dummies, because that's just one answer (mine) amount many useful suggestions the op could get. But yes, I had a refuser. It took a lot of effort to get her to accept the dummy. I wrote a post yesterday about how I approached that, if you are interested. I don't want to derail with advice that might not be helpful to the op here.

Dd is almost one and still feeds to sleep 90% of the time. Hated being swaddled, won't take a dummy except to knaw on for her teething... she will occasionally fall asleep in her pram or in the car but rarely, sometimes dancing to quite loud music works. Feeding to sleep works so well I'm not going to stop until she is a fair bit older, but I don't really want to be doing it once she's 3. But I always take the path of least resistance.

I'm with you silky although obviously appreciate everyone's different. It gets her to sleep easily! And once I'm ready to stop BF I'll tackle it then c