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Sleep

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Original poster

DD won't sleep when put down!

11 replies

Starlight52 · 10/09/2017 13:12

DD is only 4 weeks old and I know it is normal for her not to want to be put down but I'm losing my mind. Up until a few days ago she was not napping really during the day at all but sleeping well swaddled at night in her co sleeping cot with a bit of white noise (4 hours then feed then 2 then feed then another hour or so waking up around 8). But she was getting super grumpy during the day especially in the evenings as she was knackered!!! I then discovered she'd nap beautifully in the sling and rejoiced! However she now will not sleep at night, last few nights she woke up after 30/45 mins, I fed her for 10/20 mins, she fell asleep and repeat all night! Now I don't mind her napping in the sling but I can't sleep when she sleeps and not sleeping at night at all is killing me. I also can't take her out once she's asleep as she wakes straight back up!

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INeedNewShoes · 10/09/2017 13:15

Is she taking a full feed if she is feeding for 20 minutes? At 4 weeks my baby was taking longer than that to feed and she seems to need to feel full in order to stay asleep for any decent length of time.

GinIsIn · 10/09/2017 13:16

Do you have a sleepyhead? It saved me.

Original poster

Starlight52 · 10/09/2017 13:20

I think she likes to suck to get herself to sleep, also she will not stay awake longer than that at the moment during the night, I tickle her toes, chin, burp her then if none of that works pop her back in her cot

OP posts:

Original poster

Starlight52 · 10/09/2017 13:21

What is a sleepyhead?

OP posts:

FATEdestiny · 10/09/2017 13:28

I think she likes to suck to get herself to sleep

Have you tried a dummy?

A dummy is an amazing sleep tool.

Original poster

Starlight52 · 10/09/2017 13:33

I've ordered some dummies but I'm reluctant to give her them yet as we're exclusively breast feeding and all the advice pages say to wait 6 weeks.... I'm praying she likes them when I do give her one

OP posts:

FATEdestiny · 10/09/2017 13:39

Im not convinced on nipple confusion anyway, I think dummies are incredibly useful to give a breast feeding mum a break.

Is baby gaining weight well and following a centile line? If so, it's safe to assume breastfeeding I'd established so there's no worry about nipple confusion anyway.

Do you know any non first time mums with babies? (ie not on their first child). Ask them about dummies. Dummy reluctance is much more prevalent in first time mums with rose-tinted expectations.

In my experience those who left introducing a bottle and/or dummy too late are the ones who can't get baby to take one at all.

Original poster

Starlight52 · 10/09/2017 13:50

Well she had a lot of trouble getting going with feeding and having iv antibiotics for an infected belly meant her weight gain was not great to start. However it picked up a goodun last time she was weighed and the midwives discharged us.
Maybe I'll just try the dummies as soon as they arrive, try and save my sanity I would love her to be able to sleep in a variety of places like sling cot and pushchair so we can go out eventually and also get a bit of kip at night!

OP posts:

Grayfig · 11/09/2017 01:23

First time mum here Starlight. I agree with FATE. Use a dummy if you have a velcro baby, if she takes to it it really may save your sanity with naps and bedtime, you won't have to work so hard to get her to sleep. You don't have to use it when she's awake if that's what worries you. I didn't use one and now wonder if it could have been helpful, as mine loves to feed to sleep / sling to sleep. As you say, it's nice to be able to nap yourself but you can't if baby is on you.

Graphista · 11/09/2017 01:52

My 'baby' is 16 and taller than me now and I know advice and knowledge changes but honestly for us co-sleeping, swaddling and dummies worked. I bf until she was 8 months old and only reason it had to stop was my milk dried.

I also got a tip from my mum when co-sleeping was no longer working (as mine and her dads natural sleep movements woke her) was to use a hot water bottle to warm the Moses basket/cot before laying her down.

Remember

Babies don't read books (or websites )

She's still learning too, you learn together.

Good luck and do what's right for you and her, a shocking amount of baby 'experts' that write books etc don't even have their own children.

CluelessMummy · 11/09/2017 02:53

My DD wouldn't go down at that age either. Things that helped us were warming her Moses basket up with a heat pack and using a worn-in T-Shirt of mine tucked in tightly as a sheet - once I'd got her to sleep in my arms I could put her down without her seeming to notice.

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