Baby only sleeping on us

[novaclover]

Gave birth to DS1 two days ago and stayed on the ward overnight, where he slept really well through the night. The crib was a rocking one and quite small, and the ward was very warm.

We brought him home yesterday and since then he's been unable to settle unless one of us is holding him, usually on his chest. I did briefly get him to settle on his back on a pillow but only when my arm was still mostly wrapped around him. We've tried putting him to sleep in his cosleeping cot, on the bed (was getting desperate) and in a Nuna Leaf but no luck so far.

Am considering just giving in and letting him sleep on my chest but would really prefer not to as I want to avoid the SIDS risk. Any advice would be hugely appreciated!

My little one was exactly the same. The lifesaver was getting a Sleepyhead.

I've just sold her designer Moses basket on eBay as she never slept in it even once!

Hmm have you tried white noise, it water bottle in cot before hand so he’s outback on something warm? Our LO struggles (still) with sort of jumping himself awake when there’s nothing keeping him held in, so swaddling helped a little, or my husband would hold his arms next to him for a good few minutes before gradually releasing. He’s only little though so may just need a bit of time, it’s all scary and new!

Bloody autocorrect! So he’s put down on something warm! And scary and new for the baby!

Your lovely little baby boy has been snuggled and tucked up inside you for 9 months and wants to feel safe and feel your skin and heart beat. I'm still sitting here with DD3 at 15 weeks and she is very much attached to me pretty much all day long! Luckily she has learnt to lay down in the night time but only within the last 3 weeks or so. Good luck and please enjoy all of that skin to skin contact. Wish I had more with DD1!!

This is completely utterly normal.

The vast majority of babies will need to learn how to sleep away from you. It'll take a few weeks for him to get completely used to it. Some, like my DD1 will need to sleep on you for the first 6 months or so (which is when co-sleeping becomes a life saver!)

My DD did that. She was fine in hospital for the first 3 days and then she wouldn't settle in her cot (not co-sleeper). We kept trying though and we just co-slept if she didn't fall asleep in her own bed in half an hour.

After 3 months she did sleep only in her own cot. In between she used to start the night in it and then move to our bed after her nightfeed (she wouldn't settle otherwise).

If babies don't want to sleep anywhere but with you, they won't. Just co-sleep. It makes life so much easier in the beginning.

Absolutely normal. They sleep well that first night as they, like you, are exhausted from the birth

We slept in shifts for several weeks

please please don't put your baby on a pillow though. Your bed is safer (read up on safe co-sleeping)

And perhaps google the fourth trimester