Need baby to sleep in cot!

[Hullabalooobs]

I’m getting so tired carrying baby (6 weeks) in a sling all day for naps. She will sleep (albeit not for long) in her cot at night time, but not at all in the day. Have tried everything- 5Ss, feeding to sleep, taking out of sling into cot when sleepy, getting baby to wake up in cot (from sling). Nothing is working! anyone have any tips?

Sleepyhead, Moses basket or pram instead?

Swaddle!

Just came to say good luck! DD1 wouldn't even sleep in the cot at night

Pram?

@Ohhhhmothermayi

Swaddle!

A nice tight one may work :) and someone I read was raving about a singing worm.... don't know if that still exists

Thanks for your replies. Unfortunately she is not napping in Moses or pram either. I haven't tried sleepyhead so could give that a go. I do swaddle her tightly, maybe it needs to be tighter!? She is a tall baby and very kicky! As soon as I put her down in the cot (or basket, pram etc) she is immediately awake and I have to start all the soothing all over again. She does fall asleep quite quickly in sling, so lucky she gets some sleep and I have my hands free I guess. Just getting me down! Feel quite trapped.

@grey12

Just came to say good luck! DD1 wouldn't even sleep in the cot at night

Oh no! That must have been tough. How did you cope? Thanks for the luck! X

By cot do you mean a full size cot or a bedside crib? At 6 weeks both are probably far too big, try a Moses basket or the pram bassinet (if it’s ok for overnight sleeping) and/or swaddles.

Babies like feeling snug and cocooned I meant to finish with.

Ds1 had about 10 cot naps ever unfortunately, not for lack of trying. Try a sleepyhead. Do you breastfeed? If so, try feeding her laying down til she nods off. Has she a dummy? If nit really really cobsider one (I didn't for dc1, dc2 had one from very eay, I had to persevere with it but it was a game changer).

@Luckyelephant1

By cot do you mean a full size cot or a bedside crib? At 6 weeks both are probably far too big, try a Moses basket or the pram bassinet (if it’s ok for overnight sleeping) and/or swaddles.

Yes, I am trying to get her to nap in her next to me. She's also nod nodding off in Moses or bassinet. I haven't tried sleepyhead so this is something I can give a go, thanks. She def wants to be all warm and cosy and next to me, I understand why, just finding the reality of constantly wearing in a sling very tough!

@ImFree2doasiwant

Ds1 had about 10 cot naps ever unfortunately, not for lack of trying. Try a sleepyhead. Do you breastfeed? If so, try feeding her laying down til she nods off. Has she a dummy? If nit really really cobsider one (I didn't for dc1, dc2 had one from very eay, I had to persevere with it but it was a game changer).

I will def try the sleepyhead. I am breastfeeding and funnily enough that move will work somewhat at nighttime, but not for daytime naps. I'll keep persevering. I do have a dummy but she seems to have gone off it so going to buy another and try that.

Are you waiting until she's properly asleep when you put her down? She needs to be in a very deep sleep before she is put down or she will wake up

Will she sleep in the pram if you keep moving? I hated a sling because I just wanted to be alone for a bit, but mine would nap for ages in the pram if I kept walking.

@bravelittlepenguin

Are you waiting until she's properly asleep when you put her down? She needs to be in a very deep sleep before she is put down or she will wake up

I'm trying, but perhaps not deep enough sleep. I usually feed to sleep and when she drops off the boob I'll rock for a little while before putting her down. Do you have any tips for helping to get in a deep sleep? Thanks ☺️

@whatswithtodaytoday

Will she sleep in the pram if you keep moving? I hated a sling because I just wanted to be alone for a bit, but mine would nap for ages in the pram if I kept walking.

Yes, def need some space to myself! On the rare occasion she has gone down in her pram, she tends to wake up shortly afterward and will scream constantly until picked up, even if I keep walking. Thanks for the suggestion though x

@Hullabalooobs no tips! You just have to wait for a while- it can be ages- maybe 20 minutes until they are really deeply asleep. Try lifting her arm - if when you let go it just drops down heavily then it's a good sign they're asleep. Mine don't love being put down from a cosy space into a big, cold one either (ie from arms to cot). Mine is better when put down in the day into a sleepyhead or the bassinet from our double buggy which is much more narrow than a standard bassinet.

Other tips to try- when you put her down rock whatever you put her in for a while, when you put her down put your face close to her and shush in her face (sounds random but she will know you're still close), when you put her down keep holding her for a little while (eg I often hold her arms down next to her or on her very gently so that she feels "held" and isn't immediately woken up by her startle reflex), white noise loudly on a white noise machine or even on a phone near their head (choose one track and play it on repeat). I know others have also had success with a hot water bottle to warm the space first before you put them down or putting something that smells of you into the cot eg a t shirt you've worn the day before

I usually feed to sleep and when she drops off the boob I'll rock for a little while before putting her down. Do you have any tips for helping to get in a deep sleep?

● Swaddle before the feed.
● Do the feed with baby swaddled.
● When done, dummy in...
● Immediately lift to shoulder and rub back
(This will rouse baby slightly, but dummy allows for continued comfort sucking)
● Once you get a burp, put baby down*

• there is a knack to it. ○ Keep baby on your shoulder. ○ You bend down so baby stays in same position relative to you (against your torso, on your shoulder) ○ Bend until baby's back touches mattresses, you hovering above with continued full body contact ○ Slowly pull backwards, leaving your hand spread on baby's chest to replace the weight if your contact. ○ Keep replacing dummy, tap dumny to encourage sucking. Stay with hand on chest until mouth goes slack and dummy drops.

Also

• Feed more than you think baby needs
• Very little awake time between naps. Expect 40-60 mins

It isn't recommended but I found a bouncy chair was invaluable for a daytime nap when I needed to have my hands free/go to the loo/grab a cuppa etc. I wouldn't leave dd unattended for more than a couple of minutes but it did allow me to have one nap time where I wasn't stuck under a small baby.

She won't entertain the idea of it now but it was very helpful at the time!

@FATEdestiny

I usually feed to sleep and when she drops off the boob I'll rock for a little while before putting her down. Do you have any tips for helping to get in a deep sleep?

● Swaddle before the feed.
● Do the feed with baby swaddled.
● When done, dummy in...
● Immediately lift to shoulder and rub back
(This will rouse baby slightly, but dummy allows for continued comfort sucking)
● Once you get a burp, put baby down*

• there is a knack to it. ○ Keep baby on your shoulder. ○ You bend down so baby stays in same position relative to you (against your torso, on your shoulder) ○ Bend until baby's back touches mattresses, you hovering above with continued full body contact ○ Slowly pull backwards, leaving your hand spread on baby's chest to replace the weight if your contact. ○ Keep replacing dummy, tap dumny to encourage sucking. Stay with hand on chest until mouth goes slack and dummy drops.

Also

• Feed more than you think baby needs
• Very little awake time between naps. Expect 40-60 mins

This is generally good advice apart from swaddle before the feed- it's not recommended to swaddle before feeding as babies use their hands to help them to feed and it can also affect their feeding position. You should always unswaddle to feed.

I agree with all your tips about how you lower them down though 😂. Gosh it's a real minefield isn't it!!

[quote bravelittlepenguin]@Hullabalooobs no tips! You just have to wait for a while- it can be ages- maybe 20 minutes until they are really deeply asleep. Try lifting her arm - if when you let go it just drops down heavily then it's a good sign they're asleep. Mine don't love being put down from a cosy space into a big, cold one either (ie from arms to cot). Mine is better when put down in the day into a sleepyhead or the bassinet from our double buggy which is much more narrow than a standard bassinet.

Other tips to try- when you put her down rock whatever you put her in for a while, when you put her down put your face close to her and shush in her face (sounds random but she will know you're still close), when you put her down keep holding her for a little while (eg I often hold her arms down next to her or on her very gently so that she feels "held" and isn't immediately woken up by her startle reflex), white noise loudly on a white noise machine or even on a phone near their head (choose one track and play it on repeat). I know others have also had success with a hot water bottle to warm the space first before you put them down or putting something that smells of you into the cot eg a t shirt you've worn the day before [/quote]
Thanks so much for your reply. I have tried some of these things but probably not for long enough or all together so I will keep persevering!!

@FATEdestiny

I usually feed to sleep and when she drops off the boob I'll rock for a little while before putting her down. Do you have any tips for helping to get in a deep sleep?

● Swaddle before the feed.
● Do the feed with baby swaddled.
● When done, dummy in...
● Immediately lift to shoulder and rub back
(This will rouse baby slightly, but dummy allows for continued comfort sucking)
● Once you get a burp, put baby down*

• there is a knack to it. ○ Keep baby on your shoulder. ○ You bend down so baby stays in same position relative to you (against your torso, on your shoulder) ○ Bend until baby's back touches mattresses, you hovering above with continued full body contact ○ Slowly pull backwards, leaving your hand spread on baby's chest to replace the weight if your contact. ○ Keep replacing dummy, tap dumny to encourage sucking. Stay with hand on chest until mouth goes slack and dummy drops.

Also

• Feed more than you think baby needs
• Very little awake time between naps. Expect 40-60 mins

Really appreciate you taking the time to write this! I def don't have the knack. Tried with this yesterday to limited success but going to keep practicing. I have some Hope now with everyone's suggestions. She's in the sling right now but going to really work on this. I'm not sure how much longer I can carry on wearing her at every nap so will have to!! X

@Burgerqueenbee

It isn't recommended but I found a bouncy chair was invaluable for a daytime nap when I needed to have my hands free/go to the loo/grab a cuppa etc. I wouldn't leave dd unattended for more than a couple of minutes but it did allow me to have one nap time where I wasn't stuck under a small baby.

She won't entertain the idea of it now but it was very helpful at the time!

Thank you 🙏

It really is!!

Listen to Fate. I'm still grateful for all the advice I had when mine were babies!