My first 9 day old won't settle unless held

[MummyNads]

Hi all,

Just curious to know the imaginative ways you may have conqured your newborn baby not being able to settle in anything other than your arms which of course is not practical at night because I can't get even a few hours sleep. Not comfortable to sleep with baby in my arms either in case she rolls off me and I don't want it to be a case where either my husband and I have to sacrifice sleep if she sleeps. I've tried the hot water bottle in moses basket no luck, I've tried swaddling no luck, I've tried a warm bath and big feed to knock her out no luck and I've tried white noise during sleep. She's a tad fussy but I know I need to keep in mind she is only 9 days old.

Any tips from some more experienced mummy's?

And congratulations

Have you tried burping/winding effectively? It’s a game changer for me and my 5 week old.
I had an EMCS with complications and she’s a massive baby so I couldn’t hold her very much.
She sleeps for good stretches in the daytime on her dockatot (with monitoring as it’s not really meant for sleeping) and from about midnight to 6am in her crib (formula fed with mix of pumped breast milk) which I’m astonished about. I thought I should maybe wake her at 3am for a feed but HV insisted on not waking a sleeping baby.
The first few nights were rough because she wouldn’t settle but I realised she wasn’t getting enough formula. Paced feeding with burping a lot during the feed helps too.
I find if she needs burping she just won’t settle until the wind gets out.
Good luck! X

That's good to know and re assuring!

I miss holding my babies while they slept. I know it's so hard, but this stage will pass and you will honestly miss it!

Safe co sleeping is definitely the way to go. Especially if you can crack feeding laying down in bed (if you are breastfeeding) it's a game changer.

I guess I was nervous that of someone is constantly holding her she would never grow out of it and sleep in her own bed etc

@MummyNads the EXACT opposite will happen. The more she’s held in the early weeks and months, the more confident and independent she will become

With ds it was safe co- sleepin in the early few months but with dd I got a next to me crib and if I put my arm over and rested my hand next to her cheek she settled to sleep. An odd sleeping position but it worked

congratulations on your baby.

swaddling saved my sanity at that stage - the most secure swaddle possible, plus some white noise and minimal lighting.

Also, baby & I slept in a different room to DH so that he could get a good nights sleep and then take over from 5am to let me get a good few hours of sleep.