Advice please - DS will only sleep on us

[Gimli]

So, if he's inclined to sleep (and has been getting better) he sleeps on me until the early hours then DW.
People keep telling us its a habit we will have to break, but so far it is simply the only way he will sleep. He's rejected Cot, Moses basket, even sleeping alongside DW. She has found a way of him sleeping on her which isn't too uncomfortable. I just stay awake while he's on me.
DW tells me lots of people she's come across (some here) have had the same problem. My question is - how did you get them out of this and at what age did you do it.
We have a hammock now and are going to try that. He's managed an hour in it, and did (once) spend five hours asleep in his carrycot after a pram ride.

How old is he?

I think lots of babies do this. Mine always slept better when he was on me. Not sure I can help with stopping it. I used to nap with DS on me and put him in his crib at night. He woke up a lot though. I tend to go with the 'whatever works' school of parenting. I suppose you just have to keep trying things until you find something that you are all happy with.

Sorry, am sure someone more helpful will come along soon.

Ten weeks. Won't go in his Moses basket or cot for any longer than a couple of mins before screaming!

Hello CalintineFrauers

Colic much better thanks. Still has difficulties with wind but think we are over the worst (at least for now). Cranial osteo and infacol must have done the trick
Had a difficult few days recently, but we and gp think he had a cold.

That's interesting because DS prefers to be on his side when sleeping on us. Will mention to DW.

Do you swaddle him? That used to help my DS. I'd always put him in his crib on his back but he'd often wriggle around and end up on his side. I love it when they look like they've been dropped on you from a great height.

Tried that - he's always hated it, and inevitably kicks the blankets off himself while working up into a first class state! He does like the sling where he's all cuddled in the padding tho. Goes to sleep in it and we tried lowering him into the hammock like that. That was when he managed the hour.

My DS did this, eventually (3 months ish maybe) he would allow himself to be rolled off and would sleep next to me. No tips I'm afraid - I just got too exhausted to do anything other than go with it (then we all slept much better!)

Gimli this sounds a bit like my ds. He screamed 2hrs every night before sleep, and was also the baby who Would Not Be Put Down.

I got a sling for the day (also learned to MN one-handed ) and just accepted I had to hold him. A lot. As in, all the time. (MN really helped me get my head round this, thank goodness.)

At night, curiously, he was okay with his cot - though as he fed every 2hrs this still meant a lot of time with me. And when he woke at 4:30 or 5, there was no getting him back to sleep except on me.

He did spontaneously get a lot better around the 12-week mark. Now he's 10m he naps well and sleeps about half the night in his cot. He naps better if one of us lies down beside him and he spends the other half of the night in bed with us. We only have a double so it's squishy, but it's only a problem when he's teething (and then it's not the co-sleeping that's the issue, IYSWIM.)

I do have one friend who did CC with her ds at your ds's age, a prospect that horrifies me (and still makes her shudder, 7 years later, though she also still thinks it was worth it ), but for us, going with what ds wanted has turned out okay. The really hard part lasts for such a short time, you won't believe it - and if anyone had told me then I'd be saying that now I would've screamed at them, I was going so mental with all the sitting and the holding - in fact there are a few MNers I still owe apologies to . hth.

Gimli - could you get one of those bears with the womb noises/heart beat noises to lay him next to?

He might think he's lying with you then.

Or when you lay him down, leave you hand on his tummy until you know he won't wake up. They sometimes startle if you lie them in the cold moses basket and let go stright away. We used to have to leave our warm hand on their tummies for a good while until we knew they wouldn't wake. Also good idea to warm the basket with a water bottle (then remove it) before lying him down.

Have you tried a growbag? My dd was exactly the same until I got on of these. She actually went down in her cot the first night we tried it- I was amazed as she was not having it at all before!

I have her cot up next to our bed with the side off so easy access for breastfeeding - don't know if that made a difference. (btw - you can get growbags in tkmax for £10 less than usual).

Also, have you tried a dummy? This fixed the evening screaming for us - settles her right down and she's straight off if tired, although I know a lot of babies won't take them. Was a lifesaver for us though!

Hi Luciemule -
DW has found one and we are going to order it.
Mummyburgy - We have tried the dummy but if he's really cross he spits it out after 30 secs. Works sometimes and the nuk ones are good.
We were going to have a go at trying the hammock again last night but he was really disturbed, culminating in him throwing up all over me while being burped (the first time he's projectile vomited - yeeeucch). Stayed up until 2.30 until DW took over. Fine now, sleeping angelically at 10.40am. On me.
Being freelance has its advantages.

Just seen this - I tried one of those bears in desperation, it didn't work (but you never know). I gave it away (didn't work for them either) or you could have had it. I've just listed it on another thread as the worst thing I bought!!

Time I think was the only thing that helped. Being carried a lot in the day seemed to make him a bit more settled in the evening (1hr crying rather than 3 hours)

Gimli - how many cranial osteo seesions did you have ?
Perhaps a few more might settle him more at night.
Hope the bear works - at least if it doesn't work on the baby, it'll work on you! I found it very soothing!!!