Help please! No sleep in pram??

NoSleepMum2023 · 2023-07-06T12:37:05+00:00

Hello desperate for some help or tips here! My 8 week old baby won’t sleep in the cot during the day - and not that well at night either 😵💫 - but my first one also never really slept in the cot during the day and I can cope with that. What I really struggle with is that he also won’t sleep in the pram at all!! Nor will he lay peacefully awake… basically he nods off for maybe 20’ then starts fussing and eventually screaming his head off to the point I have to pick him up. His brother slept for hours in the pram at this age if we went for walks so I’m really at a loss as to what to do - I can’t spend all day in the house holding him… I tried a white noise machine, a Rokit, all kinds of different nap timings, taking the hood down, leaving it up, a dozen different blankets… no joy. Does anyone have any tips? I was thinking maybe a sheep skin liner but it’s quite an investment and not sure it will make a difference…

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GinnyBee · 06/07/2023 13:45

Mine hated his pram until I swapped out the carrycot to the seat unit at around 3 months, then he tolerated it for short periods. As a result I own like two structured carriers, two stretchy wraps, a ring sling and three wovens. He has spent a lot of his life strapped to me!

parietal · 06/07/2023 13:56

walk. keep pushing the pram, keep it moving, ignore the wiggles and just keep going.

8 week is still very young - keep trying an in another week he may have got used to the pram.

Original poster

NoSleepMum2023 · 06/07/2023 13:56

Oh dear that is worrying 😂 for some reason I thought all babies loved sleeping in prams or buggies when on the move?? At the same time it is weirdly reassuring because I keep feeling I must be doing something wrong…

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Original poster

NoSleepMum2023 · 06/07/2023 13:57

Yes perhaps I am also stopping too often… it’s true he is still very little! Just feels daunting to think it might be so tricky to ever go anywhere…

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Miekle · 06/07/2023 14:01

Can you wear a sling? If so, keep trying with the pram, but when he gets too upset switch him to the sling for a bit and keep walking. He'll likely get more used to the pram, but if he doesn't it's only temporary. If he's robust and head control good you may be able to switch to a semi upright buggy around five months. He should like seeing out.
If you can't wear a sling it is definitely trickier.
He doesn't have reflux or silent reflux does he? Since you mentioned he doesn't sleep well lying flat anywhere.

cocksstrideintheevening · 06/07/2023 14:15

I couldn't stop walking with DTs at that age. I walked and walked and walked. At least I lost some weight and god help anyone that tried to stop me to chat!

Original poster

NoSleepMum2023 · 06/07/2023 14:16

Miekle · 06/07/2023 14:01

Can you wear a sling? If so, keep trying with the pram, but when he gets too upset switch him to the sling for a bit and keep walking. He'll likely get more used to the pram, but if he doesn't it's only temporary. If he's robust and head control good you may be able to switch to a semi upright buggy around five months. He should like seeing out.
If you can't wear a sling it is definitely trickier.
He doesn't have reflux or silent reflux does he? Since you mentioned he doesn't sleep well lying flat anywhere.

He does spit up a bit and gets quite gassy - but he sleeps well lying down so long as someone’s holding him… so I don’t think it’s that. I have some pelvic girdle pain still but I guess the sling might have to be the way to go for now…!

i had a very difficult pregnancy following lots of losses and I was super anxious throughout so partly I blame myself and think maybe he ‘absorbed’ some of that and just wants to stay close.

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Original poster

NoSleepMum2023 · 06/07/2023 14:17

cocksstrideintheevening · 06/07/2023 14:15

I couldn't stop walking with DTs at that age. I walked and walked and walked. At least I lost some weight and god help anyone that tried to stop me to chat!

😂 this made me lol! I guess it would also help me save money if I can’t stop in any shops ever…

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Merrow · 06/07/2023 14:18

I've got a pram (and cot!) refuser, he's currently asleep on me in the sling, which is the only way he gets any sort of half decent sleep.

PeachesOnTheBeaches · 06/07/2023 14:20

NoSleepMum2023 · 06/07/2023 14:16

He does spit up a bit and gets quite gassy - but he sleeps well lying down so long as someone’s holding him… so I don’t think it’s that. I have some pelvic girdle pain still but I guess the sling might have to be the way to go for now…!

i had a very difficult pregnancy following lots of losses and I was super anxious throughout so partly I blame myself and think maybe he ‘absorbed’ some of that and just wants to stay close.

Show quote history

No, that’s your anxiety talking.

All babies are biologically wired to stay close to their mums. Google the 4th trimester.

Original poster

NoSleepMum2023 · 06/07/2023 14:22

Merrow · 06/07/2023 14:18

I've got a pram (and cot!) refuser, he's currently asleep on me in the sling, which is the only way he gets any sort of half decent sleep.

I think I had it too easy with my first one and was expecting all babies to be as chilled out as him!

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VivaVivaa · 06/07/2023 14:22

Sorry, another parent of a DC who screamed his head off in the pram after minutes, asleep
or awake, moving or still. He was better in the sling, although I’d weirdly have to walk outside at relative speed to get him to sleep, he wouldn’t just nod off in it in the house. I’d quite often be able to come home when he was asleep though if I didn’t want to stay out, but he’d know the minute I sat down! I was very fit in the newborn period 😂

Would tolerate the pram by 4 months and was actually quite happy in it by 6 months, but never slept in it im afraid!

Merrow · 06/07/2023 14:28

DS2's main role in life seems to be to make sure I know that all the confidence I gained from DS1 is utterly misplaced.

He's lucky he's cute.

Original poster

NoSleepMum2023 · 06/07/2023 14:30

Well, it’s a relief to know I’m not alone!! I will try the pram/sling combo and also the ‘keep walking like a bat out of hell’ tip and keep everything crossed but at least it sounds like I’m not doing anything obviously wrong!! Thanks everyone x

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Hazelnuttella · 06/07/2023 14:36

Mine took a long time to fall asleep in the pram.
He seemed to prefer the car seat attachment rather than the carry cot.

Caspianberg · 06/07/2023 14:37

Get a pram carrycot sheepskin liner. Honestly changed how long Ds would happily lay in pram ( it had slits in also for later pram harness, so we used until he was around 2 years) - gabe and grace I think
it stopped his startling him so much I think and is cool in hot months and warm in winter due to natural properties

Original poster

NoSleepMum2023 · 06/07/2023 14:50

Caspianberg · 06/07/2023 14:37

Get a pram carrycot sheepskin liner. Honestly changed how long Ds would happily lay in pram ( it had slits in also for later pram harness, so we used until he was around 2 years) - gabe and grace I think
it stopped his startling him so much I think and is cool in hot months and warm in winter due to natural properties

Ah so it did help in your case? Uhm tempted to try it - I’ll try anything now 😂

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InTheFutilityRoomEatingBiscuits · 06/07/2023 14:56

2 out of 3 or my DC have never slept in a pram or pushchair and the one who did only ever did in one of those super cheap, folding upright £10 Argos pushchair type things when aged 18 months plus. So it’s nothing you or the pushchair is doing wrong!

Caspianberg · 06/07/2023 15:03

@NoSleepMum2023 - yes. He still was never a long napper. But at say 2 months he was happy to be pushed in pram a while, maybe 30-45 min nap, then wake and happy if walking. We used the carrycot indoors also for naps ie walk up and down road or around garden to sleep, then wheel indoors

MaverickSnoopy · 07/07/2023 05:50

My second didn't want to sleep at all, even when held. I tried the sling but she hated it. In the end I persisted with the sling and did a lot of shhhing and patting and the sling worked. Once she was napping in the sling she slept at night in her crib (although I got her a swaddle bag). Google dr harvey karp the 5 S's - it's a game changer.