Problem with 7 weeks old boy

[Elina04]

Hello to everyone,
my 7 weeks old baby boy always falls asleep in my arms, after I breastfeed him or give him the bottle, but when I put him in his moses basket he wakes up and he is crying. In the night we struggle to put him to sleep and he doesn't sleep before 2-3am. I don't know what to do, I have tried many things (music, bath, massage etc) but nothing seems to comfort him. I can't continue like that, I am in the stage that I can't go to the bathroom because he is crying. I will apreciate any kind of advice!!

7 weeks is very, very early (bet it doesn't feel like it though!).

In the daytime, try to let him sleep in your arms - it's OK to do this and you can both rest (or watch TV, or Mumsnet, or read and eat biscuits ). When you want to move around a wrap sling like a Moby or a KariMe is great because you can carry him close and he will sleep well in there. It's possible he's getting overtired with lack of sleep in the daytime and then finding night times harder as a result. I think getting plenty of daytime sleep is crucial to help them sleep better in the night.

At that age my DS would go mad if we tried any sort of music, baths, etc at night. By that time he was too tired and the stimulation was way too much for him - much better is to have quiet time in the late afternoon, wear him in a sling at that time of day and try to minimise stimulation. In a few weeks this will all be a distant memory, I promise

Also, try to get outside for a time every afternoon - there's some evidence that exposure to daylight in the early afternoon can help a baby get its nightly sleep rhythm in order more quickly.

Hope some of that helps

Thank you IAte... ,
He is sleeping during the day but... In my arms, If I put him down he wakes up and he wants holding!!!
I will try getting him outside for a little while though.

Thank you for the advice

Poor you - no better advice than from IAte but if you can possibly take it in turns with someone Dp? to hold him and comfort him. 7 weeks is very little to be sleeping in any consistent way in my experience and it sounds like you have done everything you can to gently encourage.. It will happen soon I know it is so exhausting... He is waking up because he needs to and something is bothering him, maybe take him to gp for check if it's still going on on monday? Congratulations by the way, and good luck should be lots of good advice on here.

It's normal for them to want to be held - we had a moses basket and a cot both gathering dust at that stage. If he wants to be held then just go with it if you can - it will pass, you won't still be holding him when he's 5 - in fact, this time next year you'll be looking back with nostalgia because it was so nice to be able to cuddle him - as soon as he's moving around he'll be up and off and won't stay still for a moment!

It will pass, I promise - lots of cuddling until then is fine, and won't, whatever anyone tries to tell you, cause bad habits

I agree with IAte. Also you could try one or all of the following. Warm the area you're going to put him down with a water bottle first. Lay him on a jumper that smells of you. Use a lambskin. swaddle. white noise ie extractor fan, hair dryer. Have you tried taking him into the bathroom while you shower? Keep him close by at night so he can hear and smell you. (can you take one of the sides off the cot and put it right against the bed or do you feel comfortable co-sleeping?)

It's a very difficult, trying time having a new baby, especially one that won't be put down ever. It will get better though. It really is very very early days. Good luck

Thanks for your replies, I hope things improve but its comforting to hear that this is normal.

We had some success inching DS veeeeerrrrry slowly from us into the moses basket - I would swaddle him midway through the feed (if he wasn't still swaddled from previous sleep), and drape another blanket over him, so he stayed really warm as I inched him to the moses basket (which was kept on the bed for a couple of days for minimum change in height/distance).

If he won't be horizontal at all, even on you, it may be worth investigating reflux?

It's common for babies at that age to have some reflux (without it being GERD). This was certainly the case for DS, who would not sleep in his cot. We got a Fisher Price Rocker, which has a stand that lets it be an inclined bed, which worked a treat at minimising the reflux and maximising the sleep. It was fab as could be right next to the bed (which is low), too.

A warm hot water bottle in the spot where you will lay down DS stops the shock the of the cold bed waking him up, worked for DS