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Original poster

Advise with 7 week old

26 replies

burstingbug · 12/04/2005 20:04

Hello,
I'm in need of ideas on how to get my 7 week old boy to sleep in his mosses basket.
At the moment every night he sleeps on my chest and has done since birth, I know the longer I let this carry on the hareder it will become to wean him off of me. Everytime I put him down to sleep, he'll wake up within 5 minutes, he even naps on me or my husband in the day too.
I have tried putting one of my worn tops in his basket to no avail, trying the ticking clock technique at the moment.
Any ideas???? Thanks

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hermykne · 12/04/2005 20:08

burstingbug
my bil and sil did the samewith their ds at the samestage and u wont have any problems weaning him off the idea,
look it like this, he is only just out of your womb all cosywosy and he just wants your warmth, let him and eventually as he develops day by day he will become more content to sleep in the basket. their baby grew out of it and now likeshis cot.
while he is awake put him in it and get him useto it visually, put him in it he might cry let him go back and rubhis head and maybe he ll get use to the idea

hth

hermykne · 12/04/2005 20:10

mean to say "put him in it, leave him a few mins, he might cry but go back and rub his head to soothe"

good luck

Original poster
burstingbug · 12/04/2005 20:14

He'll keep crying till i pick him up, he was in his basket today, and cried so i went back after a while, sroked and rubbed him on his face and tummy, even tried his dummy.

OP posts:
marne · 12/04/2005 20:15

My dd wouldnt sleep in hers, Hv told me to try her in a cot so she can see out, she slept alot better. Alot of babys wont sleep in them as they like to be able to see whats going on. wy dd was 3 weeks when i put her in a cot.

Babyannabel · 12/04/2005 20:16

I know it seems a pain at the moment but it won't go on forever. Try putting his moses basket by your bed and stroking him while he goes to sleep. We had this for 4 months and I know it sounds a long time but dd is now 4 and sometimes I wish for the days of having her on my chest for hour upon hour. It is such a special time and goes so quickly so enjoy the closeness you have with your ds and keep trying - it will work out!

hermykne · 12/04/2005 20:21

burstingbug
its true what babyannabel says its such a short time in hindsight and it wont last, the crying may last/take a few days in the basket so dont be disheartened after just one day or afternoon, keep doing it and eventually the association will happen. 7 weeks is still so little, and i know u are tired etc from it all but it will pass.

Original poster
burstingbug · 12/04/2005 20:23

I think trying the cot might be a good idea if I still have no joy with the basket this week. We brought a cheap cctv kit before he was born so we can observe him in his room as his cot won't fit in ours. I just need to make sure that he has a good feed before I put him down so I don't have to keep getting up to feed him (he's a breastfed baby).

OP posts:
poppy101 · 12/04/2005 20:25

Used a crib for night sleeps and moses basket for day sleeps. Crib was good but found that the mattress wasn't so comfy. Will try and buy a nice thicker crib mattress for the next one

hermykne · 12/04/2005 20:29

burstingbug
my ds and dd both breastfed too, still feeding ds, i wouldnt ecpect a breast or fourmula feed baby to sleep for long at night at 7 wks, what way is your ds?

Original poster
burstingbug · 12/04/2005 20:31

I'll miss him when he sleeps on his own, I won't know what to do with myself!!
I'd prefer it if he did take to his basket.
When he's awake he'll lie in there quite happily and smile, coo and kick about.
He knows when you are putting him down if he's already asleep, I'll take him away from my body slowly and softly and ease him down on his back, slowly remove my hands from him and just watch his face crumple into a cry.

OP posts:
lovecloud · 12/04/2005 20:35

hello

i remember this like yesterday, we could not get dd inher moses basket the first 6 weeks but managed to nip it in the bud just then.

in the day i would put her in the moses basket after she was b/fed, although i wanted to hold her all the time i knew she had to get use to being there.

at night i would heat the mattress up by laying a hot water bottle down for a few minutes then removing it and laying her on the warm spot which would work until she woke for a feed and the spot would go cold.

then we put the moses basket between us on the bed and caressed her until she fell asleep. at 8 weeks we put her in a cot because she would wake herself up all the time by wacking her arms on the basket with that reflex motion they do when they swing their arms open.

good luck - dont let them be the boss of you yet, they do that when they turn two!!!

hermykne · 12/04/2005 20:37

crying is his way of talking to you too, b-in-b so maybe he is twelling u something, i know at ngiht that trick they all have of crying as soon as u out them into the cot, but that passes too!

Original poster
burstingbug · 12/04/2005 20:40

hermykne,
It's his way of saying get me outta here! I want cuddles

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Original poster
burstingbug · 12/04/2005 20:43

Lovecloud,

I had a failed attempt on the hot water bottle a while ago, he worked himself up so much it took hours to calm him down and he ended up on me yet again. But I shall give it another go.

OP posts:
nailpolish · 12/04/2005 20:46

bit contraversial here,

my dd2 was the same, liked sleeping on my chest. i used the hot water bottle thing, in the basket for a few minutes to warm up on top of a worn t shirt of mine, then i put her down on her front. she has always slept on her front, shes 6 mths old now, and goes to sleep on her own now, i put her down awake. i do realise this is against advice

Original poster
burstingbug · 12/04/2005 20:51

Nailpolish,
I think George might prefer sleeping on his front as he is used to it from sleeping that way on me. Maybe I'll try that for the daytime naps.

OP posts:
nailpolish · 12/04/2005 20:53

well that is what i thought when i first started thinking about it with dd2, and it worked

but please think carefully as it is against advice

i was reassured by my mum who said both my brother and i slept on our fronts

nailpolish · 12/04/2005 20:54

or try on his side? with a rolled up blanket to 'cuddle'

george is a great name btw!

Original poster
burstingbug · 12/04/2005 21:05

Thanks you'll laugh if I told you his full name
I have tried him on his side when he's in between me and dh and he seems to like it.
Right, think I have my plan...
Hot water bottle to heat the basket, place a rolled up top which I've worn in front of him and put him on his side.
Its worth a go!

OP posts:
juicychops · 12/04/2005 21:41

My DS slept in our bed until he was about 3 weeks then we put him in his moses basket. At first he hated it and would cry after 5-10 mins. We kept picking him up and putting him back in with us but i got fed up with it and didn't want him to get used to it. so we started putting him in his basket straight after his feed and leave him. He would cry and grizzle for 5-10 mins but then he would just suddenly stop making any noise. We kept having to check him to make sure he was ok! He just started to fall asleep on his own. He was fine after that. He is now in his cot.

Original poster
burstingbug · 13/04/2005 00:10

Just had him asleep in his basket for half an hour, not great but its a start

OP posts:
SamN · 13/04/2005 00:59

bursting bug, my ds1 hated the Moses basket and was far better when we moved him into the cot. Ds2 slept really well in the basket when a newborn and now sleeps with us, which works really well tbh (we have a superking size bed ).

But have you tried swaddling? I think that's one of the reasons ds2 slept so well when he was younger.

also, if you're still awake you might be interested in reading this research on normal sleep patterns in babies!

bobbybob · 13/04/2005 01:09

Just to reassure you that ds slept on our chests a lot when he was little and now likes to sleep completely on his own, in his cot with the door firmly closed and the light off. I know this because he demands it every night (he's 2). I'm glad I enjoyed those sleepy cuddles when he was little, because I can't get near him now.

Buy a sling or front pack for daytime sleeps so you can do stuff.

Original poster
burstingbug · 13/04/2005 18:19

Well, last night ds slept in between me and dh.
He had long sleep - I didn't even get to put him into his sleepsuit until he woke up at 5am! he had a feed and a nappy change and slept again for 5hrs between me and dh, so it was a good night.
So far today he's dozed off this afternoon on my lap in front of the pc, I put him in his bouncer and he's still sleeping now
must give him a nudge in a bit, he must be starving and in need of a nappy change and he'll never sleep tonight if he sleeps much longer!!

OP posts:
SamN · 13/04/2005 21:15

sounds great burstingbug, hope tonight is just as good

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