How to get 4 week old to sleep without walking/rocking for ages - is this possible?

[Welshygirl]

Hi i have 4 week old boy who fights sleep continually my husband or i always have to rock or walk him and he will only fall asleep in our arms. He also often wakes up when we finally put him down. Feel like i'm constantly holding him - any advice or is this normal for so young a baby?

Both mine were like it. I couldn't put ds1 down while he napped for 7 months!!!!
Ds2 is 11 weeks now, and at bedtime, I put him in the cot awake, place my hand on his side, you know where his legs meet his bum, and rock him while he is laying down instead of in my arms. Also during the day when he naps, I pik him up whilst he is asleep and move him somewhere else, so he gets used to eing moved without waking up. Even if you hold him and swap the arm you're holding him with, if he gets used to being moved but soothed right away, he may learn to not even wake when being moved. Or something.....

Yes its normal they want comfort at this age just think he has been tucked away all nice and snug a few weeks back and probably wants that as his comfort. It will get easier and when he is a bit bigger then he will fall asleep on his own without the rocking. Have you tried swaddling him in a blanket ? My dd had a swaddle blanket which was great because when I put her down it dident startle her as she was wrapped up tight.

Yes sounds normal DS almost 5 months, has to be cuddled to sleep.

ds did this. a swaddle helps, as does having the house warmer than you normally would. (I live in permafrost cottage!)

ds settled from this by 10-11 wks. (even if your ds doesn't, ignore the books, you won't be cuddling him to sleep forever.)

Sounds very normal. My first 3 were the same but after making a rofd for our own backs by cuddling ds1 to sleep all the time, we tried to be firmer with the others and by ds4, well, we just put him down to sleep and left the room and that was his lot - but he was fine with that! Depends on the baby's own personality but also how resiliant you are to leaving him to cry a bit. DS 3 would always cry pretty loudly JUST before he nodded off - many a time we'd be about to go into him to soothe him and find he'd just stop abruptly and be asleep!
Good luck - it'll only be a phase probably and you can always try withdrawing gradually from the room as time goes on so you're not left with an aching shoulder and setting up a habit that will be hard to kick later.

the miracle blanket (mothercare) was amazing for us - it worked a treat.