What are your top tips for getting a small baby to settle?

[memoo]

Because I am at a complete loss as to what to do with 7 week old DD. She gets really tired but cries if I out her down and is much better when I'm holding her.

Have been trying a sling but she seems to hate that too.

She is my 3rd so you think I'd have it all sussed by now but she clearly has different ideas!

Just cuddle her, have you tried swaddling her? She's so tiny I really wouldn't worry that she won't settle on her own yet. You won't "make a rod for your own back" by cuddling her to sleep

congrats

Congratulations on your little DD!
We used a sling but with DD in a "facing out" position because she hated being turned in towards us. It depends on your sling as to whether you can do that with such a tiny one though (head support etc).

Cuddles and more cuddles I would say. Will she let you sit down and cuddle her?

What sling are you using? There are loads of different types, perhaps we could recommend another - maybe even a local MNer might meet up and let you try one out.

TBH I used to just cuddle my DS at that age, but then he was my PFB - I appreciate it's not always possible with older ones!

She does like being swaddled but then cries again as soon as I put her down but will let me sit down and cuddle her most of the time.

I could quite happily sit and cuddle her all day but then once the older ones are home from school its really hard work trying to juggle the needs of all 3 of them.

I have a baby bjorn sling that DSIL lent me so its no hardship to buy another one if there are better ones out there

Tbh last night I reached complete meltdown point trying to cook tea, help with home work, giving older two some attention and all the time trying to calm DD who wouldn't settle and was crying for hours.

I ended up in tears myself which in turn upset DS who is 8, it was awful. DH gets home as soon as he can but often isn't here til half 6 or 7.

memoo you have my sympathies. When BabyG was born, he was my third too and its very difficult to juggle everything. Have you tried different places to put her down? BabyG loved being in one of those soft,padded rocker things, or laid on a padded mat in the middle of the floor, with older 2 playing around him. At 7 weeks though, IIRC, it was constant holding and yes, it IS exhausting.

If your baby is very cuddly, maybe a sling that cuddles her up to you more leaving your hands free would be better than a baby bjorn type? Google slingmeet, its a website, its pretty helpful re which sling.

My DS2 was like this, and as you say was v difficult at that time of night when you have to do tea etc for others. I ended up giving him a dummy at this time which helped a bit. By 6 months dummy was dropped so no long term issues from that.

I also had one terrible evening as you describe above wherre he just wouldnt settle....in the end i put him in his moses basket upstairs in the dark and he was asleep within 5 mins even though i had been rocking and soothing him forages. think he was one of those babies who got overstimulated and so the dark/quiet was what he needed.

On the sling front I would definitely try a stretchy wrap sling or a Close Baby Carrier if tying it seems too daunting (though it's quite easy when you get the hang of it - only about as complicated as tying shoelaces). The baby will feel more enclosed, it's like being swaddled and cuddled at the same time for them. You can also try a cradle position (baby lying down rather than upright) if she doesn't like the upright position.

Big Mama Slings are a good retailer, though I haven't checked if they are the cheapest.

Have you tried a vibrating bouncy chair?

White noise is good too, stick the hoover on or play a white noise CD.

Hello, I have a 7 week old too - We've moved on from the moses basket to a cot. He likes it much more - he would never go down in the moses basket but is quite happy to spent time flailing around in his cot even when not asleep - particularly since he loves the mobile (a basic thing with sheep and gates). I'm also getting him this hideous item because my friend says her 7 week old is transfixed by it and you can get a second-hand one for a fiver.

Warming the cot with a hot water bottle also helps a lot.

You could try "hiring a sling to try www.petitepoppet.co.uk"

My baby didn't settle well without bouncing or holding until 10 weeks, the he just grew out of needing it, so it could change. We used to bounce him to sleep using the gym ball and use a white noise cd to keep him asleep