baby only wants cuddles

[hopefulmummy]

My baby is 3 weeks old today. I am having trouble during the day putting him down for his sleeps. He screams and cries till he’s purple but then sometimes when I pick him up his eyes are closed within seconds and he’s sleeping almost immediately. I feel it is cruel to leave a baby this little to cry like that, but I don’t know what else to do. He isn’t hungry, dirty, or windy because as soon as I pick him up he stops. I don't want him to be reliant on me holding him to sleep during the day. I don’t have this problem at night, though, which I think is strange. I wonder if even at this young, they recognise routine. Every night and give him a bath and do a quiet feed in our room then pop him in his moses basket. I am breast feeding on demand so don't really have a routine during the day. I just try to feed, sleep, feed, sleep. But he is also a very alert baby and just loves looking around.

Can anyone suggest anything? Thanks xxx

 

[Maria1977]

He just wants to be close to you hun, he doesn't even realise he's not inside you anymore yet. Birth isn't easy for babies either so he just needs closeness and reassurance.

It's hard work those first couple of months, but make the most of it because they're not newborn for long!!

xxx

 

[Hope81]

Did you try swaddle him?

 

[tinytoes]

Swaddling is a great help , especially if you sleep with the blanket first , your smell witll provide comfort xxx

 

[frankie707]

Get yourself a sling, it helped me loads. I use a Kari-me sling but there's loads out there. I found it brilliant because it kept LO cuddled up close to me but meant I had both hands free to get on with stuff and be mobile, might help you out.

 

[JJ Mum]

I agree with Frankie, sling, soft baby carry etc brilliant!! Devon still prefers it now to anything else , although looking for another now as he is getting heavy, so worth looking into what will last you when buying

 

[hopefulmummy]

I wa thinking of a sling maybe I'll order one. I popped round to a friends today af she has a maternity nurse and I was telling her about this problem and se said I really nee to let him cry. Otherwise it teaches him bad habits... x

 

[Maria1977]

It's personal choice I guess, but I still can't leave my baby to cry. Especially when they're so young it's their only way to communicate to you that there is something wrong/they don't like.

 

[xxbeckyxx]

Personally I wouldn't leave a 3 week old to cry, but it depends on how desperate you are to resolve the situation!

When/if I have another baby I will try (easier said than done I know!) and cherish the times when my baby wants me as Lizzie has well and truly grown out of cuddles and I miss it! She hasn't slept on me since she was about 3 months old.

 

[hopefulmummy]

I totally agree - 3 weeks seems way way too early to be leaving them. I think if they are that distressed there must e something wrong. It's heartbreaking. X

 

[JJ Mum]

Personally I wouldn't leave a 3 week old to cry, but it depends on how desperate you are to resolve the situation!

When/if I have another baby I will try (easier said than done I know!) and cherish the times when my baby wants me as Lizzie has well and truly grown out of cuddles and I miss it! She hasn't slept on me since she was about 3 months old.

Devon is the same Becky! he has slept on me once recently by accident, but he fights sleep and has to be pushed or in his cot with me standing there, or his music cot thing on at bedtime. It's sad as my first baby used to sleep on me all day long, where as Devon only wants me as a way to get to things or to look around, allways busy and nosy! He won't let me sit down, so I walk around alot, we walk around and around the garden visiting my chickens !!

I should not get a bigger sling and get him to work on his clingness, but he is only little , if he needs some love and closeness - why not I say, (even if he does get his own way), his needs will change with age , rather than me have to snap him out of it.

 

[katietateypot]

My daughter was just like this, we bought a sling and i used to carry her around in it while i did my house work she would be asleep most of the time but at least i knew she was ok and if she did cry there was always a reason.

I personally couldn't leave her to cry and didnt until she was around 5-6 months old as i thought it was too early before then. Luckily things did calm down aot before then though and did get alot easier but just took us time

xxx