Sleeping arrangements

[Lulu90]

My little monkey (3 weeks old) isn't keen on his moses basket and I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong.

He goes down at 9pm every night with no problems whatsoever. Whether I put him in awake or asleep, we have no problems. He'll then wake up around midnight for a feed, putting him down after that feed is such a struggle. He could be asleep in my arms, as soon as I put him down, the screaming starts. Its not even a cry, its like an 'I am in physical pain' scream. I have tried letting him cry but the louder it gets, the more guilty I feel. If I lay him beside me in bed, he falls straight asleep although the mw has warned me to not do that when he's this young.

I also make a point of not putting him in his moses basket during the day so he learns that when he goes in it, it's bed time. Am I approaching this the complete wrong way?

I know a lot of people say theres no point trying to get a routine into place when he's this young, but I dont see the harm. Any advice would be greatly appreciated xx

 

[Toni.C]

Sounds like you are doing everything right to me. Alfie used to do the same, he'd fall asleep after his bottle and as soon as I'd put him down his little eyes would ping right open and we'd get screaming. The only way we got round this is I used to rub his tummy or stroke his head with a blanket until he stopped crying then I'd get into bed and he'd drift off on his own.

You could try one of those bedside cribs where you can drop the side so baby can still see you and you can put your hand on baby to reassure him.

 

[Orion]

I wouldn't avoid the Moses basket in the day. Any sleep time in the Moses basket is teaching them that's what it's for.

It could just be that they've got some wind and its uncomfy lying so flat on their back after their night feed. Your arms or matress won't be totally flat like the Moses basket. What I do is put him on his front and he'll fall asleep, then once I know it's deep sleep, I flip him onto his back.

 

[Lucyboo]

Have you tried raising the mattress underneath with a towel as if it'd wind the slight incline can help. We have one of those bedside cribs upstairs and our LO is happy in that and I reach over if she cries and she settles really quick. Have a moses basket downstairs and she refuses to lay in it . I sneak her in sometimes but can guarantee she will be awake within couple of mins . Also how far from bed is the moses basket? Just wondered if you tried moving it closer to you.

 

[MysticTeen]

Reem is the same. She doesn't scream though but she wakes up and starts looking around and will eventually start moaning and then crying. It drives me insane. I think she feels a little squashed as it is quite narrow. Hopefully she will sleep better when I get her a cot.
We currently co sleep as I have a kingsized bed to myself so plenty of space for both of us. She is on one end with her own blanket away from my pillow & duvet. But again she still isn't the best sleeper. It might be a stage they go through. Reem doesn't really cry but is always wide awake looking around and looking for her dummy that she drops every two minutes as she hasn't learnt how to keep it in yet. It is super frustrating as she goes down fine at 9 too. Sleeps until 1am, has a feed and then that's it. She gets sleepy and her eyes close but she fights it so much. Last night I started swaddling her at around 4am and she finally slept until 7:50 so not sure if she was just exhausted or the swaddling helped her. Today I'm not too bothered about putting her to sleep. She is still fighting it but I'm letting her fight it and hopefully by tonight she will be tired and not be able to fight it much after he usual bath etc.

 

[MysticTeen]

Sorry just realised j didn't directly answer your question. Reem never sleeps in her Moses basket. She always wakes up a few minutes after I put her down. Will see if she sleeps better in a cot.

 

[BunnyN]

It sounds totally normal at that age to me. Infact for him to go down between 9 and midnight on his own is fantastic. It certainly doesn't hurt to try having a routine just don't expect your baby to agree with you this early on . It does sound like, as another poster said , he could be suffering from wind after his feed.

 

[littlemonkey]

It could be a bit of wind or reflux after a feed causing discomfort. Hold your LO as upright as possible for 30 mins after a feed.

 

[Mrs M]

It could be worth going straight for the cot and completely missing out the moses basket!

 

[kumber]

Agree that it could be wind!

Some babies do just need cuddling to sleep too - he's been cuddled up in you for 9 months, hearing your heartbeat from inside you every minute of the day. Suddenly he's out in this big wide, loud and silent world, he's only a teeny 3 weeks, his automatic instinct is to get as close to you as possible. All this rod for your own back with cuddles is bullshit, the world is a terrifying place for a newborn.

Def don't avoid the Moses basket in the day, babies don't learn the difference between day and night until 3-4ish months so it won't cause any confusion at this age.

As much as it's exhausting, give him half an hour on your chest to let him drift into a deep sleep and then try putting him down. Have a muslin or his cellular with your smell on it in with him (wear it under your clothes for the rest of today for him tonight, and sleep on one every night so there's always one ready as you will need to swap them daily). He just needs to know that you're there as he can't really see unless you're about 20cm away.

 

[Browneyed Girl]

If you think he's in pain it could be colic. Does he arch his back and writhe about as if he's in pain? Does he have a gurgly tummy? We had a few nights of our baby doing that and the health visitor recommended Infacol which is suitable from birth. We've found he's been much more settled after feeds since we started using it and brings wind up easier. My baby isn't particularly keen on his Moses basket either and will only go in it if he's in a deep sleep otherwise he wakes up crying within seconds of going in it. At night he goes in a Chicco next to me crib but again he has to be carefully transitioned into it when fully asleep. I wouldn't avoid the Moses basket in the day as at this age I don't think they're aware enough anyway xx

 

[MysticTeen]

I just figured out the reason behind my daughters no sleeping is her still being hungry. She now has her usual 3 ounces, has a good few burps, then another ounce that knocks her out. Hopefully it will carry on by tonight.

 

[Mummybexee]

Colic?
Wind?
Reflux?
Cold?

Raise the basket at head end?
Warm it with a hot water bottle first?
Swaddle?

 

[MrsSmoo]

My daughter didn't sleep in her Moses basket either.
She kept waking herself up by sticking her arms out and touching the side of the basket. We put her in her cot from 2 weeks and her sleep gradually improved from then. By the time she was about 10 weeks we were down to one night waking per night.
The cot is worth a try. I probably wont even bother with the basket at all next time.x

 

[Lulu90]

Lucyboo - its right next to the bed, it doesnt seem to help unfortunately.

Thank you ladies. Great advice as per usual. I have terrible trouble winding him. We uae infacol but it is pretty hit and miss xx

 

[Browneyed Girl]

Lucyboo - its right next to the bed, it doesnt seem to help unfortunately.

Thank you ladies. Great advice as per usual. I have terrible trouble winding him. We uae infacol but it is pretty hit and miss xx

Might be worth trying Colief if Infacol doesn't seem to be working? My health visitor suggested either but as Infacol is cheaper she said to try it first. Hope you find something that works xx

 

[hellywelly]

Only suggestions like others have already said, but some did and didn't work for us!
- colic/wind - keep upright for a bit longer and get as much wind up as possible.
- try a bit more milk after the initial feed just in case they fell asleep before filling up
- swaddling
- dummy
- warming the moses basket with a hot water bottle before baby goes back in
- adding an extra mattress in the basket as they can be quite thin and uncomfy
- abandoning the moses basket altogether and go straight to the cot
- take the side off the cot and have it as a co sleeper
- sleep with a muslin then wrap it over the mattress so baby can smell you in the cot
- Euan the dream sheep
- Use a sleeping bag instead of blankets so the transfer from mummy arms to cot isn't as difficult as they are already snuggled up

Unfortunately, sometimes only mummy will do!!!

 

[xxcharliexx]

We use a sleepy head deluxe. They are not cheap but LO has slept great in it since he was born. We have it in a giant Moses basket we got from Germany but they can be put into cots. We also have it raised at an angle to as it definitely helps his wind. Hope you find something that works best for you xx