Help! Won't sleep unless she's held

finnybooboo · November 2013

DD is a little over a week now and we're having a lot of issues with her not wanting to sleep unless she's held. She also seems to be going through a cluster/growth spurt phase because it seems like anytime she's awake she wants to eat.

Ever since we were at the hospital we've had the issue with the sleeping thing. She hated the bassinet there. We got home and started using our pack n play with the infant napper and I slept on the couch for the first few days. She did ok at first. Last night we brought the pack n play to our bedroom though and she wanted nothing to do with it. No matter how deeply alseep she was, within minutes she'd figure out she wasn't being held and start crying. In order to get some sleep I had to have her sleep on my chest. Though I'm confident she was ok last night, I know that isn't safe or an ok solution for any amount of time.

Anyone have suggestions??

blondolphn · November 2013

She may like the incline of your chest. Maybe ask your pedi if you can use a crib wedge.

mancila60 · November 2013

I'm in the same boat. Sometimes the swing works but he has to be out first. Or at my moms he'll sleep on the crib mattress out of the crib but that's it. We are almost 6 weeks and he started this like 2 weeks ago. Before that he would sleep fine.

hlb622 · November 2013

Oh, @finnybooboo, we shared the same due date (and maybe even the same delivery date?) and now I think our kiddos are long-lost twinsies.

The night our LO was born was one of the most frustrating nights of my entire life. We'd been up for 48 hours and LO wouldn't sleep unless he was being rocked by me. The next night was no different.

Swaddling helped a little because his startle reflex was so strong; he kept waking himself up everything his hands moved. He also preferred to sleep on his side; the nurse discovered this by putting him in the bassinet that way.

I also discovered that DH must have some magic touch because he can put him down to sleep, but I couldn't.

What seems to have saved the day (and our nights, and overall sanity) is the Rock & Play. It provides a slight incline, as well as coziness, similar to what you offer with chest sleeping. Plus, it rocks (literally and metaphorically) and vibrates. He's never asleep longer than 2-3 hours, but it works for us.

I asked about a one-week growth spurt yesterday, because I literally sat on the couch with my boobs out yesterday and he fed every hour on the hour, for a half-hour. And he never napped longer than 15-20 minutes. I'm. So. Tired.

I deft feel you, mama. >:D< I hope you get some sleep soon.

P.S. Sorry for rambling. I actually had 5 minutes with both thumbs free. :-bd

babyLOLO13 · November 2013

I agree a pp. My Lo does not like being glad on his back. The rock and play w the slight incline was the key . We swaddle him up and use RNP and it works like a charm

ap2000 · November 2013

I agree with the suggestions re: slight incline. Our pedi recommended folding a receiving blanket and putting it under the pack n play "mattress." The other thing that has been a lifesaver in our house is using a heating pad to warm the PNP before we set her down. I hesitated w/that one because it seemed like such a pain, but I swear it's magic.

taylormarie923 · November 2013

The only thing that works for me is the boob. He has a two hour window every night where he wants to constantly be latched, even though he isn't nursing. I've quit fighting him on it and let him sit there until he will finally let me put him down. If he wakes and starts crying, he goes back on the boob and in a little while we try again.

RedZee · November 2013

Both my girls would only sleep when held or next to me for the first week. It got a bit better after that.

Painterlady · November 2013

Rock and play all the way. It's been a life saver for me.

cvjoyner · November 2013

I'm in the same boat as you. She'll lay in something else but only for a few minutes before she realizes she not on me. I've been sleeping with her on my chest at some point at night just to get more than ten minutes of sleep at a time. My mom suggested that I wear a shirt all day and put it under the sheet of her bassinet so that it smells like me. Then take a heating pad to warm it up so that when I put her down its kind of like she's laying on my chest. I'm going to try it because even though she's been fine this far sleeping on my chest, I don't like the idea of anything happening.

ncase2 · November 2013

Omg - I logged on this morning just to ask for suggestions about this exact thing! We have tried everything - DS HATES being swaddled, and we had an hour and 1/2 standoff last night, trying everything to get him to sleep in his bassinet only to have him scream the entire time. We tried the heating pad, swaddling, pacifier, boob, incline, etc. needless to say, LO won that battle and ended up sleeping happily on my chest at about 2am when I gave up. I'm just hoping this is a phase and that I'm not starting bad sleep habits. Everything I read says 2 weeks is too early to start sleep training or letting him cry it out. So frustrated!

Mama2be12345 · November 2013

This was us exactly for the first full week, then finally she started to fall asleep in her RNP. We have to swaddle her up tight, we use a halo sleep sack, I turn on the ceiling fan, set the RNP to vibrate and give her her pacifier. She usually fusses quietly for anywhere from 15-60 minutes but she always falls asleep now. She will sleep 2.5-4 hours then wake up crying and I feed her for 20 minutes then back in the RNP she goes. Last night I also turned on baby music mixed with white noise to help both of us sleep and she seemed to settle down a little quicker. I just searched for baby white noise on my spotify app. Hope some of these suggestions work for you!

ballygirl · November 2013

My girls will only sleep in the rock and plays. They hate lying flat in the crib! My pedi gave us the ok to sleep in the rnps at night.

ccantill · November 2013

Just wanted to say thank u for OP for asking. We just started using the RnP last night and it has made a huge difference but I was nervous using it. I'm glad I'm not the only one!!

allieb543 · November 2013

Mine sleeps in the RnP at night and naps in his bassinet during the day. Whatever works! Good luck!!

kimbo1216 · November 2013

As I mentioned yesterday, DD sleeps on my chest. Skin to skin and tucked in with a a&a muslin wrapped around us so she can't roll off. We are ebf. I don't want to do this forever as I sleep too lightly this way. But it's working for us right now.

My advice is that if you are going to bed share, make sure you do it as safe as possibly. So it's better to plan ahead than doing it on a whim.

Ballstategrad · November 2013

My dd1 was like this. Swaddling and white noise helped. I had an old iPod and speaker dock and downloaded hair dryer noise from iTunes. Good luck, eventually this too will pass - along with squishy cheeks and newbirn grunts. Hang in there

MangoMama82 · November 2013

kimbo1216 said:
As I mentioned yesterday, DD sleeps on my chest. Skin to skin and tucked in with a a&a muslin wrapped around us so she can't roll off. We are ebf. I don't want to do this forever as I sleep too lightly this way. But it's working for us right now.

I love this idea with the a&a muslin wrap. Our LO doesn't seem to be into swaddling, and I was thinking, "what am I going to do with these beautiful blankets?". I might try that tonight. We are EBF too, and last night the only way he would sleep was on my or my husband's chest.

MrsShankly1012 · November 2013

Deft try the white noise- the more obnoxious the better. I actually have the most success with the vent hood in my kitchen when he's going through a super fussy period, then I use a white noise app in my bedroom. DS1 still sleeps with this machine- it's the best
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000KUHFGM

kellyk17 · November 2013

My LO was the same and at almost 4 wks she slept in the pnp all last night for he first time, woo hoo! It will get better, you just need to keep trying. We use the halo swaddle sleep sack and the miracle swaddle both work well. Also wait until she is deep sleep before you put her down.

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