Putting down a "sleeping" baby

JessWhatINeeded · March 2014

After your LO has fallen asleep in your arms how do you stealthily lay them into a bassinet/crib/swing etc. ? Even if it seems mine is sound asleep, moments after putting her down I get eyeballs and crying.

1linedrawing · March 2014

#mylyfe.

halfthetree · March 2014

First I do the arm test... Lift up the arm a little bit and drop it. If it isn't entirely floppy, I keep rocking or dancing until it is.

Then I keep her head in the crook of my arm, lay her bum down, and sneak my arm out from under her head. I keep a hand on her chest with a bit of pressure, until I'm sure she's sleeping and isn't waking up.

ramfan05 · March 2014

bepandnick said:

golfergirl08 said:

I move him from the crook of my arm with the opposite hand and kind of pause in that new, straight position for a little bit. Then set him down and keep a hand touching him for a few seconds to make it seem like he's still behind cuddled. I'd say it has about a 70% success rate for me! :-)
Samesies! Sometimes I massage with my hands before completely letting go.

Me three.

Same for me

ShePersisted · March 2014

I've been trying to teach him to not fall asleep in my arms. It only works at night mostly. I'll feed him, play with him a little and then as he starts to get sleepy I plop him in his swing with the music on. It takes about 10-15 mins but after gazing around he has been falling asleep. It took me a few tries to get there - started with only a minute in the swing but it works in the sense to helping baby not be dependent on you or food to fall asleep. Now during the day if I put him down he may or may not fall asleep on his own but I don't get ugly cries to be picked up unless he is hungry or needs to be burped etc.

emar129 · March 2014

Very, very slowly. But ditto to the above

TiffanyCMU25 · March 2014

Stephanie185 said:
First I do the arm test... Lift up the arm a little bit and drop it. If it isn't entirely floppy, I keep rocking or dancing until it is.

Then I keep her head in the crook of my arm, lay her bum down, and sneak my arm out from under her head. I keep a hand on her chest with a bit of pressure, until I'm sure she's sleeping and isn't waking up.

Same here!! And sometimes if the paci is in her mouth and she spits it out I know she's sound asleep most if the time

VeronicaAnn143 · March 2014

I try not to let him fall asleep in my arms as well. I put him in his crib drowsy not asleep. Sometimes at his 9:30 feed he falls asleep eating but he's usually laying in his boppy for that. Maybe try transitioning to 1-2 naps/day not falling asleep in your arms and maybe that will make the other times easier?

Giraffealaff · March 2014

Once he is asleep, I swaddle him tight and then I wait another 15 minutes and then lay hi mdown - always seems to work for me.

ahare2009 · March 2014

Mine always falls asleep while eating. I hold him a little while longer and then lay him down. He could have been asleep, but moments later he is up again. This goes on a few times before he stays asleep. I'm hoping it's just a phase, because it is making more for long nights.

JordyInIndy · March 2014

1linedrawing said:
#mylyfe.

#thestruggle

JessWhatINeeded · March 2014

If I'm going to swaddle I have to do it before she falls asleep. Doing it wakes her. I must just need to wait longer to put her down. I can get her out of the crook in my arm, we have wake up on transition down into swing.

amerk1107 · March 2014

half the time i fall asleep with her so I'm the bad mama who lets her sleep where she is more often than not. Though when I do put her down I just slide her into the r'n'p gently, but shes a pretty sound sleeper.

Dexter&11 · March 2014

I'm guessing FX'd and praying are not considered to be helpful suggestions?

as a rule we let LO fall asleep on us and leave her there for half an hour....then we attempt the TFR

VeronicaAnn143 · March 2014

@ivedonethisb4‌ I guess we just started it right away when we brought him home. Sometimes it's unavoidable and he falls asleep while we're holding him but usually not. We just make sure he's fed and dry and happy and once we add sleepy to the list, down he goes...

RedSoxGirl10 · March 2014

My LO will NOT stay asleep when I put him down no matter how I do it. But fortunately, he can fall asleep without being in my arms so it's okay. Thank goodness haha

slwprincess · March 2014

I try putting her down awake but at this age... It doesn't work. Based on my older ones, I know she will eventually get there so I keep doing it for "practice" right now even if I still end up picking her up and nursing her to sleep. Sometimes I use it to my advantage. Last night she nursed one side and fell asleep. I knew if I laid her down she'd wake up and finish the other side ;-). Then I let her sleep on me for a while and then put her in the RNP. I hate that she's sleeping in that but she really needs that cuddled feeling and the bassinet/crib arent cutting it. We went through this with our older daughter too and she outgrew it so I'm just waiting her out.

MamaHollywood27 · March 2014

I'm my own worst enemy in this. I don't put baby down for much. BUT I gave the tip to warm the crib/bassinet to my SIL/MIL w a heating pad. It worked for my niece, I think the transition from warm to cold can be what wakes them.

RondackHiker · March 2014

MamaHollywood27 said:
I'm my own worst enemy in this. I don't put baby down for much. BUT I gave the tip to warm the crib/bassinet to my SIL/MIL w a heating pad. It worked for my niece, I think the transition from warm to cold can be what wakes them.

Yup!

Put the heating pad down while they're nursing or eating and then move it before putting baby down.

Dd sometimes falls asleep if I lay her down awake. Sometimes not. I also love snuggling her to sleep. There's no "bad" way at this age.

slwprincess · March 2014

Heating pad didn't work for us :-(. She definitely just needs that snuggle feeling... Not just warmth. I will keep trying though... I really believe it's developmental.

djtippietoes · March 2014

I hold my breath and hope he doesn't wake up. It doesn't work very well.

versed · March 2014

Eh, we just don't put him down.

monkeystarz · March 2014

I literally dragged my rock in play into my room this morning bc I feel like she sleeps best in it. And I just got my first two hours of uninterrupted sleep in two days.

But yes over the last two days we have developed this new "I've fallen asleep after eating! But don't move me because then I'm awake. Forever."

Every time I would get her in her bassinet her eyes would pop open!

So in going to try what others have suggested- the slow transition and maybe combine it with the arm test.

Thank you for posting!

snowwhite1979 · March 2014

We have a small, sweater-covered hot water bottle that is warm but never hot to the touch (I think the gifter bought it at Chapters/Indigo). We use it to hear up LO's spot and keep it near him in the crib to keep it warm. It cools off over time, and is still warm enough to put on his spot during his 3 am feed. Works for us, and helps the transition between warm arms/cold bed.

ZAngel · March 2014

I've learned if I don't put him down immediately after falling asleep, it's not happening. If I hold him for more than a few minutes, he will wake up shortly after I put him down and think it's time to eat (even if he just finished eating). Sometimes I can put him in the swing and he will go back to sleep, but that doesn't happen often.

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