What are you doing to settle your baby?? DD will currently only fall asleep in the arms of me or DH which frustrates me a little because I don't want it to become a bad habit.
I wouldn't be worrying too much about bad habits yet, it's still early days... Though others may disagree of course. We generally have to hold or rock DS but he will transfer to a bassinette and stay asleep for a while.
We had to rock dd to sleep for many many months because she was so agitated and would scream for hours at bedtime. She still is a pain in the butt at bedtime 2 years later, but I think that is just her personality more than anything else, as DS is very different and much more chilled and quiet at night - I think we might have more chance at getting this one to self settle earlier.
Baby sleep patterns go through a lot of changes in the first year, and habits can always be broken...
My son won't fall asleep without suckling on my breast. Even if he wakes for a moment. For now I'm allowing it as I refuse to give him a dummy. However he's now picked up sucking his bottom lip whilst soothing himself. So hopefully soon I won't have to always feed him to put him to sleep *fingers crossed*
If he's been fed, has a clean diaper, isn't too hot or cold, I let him cry it out. He is learning to self soothe and it works! Now if he's been fussing for more than 20 min after I lay him down, I go in and access the situation and see what he needs. If it's during his wake time, he will take a paci.
Our little guy likes to be talked to and have me gently run my hand over the top of his head and back of his neck. We put him in his pack n play while he's still a little awake (and have since birth) and he falls asleep in there on his own. Sometimes he will grunt for a minute if he's trying to clear a little gas or he will coo contentedly but within a couple minutes he's fast asleep.
We are feeding and rocking the little guy. Sometimes he likes to be walked around and sung to. I don't think you need to worry about bad habits until 6-8 weeks.. right now they don't really know how to self soothe I don't think. Later we will try to let him cry it out to an extent, when he's better able to self soothe. Will start transitioning to that around 6 to 8 weeks.
They say the first 3months (may even be 6months) you can't hold your LO enough and that it's actually good for their development. There's a lot on what they call "the fourth trimester". Holding them "too much" is much healthier for them, then the old "cry it out" method.
If your boobs/you need a break and you have a noisy bathroom exhaust fan anywhere in your house have your SO turn it on and rock them in there. The noise soothed DS and so far DD loves it too.
They say the first 3months (may even be 6months) you can't hold your LO enough and that it's actually good for their development. There's a lot on what they call "the fourth trimester". Holding them "too much" is much healthier for them, then the old "cry it out" method.
This! At this stage, the need to be held is just as strong and important as the need for food and diaper changes. We lay DS down while he's still awake and he makes sounds and looks around but we don't let him cry it out. If he cries, we soothe him until he's ready to try again. So far its been working great and he's a happy and easy to put down one-month old.
If your boobs/you need a break and you have a noisy bathroom exhaust fan anywhere in your house have your SO turn it on and rock them in there. The noise soothed DS and so far DD loves it too.
We have a isolating fan that we use for background noise sometimes when DD is fussy. We just turn the fan itself away from her and use it for the sound. Although we try to use it as only a last resort because we don't want her to become dependent on the sound to sleep.
After nursing Hope loves to snuggle up with my boob. I'm assuming she likes the warmth of my chest and can hear my heartbeat. She also enjoys a good back rub and/or bum pat
Re: Settling Baby??
We had to rock dd to sleep for many many months because she was so agitated and would scream for hours at bedtime. She still is a pain in the butt at bedtime 2 years later, but I think that is just her personality more than anything else, as DS is very different and much more chilled and quiet at night - I think we might have more chance at getting this one to self settle earlier.
Baby sleep patterns go through a lot of changes in the first year, and habits can always be broken...