She refuses to sleep in the crib at night!

[mommyuu]

DD is 18 days old. The breastfeeding part has been going very well. She is an Angle baby. The only thing is that she won't sleep in the crib at night ever since we got back from the hospital. She would stay on the breast until she falls asleep and the moment I put her back to the crib she would wake up within 10 mins and fuss until latching on again. So for the past week she is been pretty much sleeping with me at night.

Some people told me I need to just let her cry for a few nights so she gets used to sleeping in the crib at night. But I felt bad to do that to her (just imaging myself crying in the dark and feeling alone and helpless), and frankly I enjoy having her next to me. On the other hand I don't want to get her used to it and then having to break her from the habit later (my 1st dd slept with me until she was 4 and half but it was because I didn't have a crib in the beginning, and it was really hard for her).

What do you think I should do?! Please share your thought!!

Thanks

[TwoBabesInBoyland]

My 12 week old is the same. I refuse to traumatize my infant by letting her cry it out, so we co-sleep. We've just added her to the 3 year old and 2 year old in our bed.

Congrats on your new wee one.

[DrSteel]

co-sleep is my best advice. I don't do sleep trainging. DS was a cling-y baby and now I know it was due to sensory issues at that age and am very glad I didn't do CIO.

If you really want to transition to a crib, I've heard great things about the No Cry Sleep Solution. Didn't work for us, but ds is not neuro-typical (he has autism) and he didn't respond the way the book predicts.

[Barbarella]

What do you think I should do?! Please share your thought!!

Thanks


What would I do? Co-sleep. Best thing we ever did.

[maabell]

My DS (now 5 months) would not sleep in the crib when he was a tiny newborn. Some times he would sleep in the bassinet, sometimes he would sleep a few hours or hour in the crib. My doctor told me to let him cry a little bit, I didn't agree, in my heart I knew he needed to be with me for whatever reason.

So here is what I did, with help of DH...

I held the baby and let him sleep on me, next to me, and in my arms. If he would sleep in his crib, I let him sleep there. I also put him in a sling carrier and had him sleep in that so I could get things done.
We always tried the crib, but if he peeped he went right back in my arms. We started rocking him to sleep and then walking to the crib, standing with baby and then putting in crib and laying hand on his back. Then walking away. If he cried, well, back in the arms and then back in the crib. Some nights we couldn't deal with it, so we just had him stay in the arms, but eventually he just stayed sleeping in the crib. Also... we let him play in the crib with the mobile and toys during the day. We introduced a lot of toys to him in the crib, so I think he felt happy there.

Now he can sleep in his crib, but many many nights, he sleeps in bed with me or me and DH. DH doesn't always sleep in bed, so I guess in our house we don't care where people sleep as long as they sleep.

I think if you have patience and are flexible your mommy instincts will take care of the rest. You know your baby, you have known that baby longer than anyone else and you know what is best for her.

[EzrasMom]

A gigantic, hard, cold crib? I wouldn't like it either! I kept my DS3 in his bassinet until he was just too big for it, then I used sleep positioners to help cuddle him and keep him on his side, which he prefers. I swaddle him and lay him up against a rolled up blanket. He likes feeling his back supported like that.

These look interesting, too.
http://www.mom4life.com/catalog.php?item=730

[danesmommy]

my 7 wk old is the same way but we have let him sleep with us in bed. He ha slept in crib about an hour total. Tried letting him cry but after an hour I couldnt stand it anymore. Everyone is telling me that its a bad idea but only you know your baby so do what you feel is right. All babies are different. Good luck!

[Fabb5s]

You should never let an 18 day old cry it out. If you choose to use this method, it is meant for an older baby that can understand that he needs to stay in his crib.

[sferguson17]

We swaddled & used positioners. The crib was just way too big for that itty bitty baby. As soon as we'd lay him down his arms would flail & he'd wake up. Swaddling & the positioners really helped a lot.

[dewoman81]

Swaddling is great. Do you have a bassinet? Our little babe slept in the pack n play bassinet next to our bed for the first 6 weeks. I let her sleep with us sometimes but DF is against cosleeping. I am now too cuz I couldnt sleep with her there either. At 6 weeks we showed her her mobile and just put her in her crib during the day for little bits at a time. She eventually adjusted and started sleeping 8 hours a night in her crib in her own room at around 8 weeks.

[neyney3]

The only thing is that she won't sleep in the crib at night ever since we got back from the hospital. She would stay on the breast until she falls asleep and the moment I put her back to the crib she would wake up within 10 mins and fuss until latching on again.

my 5 month old still does this. He will only sleep in his crib for naps or if my husband puts him down. If he knows I'm anywhere nearby he wants to nurse to sleep.

At night I nurse him in my bed but I set an alarm in case I fall asleep so I can put him back in his crib or bessenett. He usually stays asleep if he had filled up his belly. If not then he wakes withing 15 min of being put in his crib. All bets are off if he has a cold though. I just either keep him with me, use a chair or swing, or resign the fact that I'll be up all night.

[KSowa]

my nine week old was the same way, only just being comfortable with his crib this week. I was very uncomfortable with co-sleeping worrying about suffocation hazards and the like. Instead, I kept him bedside in a bassinet so that I could easily comfort him (rub his tummy, brush his cheek, etc) without picking him up out of the bassinet. that way, he was able to feel and hear me be comforted but learn to sleep alone all with minimal crying. during the day, i would always put him (or atleast attempt to) in his crib for naps so that it wouldn't become a foreign place. Hopefully you'll find your solution.

[ChristmasTree]

i would suggest trying to find an amby baby hammock. they are great for little ones and go up to 25 lbs. there is a lady here that has one i know. she has two red headed kids. bronwyn is one of them. can't remember her user name tho.

[KristyDi]

I never planned on co-sleeping with DD before she was born. We planned on her sleeping in a pack-n-play bassinet next to our bed for the first several months. But, in the 2 weeks she's been alive I've found I get so much more sleep if she just stays in bed with me. I swaddle her and tuck her right up next to me when I'm on my side. Her head is about at my boob height. I tuck one arm around her and keep the covers away from her face.

I do try to put her down in the pack-n-play some because DH is not totally comfortable with co-sleeping and I don't plan to do it long term. Usually I nurse her to sleep, then hold her for a bit to let her go into a deeper sleep before attempting to put her in the pack-n-play. I wait a bit to see if she'll settle down and sleep. If she fusses I'll pat her or rub her belly. If she won't settle, I bring her up with me. Last night she spent one 3 hour stretch between nursings in the pack-n-play and the rest in the bed with us. We haven't even tried the crib yet, except as a place to change her clothes.

I'm actually surprised to find with I like having her next to me when we sleep. It feels natural to me. That was a complete surprise to me. The first night in the hospital I instinctively wanted her out of that bassinet and in the bed with me. I wanted her close.

I hope you find something that works for you.

[camille97]

I do the same thing KristyDi does. My dd is 20 days old today. :) Oh, I don't swaddle her, though. She sleeps well when she isn't swaddled.

It does feel natural, doesn't it? :)

[cc1003]

I swaddled my ds when we came home from the hospital and the only thing he would sleep in was a bouncy seat. The kind that vibrates but we didn't turn on the vibrating setting.

[Cappiea23]

I had a similar problem when we came home from the hospital. For what ever reason Aubrey would only sleep when we held her or had her in the carseat. I even asked if that was ok since she was on her back. She did this for about 3 weeks before transitioning into the bassinet. Even swaddled like a burrito she would not sleep in the bassinet. I think part of it was sleeping in the carseat had more to do with how confined it is.

[jaw1574]

I have co- slept with both of my childrena nd plan on doing it agin withthe third. It just worked out best especially when you are bf'ing. I bought a pack n play and it is still in the room ( full of toys and diaper changing supplies). the crib was in DS room and now is in ours and is sidecar to the bed ( which he loves) he loves the freedm to be as close as he feels and then to roll over into his own space if he feels the need/desire ( DS is now 15 months old). The new baby will be here in Aug. of this year and I am still working out the logistics of that but I would say that if it works then do not beat yourself up about it! Let it be for now and do not worry about what you have to do regarding your sleeping situationin the future...it will all work itself out! If it makes you and your family happy, so be it! If you and your family feel that crib sleeping will be best for you all, then I agree with one of the pp that suggested the No Cry Sleep Solution. Good Luck and remember, this will all go by so fast, don't sweat the small stuff!

[velcromom]

Have you looked into an Arm's Reach CoSleeper? I used one with my last two babies and loved it. I never had to get out of bed for nursing/diaper changes and my babies were right next to me so close I could lay a hand on them as they slept and hear them breathing. You could check out freecycle and craigslist & maybe find one.

I finally learned to sleep & nurse sidelying with dd, and it has been a life saver, if you aren't doing that give it a try - you will both get more rest.

Dd is out of her cosleeper and in her crib now at one year old but here's what we did - we pushed the crib right up to my side of the bed with the side down so that she is still right next to me. I still bring her into the bed if she is restless, and nurse/sleep sidelying with her, so that she doesn't keep dh and I awake, but for most of the night she is in her crib. When she stops nursing at night I will move the crib over to the side of the room.