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baby wont settle in his basket! please help!

my baby boy is 5 days old, born by c-section 18 days early due to waters breaking and taking us all by surprise. Until last night he had been fantastic at sleeping, but last night he would not settle in his moses basket. My milk didnt come in until this morning so im not sure if he was just hungry as he just wanted to nurse all night, as soon as i put him down he would start howling! He seems a bit more settled this morning as he had a good feed and is now asleep in his basket...but for how long...who knows! i think it hasnt been helped by us having lots of visitors and he has spent a lot of time being handled which he adores!
I know its early days but dont want to start on the wrong road, how did you all get your babies to settle or is it ok for them to be handled as much as they want in the first few weeks? and if it is, what happens at night when they still expect to be picked up all the time?
Any help or advice would be greatly recieved!

many thanks

Keeley and Rafferty (5days!)

Replies

  • He is prob used to being picked up and snuggled after having lots of visitors and being cosy inside you for so long.

    You cant spoil a newborn with snuggles, kisses and love. I dont plan on trying to implement my LO settling herself (unless she does naturally) until she's 6 months and on solids.

    I used rolled up blankets or muslins at either side of baby in the basket to make it more snug, swaddling and a hot water bottle to warm the basket before LO went in it. She started settling much better due to being snug and not put into a cold basket i think.

    Baby may sleep lots during the day at first as they really need it to develop etc dont worry they tend to go 3-4 hours then feed then sleep again at this age, enjoy your cuddles hun they grow up too quick and wont want too many cuddles soon (said with her 9 week old asleep at the side of her looking longingly at her wishing she was asleep on her chest image )

    Oh and sleep when he does as much as possible i didnt and wish I had now. Congrats and what a gorgeous name.

    xxxx
  • Oooo - I remember this well. Beth refused to sleep in her basket for the first few weeks! We tried everything - putting her on a pillow, putting rolled up blankets either side, swaddling, warming basket, tilting basket, lying on her side, putting her in awake, putting her in asleep, lying her on a tshirt that smelt of me, womb sounds, dummy. You name it, we tried it! She just didn't like it. Eventually she got used to it but for the first few weeks she slept on us most of the time (except at night when she would go in basket but only after about midnight and only if fast asleep!)

    From speaking to my NCT friends they all had the same problem. They are so used to being all warm inside you when they are cuddled all the time it's a lot to adapt to in the big wide world. Beth just wanted to sleep on a warm chest all the time.

    Just enjoy him for now. You can't get a baby that tiny into bad habits. I wish I had realised that at the time as I really stressed about it. She's 13 weeks tomorrow and sleeps in her basket all the time (going into cot tomorrow - eeeek!) and actually doesn't like to sleep on me/be rocked anymore and I miss it!

  • hi, u will find he goes thru times of being very unsettled due to the millions of growth spurts they have in the first 6 weeks, perfectly normal, but if he isn't liking his moses too much then try putting him int when he's having an 'awake' time so he's used to it and it becomes a familiar surroundings for him, this shld make it easier for when u try to put him to sleep in it as it won't be quite so unknown, however, at 5 days old there is no harm in cuddling ur lo as musch as like, that tiny they don't manipullate so enjoy him. also everything is new to him, 5 days ago he was inside u surrounded by one colour, muuffled sounds and a continuous beating and whirring noise, now he's out in open and ther is lots going on, so he'll be looking to u and oh to make him feel safe, he'll like snuggling u as ur warm and he can hear ur heart beat.. we din't try not cudling him too much (iyswim) until he was atleat 3 weeks which is also when we started a bedtime routine of sorts too.

    anyhoo, sounds like ur doing a fab job, and congratulations xx
  • I didnt try really any type of routine until my LO was older at that age I just wanted to hug him! lol x and loved it when he slept on me! x

    Just do what feels natural for you for now he'll settle when he's ready x
  • I agree. I decided not to think about a routine until 12 weeks, by which time one had formed naturally anyway. I held my baby whenever she wanted me to! They are used to being snug and secure inside you so being alone is traumatic at first, but they adjust quite quickly and go down for longer and longer. My HV said you can't spoil them when they are so tiny - the more secure they feel (through you responding to their needs) the more confident they become.

    I was bfing every 1-2 hours in the first week or so, I hardly slept! It all settles down though, so just go with the flow and do what makes you and baby happy x
  • Hey hun, my LO had a very unsettled night the night my milk came in. He didn't sleep at all and just wanted to feed. All normal I was told after and it is common as they are trying to bring the milk in. He settled much better after that night.

  • Hi there, congrats on your baby, love the name Rafferty!

    At this age, I will just add my name to the 'just cuddle you newborn and enjoy it' brigade! I really don't think you can spoil a newborn with cuddles or set them on the wrong road. They will find their own routine over the first few months.

    Go with your instincts and enjoy your baby!

    Mx

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