Help !!!Sleeping in a Bassinet

Try putting a warm blanket in the bassinet before you put her in. Try swaddling her if you don't already. My 2 girls loved to be swaddled. Good luck.

Hi,
Congratulations! First, you could try warming up the crib sheets and blankets with a heating pad, Also, after she falls asleep, wait ten minutes for her to get into a really deep sleep before you try to move her. (You can tell she's really deeply asleep if she has that limp-noodle quality; you pick up an arm and let go and it just drops and she doesn't stir)
Good luck, sweet dreams

Try warming it with a heating pad before you put her in- DO NOT leave it in there with her though!!! Also you could try to make a nest for her- Roll receiving blankets and place them around the edges under the sheet so she cant pull them over her. It makes the bed more cozy and she feels nestled. They actually did that for my preemie when she was in the hospital. She slept that way for months!

Hi K.- My son was a terrible sleeper in the beginning. We went out and bought the Fisher Price Baby Popason swing. It is the Cradle swing with all the padding. They can lay flat or sit upright and swing side to side or front to back. My husband would move it into our bedroom at night before bed and for almost a month my son slept in this swing, PEACEFULLY!

Hope that helps!

The key is that she should not be put in the bassinet SOUND asleep. What happens with your natural sleep rhythms is that you naturally open your eyes every so often in your sleep. If your brain registers a difference in your surroundings - you wake up! She should be put into the bassinet when she is VERY GROGGY and just ready to fall asleep, but will have an awareness that she's been put in there. You can stay with her, rest your hand on her back, put your face close to hers, but let her understand she's been put into the bassinet. If you're too late and she's already fallen asleep in your arms - gently nudge her mildly awake when you put her in the bassinet, and then stay to comfort her back to sleep if she needs it. She'll get used to falling asleep in the bassinet, and then will be able to fall back asleep later.

My son did the same exact thing...he would be fast asleep and the minute I moved him he would wake right up and scream. I switched him to a moses basket. I would lay the basket sideways beside me and let him fall asleep. When he was asleep I could "usually" move my arm away and rock the basket flat. I kept with it and eventually he would sleep in his moses basket all the time. 2 1/2 weeks is early so keep trying (and smiling). I also suggest swaddling. It helped my son a ton. Hope you get some sleep soon :)

Do you swaddle your daughter at night? I know my daughter really needed the swaddle. She is 3 1/2 months and she is still swaddled for naps and at night. Maybe your daughter wakes up because she doesn't feel as warm in the bassinet as when she is being held in your arms against your body. But I would not worry much about if she is in a crib, bassinet, swing, your bed, or the car seat. Try to find the place that she likes best and use it. Every baby is different and will sleep well in different places and she may even change her preferences after a while. Good luck and I hope this helped.

C.

So my advice may not be great but I have been there. Our youngest daughter slept no problem in her bassinett at the hospital and despite our efforts to swaddle her, make her comfy, she just wouldn't sleep in her bassinett at home. It got to the point that the only place she would sleep was in her swing. We had the same issue, we would put her in sound asleep and then about 5 mins. later would wake up upset. So I guess I do not have a fix all for you but I can relate and I am sorry that you guys are having to go through this because I remember how frustrating it was for us and we felt horrible that the only place she could find rest was in her swing. At the age of 4 months we transitioned her to her crib which we thought was going to be a horrible experience but she did rather well. Good luck. I can sympathize ;)

Remember that your new baby has spent the last nine months snuggled up cozily with you. It is not in the nature of an infant to crave personal space. They need to be held a lot. A lot. And this is good for them as it makes them feel safe and secure, teaches them to trust, and gives them a window into the world they now inhabit. Try to think of the first three months as the fourth trimester (a concept that is encouraged by scientific research of newborn brain development) and wear your baby as much as you can. For sleeping time you can bring your baby right into bed with you and everyone will get a lot more sleep. If baby is sleeping while you are awake then you can use a sling to wear her through her nap or swaddle her tightly so she feels secure. Good luck and enjoy your new little one! They grow so fast!

Sharing sleep with your infant: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T070200.asp
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T071000.asp
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t102200.asp
http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/sleep/sleep.html

Wearing your baby: http://www.continuum-concept.org/reading/in-arms.html
http://www.thebabywearer.com/index.php?page=usinglinks
http://www.hotslings.com/s.nl/it.I/id.5/.f

Swaddling: http://www.parents.com/parents/slideshow/slideShow.jsp?sl...
http://www.parents.com/parents/slideshow/slideShow.jsp?sl...

WOW!! you've already had so much advice that this may or may not have already been said, but.....

people have told me to warm up a towel in the dryer if you have one or even the microwave for a bit. lay it in the bassinet just before you lay her down. then she's going from the warmth of you to the warmth of the towel.

good luck hun! i remember those days!! it DOES get better!

If you are already swaddle wrapping her and that is not comforting enough you might want to roll a blanket and put it in front of her and another one behind her. She just needs to feel close to something. My first son was never comfortable enough on the thin mattress of his bassinet( I thought) I moved him into his crib and he slept better on the softer mattress. In conjunction with any or all of these things you might want to buy a stuffed animal or sound machine that makes a heart beat sound which is often very helpful.

Try the crib. As much as you hear your baby when she is sleeping, she can hear you too. I put both of my kids directly in the crib and used a video monitor. They both slept through the night very early on (8 weeks old and 2 weeks old).

Hello. Welcome to Motherhood !! I have a little girl who is almost 7 months old now and she refused to sleep in a bassinette, pack and play, or crib until she was about 4 months old. She actually slept on me for the first 8 weeks of her life (I would not suggest that :)). My daughter would fall asleep in her car seat in the car or even on walks. And I knew that my cousin's baby had slept in her car seat until she was about 6 months old. So basically I would feed her and then put her in her car seat with a blanket (not strapped in) and she would sleep for hours. Eventually she started to get bigger and would squirm, so we had to get her to sleep in her crib. But by 4 months she was ready to do that. And she has been sleeping for 10-12 hours a night since then. Another bonus of having her sleep in the car seat is that you can keep her in the room with or move her to another room if want to. Good luck !!

Have you tried swaddling your little girl? My daughter is 5 weeks old and she seemed to like being swaddled when we first brought her home. Although, your little one is still so little, she is bound to be erratic with going down to sleep. Another idea is when you put her down, you can try leaving your hand on her tummy for a couple minutes so she still feels your touch and that may help. Good luck, and enjoy her!

Did she sleep in the bassinet in the hospital? If she didn't, chances are she won't at home either. I went through the same thing with my daughter. I don't know that there is anything to do- you kind of have to follow her lead. Sometimes just letting her feel/hold your hand or finger helps, sometimes not. She may or may not grow out/grow towards the adjustment. I know it is tough- hang in there new mom.

I may say something completely different than other moms, but it has been extremely wonderful for my family. We had the same difficulty in the beginning with our daughter and immediately put our daughter in her crib in her own nursery. If she was going to be alone in the bassinet, what is the difference in a crib? So we bought expensive monitors and checked on her frequently in the night. She soon became comforted by the quietness of her own room, space, being swaddled and the routine of putting her to bed was wonderful. We swaddled her every time we put her into her crib, which also made her feel snuggled and not alone. I recommend you buy the DVD "Happiest Baby on the Block." It helps ALOT and it saved us! Swaddling may be the tool you need with other tools taught in the DVD. The sooner you put her in her own crib, the better your evening will be (and theirs).My 1-year has slept 10 or more hours a night from about 4 months and on...it works! Good luck!

Hi K.,
We found that we were unable to put our daughter in her co-sleeper or bassinet once she was already asleep but rather had to put her in awake. IT took a little bit for her to adjust to going to sleep on her own but she slept soundly. I have read in many different books and was told by my doctor that the "transfer" from your arms to an "open" space is like being dropped into thin air. The child goes from being cozy and warm in your arms to being alone and it startles them and wakes them up.
C.

We tried to have our daughter sleep in her pack & play next to us, but after 2 miserable nights I put her in her crib out of desperation and she slept better (well, relatively, LOL). I think the firm mattress was preferable to the lightweight support in the pack & play. And the swaddle saved us - we used the SwaddleMe and velcroed it so tightly that I sometimes worried, but it was the ONLY way she would sleep. For almost six months! My only other suggestion is this - you say "sound asleep" but there's a difference between asleep after a few minutes and asleep after 20-25 minutes. Out of desperation I used to rock my daughter for sometimes half an hour after nursing, until her limbs were truly limp. Only then would she not wake up if I laid her down. If you move a little arm and it twitches or has resistance, she's still lightly asleep. I'm not sure it's teaching good sleep habits to not put her down awake, but my daughter just cried if I didn't do that. Good luck - sleep issues are very tough!

Congratulations on your new baby! Have you tried swaddling her? We used the SwaddleMe and/or Miracle Blanket with my daughter and that helped a lot. Good luck!

Congrats on your new baby! My son is now 6 weeks and is the same way. He is the third and none of my children slept well in the bassinet. I put my first son in his crib at 3 weeks and he slept well. My daughter I we used the car seat and a snuggle nest, while my son currently sleeps in the car seat.

Hi, it's so frustrating isn't it? Newborns are supposed to sleep!! This may be against all the rulebooks, but it worked for me with no repercussions. For my second two children, they didn't take to a bassinet very well either. But they slept in their carseat no problem! I don't know if it's because it hugs them better or because their partially upright or what. It was also convenient because I could put them down in one room and keep an eye on them and then just carry the seat in and put it next to my bed. When they were like two months old, they made the transition to bassinet very easily. Maybe this could work for you?

Hi K.. I found swaddling my newborn tightly in a blanket to be very helpful in keeping him calm. Many times he would have a random startle reflex which would wake him up while in his bassinet when he was not swaddled. We also moved our son into his own room about a week ago (at 3 weeks old) and he seems to be getting to sleep and staying asleep easier. I think that perhaps my husband or I kept waking him up when he was with us in his bassinet. If you decide to move him to his own room, I would recommend using both an audio monitor and a mattress monitor (ex. BabySense) for your peace of mind.

Sounds like transfering her into the bassinet is a problem. Can you get her to go down in the bassinet, rubbing her back or singing softly to her? We also used one those stuffed animals with a "heart beat" sound - similates the mother's heartbeat that the baby hears while in utero. The "white noise" still helps my son sleep - though he is older now and we use one of those air filters that pulls the dust out of the air and also provides constant, quiet noise. Sometimes the extra item in the bed provides the feeling of comfort. WOuld swaddling help? Maybe the baby likes the feeling of being confined a little, and being put in the open bassinet makes her feel insecure. At 2.5 weeks, she's still not used to the real world!

Swaddle, Swaddle, Swaddle!!
My oldest girl didn't need to be swaddled, but my second loved it..had to be swaddled.
Good luck!!

Did you try putting her down with one of those instruments that sounds like a heartbeat? That sound is very calming for a child. Hope it helps and you get some sleep!
L.

Hi, I know it is hard. I have 2 girls of my own. Try to put her in when she is awake. It will make your life much easier later. Now I know it will be tough. She will slowly learn to sooth herself. Just give it time

Dear K.,

My daughter is now 9 months old, but when she was an infant, I had a similar problem, she would wake in the middle of the night for her feeding and once I got her back to sleep, I would lay her down and she would wake and scream again. I found what worked for me was to swaddle her so when I transferred her to the bassinette, she remained cuddled and warm. I also used a side/back positioner (using the side positioning) and I would rock her to sleep and lay her down in the positioner and it seemed to work well. Just make sure that a section of the blanket that you use to swaddle is covering the back/side of her head she will sleep on so her head isn’t hitting a cold sheet. If you need help learning to swaddle, I found the video “Happiest Baby on the Block” (Amazon.com) was a God-send…good luck!

Hi K. -

My daughter would never sleep in her bassinett. I am not sure what is was - the mattress - or that it was too confining for her. There are a number of options that you can try....Try letting her sleep in her car seat. Some babies love this and they like to be kind of on an incline. You can also try a swing at low speed. My daughter slept in her swing from the time she was a couple weeks old until she was one - It worked great. Other babies just prefer their crib.

Also, your baby may have a little acid reflux so the incline positions may work better. There is no right answer - everyone just does what works for them and their baby. Hope this helps!! Good luck!

Hi K. i had5 children and now briging up 2 grandchildren . I live in holbrook. Noe of my babies seemet to like the bassinet . Then dont seem to like it. So but them ina small crib. With a soft blanket to cover here. They seem to like it moore in they open . And but the blanket agains her cheek they seem to like it . To feel something against them that way they dont feel alone try it . Ty B. .

I find some babies really love to smell/touch mom. With my second, we tried three different types of beds (even a baby hammock!) - and the co-sleeper totally won out! They are made by Amby - and they are basically like a pack & play, but one side comes down and attaches to the bed. He slept like a rock sleeping this way! Plus - I felt I could put him on his tummy this way after he gained some head control(he was severely reflux and hated lying on his back).

our son rejected his co-sleeper too. i tried for two tiring nights to get him to sleep in it but he'd wake every hour. i'd had enough and took him to bed with us and we all slept much better. we had said we would not do this but i was desperate for more than an hour of sleep. he easily transitioned to the co-sleeper at about 8 weeks of age. i just put him there one night and he stay and has been there ever since.

i know this is not exactly the advice you wanted - but there is hope that you daughter will move to the bassinet. almost all new parents i talk to have had the same experience of the baby rejecting the bassinet or co-sleeper.

Try warming up the bassinet before you put her in. Use one of those packs you can put in the micro for a minute or two and warm up the sheet/mattress before putting her down, just make sure it doesn't get too hot! My daughter was like that initially and it was just from the temp change of being held to being put down, once we started warming the bassinet (a suggestion from my grandma) she settled right down. It's worth a try, easy to do.
Good luck!

Hi K., my son slept in his car seat for the 1st 2mo of his life....because it was the only place he would sleep! For some reason he felt comfortable & secure in there. I slept on the couch with my little angel right beside me on the floor(my husband, 17mo old daughter, & the dog were sleeping peacefully in my bed)!! Maybe you could try swaddling her, it didn't work for us but I know lots of moms who have been successful with it. Good Luck :)

Hi- someone mentioned a water bottle-

we used a heating pad-
just 5 min before you put her down in bassinet- heat the bassinet up with the pad- take pad out of course and put baby in- Too shocking to go from a warm arms to a cold bed!

best wishes

hi K., i have a 6 1/2 week old who also did not like her bassinet. i don't have a total solution for you because most of the time we bring her in to our bed. I have actually found that her sleeping with us is less disruptive than i anticipated. she sleeps in the crook of my arm next to me or sometimes propped against my husband's thigh at a perpendicular angle. this is not our long term plan. we had tried padding the bassinet with rolled up blankets to make her feel more cozy and snuggled in (try this if you hae not already) but she did not take to it. we have a bassinet size piece to our stroller set that is a bit more closed in and with the rolled up blankets, it makes it cozier around her. she will sleep in this some of the time. However, we have found so far that she sleeps for longer stretches when she is with us in bed.

Try rolling up receiving blankets on either side of her in the bassinet, from her armpits down (longways) so they line her body and if she rolls she won't have breathing obstructions - and they should make her feel secure and snug - instead of feeling she's in the middle of a large space. A sleep positioner may help too, but the blankets worked like a charm.

A vibrating bassinet may be helpful also - my daughter loved hers until she was three months - she's 7 months now and has been in her crib since then and sleeps over 12 hours, never making a peep! We know how lucky we are.

Good luck!

My daughter is now 7 months old (and has been sleeping 10-12 hours right through the night since 3 1/2 months). I found that I had to use one of those swaddling blankets (the ones with the velcro) to get her to sleep during those first few months. We would put her in it when she would start to look sleepy, then hold her/feed her/whatever she wanted at the time, then she would fall asleep and we would put her in the bassinet. She did really well with that. Another option is a vibrating device we bought put out by The First Years/Learning Curve. One part attaches to the crib with the controls. The other part is an egg shaped device that goes under the crib mattress and vibrates when you turn it on from the control part. My daughter loved the vibrations from her bassinet, so this made it easier to transfer her to her crib at 4 months. The only downfall is that it won't work with some monitors (like the Angel Care one we had) b/c it interferes with the reception of the monitor. I was a preschool teacher prior to having my daughter and we were always told at the classes we had to take NEVER to leave your child in an upright position (like in a carseat) to sleep. I have a papasan cradle swing that she sleeps in just to give her head a little incline when she is sick or has a cold to help her be able to breathe b/c we were also told NEVER to put anything soft (like a T-shirt, or even a sleep positioner) in her bassinet/crib with her. I hope this helps, but I know every baby is different. Just hang in there, and know that this too shall pass!

Congratulations on being a new mom!! If co-sleeping is not an option for you, then try something that has your smell on it. A t-shirt, nightgown etc....

I loved sleeping with both my girls and if it not bothering you enjoy snuggling up with them and I am sure she will go to the bassinet in good time. SIDS is a concern if you drink, smoke or sleep on something other than a bed. If you really don't want her to sleep with you I would put your worn tshirt (with your smell) rolled up beside her. My first slept with us until she was about 7 months. I loved every minute of it!

I bought a snuggle nest for our king size bed and then put it into the crib, and she loves it. She is 6 months old and will out grow it soon. The incling, cushin and comfort of it helps.

Hi K.,

Have you tried putting her somewhere else to sleep? My son slept in his swing at that age! He wouldn't sleep in his bassinet either and I think it was because it was too roomy... they like to feel all nestled in. The swing I had, had the ocean sound which helped him sleep, and it was more closed in. I know it sounds weird, but it won't hurt them. We were eventually able to transfer him to the bassinet, and now he sleeps in his crib and has since he was 2 months old. Also, swaddling her may work... again, from experience, my son loved to be swaddled at that age. It seems like it would be uncomfortable (to us!), but for them, they love it :-)
Good luck and take care :-)

I had the same issues w/my first. The man who wrote the Happiest Baby on the Block is what helped me the most. I forget his name. He suggests you slightly wake her as you're putting her down so she can "fall asleep" again. We got a really loud white noise machine. It was amazing. I also swaddled them (really tightly) to lessen their startle reflex. I also heard to have a heating pad in the bassinet and taking it away before you put the baby down so it is toasty warm. Good luck!

My firstborn was like this, the only way he would sleep was if he was swaddled tightly and in his car seat inside his crib. The Ped's office said some babies just need that "tight" feeling sort of like being back in the womb. You might try that, good luck, I remember those hard nights.

We bought the top of the line bassinet for my son (now 2 years old), and he NEVER would sleep in it. He did exactly as your wee one is doing. Looking back now, I wouldn't have tried so hard. He would sleep in his carseat, or it a little bouncy chair, and I eventually gave up and let him sleep in those (we were able to transition to just the bouncy seat at about 1 month old) until we moved him into a crib at 3 months old. From all I read on the subject, the issue was that our bassinet was too big, and despite all the swaddling and putting little blankets around each side, it just felt too big and open to him. Newborns thrive on tight little beds. Let him sleep wherever he wants to for now, and don't worry that he won't be able to adjust to a "real" bed later--they do.

Hiya K.

I just wanted to share my own personal philosophy on this topic. A baby spends nine months in your body being lulled and comforted by the sounds of your body, kept warm and cozy. Why on earth would a little one want to go from that to sleeping in a bed by themselves? I know eventually the goal of all of us (well some of us, lol) is to get our little ones to be independant and sleep alone, but I think for a young infant the process should be gradual.

I have four children 7, 8, 13, and 18. For about 4 months (i was nursing also) they slept with me. I know some folks arent comfortable with that, but this is what worked for us. Then they moved into the bassinet that was right by my bed. When they woke to nurse or just to check to see if i was stil around i was there to settle them back down without too much fuss. Some of them were able to go to a crib by 8 or 9 months. They were sleeping in their own spaces by a year. Although I had a crib, none of them liked sleeping in it. I think the space was too big and they didnt feel comfortable.

They all have really good sleeping habits now. Hang in there its not forever. Good luck

Heavens - lots of responses! I may be repeating what others have said but here goes - the methods that worked with my three munchkins included the following - putting baby to bed drowsy but not asleep and with no rocking beforehand; swaddling in a thin blanket; to bed in a somewhat quiet room with lights dim or nearly out. If baby woke up and didn't need a diaper change or bottle, we'd try to sooth with as little movement/talking as possible. All three eventually learned to put themselves to sleep and back to sleep. The girls slept through at six weeks and my son has been sleeping through since about ten weeks (all three are bottle fed) and naps be came non issues at about the same respective ages. I liked the book Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child by Mark Weissbluth - it had a lot of good advice that we used with all three little ones. I had a really hard time with letting them cry it out but each time we'd set a time limit and then go up to soothe - I was never one for half hour crying jags - that would drive any mother nutty! Speaking of crying - my little man is calling - good luck and I promise - you'll survive this stage!!!

Put her in a crib--seriously, my daughter would not sleep in a bassinet, I tried everything----we put up the crib, put her in it-----and she slept. no more wakeups!! good luck.

I had the same problem with my son from the night we brought him home. Try using what they call a "Moses Basket". It's a long soft basket with a cushion in it, but it gives the baby a sense of security and closeness. I think the bassinet is too open for some babies at first and they need to feel more security. The cushion in the basket and its softness is reassuring to them. For us the basket actually fit right into the bassinet, so as my son started to outgrow the basket and feel more secure, it was an easier transition to the bassinet. My son was big on swaddling and sleeping on us. Hopefully this works for you. The basket was a Godsend for us.

for some reason my daughter hated her bassinet from birth. after 3 weeks of no sleep and lots of crying I put her in her crib and she was fine. I think she liked the open space around her. It's worth a try!
good luck
K.

My third son is 4 months old, and I always made fun of co-sleepers, but my third made me realize what is so good about them. They attach to the side of your bed - basically look like a miniature pack & play - and the side that touches your bed has a lower side so that your mattress is pretty much flush with the co-sleeper height. It allows your baby to feel like he/she is sleeping right next to you, but he/she is in his/her own safe space, and you get some restful sleep knowing he/she is safe. I highly recommend it. I bought the mini version of the Arm's Reach co-sleeper, and I believe it was about $130 - worth EVERY PENNY! In the beginning I had to keep one hand on him or the binky, but eventually he was sleeping in there all on his own, and by 4 months he was sleeping through the night and has now been in his crib every night for about three weeks. (KNOCK WOOD!)

Hi!
We had this problem with my daughter too and what really works well is putting a hot water bottle in the bassinette to warm it up before you put her down. It's probably the going from warm arms to cold bassinette that is waking her up. Good luck!

At this stage, I actually slept on a chair holding him! (not sure how safe that is, but it worked at the time) I wish I had read "The Happiest Baby on the Block" because once I did it really helped me out. I also wish I had a Papaysian swing for him to sleep in at night. From the chair, he went into the carseat to sleep in at night, and then he was in his bassinet (next, we have to get him into his crib!!!)

Are you swaddling her? Giving her a pacifier? Background noise(music, a womb bear, even a fan or humidifier)? From what I inderstand from books and birthing classes, newborns are sometimes scared when sleeping on their backs - it's so different from the womb. All of the above are comforting and feel more like the womb to a newborn.
Good luck!

Hi K., Congrats on your little girl! Our daughter is almost 7 weeks old and we too had trouble with her sleeping in the first couple of weeks. We got a co-sleeper which we used for a little while and are now transitioning her back into her bassinet, which is in our room. So far, so good! We got our co-sleeper at Target, it was called the Close & Secure sleeper and goes in the bed with you in the middle...only problem is that it's a tight fit in a queen size bed to get me & my husband and the baby all in.

Leave her in the bed with you. It's much easier for nursing at night - you'll both get a good sleep. Babies learn how to regulate their breathing and their wakeful patterns by co-sleeping. All she's known up to now in her short life is the sounds and rhythms of your body. I'd cry too! She's only a few weeks old...she won't go to college sleeping with you! Research other countries in the world about co-sleeping, etc. and you will see how bizarre it sounds that in the US we are so ready to get our kids to "be alone" at such an early age. Listen to your heart, not parenting magazines. You are the only expert in the world on your baby.

Hi K.,
Congratulations on your little girl!. We went thru this a little with one of my daughters. One thing that helped us out was lining the bassinet with something that smelled like 'Mom'. A book I read said that you could put one of your worn (unwashed)tee shirts on the mattress of the bassinet. The theory was that the smell of the mother was comforting to the baby. It gives the baby the sense that the mother is near. It also said that you should put the baby to bed very tired but not a sleep. The approach may be for older babies but it helps them learn how to go to sleep without being held. We also put some classical music on for our newborns. They are used to noise in the womb and it seemed to sooth them. There is also a great book we read called "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby" by Tracy Hogg and Melinda Blau. and, "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems: Sleeping, Feeding, and Behavior--Beyond the Basics from Infancy Through Toddlerhood".

Hope it helps - good luck!

Hi K.,

I agree with an earlier posting re: swaddling -- that was key for us. We also got a GREAT tip form a nurse-midwife: try sitting on a blanket, or just putting a blanket on your lap to warm it up for a few minutes before you put her down (I usually did this during nighttime feedings), then put the blanket under her or swaddle her in it in the bassinette. This helped us tremendously because the blanket was warm and mamma-scented, which seemed to ease the transition from our arms to her bed. My daughter's 6 months now -- needed swaddling until almost 5 months!

try sleeping with a toy or a small cloth that can get your scent on it and put it in the bassinet..

Have you tried her crib in her room? Both my babies went right from the hospital bassinet to their own cribs (for night time sleeping).

Also, it may have nothing to do with the crib or the location, but other things like timing. I liked the philosophy of the "baby whisperer book" where she says babies like a predictable cycle of eat, activity (could be as little as a diaper change), sleep, repeat every 2.5-4 hours. My babies also both liked a tight swaddle at that age. I liked the waffle stretchy fabric ones because they are a bit bigger and stretch to give a tight swaddle. You also may want to put her down drowsy but awake, if possible.

Some good resources to check at the library are:
Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth
Happiest Baby on the Block by ?? (can't remember)

I know those first months are so difficult. Hang in there...it'll work itself out!

Hi ! Congrats first of all! Where is the bassinet? Is it right next to you in your bedroom? If you can position it to be close to you, she may settle better. She smells you...and needs to know that you're in the room with her. Its very hard in the beginning because, now she's out in the world and no long has that womb to keep her warm and snuggly all the time. So, she's trying to figure out whats going on! Make sure she is swaddled too, if you are not doing that. Swaddling is hard to do, if you can, go to Babies R us, they sell swaddles with velcro. They are a life saver and time saver too. She's still a little young for the binkie...but if you wanted to try that..that's another option. In all honesty, it takes a couple tries of several different things before you and she get into a groove. Lots of luck. I hope this helps.

My son, now 6 months, went through a phase early on where he would ONLY sleep in someone's arms. Needless to say it almost killed me. But he entered the next phase and slept in his bassinet fine. I'd say just keep trying and it will work eventually. At 2 1/2 weeks there really aren't very many clearly established patterns, so don't worry that this will be a forever problem. The best thing I heard about 'curing' various baby problems is to use 'the tincture of time'.

K.,
We have a 7 week old who has had the same problem. We tried letting her sleep in her car seat, which worked much better, but then the pediatrician told us that was not good for her breathing/lungs. Then we started to let her sleep in our bed (which we swore we would never do, but which worked well in terms of maximizing the amount of sleep we were all getting), but the pediatrician also is not a big fan of the family bed. So, we're back to square one - the bassinet.

The thing that seems to make the biggest difference is how well swaddled she is when we put her in, and whether she's able to break out of it easily. The better swaddled she is, the longer she lasts. We're still doing a combination of putting her in the bassinet (for as long as possible) and letting her sleep in our bed (when we're desperate for sleep), but she does seem to be getting better at sleeping in the bassinet.

E. G.

A little about me: Another first-time mom.

This may sound weird, but my DR once told me....... If your child doesnt sleep well in the bassinet in your room. It could be that the sounds you (and your partner) make while you are sleeping during the night are what is waking the baby. Just food for thought. Once I moved my babies to their own rooms in their own cribs they slept much better.

I realize your baby is very young, probally not the thing to do right now. But that is my two cents.

i had the same problem with my son. it wasn't easy. have you tried swaddling her nice and tight in a blanket so she feels snug and secure? i know they tell you that you shouldn't bring your baby in the bed with you, especially when they are that small, but i think i ended up putting him in my moby wrap really tight so i wouldn't roll over and put pillows on either side of me. i didn't sleep much anyway, but at least it was something. hopefully, swaddling will work for you, but it does take a little time. i also ended up having to put my son on his side. for some reason he slept better that way. also, when you are putting your daughter down, try holding her really close to your body and lean into the bassinet. this may help her to not wake up. good luck!

This is what I did with both of my children (ages 7 and 9 now). I used a hyper-allergenic treated sheepskin made especially for newborns in New Zealand and which I ordered online (it is short-shorn so the baby is not a risk of suffocating). My first step with my oldest was to have her sleep on the sheepskin in bed with me, breastfeeding her on the sheepskin and leaving my scent as a result, so to speak. At 5 months, she began kick my husband and me incessantly, so we transitioned her into her crib in another room, with the sheepskin in the crib. With my son, he did not co-sleep with us because, at the time, my daughter at 2 was exhibiting some regressive behavior and creeping into our double bed every night. I had the attached co-sleeper and put the sheepskin in there. There is no barrier between you and the baby, so the breastfeeding was fairly easy and he transitioned with the sheepskin into his crib at 3 months. We took the sheepskin every time we traveled and used it on planes in front of our feet (it is very hard to get bulk head seats with attached bassinets on international flights) and the baby would snuggle and sleep for the whole flight. Any unfamiliar bed became familiar with the sheepskin.

One additional note: it is possible for babies that only sleep in swings or car seats that s/he has GIRD. If that's the way your baby ends up only going to sleep, you may want to have the pediatrician investigate whether or not your baby has GIRD. The Sears' BABY BOOK tuned me into this when my son would cry every time I nursed him and then placed him horizontally. I had to be aggressive with the ped. to give me a one week prescription of Tagamet, and he rested peacefully after that. Babies tend to grow out of GIRD, and my son did--he no longer had to take it once he began on solids at 6 months.