3 mth old, will only sleep on Mum!

monkey8

We have a 3 month old who sleeps great at night but during the day will only sleep on her Mum after nursing.
She normally sleeps for example from 5pm to 8pm. She is breast fed and falls to sleep on the breast at 5.30.
Over the last few days we have put her down in her cot to sleep after her feed at 5.30, she will cry after a minute or so, we pick her up when the crying gets hysterical, calm her, put her down again and the cycle continues but we cannot get her to sleep on her own.
Any tips on how we can break this habit?

Victor

Don't pick her up if she's just making noise (do if she is distressed) - she needs to learnt to self soothe.

Daffodil.d

monkey8 wrote: »

We have a 3 month old who sleeps great at night but during the day will only sleep on her Mum after nursing.
She normally sleeps for example from 5pm to 8pm. She is breast fed and falls to sleep the breast 5.30.
Over the last few days we have put her down in her cot to sleep after her feed at 5.30, she will cry after a minute or so, we pick her up when the crying gets hysterical, calm her, put her down again and the cycle continues but we cannot get herto sleep on her own.
Any tips on how we can break this habit?

As previous posteq said. Try not pick her up. But my youngest was like thaads
and we tried everything. He was just stuck on me and stilt is. I got one of those prince lionheart Teddy bears that play the mother's heart beat. It helped.Some babies just can't settle in a cot. Then we got one of those vibrating little lie back chairs. He would fall asleep in that and then we'd move him to the cot.I probably sound like one of those buy all the gadgets mothers but believe me I am not. With my daughter I did controlled crying and she always fell asleep on the 6th minute. It's hard but once she was established we had no problems. Best of luck, it can be tiring.

movingsucks

When you put her down in the cot do you cover her with a blanket or two?
I know that mind sound like a stupid question but when my crittur being breastfed she'd do the same fall asleep with me then as soon as I'd put her in the Moses basket she'd wake up again. I added another blanket to her and it really helped, she was going from the warmth of me to relative cold and loneliness of the basket so she'd wake up. At least that's my theory on it anyway she may have just grown out of it.

How Strange

A 3 month old does not need to self soothe or learn how to do it. A 3 month old is still a tiny baby with very limited needs and wants. One of those may be keeping very close to mum as she was growing inside her for 9 months and is the only person she really knows. She knows you too but in a different way to your wife.

Op your daughter clearly feels most secure when she's asleep on your wife. These things don't last forever. The cluster feeding in the evening time usually ends around 3 months and she'll become more aware of her surrounding and will gradually become less dependent on your wife for napping.

wmpdd3

My two were like this. My girl never slept in the cot until she was 5 months.

They slept in the vibrating chair or moving buggy or in a sling or on me.

After about 3 months, it helped if I didnt put them straight from the boob to the cot. I'd wake them slightly, turn them upright, put their cheek to my cheek and then gently lowers them into the pram etc. when their eyes were open.. that way they were relaxed getting in to the cot. After a good look around they used to either just start gargling or nod off to sleep, depending on how satisfied they were.

I always though nodding off at the boob and waking in a cot for a baby must be like falling asleep on the sofa and waking up on the back seat of the car for an adult!

ezra_pound

Get a babywearing style sling to keep baby close to mother but free up mother to do other things. Seems natural enough that three months old baby wants to stay close to mother. Good compromise between needs of mother and baby.

ash23

Place a hot water bottle in the crib before putting her down so that the bed is warm (take out the water bottle when putting her in). Also mam should put a hanky of muslin cloth in her bra during the day and put it with baby in the crib so baby has the scent.

With both those things she might not even notice she's being put into the crib.

It worked for me, many moons ago.


On the other hand, she is still very tiny and if possible just enjoy the time snuggled up with her because you'll blink and she'll be too big or ye will be too busy to have those few hours just relaxing with your tiny baby sleeping on your chest.

marizpan

ash23 wrote: »

With both those things she might not even notice she's being put into the crib.

It worked for me, many moons ago.


On the other hand, she is still very tiny and if possible just enjoy the time snuggled up with her because you'll blink and she'll be too big or ye will be too busy to have those few hours just relaxing with your tiny baby sleeping on your chest.

I second that. One thing I regret now that mine are past that stage. I should have spent more time watching day time tv with the little ones in arms. They are the precious moments, not the housecleaning. 3 mth old is very young for sleep training anyway and that phase will pass so quickly. enjoy it :-)

emmabrighton

How Strange wrote: »

A 3 month old does not need to self soothe or learn how to do it. A 3 month old is still a tiny baby with very limited needs and wants. One of those may be keeping very close to mum as she was growing inside her for 9 months and is the only person she really knows. She knows you too but in a different way to your wife.

Op your daughter clearly feels most secure when she's asleep on your wife. These things don't last forever. The cluster feeding in the evening time usually ends around 3 months and she'll become more aware of her surrounding and will gradually become less dependent on your wife for napping.

I agree with this. My advice would be to get a few TV series box-sets and enjoy the closeness. I can't think of a better excuse to do nothing for a few hours