my 7 week old has yet to be put down to sleep

[Laurel]

not for a nap (longer than 15-20 minutes) or at night either. i'm going to lose my mind. you would think i might know how to do this since this is my second child. but no, DD didn't ever nap alone. EVER. and it was a long time before she slep at night in her own space.

help! how do i put the baby down? i feel like a giant idiot and my mom and mil think i'm crazy.

nak.

[Happy 2B mommy]

I'm so sorry, I know how hard a time this is. My DD was the same way. She wanted nothing to do with the crib. When I couldn't take it anymore I did co-sleep, and then gradually moved DD to the car seat next to the bed, and then to her crib. She's almost a year and has been sleeping alone in her crib (and completely through the night) since she was 7 months or so.

I found the Dr. Sears books and website very helpful in dealing with sleep issues. I even moved the recliner into her room so I could keep a hand on her while she fell asleep. Sometimes I just slept in the recliner next to the crib.

My best friend found the Babywise books worked well. I just could never let DD cry.

[sweetpea]

My dd was just like that. My family dr. said "it's okay, some babies just need to be close or need movement". All babies are different...don't let anyone make you feel like you're doing something wrong because you know what's best for your own dc.

I loved the Hug-a Bub wrap because you can be completely hands free with it. It has soooo much fabric and was tricky to learn to tie up at first but it saved my back (and my sanity) since I couldn't put dd down. I would do my housework while she napped strapped to me :) Later, we used the swing for naps.

For night time we used the Amby bed, it has a gentle motion and sort of cradles the db.

Another thing that really helped us was white noise.

Good luck, hang in there!

[nov04]

I held our first for months and went crazy. With our second, I wore her in a sling all day and then one of us slept in the lazyboy the same way at night. Not ideal according to the public health nurse I accidentally told (she looked horrified) but much better than 2 parents who were so tired (dh worked 2 jobs) they'd go nuts.

I was really afraid she'd never sleep on her own and that I was creating an addict but it worked fine. At around 3.5 months she was happily sleeping in her crib with quick wake ups at night to eat. She still loves the sling to fall asleep in but sleeps in her crib fine. We had abandoned the swaddle at 4m but after a 3d admission to hospital at the end of August, its back and we're working on it (not releveant to my post, but wanted to be honest our sleeping habits aren't perfect).

gl

[chlobo]

Are you saying your baby doesn't want to be put down or that you *can't* put the baby down?

I totally understand. My DD was the same way as well. Now, with my second, I often find myself with him sleeping in my lap. However, I have to remember that he's a different baby and force myself to try and put him down so I can get some space. It's hard, but I keep trying. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't

[masha12]

Do you swaddle? A good swaddle can make all the difference. The DVD Happiest Baby on the Block (can probably get from the library) shows how to do a really good swaddle and gives other tips for calming babies and getting them to sleep.

I have no problems letting them cry themselves to sleep, but I think 7 weeks might be a little young to do that. (But if you are exhausted and burned out, try it. You aren't going to do any permanent damage).

[gatorsmom]

I did Babywise and yes, it was hard at first, but it worked. Make sure baby is comfie and fed and burped, then put him down in his crib or bassinette. Then walk away. It won't hurt him to cry. If mine was still crying after 10 minutes (many times less than that because I hated to hear him cry), I'd rub his back and tell him it was ok, I'm here. If he was still crying after doing that 3 times, I'd try to burp him again. My second baby was so gassy that I started to just give him a little mylecon after a feeding at the times of day he was habitually fussy.

In the end, the best thing for them is to learn to go to sleep on their own. Crying themselves to sleep (as long as the baby is not in pain) is absolutely acceptable. Sometimes if they are overly stimulated, crying helps them become more calm and more sleepy. It's hard on you, I know, but rest assured you aren't doing them harm. And it's true, the younger they are when you break this habit of holding them to sleep, the easier it is on everybody.

Lisa
Mom to Gator July 2003
And Cha-Cha July 2005
and surprise! twins due 11/07!

[jenmcadams]

I swear by Happiest Baby on the Block and the 5 S's

Not sure if you were looking for advice or not but if so...maybe try it out. We give it to friends as a baby gift and everyone loves it.

My two kids were completely different sleepers...the first was freakishly good (4-6 hour stretches in the first few weeks and 12 hours a night by 8-9 weeks) and the second was pretty tough (no more than 2 hour stretches for months). But as far as getting them calmed down, the 5 S's did the trick with both of them

Good luck and I hope you are getting plenty of help...I couldn't believe how much harder #2 was for us.