How do I get a 5 week old to go to sleep..

[ktroia]

without being in my arms?

Anyone care to share how they've been able to achieve this? Right now, I"m trying to take her in when she's drowsy so she can put herself to sleep.

Late at night, we're getting in to the habit of her having to be held to sleep. I wake up in the morning with her sleeping on me and she's on her stomach which makes me really nervous.

[newbie_mary]

At that age, ds pretty much fell asleep in my arms, usually nursing. I would lay him down once he was asleep. I don't think they need to "learn how to put themselves to sleep" at that age. It will happen on it's own when they're ready.

Mary

[calicocj]

When they are so little, they are still getting used to the world outside your womb, so it is natural for her to want to be near you in the safety and warmth of your arms. I don't think you should worry about her going to sleep on her own. That will come when she is older - maybe even much older (!) - it is more important now for her to be comforted and close to you. Have you tried a sling? My DD loved being in the cradle carry in our ring sling and slept a lot like that when she was little.

hth...
Callie

[PortraitPixie]

The best advice I ever got concerning comforting and sleeping my newborn came from the book THe Happiest Baby On the Block, by Dr. Harvey Karp.

In it he discusses shhhh-ing, swaddling an sidelying bounce....all of which really helped my ds and I....

I highly recommend that you check it out at your library or pick it up!

Sarah

[AppleCrisp]

Slinging really worked for us at the beginning...I wore him til he fell asleep, then I just laid him down in the bed (not the crib, too far down to bend over without waking him up), and gently untied the sling.

Another way we do it is to start out nursing, resting the baby in a sleep pose on a nursing pillow, covered with a blanket, and when he drifts off I am able to carry the whole pillow into the bedroom and gently slide him off onto the bed. I doubt the baby will want to fall asleep at five weeks old without you. How about putting your arm around the baby, letting her sleep in the crook of your arm? We did that when he was really really tiny, if you're worried about the baby sleeping on you. My son slept on my chest on his stomach for the first few weeks, but I was comfortable with that.

[*guest]

It's normal for babies to want to be held to sleep. And inconvenient to most of society, apparently, based on all the crummy comments you may get about "spoiling the baby." People seem to think you'll have to hold your baby until college or something. The put themselves to sleep while drowsy ability is rare until a good bit older. The first few weeks are just triage - get through it in any way that works for you. And you won't look back and think "gee, I wish I held the baby less."

At that age, my daughter went to sleep from nursing, walking with daddy, or being in the sling. Sometimes bouncing on an exercise ball. During deep sleep (limp limbs, slow breathing), she could be moved to the co-sleeper. It takes an infant about 15-20 minutes to enter deep sleep, so it takes a little patience if you need to transfer the baby.

[MsGrizzle]

My son is 14 weeks and sleeps in the crook of my arm at night. My older son did the same...

During the day, he sleeps in a carrier on me, or in arms if I'm sitting or now I lay with him in my bed and he has actually napped like that this week and I can get up and play with older ds or do things I can't do when wearing him.

[nonnymoose]

You're still in the "survival" stage, so don't worry about what anyone thinks. You're certainly not going to get your baby into any bad habits by carrying her! Both my boys slept on me, face down/sideways/faces buried in my boobs, for WEEKS.
Ditto the suggestion of a wrap/sling, because you really can't put 'em down at that age. I spent more of the first six weeks of my boys' lives watching TV than I had in my entire life otherwise.

[sdmoose]

Swaddling and side-lying nursing to sleep....might help.

[spughy]

My DD still goes to sleep in my arms, the sling, or the car seat. She is 10 1/2 mo. I don't see a problem with it. I love watching her fall asleep - it never loses its appeal for me!

[alegna]

It's not biologically appropriate for a baby of that age to go to sleep alone. They're designed to sleep in contact with mom.

-Angela

[mama in the forest]

Keep that baby in your arms if you can, mama. To me there is nothing more beautiful, peaceful, & loving than holding a sleeping babe. All six of mine slept in my arms whenever they slept! I loved it. Cherish it. It will be gone all too soon.

[Ruthla]

At 5 weeks old, the only way any of my kids ever fell asleep not in my arms is if he or she was in somebody else's arms (or the carseat)! With babies #2 and 3, though, I never had any problems putting the sleeping baby down in the crib or my bed if another child needed my attention.

Enjoy your baby, and don't worry about setting up any "bad habits." All you're doing is teaching your baby that the world is a safe place and her needs will be filled. This makes for a secure child who will feel safe leaving your arms and exploring the world when she's ready.

[~Megan~]

I think its pretty unrealistic to expect that from a 5 week old or even a 5 month old.

[Jennah_Gole]

At five weeks old, I didnt want my baby to sleep anywhere but in my arms. Your soooo in love at that point but at the same time soooo tired. Try to sleep in with the baby - breastfeed on your side and push baby's body up against you...maybe after 30 minutes or so you can slide away. I would usually put something like a pillow up against the baby so he feels like ur still there . sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt. I agree with op that its still too young to expect the baby to sleep on his own or be away from you.

Baby needs you!!!!

[Decca]

This may not be the most popular answer on MDC, but I have a baby who needs his space to fall asleep (as do I! I can't sleep if anyone is touching me). Around 4 or 5 weeks, we started putting him down by himself after nursing. Of course, we stayed with him, patted him, gave him a binkie, etc, but he really liked being able to go down by himself.

So I don't think it's an unrealistic expectation at all, with the caveat that I have the kind of baby who is happy to do that. More snuggly babies than mine may beg to differ.

[kaaris]

I found nursing to sleep in the bed to be my old standby method. We also nurse to sleep on the Boppy and then move to the bed, and occasionally he falls asleep in the car seat, and I move him to the bed and nurse just a bit more... He's just shy of a year right now, and these are still the methods we employ.

I will say that when I was cosleeping with him at a very young age, I was nervous, but I made sure I was careful. You know, the bed was tight up against the headboard, the sheet was taut, and I used one blanket, non-puffy. I also slept topless, to keep excess material out of the way. The coolest thing, though, was that when he was little little little, if I took a deep breath, so would he. In a way, I think sleeping right beside me was a cue for him to stay in sync with me, and I definitely observed his breathing fall into the same rhythm as mine. Comforting, if you ask me.

I only halfway coslept with my first child, so this is sorta new territory for me. Right now, my "plan" is to ask him when he's about 18 months if he wants to move to his sister's bedroom. Guess we'll play it by ear.

[JBaxter]

The only way any of my DS would sleep at that age was on their tummies.

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by mamao'two

I think its pretty unrealistic to expect that from a 5 week old or even a 5 month old.

:
Babies usually do need mom to sleep, normal and nothing to worry about.
It is usually several yrs. before they can sleep alone.

[2crazykids]

My son did not "sleep" until he was 2.5 years old. He would always take 2-3 hour naps throughout the night.

at 5 weeks...it was just survival, mostly he slept on our chest listening to our heatbeats, or in his sling or baby bjorn.

My dd slept only after nursing. As she was done nursing I would gently lie down in bed with her with my arm over her and hopefully fall asleep too! She would only ever sleep for 4 hours during the night and had 2 2-hour naps during the day.

What is the frustration? Night time? Day time? Are you sleeping with babe every chance you get? very important