[Toothfairy01]

I know there are many threads on settling but specifically, what has worked for those of you who had/have a baby who would settle reasonably easily with picking up or rocking but would refuse to be put down??

We have a 5 wk old and for the past 3 weeks, usually around 9pm till 2am, will cry and fuss unless she is picked up, not only cuddled, but needs to be rocked, bounced and jiggled. She will settle within seconds to minutes, seem to start falling asleep, we'll gently lower her to the cradle, she might stay there for maximum 10min and then start crying again. She's fed, clean, dry, etc.

This seems to only happen during this time of day (our arsenic hour, I guess).

Do any of you have any techniques which have worked?

We understand the peak crying etc and I've been reading the purple crying website, so we are willing to ride it out but any tips in the meantime would be great.

TIA

[familyequalslove]

Unfortunately nothing worked for us, we just had to ride it out until about 12 weeks when DD started to settle into a 7.30pm bedtime and sleep at least 3 hours.

There is not going to be a next time for us, but IF there was going to be, I would get one of those co-sleeper things (which you put in your bed) and have my hand on the baby and when they woke, just roll them back and forth gently. I am not a fan of co-sleeping but I think sometimes this is the only option that works.

[bubzillaiscoming]

I actually had a sleep nanny come to our house (highly recommended if you're in Melbourne). We had the most success with putting DD on her side (I know it is against SIDS but we had all cotton sheets, good firm bedding etc) tucking a sheet very firmly over her so that her arms were contained, (although your bub is probs still swaddled) and then very firmly patting her bottom with the other hand firmly holding her shoulder.

If she got upset then I was told to sing very loudly (twinkle twinkle is my fave) all the while holding and patting and to gradually drop the singing to shhhh, shhhh and slowly soften patting and the shoulder hold but to keep the shushing until I was out of the room. One horrible night I counted over 300 pats!!!

Good luck - it does get easier ...eventually!!

[bubzillaiscoming]

I should add that if DD settled well I would slide her onto her back ... for the SIDS thing

[lucky 2]

Hi Toothfairy01, you might also find some tips in the pinned settling thread in this forum.
It's probably a situation of riding it out though, the behaviour of your baby sounds very typical.
I hope you find something that helps.
http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/forums/ind...howtopic=957742

[agdp07]

We have a 4 week old that doesn't like being put down so I have tried a few different things which have all worked sometimes and failed sometimes.
When I put her down I keep my hand under her head for a few minutes. (Might not help if your getting 10 minutes straight up)
While in hospital the midwives had a little battery operated white noise machine. They put it in the cot and it played the sound of breaking waves.
Instead of buying one I downloaded a few Apps on my ipad that do this and I place it in her cot with a timer set. (Ipad is on flight mode so no wireless signals near my baby.)
Surprisingly this gives us the most success.
We also use the zipper swaddles that put her hands up next to her ears as she escapes from being swaddled with a blanket.
They are nowhere near as firm holding as a midwife swaddling with a blanket but seems to help with her hands up. Also not as hot which works well in QLD when its 28 degrees all night this time of year.

[Charli73]

My DS was like this.. I used the fit ball for hours to settle him sometimes and he used to always wake up too once he went down. I had some success with baby 2 by warming the bassinet with a heat bag so she felt warm like she was still being held and playing 'music for dreaming' or white noise apps on my iPhone...
Warming the cot/bassinet worked a treat for us though...

Hope this helps a little..

[Toothfairy01]

Thank you so much for your replies.

We've tried a lot of what has been suggested, except a heart beat machine. She seems oblivious to white noise. We always swaddle for sleep and I think the Love to Dream swaddle has made a slight different in that it's less faffing to get her into it so if she's lightly asleep, then she's more likely to stay asleep.

Plus, as she matures, things that used to work, don't anymore.

We drove home late from an Xmas celebration tonight and we thought the car had done the trick but she stirred and started crying when taken out of the car seat. I guess this is when a capsule would come in handy but I don't like the thought of leaving her to sleep in it for longer than necessary.

Most of the time, it seems like we just have to ride it out until between 1am and 3am, it's like she's just not ready to go down until then. I just wish she would prefer to sleep a little earlier as once she's down, she'll wake for feeds but pretty much go back to sleep without too much fuss. We then need to catch up on sleep in the morning, which is fine, unless we have somewhere to be or having visitors and then we lose a sleep between feeds.

[nen-c]

My first was like this for probably 2-3 months after birth - I think it is pretty common. I gave up putting him in the cot for a while, and would get him to sleep while moving about, wait for a while and then was able to sit on the couch and rest while holding him until he either woke up for another feed, or I felt like I could put him to bed. Sometimes if I lay on my side in bed and let him feed/comfort suck until he was sleeping then I could get up and leave him there. Also I would always wrap for the witching hour - seems to help keep feeling a bit more calm and secure.

She will get there OP - just keep riding it out for a bit longer.

[Toothfairy01]

My first was like this for probably 2-3 months after birth - I think it is pretty common. I gave up putting him in the cot for a while, and would get him to sleep while moving about, wait for a while and then was able to sit on the couch and rest while holding him until he either woke up for another feed, or I felt like I could put him to bed. Sometimes if I lay on my side in bed and let him feed/comfort suck until he was sleeping then I could get up and leave him there. Also I would always wrap for the witching hour - seems to help keep feeling a bit more calm and secure.

She will get there OP - just keep riding it out for a bit longer.

Thanks nen-c! Did you do anything to "train" your bub? So many people are criticising us for spoiling her but we just cant put her down until she's ready or she screams the house down and then vomits.

She self-settles when she chooses, but never at that time.