Should I persist??

[Heaven]

Thanks guys. Went to the MCHN today and she was telling me to put her down asleep etc. This won't work, she will just literally stay awake all day!! She seems to have so much trouble getting to sleep, and fights it.

It's hard to know what I want to do, some days I don't care about carrying her around all day but then I would also like her to know how to sleep in the basinette. But when I try and make her she just gets over tired and cranky and is not her usual happy self so then I feel like a bad mummy coz she's not happy. Usually she doesn't really cry, she's pretty happy.

I think I just don't have enough patience, I just get so frustrated trying to teach her to sleep in the basinette and then I give up. Maybe I'll wait for a time when DH has a few days off work and he can help me teach her. I think I might go crazy trying to do it on my own!

[Jennifer13]

Relax, hun, she's only 10 weeks old! If she sleeps better in the HAB and you are happy to use it, then do so. She gets a lot of comfort from being close to you, and who can blame her? Only a little while ago you held and carried her 24 hrs a day, now it's down to maybe 5! The fact she is so settled at night time should prove to you that you are not forming any 'bad habits', it's just when it's day time she wants your closeness and security.

Babies tend to draw confidence from the increased security when they are little and you will probably find as she gets older she will be more than happy to sleep in her bassinette.

[Arcadia]

Hi Heaven...I could have written your post when DD was 10 weeks old.

I too had a battle in my head between what to do. I used to say "nothing works" because I seemed to be fighting a loosing battle with her sleep. I used to say to DH "I spent the whole day trying to get her to sleep".

I think you need to ask yourself if it bothers you she only sleeps for 30mins? Is she happy when she wakes up? Are you coping?

It is really hard not to get swayed by the "should" brigade. She "should" be going down awake, she "should" be able to resettle etc.

Ask yourself. What do YOU want? If you want her to go down awake and resettle, then there is help. I sought assistance from a lovely mentor here in Melb who taught me all about self settling (and not the MCHN way). That's the technique I have been sharing, but its tough to do it alone.
Sometimes having someone come to you and talk it through helps you make up your mind. i found once I made the decision, a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders and there was direction at last.

Where are you based?

[Heaven]

Jennifer- thank you I have to spread the love, but our post made me feel better about what I'm doing atm so thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey anna, I just read your post in Dee's thread!! Great info.
When she only sleeps 30mins and wakes up she's not as happy she's just grumpy and cries more and isn't her usual smiley self. I'm coping fine when I use the HAB because it's easy to get her to sleep and she sleeps for ages. It's the days when I am over carrying her around and trying to make her sleep in the basinette that I get really frustrated. I really would like her to self-settle and sleep on her own bc it would be so much easier and I could get things done!! But I feel bad when I try bc she's unhappy and doesn't get enough sleep!
I haven't worked out how to settle her in the basinette well, I've tried before and she just gets distressed and I have to pick her up and then she cries as soon as I put her back down again. I feel like if I don't put her in the HAB she just won't sleep all day!! lol. She doesn't get that it's sleep time! Hmm.......I think I need to try harder but I'm going to have to do it when DH is home coz I get so frustrated!! I will need his help! Do you reckon a weekend would be long enough to get over the hardest part??
I'm in Brisbane.

[Heaven]

double post

[onthefly]

First, even if you just use the HAB for as now and just follow your baby's cues, she will eventually get the hang of sleeping elsewhere.
Second, the only 'habit' that you're forming right now is being happy and sleeping.
Third, do you have a copy of the no-cry sleep solution? she has excellent advice for transitioning from sleeping in arms to bassinet/cot, if you want to do that.

It will get better and there'll be plenty of time later for getting all those things done. before you know it she'll be mobile and spreading crumbs from one end of the house to other and you'll realise there's no point cleaning anymore anyway

[Arcadia]

Hi Heaven. Its awful to hear your baby cry I know.

When you're trying to find a way to soothe her in the bassinet, maybe try and get as close as possible, so hold her hands and press your cheek to hers, and then rock the whole bassinet as you hold her, so she is nice and close and has some motion (like the HAB). If that works, try and do that for a few days for her to get used to...so basically rock her to sleep.

Then on a weekend (maybe next weekend?) get DH to come into the room with you and be there as you try and get her to self settle.
HTH

[Jennifer13]

Just a reminder that this is a No Cry, Comforted Sleep Solutions thread. It is not appropriate to post advice that suggests you should allow your baby to continue to cry.

Any further posts that suggests methods that encourage this will be removed and the poster infracted.

[Heaven]

Thanks marcellus. No, I don't have that book, I think I'll get it. Because I don't want to let her cry. I don't mind letting her whinge a bit coz that's what she does when I'm holding her and she's trying to get to sleep anyway. But for some reason when I'm not holding her she just can not go to sleep yet, even if I'm with her, the whinging just escalates to full on screaming Maybe she's just not ready, hmm.......

anna- thanks for that suggestion for soothing her in the basinette, I will try it. It's really hard though, she seems to work out I'm trying to put her to sleep and then just starts crying, lol, cheeky girl. Maybe it is that she's just not ready yet and isn't able to calm herself without being held. I might try again in a couple of weeks. I don't really have time to be consistent before then anyway bc we are going to be away for half of next week for her christening.