How to get baby to sleep without being held?

Question

My little one is 2 months old and will not sleep unless he is being held. It is getting to the point where I am beyond frustrated and not sure what to do. He is usually swaddled, has a pacifer and is comfortable when he falls asleep but a few minutes after he wakes. When he wakes up he is very upset and hard to settle. Please help with any tips you have. If you have judgements move on and don't say anything. It's hard enough being a mama! Thanks!

Answer

My daughter is 4 months but For bedtime I feed my daughter in her room, pitch black darkness. After her bottle is finished she is burped laid down typically awake. I put her paci in silently and walk out. She flops around and every now and then fuss a bit. If she actually cry’s I go back stick her paci back in and leave. I give her all my nighttime love before shutting off the lights. If she wakes up at night(vary rare) I go in change her and feed her in silence. Lights dim for changing. Night time is sleep not play which is why I stay silent. She slept in her rock and play the first few months with no rock but now she’s in her crib. She naps in the living room in light on the couch or on her boppy

Answer

Have you tried wrapping him in a shirt you’ve worn all day? Sometimes they want to smell you & have you close.

Answer

Here are a few things that I did to get my son (8weeks now) to sleep well by himself.   I'm not saying you should do these things, as they aren't exactly kosher as far as recommendations.  
1.  First thing I tried was putting a flannel blanket over the bassinet sheet, with edges tucked under so that the surface would not be cold.  This worked for a little while but after a short time he didn't like sleeping on his back in bassinet again.... so I tried the following...
2.  I elevated the mattress in his bassinet.  He does better when not completely flat on his back, because he has reflux.  He does ok on his back on a softer surface but his bassinet is pretty firm and he hates being directly on his back straight on the bassinet.
3.  I sleep baby first on me, then transfer him slowly to a boppy lounger.  I hold him and lower down my body til his body is totally on the lounger then slowly pull away.  Sometimes I leave him in the lounger and nap him in living room or on my bed.  If I really want to
Move him to bassinet, I then transfer him in the lounger to his bassinet.  He is much more likely to wake up if I put him directly in bassinet than on the lounger in bassinet.  I think  it's a combination of being cozy and soft vs bassinet is cold and relatively hard.
4.  I sleep him on my bed for naps and clear the bed of blankets and pillows. ( again, I think it's more cozy on our bed than his bassinet?). Sometimes he is on hoppy lounger.  Sometimes directly on the bed.
5.  I lay him down baby belly down with head turned sideways instead of on his back.  I do not swaddle him when he is belly down.
6.  I nap the baby in a rock and play (he has reflux, so he likes angled or elevated surfaces better than flat surfaces).
Good luck! I'm sure you'll find something that works for you guys!  Just have to keep trying!

Answer

F

Answer

For us it just took a little longer. At three months I'd nurse my son to sleep and put him down and he just started staying asleep for longer than 15 minutes 😉 He'd sleep for a few hours, the same stretches that he would when held.

How to get baby to sleep without being held?

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