2 1/2 week old

[anna*]

Agree with Kara. Naps in the sling or swing are totally fine at this age. If you feel like she benefits from a swaddle but breaks out too easy, have a look at the Miracle Blanket or Woombie, they are great.

[EZ-EMom]

Have you tried a Woombie or Miracle Blanket?  Something she wouldn't be able to wiggle out of?

[nazmommy]

Thank you so much Kara!

[*Kara*]

No problem at all!  You do what you have to do for the first few months to avoid ending up in the crazy house

[nazmommy]

No, I haven't tried those, but I am interested!
Thank you again!!!

[creations]

Just a quick idea for a tiny one...instead of laying her down in a cot try just on your knee so she is still being held but not actually cuddle held if that makes sense.  Then try on the sofa right next to your leg (like parallel), this was how my LO slept sometimes when he was tiny.  I also used to put him down in a travel cot in the living room so I wasn't up and down the stairs all day and I think he liked knowing he was near us.  I started PU/PD about that time too, although not sure I was supposed to so young.  I only put him down if he was happy or eyes were really drooping on the verge of sleep.
Tracy's idea of stripy lines drawn on a card, or one well contrasting toy hanging/pinned close by is helpful for gazing at.  Mine had certain places he would do his seven mile gaze at, one was a plant which must have looked very dark against the light of the wall behind it.

[taylorsmummy]

Someone mentioned earlier about Infacol for gas/wind. My LO started to fuss when I would lay her down about 5 weeks old so I started to use infacol which seemed to help. I only stopped using it at 6 months. As it wasnt absorbed by the body and seemed to help her burb I thought it wasnt worth disturbing the peace and kept using it for ages. It might be worth a try.
Big hugs and I hope things improve soon xxx

[eshea]

This was helpful for me to read.  I have a four week old and a three year old.  With my older girl we didn't try sleep training until about 4 months and then it was hard to break a lot of habits!  My husband and I agreed we wanted to start earlier with our new son, but it has been discouraging trying to help him and keep up with her.  I'm glad to hear that for naps some parents AP to prevent the OT baby.  Is it very realistic to think that such little babies can learn to sleep on their own?  I feel like my expectations are sometimes too high, but every time I'm tempted to rock him to sleep I think of how good it will be for us in the long run if he can do it on his own.  But man, my back is sore from leaning over his crib.

[*Kara*]

LOL!  Don't feel that you can't teach him to sleep on his own at 3 months   Until then, just do whatever it takes to keep him rested.  I honestly don't know anyone who successfully sleep trained a baby before the 4 month mark

[eshea]

It would be so nice, though, wouldn't it!  A few nights I have tried nursing him to sleep just so I can get to bed earlier, but he wakes up in the crib after just a few minutes.  I've been reading some of the other posts from moms with babies of a similar age and overall the message seems to be that sleep is the most important - there will be time to fix AP later.  Problem for me is sometimes the AP doesn't even work.  I might need to invest in a sling.  I have a Baby Bjorn, but is the sling the carrier where the babies curl up in a little ball more easily?

[creations]

Sorry kara I think I have to disagree.  I started LO very early with independent sleep, I'm not saying all is perfect, it's not, but I think it's an on-going process as they grow everything changes, things disturb the pattern (jabs, growth spurts, seasons changing etc) but my LO has been able to fall asleep alone (when he is not ill or some other disturbance) since just a couple of weeks old.  I did hold him when he needed holding but always put him down and always made sure there was at least a little A time before S. Initially he still woke for a NF or two but slept about 5 - 7 hrs from almost the beginning and stopped his own NFs by about 7 wks or so.

Having said that, I think people need to do what they need to do.  Me saying DS was sleep trained very young doesn't mean that I've never APOP and doesn't mean that he never has any problems.  Then again my DP still has problems sleeping and he's 40 ;-)

Eshea, just make sure you check out safety aspects of slings as some of them are not a good design and there were some suffocation issues with them (baby all curled up and face in parents body).  They were the diagonal sling type, they look great but the safety put me right off.  You might prefer the wrap type which I believe are safe. I used my baby bjorn for LO from as young as possible whilst still following the weight/length guidance (minimum 8lb.  My DS was only 6lb 13.5 at birth)

[*Kara*]

I didn't mean that no one has a baby who can fall asleep on their own at all... mine could at a few weeks old as well.  But as far as completed sleep training, you might be challenged to find someone who was totally successful that early on

Sounds like you have a dream baby!  5-7 hours right from the start is amazing!!!

[creations]

Yes my HV told me not to talk about the 5 hrs sleep in front of other mums.  I was very lucky there!  He did feed very often in the day though so perhaps he was fully tanked up.  It was quite a long time before I could coax him into going 3 hrs in the day.  He can still only manage 3 hrs now at 20 wks when 'most' are moving up to 4 hrs.  Swings an roundabouts I suppose.

[*Kara*]

4 months does have a growth spurt tied to it, he may be ready for the 4 hour plan once he is through it   It can be a weird spurt... comes and goes!

[eshea]

creations - thanks for the info about slings.  I like the bjorn but find it difficult to sit and play with my toddler when wearing it.  I thought perhaps a sling might allow for more movement on my part so I can still tend to my daughter.  I'll do my research before I get anything.  Thanks!