2 1/2 week old

[*Ali*]

I have a Baby Bjorn Synergy and do not find it comfortable. It aches my back after only a short time wearing it. Reviews have also claimed that it is not good for the LO as they are sitting in their groin as the weight is not well distributed.
You may be better off with a wrap that distributes their weight across their whole bum and legs as well as across your entire shoulders and back. I personally like the Moby D.

[elehman]

I discovered that my diet was really affecting my LO's digestion - he has massive allergies to dairy in my diet, but other things gave him gas - wheat, green veges, beans etc.  Try seeing what you eat if he is gassy - my rule of thumb was that if I was gassy, he would be too!   Once I regulated my diet, his gas went away.  It returns when I slip up.... 

[nazmommy]

Yes, I agree elehman.  The problem is I'm a vegetarian and its hard to get the vitamins and iron and protein I need from non-gassy foods.
As an update - I am really struggling.  Occasionally she will lay down and drift nicely.  Otherwise, and more typically, I lay her down and she just squirms and pulls her legs up.  I pick her up and when I calm her down, she starts to drift.  I lay her back down.  The same thing happens.  I can't seem to read her cues right.  I was really no good at cues with my first either. 
I am so frustrated when I talk to my best friend and she just simply lays her baby down and her lo just goes to sleep.  What have I done so wrong that my baby won't go to sleep on her own?  I don't mind doing apop but grrrr!  She requires so much holding!  I know that she will grow out of most of it, right? But I want to be working in the right direction.
She is now 6 weeks. 
I REALLY appreciate all your input girls.  Thank you so much!  Thank you for letting me vent.  This morning just hasn't been good between my lo not sleeping and my eldest dd getting into all the no-nos she can find.

[creations]

When you lay her down have you tried keeping hold for a short while?  I did this with my LO if I had to PU/PD a few times so he could still feel like he was being held a little during the transition between arms and cot.  I'd say that even if you had to continue to hold (in the cot that is) until she was asleep at least it would be a step in the right direction, she'd get used to the view from inside the cot (mine had certain places he liked to gaze at for his seven mile stare and if he couldn't see one of them he seemed to flounder and look around in desperation) and the feel of the mattress beneath her.  Once she's used to that you could reduce the pressure of the hold to to just laying your hand on her or a pat or rub.
At very difficult times I even put mine to sleep on a blanket on the floor and when putting him down went the whole way down with him so (tricky to explain) if we were for example chest to chest, I'd lower us both until his back was on the floor and I was completely crouched over him with our chests still touching.  I only did this a couple of times but I think it helped him get used to the weight of lying on his own body and the feel of a hard flat surface beneath him rather than the shape or arms/chest for sleeping on.

[*Kara*]

Mine was very much a "hold me all day" baby until she was about 2 months old... she would always wake up when put down, regardless of the contortion-ism I did to place her down gently with as little transition as possible... she outgrew it   Although, the clingyness is back with teething   As hard as it is somedays, remember that she was "with" you 24/7 for 9 months, she needs time to adjust to being on her own and having freedom of movement

[creations]

well said Kara.

And doesn't the female bladder return to full capacity remarkably quickly after childbirth? I mean, I went from peeing every 2 mins when pregnant down to about once per day after LO was born, it must be designed so we can cuddle them all day without having an accident

[*Ali*]

Are you still using shh/pat even if it is in your arms for now? That should help create a sleep association that you can continue with in the cot.
Did you try a wind med?
Have you done the quiz to find out her temperament yet?
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=52283.0
She is really small so please don't feel pressured to have her sleep trained in the new few weeks. It will come. Not many LOs just sleep on their own so early so it is great for your friend that her baby does but don't think that that is typical. You have done nothing wrong. Maybe your friend's LO is an angel baby and she is just lucky.

[nazmommy]

You ladies are awesome, as always.
Wow, today has been so crazy hard.
Yes, I have tried wind medicine and it helps sometimes.  It hasn't seemed to work today!
Yes, I am patting her to sleep in my arms, for the sleep association.  Thank you for saying that.  It made me feel better.
Very well said Kara.
Cadie's mom - thank you for the kind words.  I felt so awful all day about her sleep.  We will get there eventually.  Thank you for encouraging me to not feel pressured.
Creations - you made me lol!!!  I agree about the bladder!  Too funny!  She does indeed like my hand on her and I use that as often as I can.  She really seems to be gassy and that is so hard. I have thought that maybe it is OT as well but I usually go back to thinking it's gassy.  She seems to wiggle like she is trying to get away from something.  She pulls her legs up and then gets all red in the face and then cries.  When she finally relaxes, she'll toot and then its starts over again.  Like the tooting didn't help.  But finally after awhile she settles and more and more toots will come out. 
Thank you again ladies - I am really loving all your comments and ideas. They are so helpful.

[*Kara*]

I still have that new mom bladder of steel

[creations]

Sorry I haven't looked back at the whole thread to refresh my memory, so forgive me if I am repeating...
do you try to help the wind out by tummy massage, cycling the legs or lifting legs up towards chest/face?  My LO was and still is very trumpy, when they are so little they don't move enough to help the wind move do they?  LO seemed to utterly love it when I lifted his legs, I'd lightly pat his bum (think Tracy recommends this) to give focus on where to push and we made games out of it doing trump sounds, blowing raspberries, gentle things at first but more up-beat as he got older, singing 'the wheels on the bus go round and round' (doing big circular movements with both legs) and 'the wipers on the bus go swish swish swish' (legs up at 90 deg to body and then swish from left to right) etc.  In fact the rougher it is the more LO loves it, obviously always making sure they are not going to get hurt.  We did trumpy songs and actions at every nappy change because the nappy seems to stop them bending fully.
We still do these at 5 months and he still loves having a trump and a giggle with me.

[*Ali*]

We did trumpy songs and actions at every nappy change because the nappy seems to stop them bending fully.We still do these at 5 months and he still loves having a trump and a giggle with me

LOL!

Don't forget that wind meds like Infacol have a cummulative effect so you have to use them constantly to get a build up for them to work.

Ali

[eshea]

nazmommy- I think I'm in the same situation.  I have a 6 week old and he, too, screams bloody murder when I get him into his crib.  I feel like I'm misreading everything or that I've already created a situation that will be hard to rememdy later by having so many morning naps in the sling or on the go.  Trouble is, even when I hold him and rock him he doesn't seem to settle if he is OT (or gassy, which it might be?  He gets stiff as a board and won't even let me pump his legs). 

I remember with my first that 6 weeks seems to be a tricky time.  The other bit I'm struggling with is getting him to rest between afternoon nap and bedtime without going on a walk.  Bedtimes have been miserable because he is so tired, but with my toddler awake I can't be in his room forever doing shh/pat.  What to do?

[*Kara*]

Do whatever you have to do.  You have lots of time to teach him to sleep.  Babies often just need mom's comfort for those first few months.  You can't really blame them, you have been carrying them for 9 months and now can't expect them to be happily placed in the crib alone to sleep   They have to adjust