Ella's Sleeping Habit

Ella will not go to sleep unless she falls asleep on my chest or Dh's chest. If we put her in the bassinet or the crib for her to fall asleep on her own she begins to cry. Are we spoiling? She is only 5 weeks old and I know that it is hard to spoil a baby this young but we do not want her to develop bad habits. Did anyone else experience this behavior? TIA!

Re: Ella's Sleeping Habit

you are not spoiling her, at this time in her life, she needs you to hold her and love her all the time

Enjoy it, cause soon enough she will not want to be held

Re: Ella's Sleeping Habit

I think what you are doing is fine. She is still to young to unerstand self-soothing, at least I think so. I didn't start putting DS down awake until 4 months. DD is now 3 months and I try to put her down awake. Sometimes she fusses and I pick her up other times she will actuall fall asleep.

Re: Ella's Sleeping Habit

I am having the same problem and the same concern about spoiling. DS is 4 weeks old and he won't sleep in the bassinet even if we put him in after he falls asleep in our arms. He will only sleep in the swing, but sleeps better/longer if someone is holding him.

I agree with a previous reply that I think that 5 weeks is too young to spoil a baby and we need to do what works for now because they are too neurologically immature to soothe themselves to sleep. I'm reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child and I think they recommend enforcing sleep habits when the child is 3 months old, but with a newborn it is too soon.

Re: Ella's Sleeping Habit

Thanks ladies!! I feel much better to know that we are not spoiling her. We will continue to hold and soothe as much as possible. I just hate when people makes comment about us spoiling her.

Re: Ella's Sleeping Habit

We went through this exact same thing, and I worried too. She wouldn't go in the bassinet/swing/anything, even when sound asleep, she'd wake up right away and scream. As I had to return to work at 12 wesks, we started to work with her starting at around 8 or 10 weeks to put her in the bassinet...we'd put her down (already asleep), and keep here there until she cried, and repeat, repeat, repeat It took a while, but she got it. Now she sleeps down, but doesn't fall asleep on her own yet (except in the carseat when we're out & about)...that's our next project.

Enjoy the cuddle time

Re: Ella's Sleeping Habit

I am going through the same thing too. I like sleeping with DS in bed because I get at least 6 hrs sleep that way.

Re: Ella's Sleeping Habit

We had the same problem with DS, he would wake up either right away or with in an hour of beign put down. BUt if we held him he could sleep for hours.

He is 4monhts old, and He now sleeps alot better, but this did not start happening until we began to put him on his belly to sleep.