sticky baby

my little precious is extremely sticky. he falls asleep on me and when i try to put him down in his basket, it wakes him up immediately!


how can i train him to sleep independently and fee secure in his cot/basket?


since coming home he has hardly slept in his cot, sleeping mostly in his basket or on our bed. i'm worried that he will have difficulty sleeping in his own cot when his is older?


baby is two months old. thanks

There are two points of view on this issue.


1. Why should your baby be apart from you when he is obviously happy with you? If you don't mind it, then sleep with him. There is nothing wrong with it. Don't let others tell you anything else - it is your choice and how you desire to sleep with him. Especially if you are breastfeeding, this can be a benefit as it is just immediately a roll over feed and whatnot.


2. the other point of view is about teaching your baby good sleep habits - how to fall asleep on his own, how to settle himself back to sleep, and how to not rely on other people to fall asleep. There is lots of merit in those point of view as well - and I am of this camp - and it's more a matter of my personality that I've chosen to be this way.


If you get your baby to fall asleep on you, then when the conditions change, of COURSE he will wake up. You are warm, soft, snuggly and smell like mommy and he loves that. But if you move him, he loses all that loveliness and is put into a cold crib.


There are a number of techniques - a transitional object - one poster on here puts a hanky near her breasts and then when the baby fall asleep she allows him to hold it and it will be near his face so it smells like her.


Secondly, don't let him fall asleep while you are holding him -let him get drowsy and when he is drowsy put him down in his crib. If he cries, let him fuss for a minute or two, and if he can't settle pick him back up and get him good and drowsy and put him back down. Tracy Hoag in her "Baby Whisperer" book goes over this method ("pick up put down") and many moms have had great success with it. The key is to NOT allow the baby to actually fall asleep on you, but to fall asleep in the crib. GEt him good and drowsy and hold him, but put him down.


My kids didn't have trouble transitioning between cot and basket. But if you're concerned, try the cot now - see how he takes it. Maybe do one nap in the cot and the rest in the basket so he can get used to it.


If you structure eating and sleeping, generally it is easier to get the baby sleeping on his own faster.


I love Gina Ford - and I highly recommend her method for helping you do this.

Thanks hkchoichoi. I tried today using the "pick up put down" method, after about 16 times, he finally was slient but only lasted 5 minutes before the wailing started, sigh, the rest is history. Will try again.

consistency is important. If he cries then you must continue to do it. Offer a transitional object as well (something that smells like you.) It does take time, and it wont' work the first time either - keep going at it. Don't expect too much too soon either - he's only 2 months old.

baby two months old is still the "fourth trimester" period. The baby is just adjusting out of your womb! Give it some time...... my baby now hates us holding him to sleep, he wants to be in the crib when he's sleepy, but someone there patting him gently for about 10 minutes until he falls asleep.


Sometimes baby at that young age gets startled by the slightest noise or gets scared (flailing arms)


I don't know if you want to try, but we used this method for both our kids... old wive's tale... but we made a little rice pillow to place over baby's chest, supposed to make baby feel more secure like mom's holding him (or someone holding him at least).


They used it until 4 months.


good luck.

My baby also get startled by the slightest noise, his arms will throw up in the air. Does this disappear as he age? I have those rice pillows too.