Baby won't sleep in bassinet?

Question

My 4 week old daughter will sleep so soundly and peacefully when she's in my bed or on my chest, but when I put her in her bassinet she screams and crys and doesn't want to sleep in there. What do I do? Any advice? I usually let her cry it out for 10 mintues and if she doesnt stop I pick her up and try again, but usually she wont stop she only wants to be with me. I know there's no such thing as spoiling a baby at this age but what can I do to get her to sleep in her bassinet so I can sleep in my bed without her being there or on my chest? Her bassinet is right next to me bed in my bedroom so thats not the problem. She's just attached to me and wants to only sleep on me or with me. Someone please help!!

Answer 1

What you do first it take a nice breath and relax.

Baby is still new to this whole "outside world" thing. She's been close to you for over 9 months and isn't quite ready to be apart from you. My daughter was the same exact way. She is now 6 weeks 2 days old and we just had our third night in a row where she slept in her bassinet all night. She's only woken up for her feeding (breastfed so about every 2-3 hours) but she's let me put her back down in her bassinet again after feeding.

just be patient! There is light at the end of your tunnel. She will stay in her bassinet soon, don't force it... just give it a few more weeks and you'll see she will start working with you. :)

Answer 2

My son was the same way until he hit the age of two weeks. It's a confort thing and sometimes it helps to sleep with one of her blankets for a few nights and then give it to her to sleep with. Atleast then she can smell mommy. Also, I have heard warm water bottles on either side of a baby when they are bundled up helps too.

Answer 3

my 2nd daughter was the same way. she didn't like to be "stretched out" in the bassinet. So we put her in her car seat and she loved it. She probably likes to be snuggled. Try swaddling.

I would not let her cry it out. She is too young to know. she is crying for a reason.

She will grow out of this. Good luck!  

Answer 4

Congrats on your baby! It's normal for some newborns to sleep with their mom. Try making sure she is REALLY asleep. You can do that by lightly picking her arm up, and dropping it. make sure her arm isn't too high, so it doesn't drop down hard. If her arm stays up a little or she moves, she isn't fully asleep. Also, the sound of a light snore, doesn't mean she's sleeping. You can keep using that method, as long as she's considered an 'arm baby' (a baby you hold in your arms allot). If that doesn't seem to help this problem, then here's something else:

She could be attached to you my sound, smell, or touch. If you sing or hum, do the same while she's in her bassinet. If you have a shower soap with a strong smell, that could be it. Try wrapping yourself in a soft blanket at night after you bathe/shower. Then lay your baby in the bassinet when the blankets in there. Make sure she's sleeping really good. That will make her smell the blanket and mistake it for you. If you use a stuffed animal of blanket with a certain material, use that in the bassinet. Make sure to keep it away from her face, so she doesn't smuther. Also, When you lay her in her bassinet, hush her a little when she cries. Touch her face our rub her somewhere while saying,

"shhhhhhhhhhhh" quietly. Don't let her cry that long. She may also like to be snuggled by blankets too.I hope I helped you some! Good luck!

Answer 5

So I went against the cardinal rule and allowed my son to sleep in the bed with us.  He never wanted to sleep in his bassinet, and he often only slept on my chest.  I had a boppy pillow and I let him lay inside that, and he loved it.  I would not recommend for a tiny baby, my son was almost 10lbs when he was born, so he wasn't swimming in the pillow.  One day when he was about a month and a half, we swaddled him and put him the bassinet and he slept all night!  You just have to keep trying.

Answer 6

Its not the fact that she is "attached" to you but she is attached to the closeness. Try swaddling her and letting her sleep in her car seat. I say the car seat because it is more in closed than the bassinet and she is still adjusting to not being in your tummy. You should be able to put the car seat in the bassinet or right next to your bed.