Sleeping in crib... Please help

[blablamana]

Hi!

My son Thomas is now almost five months and for the first three months he slept exclusively on top of me or SO. This had to do with hismassive bowel issues and reflux.
Now that this is sorted with medication and Neocate, we managed to get him in his crib at night. We put him down asleep and apart from popping his paci back in a couple of times a night he sleeps for about 8-10 hours.

Sadly, during the day he absolutely refuses his crib. Doesn't matter if I put him down awake, light sleep, deep sleep... He wakes up and screams bloody murder.

Don't get me wrong, I'm totally fine sitting with him in my arms for his naps throughout the day, but seeing as I'm pregnant and puking 24/7, this is becoming frustrating for us both.
On top of that, as my bump grows it won't be feasible anymore to have him in my arms during the day.

I just don't know how to teach him to sleep in his crib during the day, or teach him how to fall asleep on his own. I'm against CIO, but nothing else we've tried has worked(consoling him, sitting next to him, shushing, singing, various non-crying methods).

Does anybody have some tips? All is welcome as we are at the end if our wits.

 

[6lilpigs]

I think if hes doing so well sleeping in it at night then maybe try his pushchair in the day for a while, I wouldnt want him to start thinking of it as a distressing place and ruining him sleeping there at night. Congrats on the pregnancy

 

[blablamana]

Thank you, I do that daily. Problem is I'll gave to walk at least his entire naptime (1.5 hours) or he'll wake up. I can't walk him for half an hour and he'll keep sleeping.

He has about1.5-2 hours awake time and then he is really in for a nap.. A couple of weeks back I walked 4.5 hours aday tohave him sleep anywhere but in my arms. It worked that he falls asleep within a minute.. But I can't stop walking!

Would it be a good idea to use the pushchair as a substitute crib during the day, without walking? Like, use that for training?

Thank you for your help!

 

[6lilpigs]

Would it be a good idea to use the pushchair as a substitute crib during the day, without walking? Like, use that for training?

This is what I would probably do, yes. The thing with the pushchair is that they are safely clipped in so you have no worries there, I have in the past been in the situation of having to lay on the settee with LO whilst they b/f off to sleep then had to prop them on there with a few cushions, you spend the whole nap time wondering if they have fallen off yet lol, and they have in the past (pop a few spare cushions on the floor if you ever find yourself in this situation)
Little one will still be able to see you in their pushchair while you get on with a few jobs, plus he will not be building up any possible regression from his night sleeps in his crib, that is what you really want to avoid, once little ones decide they actually now don't like a place it can take flippin ages to settle them again and like you said the thoughts of him back on your belly again and disturbed sleep is not the best. Does he have regularish nap times??

 

[blablamana]

He doesn't have a schedule throughout the day no, just know that he can max be awake for 1.5 to 2 hours before he needs a nap. That means that he has about 3 naps a day of about 1.5 to 2 hours preferably also. But this is ONLY when he sleeps in my arms and I can keep shushing him etc when he threatens to wake up.

In his crib.. max 10 minutes lol.

I just don't know how to get him to learn to fall asleep on his own. He needs SO much help to fall asleep. I have to sway him, shuffle him, sssh him etc.
It was due to all his pain the first months that we got into this mess so I don't regret doing all that to make him more comfortable.. but of course now he can't sleep without all of that. I don't know how to teach him to fall asleep on his own accord.

 

[MindUtopia]

What about co-sleeping and lying down next to him? Surely, you could probably use a nap yourself as well. Honestly, most babies don't just fall asleep on their own at 4 months. It's a very rare one that will happily from that age. Mine didn't fall asleep on her own being put down sleepy but awake until maybe 11 months. We didn't do anything special to make it happen (other than rocking her in the rocking chair to get her sleepy first). It just happened when it was time. At 4 months, I mostly wore her in a wrap or she slept in the pushchair while I took a walk (I liked to walk so I always took two walks a day of 2-3 miles each, so that worked out well for us) or she slept in the car on the way some place. But there were also lots of days when we just slept together, so perhaps lying down with him to sleep might work? I always really enjoyed those naps.

 

[blablamana]

Sadly, he doesn't accept not being in my arms. Just me being there is not enough. Because I'd have loved co-sleeping!
Maybe I could try again tho. His crib is big and I'm tiny, so I could scoot next to him lol.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[zorak]

Sadly, he doesn't accept not being in my arms. Just me being there is not enough. Because I'd have loved co-sleeping!
Maybe I could try again tho. His crib is big and I'm tiny, so I could scoot next to him lol.

Thanks for the advice!

I wouldn't co sleep for naps unless you want to do it at night too. The pram is a good suggestion. But it may just be an age thing. Neither of my two happily went in their cots for naps until they were about 10 months old.