Transitioning Newborn to Sleeping in Bassinet??

I used to lay my daughter on her back on a pillow in her bassinett. It seemed to "snuggle" her in. If he's used to sleeping in the car seat, he may not like the feel of not having anything near him. He just may need the feeling of being "snuggled."

if he's anything like my son he just wants to be snug. I would roll up a blanket on each side(when he was in a cradle) and put it underneath a receiving blanket that would be under him when he slept. I'm very not-by-the book, even though i'm a first time mom, and I used pillows. My son slept in a cradle until he was 3 months old. well the first month when I couldn't get him to sleep that long I would cheat and have him sleep with me, but soon after he turned a month old I put him in the cradle and did the blankets on each side. You have to remember they like to be snug like they're still in the womb. My son is now 5 months old and sleeps in his crib since he was 3 months.

Sounds like he wants to be upright... My daughter wouldn't sleep anywhere but in the swing when she was at the daycare. We simply had to just let her sleep there... Otherwise, I've used the little bouncers in a pack n play before. Its the wire seats with just the cloth in the middle part, I think they are just called bouncer seats. They have a belt so they can be safe and then set that in the pack n play so he can get used to the look of that new environment. Another good idea for transitioning of any sort, is to sleep in a shirt or blanket yourself and then put it with him, without washing it. Maybe its your smell that he likes as well! There are a few things to try. Hope it helps, good luck! :o)
~T.~

My baby (not a baby anymore) wouldn't sleep in her bassinet either. We spent quite a few nights fighting to get her to sleep before I would finally give in and let her sleep in my chest. I finally found a book - The Happiest Baby on the Block? by Dr. Karp. He advocates the 5 S's (swaddle, suck, soothe, ???). I don't have the book anymore b/c I gave it to a friend having the same troubles. The one thing that I remember is the swaddling.... Dr. Karp says it needs to be snug (really snug). I bought something called the Miracle Blanket (www.miracleblanket.com) and tucked my baby in tight. My mother thought I was crazy and called it the "baby burrito" and was convinced that it was too tight...but it really worked! The very first time I tried it, she slept in her crib through the night (she was about 6 wks old). You can also buy a swaddle blanket at babies r us with a velcro closure to keep it closed. Dr. Karp's theory is that before a baby is born it doesn't have a lot of room and the feeling of being snuggled up tightly is actually very comforting. I give Dr. Karp's book and a swaddle blanket to every new mom I know. Good luck!

S.,

I had a similar problem, and finally at the end of my rope I had asked a few people and I tried the "cry it out method"...not to the fullest extent, but I'd rock her and put her in her bed (w/a positioner to prop her on her side) and if she woke up I'd rub her back and pat her bottom for a few minutes, turn her mobiles on and leave the room for 5 minutes....if she woke up again I'd repeat and then leave her for 7 minutes, then 10 then 15...the first night by the time I got to 15 she was out and has been in her bed for about 3.5 months now....I started putting her in her own bed around 3 months...she still wants to be rocked and be totally out before I put her in there, but for my own sanity sometimes I just have to let her cry for a few minutes....and you can tell the difference between a hurt, tired or whiny cry...Good Luck w/this...it's amazing how great you will sleep (after a few weeks of checking every 20 minutes...lol).....

Why do you want him to sleep in the pack & play? Maybe you could try letting him sleep in the crib. Ryan slept in his crib from the day we got home from the hospital. Just curious as to why you want to transition him to a P&P.

~ t

When I read your post, I realized that both a swing and a car seat are "snug" meaning they kind of have sides. I know that it is a "no no" but have you thought about putting a blanket bunched up underneath him and letting it come up on the sides? Or you could roll up some recieving blankets and put them on either side of him. My other suggestion is to warm his location in the bassinet slightly by putting a heating pad down on the bassinet a few minutes before you actually lay him down...that way it's warm and snuggly. Just a thought...good luck!

Try the WubbaNub- a paci- the soothie kind from the hospital attached to a Beanie animal- you can tuck the animal into your swaddle- His paci is always close to his mouth.
http://www.burdickbaby.com/pacifiers.html
Good Luck!

I was also going to suggest a swaddling blanket - there is a thinner one, made by First Years, and sometimes available at Target or Kohl's that I love for this time of year. It's worth ten times what they cost and my baby loved it. She wanted to be swaddled until she was about 3 months old.

Just really think about where you want to be in a year if you decide to co-sleep. It's fine for a lot of people, but we really have regrets about getting it started now. We started at a hotel where she would not sleep in the pack n play. After that - it was all downhill and we haven't been able to break it.

So he's been sleeping in the car seat throughout the night?

For the past 6 weeks he's used to sleeping in very tight and confined spaces, so the vastness of a bassinet may be scary to him. He may have gotten used to the bassinet in the very beginning.

But, really, he's just going to have to get used to it, and the pack n play bassinet attachment may not feel sturdy to him. By his age, I would just try the crib now, since those attachments aren't reccomended for long term use, so once he gets used to it, it'll be time to switch him to the crib.

Yes, he's not old enough for the cry it out method, not until he's around 6-8 months old. Crying it out at this age, will only result in a more dependant and less trusting child.

Try letting him cry for about 5-10 mintues, then go in and comfort him without picking him up (rub his back, or cheek, sing...). Then leave the room. Go back in 10-15 mintutes and continue until he is asleep, widening the time you go in each interval.

Really, he will also have to learn to self sooth. He will do fine once he gets used to his crib.

My son never sucked his thumb and never took a pacifier either, we just swaddled him tight. He slept in the bassinet until about 4 months old, but we also co-slept with him in our bed as well until he was about 8 months (b/c I would get him from the crib to nurse and we would fall asleep in bed). He transitioned very well to the crib.

I also would recommend using the swaddle wrap the other mama suggested, I hear they work great; and also use the sleep positioner. Just be sure he isn't getting too hot swaddled since the summer heat is starting to kick in. I keep a little fan blowing near my son's crib (not directly on him, but enough to keep him comfortable).

My suggestion is to get the book The Baby Whisperer. It really helped my out. As long as you do what it says, as hard as it may seem, it will work. It is not a "cry it out" approach. I hate that. Good Luck!