suggestions please-won't sleep in a pram or car seat

[sasholi]

Just wanting to know if anyone else out there has had this problem. My DS is 6 weeks old today and I am really wanting to get into some exercise and go on some walks with him, but there is one problem - he won't settle in his pram (or in the car seat for that matter!)

It's so strange because EVERY parent I have ever spoken to had the car and pram as their last resort to get bubs to sleep, but I don't have these. It makes doing many things quite difficult as I want to be able to use the pram and the car but i find that he cries or is at least unsettled in both pram and car, which means if I am out with him, he usually misses at least one nap...

Any suggestions?

I'm going to try puttin g him in his pram for his day time naps to get him used to it and see how he goes...

I think the problem is also because he can't fall asleep on his own yet... don't know??!!

Have a great day all...

[draught]

My first daughter still sleeps at the hint of movement in the car or pram, but Chloe doesn't sleep until she is well and truly ready and the car and pram have no effect on her. I found myself staying home a lot so that she would have her sleep at home and going out in the brief windows when she was awake. And felt very isolated as a result for a while. The good thing is that the windows get bigger and bigger - now at 6 months she is awake for about two hours beween day time sleeps, so I can manage shopping etc in that time frame.
She does occasionally sleep in the pram now - as long as I keep it moving. Have you tried the back and forwards rocking of the pram (about one arms length rock) to get him to sleep? Bumpy ground also seems to work better than smooth surfaces. Have you tried wrapping him and then putting him in the pram? That startle reflex doesn't go until about three months, so it might help.

The other options are to let him skip a sleep every now and then so that you are sane and get to leave the house (crying isn't as loud when it is in the great outdoors), or to take your sling with you so that if he really won't settle in the pram you can pop him in the sling and keep going (knowing that he will go off in the sling). You certainly wouldn't be the first mother to be seen carrying your baby and using the pram for the shopping!

[sasholi]

Thank you!
great to know that i am not the only one out there with that problem!! I thought for sure that my LO was just a little too odd for not sleeping in car or pram... Hehe. Considering everyone kept telling us - if he won't settle just go for drives - babies love that... :rolleyes: Nevermind!

Guess the sling will definitely gets its use!!! (At least until he gets too heavy for me to carry him that way!!)

Oh well, he's usually pretty good when he skips a sleep, if he's not too tired, then he won't grizzle too much and will just normally lie there wide awake until toward the end of the nap time, when he gets really grizzly nearing hunger... i just feed him a bit sooner then...

It'll all sort out - and we are all entitled to our own little "quirks". Does make it a bit difficult for social butterflies mum and dad though - will work around it all...! You soon learn to be pretty flexible with a baby that's for sure. :)

[Lallas' Mum]

Newborns are unpredictable things with no two alike.

Bub could just be a little put out by not being close enough to you. My son is nearly 18 months old and stills needs to know you're there to be able to fall asleep. Luckily all we have to do at present is be in his room so he can reach out and touch us in the dark until he falls asleep. Sometimes we fall asleep before him, but usually he is asleep within 10 minutes.

Something I read once about bubs who seem unsettled or even hate being in prams or car seats is that they experience a little bit of motion sickness. Something to keep in mind if bub doesn't seem to get over it. But I'll still put my money on the fact that bub is wanting to be closer to you.

Give it a little more time and you'll soon know all the tricks to keeping bub happy and content.

Tracey
Mum to Alec (Lalla) and bub due May 2nd

[mamafelix]

Don't worry there are plenty of us out there who have bubs that prefer a sling to a pram and HATE the car full stop.
I'd go the sling anyday- do you have a good one? Some of them get uncomfortable after a while, it's worth doing a bit of research and getting one you can wear for longer periods of time. Also some are comfortable to wear with bubs up to 1-2 years old...
If you want links to some good sling site let me know.

[sasholi]

hello all
Well, he fell asleep in the pram twice over the last 4 days, which is quite good. I have a feeling it might be a bit of motion sickness too, because my sister has severe motion sickness and screamed whenever she was in the car as a baby!!!

He is falling asleep great on his own, which is wonderful, but just doesn't really like the car to fall asleep in... He is generally happy in the car though, just kicking his legs and wide awake... even if he is asleep when we put him in...

Oh, and mamafelix, thanks for your post. I have a pretty good sling that is working for now (i dont know if it will work up to 1 or 2 years old). It's called hug-a-bub and is like a piece of cloth that just wraps around the two of us and is SO comfortable... Dad LOVES wearing it with pride!!! :p

[draught]

Glad to know that things are improving - as he gets older all sorts of things will get easier and easier - babies learn an amazing amount of things on a daily basis! Keep enjoying it! And if you grow out of your sling there are some great sites on the web with different models. We are using ours to carry Chloe (6.5 months) on our hips now and will do so for a long time I think. :)

[LoniVV]

Not sure if this will help but my son now 5+ months did not enjoy being in his pram initially it took until he was about 8 weeks and it was just a matter of me putting him in there for a short walk every day and now he sleeps well in the pram.

Leonie and Dominic (2-12-2004)

[sasholi]

Just a bit of an update for you all...

DS is now falling asleep in the longer car trips (over 20 minutes) and yesterday fell asleep in his pram in the shopping centre... I had to swaddle him lightly in the pram and put a blanket over it to keep it dark in there for him, but it worked! He had over an hour sleep in the pram while hubby and I did a bit of shopping and even got a chance to sit down and have a coffee together while bubs was blissfully sleeping in his pram.

So proud!

we are getting there. It was a bit of an effort to get him to fall asleep - had to stick his dummy in about 20 times before he got the message and sucked himself to sleep... well, they say practice makes perfect!
Have a great week and hope you all had a wonderful mother's day!

[draught]

Well done!!! I imagine it was lovely to sit with your husband and have a coffee and a chat - those times are very important to grab!

[Natalie of 3]

Hi! I'm new here.
I have 3 kids aged 10, 4, and almost 3. The second one never slept, ever. She would not sleep in a pram, car, in my arms, in a cot or bassinet, or in a sling. She constantly cried. Actually the only time she did sleep was when I had her on the breast, and then that was only at night. i didn't get much sleep either because i was so worried about rolling onto her. I don't know where you live (i'm in Adelaide), but over here we have a hospital like setup (which is through the community nurses). You stay there for about 4 nights with baby and they help you find ways to help bubs sleep and also get rest for yourself. Unfortunately everything they tried on my baby girl did not work, which they were stunned by, so she did another 4 days ( :) which they said no one rarely has to do) and she was admitted into hospital because she would never sleep. When she was 3 months suddenly, like the flick of a switch she started sleeping. The 3rd one slept all the time, i even i had to strip him completely to get him to feed and had to wet him down.

[sasholi]

Aren't kids just amazing - you can follow all the "books" and wonder why they aren't working for you... But ultimately babies have their own personalities and ideas don't they.

We are now getting about one good 2 hour sleep every day or every second. The rest are 45 minute naps. But we are just battling through those. I'm out at least once a day with bubs in the sling, in which he still sleeps beautifully...

Oh well, still plodding along!!!

Oh, and draught, yes it was WONDERFUL being able to sit with hubby and have a chat over coffee...!! Staring to feel normal again (now bubs is 9 weeks old and things are starting to get on a bit more even keel...!)