My 2½ month old will not sleep unless I'm holding her. What can I do?

Between two and three months of age most babies are still sleeping pretty sporadically, maybe four to six hours at night. All in all they usually sleep about 11 to 14 hours during each 24 hour period. They're probably still wanting to eat frequently because their tummies are still a little bit small and they're growing quickly so they want to eat smaller amounts more frequently throughout the day, typically about three to four ounces every three to four hours. Babies start to understand the difference between night and day around six to eight weeks and have developed the circadian rhythm that you and I have so that when it's dark our bodies want to sleep and when it's light we want to be awake. Until this happens, until your baby develops more of a routine which usually starts to happen between three and six months, it's normal for your baby to be up at night. You mentioned specifically that you have a question about how your daughter just wants to be held by you all the time and doesn't sleep very well when you put her in her own bed. This is actually pretty normal although that doesn't make in any easier for you to cope with I'm sure, because it makes it really hard for you to get any sleep. You mentioned bringing her in bed with you and at all costs that should be avoided because the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies do not co-sleep with their parents because it really increases the risk of SIDS. Make sure she is always sleeping in her own sleeping area and it's best if she's on a tight fitted mattress in her crib and that there are no extra soft fluffy things in her sleeping area, so no bumper pads, pillows, stuffed animals, or extra blankets. You can try swaddling her though, loosely, and see if this helps her feel tight and secure but yet it's not restrictive enough that if she starts to wiggle around and move and come out of the swaddle that it wakes her up. Most parents when they swaddle their baby put the blankie underneath their kids, lay them on top, and then put one corner of the blanket around their back, pull the middle part of the blanket up, and then wrap the third piece around their back and tuck it underneath so that they're really tightly packed in there. Try doing it with her arms out so you can try swaddling her from behind with her arms hanging out so it's just beneath her armpit, so that she's still free to move her arms around and maybe leave the bottom open, so just pull one side around her and then the other. Or as she gets a little bit older and starts rolling around, probably around four months of age then you can just try putting the blanket on top of her and tightening on either side of her, like parents say, snug as a bug in a rug. Tuck it from the top to the bottom. This allows her some freedom to move but makes her feel tight and secure. Try that; see if that helps at all. If she's just really fussy, you also mentioned crying it out. At two and a half months there are mixed feelings about whether or not you should let a baby cry it out at that point. Some experts say it's fine, others say you should wait until your baby is a little bit older. I recommend asking your pediatrician what they think because they're aware of your situation, they can ask you more specific questions, and they're aware of your baby's health history. They can give you the best guidance and suggestions when it comes to that and your baby being only two and a half months old. Once your baby is about four months of age and they're not eating during the night then crying it out might be an okay option. But again, follow the direction of your pediatrician. If you have any other questions for me feel free to ask them on our Facebook page and recommend us to your friends and family too.

[babarhassan]

You didn’t answer the question!!! Thank you for wasting everyone’s time 👏

[fayefraser]

you haven't actually answered the question!

[saffizukumikareal]

Yeah my newborn 3 weeks baby always wanted to be carried and she will cry when she noticed I put her down I'm so tired, exhausted all the time especially in midnight..I cried sometimes when I get so tired I wish my baby is like the other babies calm and just like to be put in their bed.. Hope she will change soon..😌

[cheyenne]

I’m so glad the comments support letting you hold your baby and understand that it’s good to. Some articles and YouTube people tell you, to not do that. I wanna hold and love my baby but it’s hard when so many people say “don’t do that” or “do this”

[vanessariley]

My baby doesn't sleep for more than 10 minutes, constantly wants to feed and doesn't take a lot of naps. I am so drained because we also have a 2 years old who is just a ball of energy. I wish I could just get our new born to sleep even for an hour.

[CodakChris]

no tf my baby sleep 30 mins in a24hr period

[Funpoint-qt]

hi. I'm a nurse and I've slept beside grandma and mom and my baby is sleeping beside my wife. life is short we enjoy these moments. my grandma had 10 kids all slept beside her no one died 😁

[jackoldbury]

Anyone that says “never let your baby sleep in bed with you at all cost” has never had a baby that wont sleep without being held! Thanks for the poor generic advice

[melikab]

After having had a fussy difficult baby i can confidently say that the "baby needs to sleep in their bassinet" assumes the most idealistic scenario which doesnt apply to a lot of babies...so its a useless advice, because its accompanied with also "dont let the baby cry it out", dont swaddle, dont restrict their arms, dont this, that and other stupid tips

[will]

Our 3rd child is doing this as we speak and it's ruining our life. Im not sleeping and can't function at work, and the same with my wife.

[simayacrosby]

I just love all your advice wish I had it 3years ago my baby girl was a disaster, cried all the time from newborn to walking age, never wanted to sleep only if I was sleeping with her, and never wanted to bottle feed at all, had to breastfeed till age 2, but thank god at 4 months she will still try soft mash foods kept her fuller for longer than sucking on me all the time

[lindaperrin]

It is completely normal that a newborn baby will only sleep unless it's held. Up until about 4 months they all seem to want to be held while sleeping after that it is easier to get them to sleep alone. Really what is the big deal. Hold your baby. Time flies by and pretty soon they won't want to be held at all.

[thegreatkate]

I’ve learned to be sneaky about it and hold my baby like I’m breast-feeding her and use her Binky if I have to then sneak her in her bassinet that seems to work for me and go ahead and keep working on teaching them the difference between night and day when you bring them home from the hospital keep it noisy and bright during the day and quiet and lowlight at night and they’ll pick up on it pretty fast there a lot smarter than you think they are and don’t let them sleep during the day for more than three or four hours because they usually do a long stretch and you want that stretch to be at night that was a game changer for me just go ahead and interrupt and wake them up and get a good routine going I do bath put on jammies feed then go to sleep keep at it it does take time and a lot of patience

[cheyenne]

I need help! My baby used to sleep so good in her bassinet. But now she HATES IT. I tried everything!! She is only 6 weeks and only wants to sleep on me. I tried putting her Drowsy but she just wakes back up. I tried putting her in there fully alseep. Wakes back up. I tried doing a bedtime routine. I tried the heating pad trick. I’m lossing my mind. I don’t know how many times I wake up with her on my chest because that’s the only way I get sleep and I get really scard doing that. Please help.

[kaladwarakanath]

So, hold her! Rock her. Cuddle her. She is just a baby! Before you realize she'll cease being an infant and will not be asking to be held! When this feels like eternity, remind yourself time has a tendency to go by very, very fast!

[JaguarDieCast]

Our son is 10 weeks old and refuses to fall asleep on his own. He has to have either myself or mom to fall asleep and the second you put him down he starts screaming.

[lindaandnathan]

I usually love your tips but I can't believe you'd recommend crying it out, but say avoid sleeping with your baby at all costs. What are they robots? They're babies, they need love, trust and security, not leaving them to cry, while condemning sleeping with your baby... sad world we live in. It's nature that our babies need us, to be close to us.

[marianaruiz]

Why don't I get tired at all anymore my baby sleeps throughout he might but I can't sleep I feel like I have insomnia

[AquaGoddess-snsp]

My babies sleep with and in their stomach. Sleeping on their backs made them choke. Imagine your baby choking in their bed and you can’t feel them needing you.

[kanitoneko]

it'd be better with images or demonstrations.