First, DS (3 months) does not sleep during the day at all. He takes little cat naps and that is all. I lay him in his bassinet and he only stays asleep for 15-20 minutes! It's the craziest thing! He does usually sleep really well at night and will sleep straight through. Which leads me to my next question...

Second, how do I get him to sleep in his crib? He's been sleeping in his car seat. He loves to be held and the seat makes him feel snug. I would attempt to swaddle him at night, but he is a little chunk and it just doesn't work anymore. LOL I've been during the day putting him in his crib for short periods to get used to it. He doesn't like his bassinet either. Any ideas?

And third, did you ever start cereal earlier than recommended? I started feeding Mason. He's just such a big boy and is always hungry. He started watching us already when we eat like he wants some! So, I started giving him some rice cereal and he gobbles it right up! I feel sort of guilty starting early with him, but it just seems like he needs it.

Any advice would be great! Thanks.

By Kaye on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 09:37 am:

On food, if you are feeding him with a spoon and he eats it, then he is old enough. Bigger babies do need more food sooner.

As far as sleeping in his crib...have you tried warming it up prior to bed time? Just take a heating pad and leave it in there until you lay him down. Sometimes the transistion of going from cozy and warm is hard. Also make sure he is dressed warmly to sleep, that might help with the cozy feeling too.

By Luvn29 on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 09:38 am:

I will not be of much help at all!

Number 1, my kids never took naps in their cribs! Dd had to be held during naps. As soon as she hit a crib, she'd wake. She slept with me in my bed during the night. Ds had to sleep in his swing during naps and also slept with me in the bed during the night. He hated the crib.

Once they got older, they did okay in toddler beds in our rooms, but I found they finally did their best in twin beds with a regular mattress. I swear, I think some babies just can't be comfortable on crib mattresses.

So really, no help there.

However, yes, we started cereal with both dks early and they were small babies. But they were always hungry and never were able to eat enough at one time to be satisfied long. So we tried cereal and it helped them and us so much. You have to go with your heart and your mommy instinct. If you feel he needs something more, then he probably does. And if you try it and he is doing better, then it looks like you were right. Each baby is so individually different that there are no "by the book" rules for any of them. I feel each one is kind of a learn as you go thing. You could have 14 kids, and you would still have to learn with each one because they could all be so different. The only thing that would be easier is that you would finally learn that you could throw that darn book of rules away!

We started cereal, fruits, and vegetables early with both of mine, and one of mine was premature. They did great.

By Conni on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 09:50 am:

As for sleeping Blake did not care too sleep in his crib for naps. It to the point that I was getting nothing done during the day. I remember being on the phone with my Grandma during one of these times when Blake fell asleep (me holding him) and I laid him in crib and he woke, he began crying, then screaming and I was nearly in tears on phone with Grandma. She said 'Conni, you are just going to have to let him cry and go get some things done!' ROFL From then on, thats what I did. If I was in shower and he woke, I finished my shower and got dressed before I picked him up. If I was in the middle of doing dishes, I finished what I was doing before I picked him up... I also got him to sleep in his swing. Same thing- if he woke, I went ahead and finished what I needed to do before I picked him up. Eventually what happened is he began to sleep in his crib and he also didnt cry when he woke up... I know that is all just so scientific. I am always so much help!! LOL

Yes, I did feed mine cereal before recommended age... They are showing no long term damage from this. Well, my youngest is extremely gas-y could be related I suppose? ;) Feed the boy.

By Melanie on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 10:11 am:

Griffin would only nap in the swing. So I let him! Have you tried that?

No advice on getting him to sleep in the crib. Peyton spent the first four months sleeping in bed with us. We used to joke that she wasn't happy until she was in *her spot*.

And on the last one, I agree with Conni, feed the boy! You obviously watched the signs and he wants to eat. And he's doing well with it. Let go of the guilt. LOL.

By Tink on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 11:36 am:

Each of mine slept in a different place. Sami slept in her swing during the day, Seth in the bouncy seat and Bella loved her crib. Like Adena said, every baby is going to like different things.

I didn't feed any of my kids cereal early, even though I should have with my ds. He was a huge baby plus we were dealing with undiagnosed reflux. He and I would have been happier if I had started him on cereal earlier.

By Trina~moderator on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 11:58 am:

To echo the others, follow your mommy instincts! Tyler was a big baby (95th%) and I waited until he was 4 mos. before introducing cereal, which was the recommended age at the time. In hind sight I wish I started earlier. He was BF almost every hour for those first 4 mos.!

As for the crib, I agree with Kaye. Throw a towel in the dryer for 10-15 min. and then spread it over the crib mattress to warm it up. Remove the towel and put baby to bed. Worth a try. Oh, another thing that helped Ty transition to the crib - A crib is often too vast for young infants. That's why they tend to like swings, bassinettes and car seats, because they're small, form fitting and cozy, similar to the womb. They do sell crib spacers (pic below) but I used a tightly rolled quilt. Gradually I slid it out until the crib space was full size.


Good luck!

By Mazoku85 on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 01:14 pm:

I started my son Avery sleeping in his crib about the the 4th or 5th day after I brought him home. This was not the original plan, we bought him a beautiful bassinet but he would cry everytime we put him in it. So he never got to use it. I tried sleeping with him and that didn't work either. So, I decided to put him in his crib one night and he slept beautifully in it, so thats when I started putting him in his crib every night. I layed him in this thing called the saftey sleeper. It was a short cotton mat that had two triangular pillows velcroed on each end. I'd cover it with a blanket and lay him in it and thats where he slept in his crib.

I started putting cereal in his bottle feedings at morning when he got up and at night before he went to bed. He didn't start eating out of a spoon until he was 6 months old.

By Reds9298 on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 02:02 pm:

Natalie slept in her crib at night from the first night she came home from the hospital. We had a bassinet for her and planned to use it, but for some reason we just put her in there and she's loved it since the first night. She took naps in her bassinet or swing most of the time though when she was small. She never had a problem though and always seemed to like her crib. She's always been a good sleeper. She slept four hours on the first night home from the hospital!

I recommend a mattress pad for your crib if you don't already have one. For me, I think you just have to cut out the car seat or whatever else you're using if you really want him to sleep in his crib during naps. You've got a big boy so his days in the swing, bouncy, or bassinet are numbered anyway. We've done CIO and it really worked for Natalie, but it may not be for you.

We started on cereal in the bottle (before she was ready for a spoon) at about 11weeks. It really helped her to stay full at night, although when she finally woke up she was hungry! She started eating out of a spoon around 4-5mths. I think, but she was (and still is) little.

By Tonya on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 02:49 pm:

I did cereal in the bottle for both my kids by 3-4 weeks because my kids were 10.2 and 9.6 when they were born. They were taking 6-8oz every 3hrs from week 2 on. You cannot give them that much liquid so I did cereal. It worked great.

For the sleeping my kids came home and slept in the crib right away and stayed there for naps and night time. Never co-slept or bassinet slept here.

I say put him in it after you warm it but don't give in with the car seat anymore. You might have a few bad nights but it should work out.

Good luck!!!

By Debbie on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 03:26 pm:

With my youngest ds, I did give him cereal at 3 months. He was a big baby and hungry all the time. His doctor said to feed him with a spoon and if he did okay, to keep giving it to him. Sounds like your ds isn't having any trouble getting it down, so I would keep doing it.

As far as sleeping...gosh, my oldest ds slept in his crib from the time he came home, and always loved it. I was lucky. Now, ds #2, he wouldn't sleep anywhere but his bouncy and it had to be on vibrate. Dh and I would joke that his arms and legs were eventually going to hang over the sides and hit the floor. You know, I am not much help because I don't remember how I got him into his crib.

By Amyk on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 03:33 pm:

I like the Baby Whisperer books/website for good solid sleep tips. At some point, you'll have to transition him to a crib - so it might be a good idea to do it early on - he can't swing or be held forever - mine was a horrible sleeper - and didn't sleep in the crib - I wish I'd worked with him more when he was younger to get him used to sleeping longer periods, resettling with less help from mom, etc. Thank goodness - at 2.5 yo - he does just fine - but it took a lot of work to get where we are!
Best of luck - I know it isn't easy!

By Vicki on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 06:02 pm:

Dd never had a bassinet and I didn't want to start her sleeping with us, so we started out right in the crib. She screamed every time we put her in it until dh's sister gave us the suggestion of a heating pad under the sheets. We would turn it on about 30 minutes before bedtime, lay her in the bed and turn it off. Problem solved. She was just cold!! LOL As far as cereal, our ped was very against cereal in the bottle. But he said as soon as she showed interest in it to try it on the spoon! I think we started about 4 or 5 months??

By Pamt on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 07:43 pm:

Good sleepers are made, not born. I highly recommend "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Children" by Marc Weissbluth. He tells you how to recognize sleepy signals and put your baby down when he is drowsy, but not yet asleep. He also has some great sample schedules of sleep patterns at different ages (he's a ped. and a sleep disorders specialist) and lots of case studies and real life example. I would nip the carseat think in the bud because he'll never learn to sleep in the crib if you don't, plus he needs to be able to stretch out and roll over at this age. He's too big for a bassinet now I would guess. I am a proponent of CIO, but I think he's too young yet for that. I would wait until about 5-6 months of age.

As for the cereal I didn't start earlier because we have a strong family history of allergies on both sides and there is evidence that the sooner you introduce solids the greater likelihood of developing allergies, even airborne ones. I waited until about 5-6 months with my boys and they were both 95th %ile babies. But...you do what works for you.

By Mrsheidi on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 10:10 pm:

My son napped in the swing until the swing couldn't handle his weight anymore! LOL
And, I would get a stretchy type blanket that's big enough to swaddle. I swear they make them way too small.

By Luvn29 on Wednesday, March 8, 2006 - 08:11 am:

My son napped in his swing till his feet would drag the floor! Then he learned to pull his legs up and prop his knees against the holes his legs went through. We would have to put a blanket between his legs and the swing so it wouldn't press against his legs too much. And it totally wouldn't swing with him anymore, so we had to sit beside of it and push it until he fell asleep and then he would sleep in it with it just sitting there! Crazy what we go through for our babies, isn't it!

I definitely lived around the babies though, and not the other way around. People would ask about what kind of schedule I had my baby on for eating, sleeping, etc., and I would just laugh. My kids so totally "ruled the roost" but I don't regret it. They're 7 and 9 now and I'll never get those baby days back again and they have none of those "bad" habits lingering around and I have such wonderful memories of all the "craziness"!

By Eve on Wednesday, March 8, 2006 - 09:25 am:

Thanks, everyone. No luck with the heating pad in the bassinet. It did warm it up nicely, but he still woke after an hour and I decided we'd give it another shot this weekend when my DH can help and I can be a little sleep deprived.

Although, I realized a big part of this equation! When he lays flat on his back, he gets a sort of reflux thing happening. He doesn't cry, but I hear him constantly regurgitating or something. With the car seat, he is sort of curled up a bit and it doesn't happen.

I guess I'll keep at it! I'm going to try swaddling him one more time and I'll let you know how that goes.

By Luvn29 on Wednesday, March 8, 2006 - 09:50 am:

Eve, I know that the big thing is laying babies on their backs, but mine could not lay on their backs and had to sleep on their stomachs. Especially my son. He has stomach problems still, and had problems with reflux as a baby and so this may be an issue with yours. Sometimes a baby is not able to be a back sleeper. You may need to try letting him sleep on his side or stomach.

By Kaye on Wednesday, March 8, 2006 - 09:56 am:

Have you tried elevating one end of his mattress? They reccomend that with adults who have reflux issues.

By Tayjar on Wednesday, March 8, 2006 - 10:16 am:

I was going to say the same as Kaye. My DS has reflux and really bad ear problems. He would only sleep when he was in an inclined position. I tilted one end of his mattress up, quite a bit actually, and that did the trick.

By Tink on Wednesday, March 8, 2006 - 01:39 pm:

We are pretty sure that my ds liked the bouncy seat so much because it let him sleep on an incline and kept the stomach acid down a little better. Tilting his mattress really might be helpful if he does have some trouble with reflux. I hope you figure out his personal key to sleeping this weekend.

By Debbie on Wednesday, March 8, 2006 - 02:50 pm:

My ds also has reflux and we think that is why he liked his bouncy. He slept better because he was sitting up. As soon as he started rolling over at 3 months, he started sleeping on his stomach.