Hi, my DD was born at 33 weeks and is 9 weeks old on Monday. She has been home with us for 5 weeks now and won't settle to sleep unless she is held. So after her feeds my DH or I will hold her and once she has been asleep for 15-30mins we place her into her moses basket (or sofa or play gym for variety) more often than not she wakes up within 5 minutes and starts crying again. She is at her worst between 6pm and 11pm, but usually sleeps reasonably well at night in her moses basket.
I always said I didn't want to continuously hold my baby as I don't want her to still want this when she is older, but I cannot bear to hear her cry so I do pick her up and hold her when she cries and try to put her back down again once she falls back to sleep and if she stays asleep it is usually only for about 30mins before she wakes up again for her next feed for it all to start again!!
Does anyone have any tips on how to get her to settle better?
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Premature birth
9 week old won't sleep unless held
KirstyYummyMummy · 14/07/2012 18:19
Hi Daffoldil.
You cant spoil a baby. Especially not with cuddles.
I commented earlier but have name change slightly. My DT's were 30 weekers. DT2 slept on our chests for the first few weeks maybe even months it is all such a blur. Some babies just need that extra touch and reassurance. It dose not mean they will become clingy and dependent later on - DT2 is now very outgoing and confident.
I worried about the SIDS issues too. It might be worth posting on the sleep board for a bit of safe co sleeping advice.
We were told that prem babies were higher risk from co sleeping because they find it harder to regulate their temp and can over heat. So we just dressed them in a single layer of clothing and let them sleep on top of our blankets.
It is very hard, getting your babies home from SCBU especially with so much well meant advice. I felt the same as you for a while, then something clicked and I though no bugger it I can do this. It takes a while but you will find your feet.
Good Luck 
Hi Hands
Thanks for your reply, it's always good to hear from people who've been in the same position. Im heading iver to the sleep boards nowvfor co sleeping advice. I hope your DT's are thriving.
Hello!
My son was born 6 weeks prem and thrived on cuddles. I regularly slept with him on my tummy, and carried him in a sling around the house and outside rather than using a pram. He would sleep in his co-sleeper cot but we warmed the mattress in winter with a hot water bottle (so he wasn't transferring from our warm arms to a cold bed - guaranteed wake up!). We also put things in that smelled of us.
For what it's worth, we took him to see a McTimoney Chiropractor at 3 months (on recommendation from a large number of friends) because he would settle on his side but not his back, and this made a significant difference (he was born by emergency c-section, was very small and had to be quite forcibly removed from quite high up inside me!). I stress that McTimoney Chiropractic is incredibly gentle - not at all like the sort of treatment I get!! 
Anyway. I loved my "tummy nuggles" (as I called them), and took full advantage, regardless of what anyone else said. And he thrived. And by 5/6 months (actual) he was sleeping 7 hours in one hit. Of course that all changed with teething 
but there you go!
I could look on it that i was a slave to his naps, but I prefer to look on it as special mummy/baba bonding time. I won't get the opportunity to do that with the next one, I am sure. At least not to that extent. So I say enjoy it while you can, and it will improve with time :)
Good luck!
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