My 3 week old will conk out in my arms but the second I put him down in the bassinet he wakes up screaming. I've tried waiting til he's in deep sleep, warming the mattress, all that stuff. My wife keeps saying it's normal but I'm exhausted and feel like I'm failing at this. Anyone else deal with this? Does it eventually get better or am I setting bad habits now?
Newborns just need that contact. Your arms are literally the safest place he knows. Try warming up the bassinet with a heating pad before you put him down, or keep your hand on his chest for a minute after laying him down. These tricks helped with mine.
Three weeks is so fresh. He wants to hear your heartbeat and feel you there. Nothing wrong with holding him. My newborn was the same way and honestly I didn't mind. Those cuddles don't last forever.
You're not doing it wrong at all man. This is totally normal at 3 weeks. They want to be held and that's okay. We called it the fourth trimester for our son. Eventually he got more comfortable in the bassinet but it took time and patience. You're doing great.
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Totally normal. Our son did the exact same thing. We eventually got him to sleep in the bassinet by being really slow and deliberate about it. Take like 5 minutes to lay him down. But also just accept that sometimes you're gonna hold a sleeping baby for hours and that's just the job right now.