My boy is 3 weeks old and basically will only sleep if I'm holding him. The second we put him down in the bassinet he wakes up screaming. My wife is exhausted from feeding and I want to help but I'm worried we're creating bad habits already. Is this just how newborns are or are we doing something wrong? When does this phase end because I'm losing it over here.
White noise machine helped my kids transition off the holding phase. Something about the sound calms them down when you put them down. Worth a shot.
Yeah this is standard newborn behavior. At 3 weeks he's still in the fourth trimester basically. Try swaddling tight and putting him down on something warm. You need rest too so don't feel bad about getting breaks.
Totally normal at 3 weeks. Newborns haven't figured out they can sleep without being held yet. It's called the fourth trimester for a reason. He just spent 9 months being held, so this is his comfort zone.
My first kid was the same way. The best advice I got was to use a white noise machine and try the Snoo or a rock and play for incremental independence. Hang in there, it's temporary even though it doesn't feel like it.
This stage passes faster than you think. In a few weeks he'll start sleeping on his own. Right now just go with it and get comfortable holding him. It's not creating a bad habit, it's just what newborns do.
Completely normal. That newborn stage is rough because they want to be held constantly. You're doing great. It gets easier around week 8-10 when they start getting longer stretches of actual sleep.
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My boy was the same way. We used a heating pad on his bassinet to keep it warm before putting him down. Also try holding him until he's deep asleep, like real heavy, then slowly lower him. Takes practice but it works.