Newborn Only Sleeps in Swing

L., I went through the same thing and it is completely fine. My daughter spent the first few months in her swing napping and sleeping at night. I asked the pediatrician about this and she said it was totally fine. There are no bad habits what-so-ever as that was the first concern. I did it for the the first three months until she was able to sleep through the night and then she was in her crib in no time, but the swing is a great back up and it's also comforting to them.

Totally normal. Plus, all he knows is what the womb was like so to him the swing mimics the womb. Also, try swaddling when you put him in his bassinet-this may help him as well. Realize that newborns feel the falling sensation much more then adults do, so swaddle him nice and tight and hold him as close to you as possible as you are laying him down! When my daughter was that little she was always in my arms so we spent a lot of time in the rocking chair and in a tight swaddle. So you see everyone does this differently. Enjoy this time because he will change his sleep habits soon enough.
Good Luck and welcome to mommyhood!

It's normal. My son loved his swing and would spend hours in it. He's almost 4 months old now. Eventually you will need to work on transitioning him to the crib or bassinet, but since he's so young I wouldn't worry about it just yet. Other great tools that you may enjoy are: A DVD called "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Harvey Karp, M.D., a book called "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth, and even though some may disagree, I also liked the book Baby Wise by Ezzo & Buckham.

Not to worry. I'm the mother of two. My first slept like an angel. Number 2 was not quite that easy. He slept in his swing for the 1st 3 months. I was worried, too, but everyone told me not to worry. Besides, I needed the sleep. Now at 4 months old, he bounces back and forth between his crib and the swing. I figure, as long as he's sleeping, why should I worry "where" he is most comfortable.
Good Luck!

My first took all her naps in a swing, carseat or my arms. My second didn't take to a swing until he was 1 and didn't really nap in it like my first. I don't see why it would be a problem. My daughter eventually napped in a bed.

Congratulations on your new baby!
M.

All of my kids slept at times in the swing for naps and even at night when I really needed some sleep.....my kids loved the motion and it gave me a chance to either rest or get something done. I also rocked all my kids too and they also slept with me....every mom does things thier own way and I am sure you will start to feel alittle more comfortable. Its hard to be a brand new mom and I am sure you are doing a great job, Relax, put the baby in the swing and have a good rest...thats my advice....HTH
M

Congrats on your newborn! Worry is a sleep depriver- let it go!
My son and daughter found a lot of comfort in their swing, I don't know what I would have done without it! Don't worry too much, they change so fast and so does your lifestyle (seasons) that this will be short lived and you will wish you had the swing again! My son was a toughy, he went from the swing to the car- driving and driving to get to sleep. At the end of the day all you want is your baby to sleep and a bit of free time for yourself. Don't worry.

L.,
Relax,enjoy your new baby boy. You are doing great! Your baby may not be in a deep sleep yet before you move him. In order to test this, gently take his arm and drop it. If he holds it up or lets it fall slowly, then wait 5-10 more minutes before trying to move him again. I have 3 kids and believe me, sometimes they do sleep the best in the swing at first. He may grow out of it, my youngest needed the movement until he was 3 months then he wanted the swing. Play it by ear and follow your intincts. Also, I enjoyed Dr. Sears Baby books they were very helpful. Good luck A.

The swing comes in very handy and later on you will be grateful for the 20 minutes to an hour it buys you every day to get anything done around the house.

I'm not sure what you're really asking for. Do you want confirmation that it's normal to let your son sleep in his swing or in your arms? Then yes, many mom's allow this because it's the easiest way to do things in the beginning. The problem is later on when they won't sleep in the swing any longer(and that time will come) and you're trying to get them to take naps in their crib/cradle/bassinet but they never got use to it so they fight you even more and cry even harder because you've trained him sleep only in your arms or with constant movement.
But if you want him to sleep in his crib and that's the advice you're looking for: my suggest would be to buy a sleep positioner if you don't have one. Swaddle him up really tight, to the point that you think it must be too tight, and place him in his crib in the positioner, swaddled up. Sit next to his crib after you put him in there and rub his tummy and shush him and let him know that you're there. When he falls asleep or even better when he starts to give the big heavy blinks walk out. In a couple months you'll be able to put your son down while he's awake, without him crying, because he's going to associate his crib with sleep time. If you start him young you don't have to retrain him later. Good Luck!!!

Hi L.-
Congratulations! You should get a baby sling. Then, baby has the comfort of mom and you have your hands free. If you are interested, you can email me at ____@____.com for more info.
GOOD LUCK!
K.

I think that its ok. My 2 sons only slept on the swing or in a bouncey in the bathroom with the shower on. What ever works I think. Both my sons have turned out just fine. Ready to have another and I'll be in the same boat as you again.
Good Luck

I wore all of my babies in a sling, often for their naps. If I wanted to sit down and read or rest, it didn't disturb the baby. Hearing my heartbeat as they slept kept them very peaceful. Besides being able to wear them against my body while I work, it helped me when I did choose to lay them down on the bed after they fell asleep. I simply leaned over until the sling (with baby in it) rested on the bed, then I eased my head out through the loop and opened the sling. Baby never stirred. Babies worn in slings cry less, since they are right there against you, and they learn more/more quickly. As they are being carried around they see more things, absorb this stimulation. It promotes attachment, which is wonderful. You just feel more connected with your baby. Dr. Sears has a good summary of the benefits: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/5/T051100.asp#T051103.

I wore mine in slings until they were about 3 years old and it is one of my favorite memories. If you're carrying a kid anyway, might as well have a sling help distribute the weight. I like the Maya Wrap since the tail is not sewn shut and I can flip it up to cover baby's head if needed. I also like the Baby Bundler, especially for newborns and you can do a back carry for both of these (like piggy back) when the child is older. Both also work with the hip carry for the older baby/toddler.

Hi L.
My son just turned 6 months and I am slowly transitioning him to his crib. He LOVED his swing and would sleep in it for hours. I also felt guilty and until I realized that he really was getting a very good sleep in it.

I really felt the swing was a godsend for both my sister and I who had babies a couple of months apart as this was the only place he could nap/sleep for more than 5 hours.

Dont worry many moms have used the swing w/out any problems. If you really want him to not get used to swing maybe you can turn off the motion afer an hour or when you are sure he is really asleep. This is what I did for a week before trying the crib and he adjusted fairly well.

You're not the only mom who has done this. The swing could be copying the motion of the womb for him. Some mothers use the swing or bouncer for naps because of colic so I can assume that using it for naps is also acceptable. Just keep him strapped in!

The longest naps my son took were in his swing or with me holding him. We didn't worry about sleep training until he was almost 4 months when our pediatrician said that was a good time. He is now an awesome sleeper on his own. One thing we really used when he was a newborn was the book/DVD "Happiest Baby on the Block" by Harvey Karp - invaluable! He gives a lot of good techniques and helps you really feel comfortable providing your baby with all the love he needs during those first few months.