I am in a pretty similar situation! I have a 7 week old son who is for the most part very easy going, it seems like the last few days he is really resisting sleep during the day. I know he is starting to get to the stage where there is more "awake" time but I can see that he is way overtired and some of the usual soothing techniques just don't work. I try walking around the house, the swing, walks outside, cuddles, rocking and really the only thing that settles him into sleep is my breast. I am putting on my breast when I know he is not hungry sometimes because I know he is desperate for sleep and just can't soothe to sleep. He does not take pacifiers so we have not been able to use them. I am a new mom too and question myself all the time, I worry that he will only be able to soothe on the breast but I know how vital and important sleep is at this stage too! At 7 weeks they are still so young and I am just trying to get him as much sleep and comfort as possible even if some of the habits are not ideal. It sounds like you are doing a wonderful job, hang in there, it will just keep getting better. Your baby is beautiful!

The best piece of advice I got was "the first 8-12 weeks are about survival while keeping in mind where you want to get long term". I was adamant my son would never ever ever touch a pacifier. At 6 weeks at my wits end in went the binky. He will be 5 mos next week and honestly he rarely uses it anymore. Some babies need to suck to soothe and my boob wasn't always the right solution for us. I only give him the binky when he starts getting really wound up and he usually spits it right out or he just plays with it. Same with sleeping. He was going to sleep in his bassinet every night. Well that went out the window too. You aren't doing anything wrong, just keep working towards the long term answer and don't fall back to any of the things you don't like every time. Keep trying the crib but do what you have to do to survive. Our son now sleeps in his crib every night like he's never known anything different! Plus, as soon as you have a handle on it she will change again anyway!! Good Luck, Big hugs

I agree with Klimawife, the first 12 weeks are all about survival. Whatever works, as long as it's not dangerous, gets the green light. You can worry about breaking those habits later when you are (hopefully) less sleep deprived and the baby is on a more set schedule.

I read somewhere...maybe even here...that you can NOT spoil a baby in the first 3 months. I LIVED by that phrase. When my son fell asleep in my arms every night and my mother, sil, mil, etc etc etc would look at me I would reply..YOU CAN NOT SPOIL A BABY IN THE FIRST 3 MONTHS!! Basically what Klima and alh said you do what you need to do to make a happy baby and a happy Mama!! My son now gets put down in his crib awake for 2 hour naps during the day and I put him down for the night asleep from my arms...you do what you need to and they adjust!!!

I love Kilmawife's response. You do what you need to do to survive. You'll see that after some time, for us this was closer to 9 months but with many people it's around 4 months, things start getting better. That's when you'll have a chance to work on long-term habits. You'll know when time comes - when you start feeling like normal human being again :) My son had worst sleep habits ever. He needed his paci, he needed me, he'd nurse 5+ times a night at 9 months, he slept in my bed. Now, 15 months, he sleeps through the night in his crib. I never thought I'd live to see this day. Also keep trying stuff you'd like him to learn, when you can and have energy.

Oh, my gosh! Give the baby the paci and don't worry about it. I gave myself permission to do whatever it took until she was 6 months. I still give myself that permission some days. I will deal with my DD sucking her thumb or giving up her paci when she gets older.

best advice ever -- Peace At Any Price -- it's along the lines of Klimawife's advice but the goal is a PEACEFUL happy healthy home. If the baby sleeps well with a binky in her carseat, then cave and let her have it. You can try to alter those habits some if they become a problem, but your goal right now is JUST GETTING REST! Everything is secondary.

Also - it might help you to get The Baby Whisperer. It's a great book and I found out by reading it that my son, while textbook on most things, is a spirited baby in the sleep department and we were missing the cues on when he was tired. Turns out his bedtime is 7:30, and we were FIGHTING to get him down at 8 and 9 each night. By missing his "I'm too tired to play but don't want to stop" cues, we made the whole thing more stressful. That book might give you some insights on what type of sleeper you have on your hands, and that could help you build a night night routine to make the whole process easier.

Don't feel bad--I wonder about these things too. Our babies are a week apart, so I know how you feel about just doing what you have to do to get through the day/night, so you can get what you need.
Lia sleeps best in bed next to me, or on top of me, or in her bouncer or swing sometimes. Basically, if I feel like I reallyyy need sleep, I will let her sleep wherever it is that she falls asleep, whether it's in my arms or in her bouncer.
I figure, I'll worry about breaking the habits when that time comes.

I'm so glad to see others are having the same issues we are having. Our son is going to be 9 weeks and the only place he will sleep in our our chest at night. Our Dr. did tell us that you can't spoil a newborn! So I'm happy to see others were told that as well! Whatever works is the montra both my husband and I are taking on until our little guy is at least 3-6 months old then we will worry about the habits! Good Luck to all of us:)!

My daughter is the exact opposite of yours!! She sleeps GREAT during the day and is awake ALL NIGHT LONG. Literally...Friday night she was up from midnight until 7 am...thought I was going to lose my mind. We also tried everything. Our pediatrician said that allowing her to sleep in the carseat is absolutely fine - and for our gassy little girl, it is one of the only things that seems to work, so I don't feel one bit guilty about it. As far as the paci goes - I was also adamant that she was not going to use it - but everything I have read says that sucking is very soothing for babies, so if she doesn't want to breastfeed, i give her the paci. She keeps it in for a little while, then spits it out. It does calm her.

I don't think you are doing anything wrong - my DH and I are also in Survival Mode and will do just about anything to get some rest - for our sake and for hers! We do what we have to do. Hang in there...everyone keeps saying it will get better, so that's what I keep telling myself!!!

my son is 5 1/2wks and we are dealing with the overly tired baby who can not fall asleep too. I agree that survival is the most important thing.... And I realized this the other night when we were both crying because we were so tired! I have two older children and when I reflect on their infancy I realize the bad habits worked themselves out... They are happy & healthy normal kids who fall asleepp on their own! LOL
sleep deprivation can be dangerous for us new mommies, there are days I know I should not drive because I am so tired. Keep your health & safety in mind when thinking about the habits that will go away in time anyway.