can you let a 4 week old cry her self to sleep?

Question

i've been sleeping with my 4 week old on my chest since the day she was born and well it cannot keep going on she actually fell of the couch( thats were we sleep because my hubby works 3d shift)is it ok to let her cry in her crib

Answer 1

i wouldn't!
have you swaddled her? or tried music or other "white noise" in the room.
why not try a bassinet. it will take a couple of days for her to get used to it. just like it does for some adults when they are in a "new" place and have to sleep.
babies that little need constant monitoring anyway....so a bassinet crib is perfect. at 4 weeks old she is still getting up for food in the middle of the night, I'd rather her be right there in a bedside crib so i don't have to get out of a warm bed to get her. (course if your not breast feeding you'll have to get up anyway)
babies cry for food, diapers, comfort and companionship.
how would you feel if you were in a dark room, alone, no one or nothing around you that looked comforting, you can't see very well still and and you are scared.
the idea that you can baby a baby is insane...it's a BABY they are suppose to be babied. i've never met a child that was comforted and loved and snuggled like that, that was spoiled.

Answer 2

No, it is not okay to let a 4 week old baby cry herself to sleep. Her blood pressure could get up very high and she could get serious health problems. I have heard this from a doctor on the Dr. Phil show. Why don't you sleep with her on an air mattress so she can't fall from the couch and go see the Doctor and make sure she is OK. Maybe your hubby should sleep on the couch and give his wife and baby the bed.

Answer 3

Absolutely Not!!! She is still to young. You need to have her in a bassinet (or something similar) close by you. With one of mine we were very poor at the time and I used a well padded dresser drawer. She is probably still feeding every 3 hrs if she is on the bottle and if you are nursing probably every 2 hrs. It is important to have her close enough to you so you can hear her and get to her quickly so she won't disturb your sleeping hubby, and also safe to keep her from falling or smothering. When babies are very young is when they learn to trust. Answering her cries within a few minutes lets her know she can depend on you to meet her needs, which at this age is eating, sleeping, diaper changing, bathing, and lots of loving. At about 5-6 months you can start letting her cry for longer periods of time. She will probably outgrow the bassinet by 4 months so you will need a crib. And she can sleep in a play pen or port-a-crib that you can keep in the living room. Get yourself some baby care books. If you can't afford to buy them, go to the library. When I was a first time mom I read everything I could get my hands on about baby care. You will know in your heart what advice to use and what to throw away. Many blessings to you.

Answer 4

I really don´t believe that´s the best way to make your baby go to sleep. If you let her cry to sleep, you´ll get nervous to hear her crying, and eventually she´ll sleep, but she will get her throat sore, and maybe get sick (so she´ll cry more).
It´s a bad idea to sleep with a baby in a couch, it´s dangerous if she falls out, she is very young and she can get seriously injured. Try putting a craddle or a crib near the sofa or your bed. Babies cry a lot, but most of the time they cry for a reason. You have to satisfy all of her needs and when she feels ok, she will go to sleep. Feed her, make her burp, change her diaper, make sure she`s not cold or hot, wrap her softly with a clean blanket, carry her in your arms and rock her very gently, (if you sing her in a low voice a lullaby you´ll tranquilize her) and she´ll be calm to put her on her crib. If she cries again, carry her again, don´t move so much and when she stops crying, put her again in the crib. This way, she´ll learn to fall asleep in the crib and not in your arms, and you will be able to sleep in your bed and you´ll have a nice rest.

Remember that babies fall asleep many times a day -and wakes many times also. Try to sleep when your baby sleeps, so you won´t be very tired. Good luck and be very, very patient with your child.

Answer 5

Short answer - Yes, it's OK to let her cry.

Longer answer - It's never a good idea to let your child sleep in the same bed as you for one simple reason - you could roll over and smother your child. They now make these side cribs that attach to your bed so that you're still together, but in your "own" space. Babies need to learn how to self-sooth themselves. I would let a 4 week old cry for no more than about 2 minutes...as long as you know there is nothing causing her pain!! They also have this really cool remote device that you attach / place in the room and it plays a lullaby. As long as the door is cracked, hit the button and it will automatically start to play...getting baby back to sleep. =^) Where was THAT when I had a 4 week old???

Answer 6

I ASKED THIS QUESTION BUT I CANNOT GET INTO MY ACCOUNT right now . i have tried everything yes i have a bassinet she wont sleep in it. i slept with my daughter because i had a c section and coudlnt get in and out or bed to breast feed her at the begining. and my daughters fine she was swaddled and i had a comforter wrapped up next to the couch in case she fell i was told a baby needs to learn to self soothe and that i took it away because i never let her cry i want to do right by her i dont want a 6yr old sleeping on my floor because she wont sleep in her own bed plus my hubbys afraid to sleep with her so he has to wake me up to get her to sleep.

Answer 7

No, I wouldn't do this at 4 weeks. Try wrapping them up in a blanket and placing them in the center of a "Boppy" pillow..it is like being held in someones arms and my kids slept so well this way...
Keep in mind....this time WILL be short lived and you WILL sleep again!!! But, wait until they are 4-6 months old before you let them cry themselves to sleep.

Answer 8

NO in my opinion you it is never ok to allow a child to cry themselves to sleep. It is harmful physically to them but even more inportantly it is emotionally harmfully to them. The only method babies have of communcating with there caregivers is through crying but if you allow them to cry themselves to sleep they begin to understand that mummy and daddy will not respond to there needs and simply stop crying. There needs are still there but they dont trust you anymore to fullfill them and stop trying to communicate with you.

Sleeping with a baby on the couch is very dangerious however and you should never do it with a baby. You and your baby should be sleeping safely in the bedroom and if your husband can not sleep there he needs to sleep on the couch (or somewhere else). Well you can "co-sleep" safely it is important you learn how to do this please check out www.askdrsears.com for tips on how to cosleep safely. Especially if you are nursing cosleeping will make nighttime parenting more bareable.

ADDED after seeing you additional comments

You baby is trying to tell you what sleeping arrangements work best for her. She refuses to sleep in her bassinet because she needs to be closer to you. Some babies need there space and others want to be right with you. Please look into how to safely co-sleep a comforter next to the couch could be more of a risk then a help. There used to be a general concensus that babies needed to learn how to self sooths and that if you respinded to them they would loose that abbility but slowly "experts" have begun to recognize that is incorrect and has begun to recognize the biological significance of crying and the importance of maternal-infant attachment. Dont let people scare you into thinking that children will ALWAYS be sleeping in your room until they leave for college :P chidren begin sleeping in there own beds in there own room at there individual timeline usually between the ages of 2 and 4. If your husband is afraid he might harm your child sleep with them on the outside of your side of the bed with a bedrail to prevent them from falling out. This will help everyone get a good nights sleep and will enhance your breastfeeding experience as well.


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Answer 9

That is so dangerous to let your baby sleep on your chest if your sleeping to. my sisters friend did that and accidentally rolled over on her baby and the baby died sad but true I wouldn't let my 4 week old cry herself to sleep maybe go buy a bassinet or like play pen for to sleep in next to you good luck to you

Answer 10

No, don't let the little one cry to sleep. You are her security. Love her, cuddle her, and nap when she does. I don't reccomend the couch, how about a pack n play and you on the couch?