My son is four weeks old, and up til now we have had no routine because of his age, I wanted him to have the freedom to nurse-on-demand and my midwife agreed.

For the first week he was up every 2 hours to feed and would go right back to sleep. The second week he blessed us with several 4-5 hour stretches. But most nights he will only go 4-5 hours between feedings if my husband holds him so I can sleep. I don't want him to get into the habit of relying on being held to sleep, which I know he is now. It's the only way he naps during the day as well, in the moby wrap.

Our current "routine": I change his diaper and feed him around 8-9pm, then swaddle him and rock him to sleep. I lay him in his bed (which is right next to ours), he either wakes up instantly or he only sleeps an hour. Anytime I put him in his bed, he sleeps 2-3 hours at most. I don't pick him up EVERYTIME he wakes up (he is definitely a sleep grunter), but once he starts crying I will get him up and feed him. But then he stays up for up to two hours!

I have even tried co-sleeping, it worked once when he was 2 weeks old and he slept for 5 hours straight, but he hasn't done that since. I tried it again last night, but he only slept 2.5 hrs.

I was reading MrsBees post on Sleep Training, http://www.hellobee.com/2011/09/23/sleep-training-part-1-how-we-night-trained/, but, like her, I am so not a fan of crying it out; especially at his young age! I don't know how I could stand it. Plus, he can't sleep more than 6 hours at night yet, my midwife said once he reaches 11 lbs (he is 8 lbs right now), then he can sleep through the night. Though, he's never slept 6 hours anyway. If you were against CIO, how/why did you change your mind? Did you feel awful while doing it?

I am reaching the point where I'm really frustrated and feeling stressed during the day because I don't get any sleep. I hate feeling guilty for being frustrated with him. He is so little and precious and I know he doesn't do it on purpose, but it's really hard emotionally for me now.

Please, any advice is welcome.

sorry this is so long