[runnybabbit]

Didn't want to double up or hijack the other thread, but here's our problem. Our 6-week-old wakes every 45 min to an hour during the night and during the day. Resettling usually involves feeding to sleep again. It's really not good and wearing very thin. During the day I can handle it as we have a 22-month-old anyway so we're often out and about and he can catnap during the day.

During the day he doesn't do more than 20 min to 40 min in his bassinet, which is fine, he's still little. But the nights are killing us. I'm basically sleeping 40 min, getting up for 20, all through the night. And this has been the case since... day 3? So it's not just a 6-8 week unsettled behaviour thing. I think we've had three 1.5-2.5 hour sleeps at night, but that's it.

We're doing all the usual things, quiet minimal interaction at night, bright natural light during the day, etc. My husband tries to do the resettling at night but usually it doesn't work and he has to be fed back to sleep. He's getting plenty of milk as was 3.95 kg at birth and at 5w4d was 6.3 kg. And usually when he wakes he's too sleepy to feed for more than a few minutes, so it's not necessarily hunger that wakes him up?

He does seem very unsettled in his tummy but will sleep on me for hours without grunting or anything, but put him down in his bassinet and he starts to wiggle and squirm.

Sorry this post is all over the place, a 24/7 catnapper and sick toddler makes for very sleep deprived parents.

[lucky 2]

Oh noooo, how exhausting!
I'm not sure what to say but I'll have a go if you don't mind.
That's a pretty hefty weight gain, about 600g per week.
How are his poos?, if he is having heaps of squirty poos, large growth and pretty grizzly how about having a look at the "lactose overload" article in the link below.
https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/lac...overload-babies
I hope this wont go on too long for you, all the best .

[runnybabbit]

lucky 2 if his poos are mustard yellow, does that rule out lactose overload? I assumed it did so that wasn't so much on my radar. He does some small mustard yellow poos that don't have curds in them (sometimes just a stain) a few times a day, and then every 2-4 days will do a few big curdy (also mustard yellow) poos.

Feel like the walking dead here!

[Goggie]

Hard one. You poor thing hope it gets better soon!

Is he a reflux baby? A chucker? I only ask as DS was really unsettled at night that early on and I used to just feed every time he woke but over feeding reflux babies is not good as it makes the pain worse. Once I started to resettle without feeding every time (but still feeding around 2 hourly) he seemed to sleep for 1-2 hours at a time. Might have just been timing (he was about 8 weeks by this time) but it helped me get through the nights a bit better. He was still waking with abdominal pain and was a very colicky baby so we didn't get a good long stretch of sleep until around 3-4 months.

Hope you find a solution asap!

This post has been edited by Goggie: 12/02/2013, 09:10 PM

[Ines07]

I think because you are feeding so often that your baby is only feeding a little each time and then it is not enough to get him to sleep through for longer than 40 mins at a time. You need to restrain from feeding him for 3 hours ideally so then he'll have a good drink, be full and sleep for a long time. As he'll probably cry in the beginning at the change in routine & he's probably constantly tired, it' could be a good idea to get out for a walk to distract him & you until he gets back on track.

Also, you could always try calling your local early childhood nurse and asking for their advice.

[runnybabbit]

Is he a reflux baby?

Forgot to add that he's on a pantoprazole trial to see if it helps. It's been about four days, I don't think I can confidently say it's made any significant difference.

He was still waking with abdominal pain and was a very colicky baby so we didn't get a good long stretch of sleep until around 3-4 months.

Oh dear god.

[MummyLyss]

Are you feeding breast milk or formula? If it's formula, maybe its a tummy upset to do with packing the scoop too tightly or maybe needing goats milk?

If breast milk maybe look up information on how to safely cosleep? DD never liked to sleep in her bassinet and after being in a weird semi-conscious/dreaming type state in a chair, I decided cosleeping as safely as possible was my only option. Also remember that breast milk is easily digested by babies so that don't stay "full" as long as bottle fed.

Good luck OP

[Goggie]

I think because you are feeding so often that your baby is only feeding a little each time and then it is not enough to get him to sleep through for longer than 40 mins at a time. You need to restrain from feeding him for 3 hours ideally so then he'll have a good drink, be full and sleep for a long time. As he'll probably cry in the beginning at the change in routine & he's probably constantly tired, it' could be a good idea to get out for a walk to distract him & you until he gets back on track.

I disagree. Feeding often is very normal for such a young baby. Putting a breastfed baby on a schedule at this stage is not good for your supply and doesn't help to settle the baby either. The OP can hardly go out for a walk at 3am either.

[*Greenbag*]

Can you bring the cot or bassinet right next to your bed and to resettle after the first grizzle with a bit of patting? Only feed if he doesn't resettle. It might stretch out the feeds a bit and you can doze whilst patting.

[Jess1308]

Sounds similar to my DD in the first 16 weeks (sorry!), she did however get s stretch through the night post about 4 hours of screaming. We went with the colic diagnosis, she was happier upright, sleeping on me or slightly elevated in her bassinet. sometimes supported on her side. It did resolve itself after 16 weeks. Good luck.