Honking noises

[foodfiend]

Apols - have already posted on the sleep forum, but this looks increasingly like a colicky/tummy problem, so wondered if any of you could help here.

My 6-week old ds makes the most appalling noises, including while he's asleep - a sort of groaning/honking noise that my husband has compared to trying to sleep through me in labour - it's deafening. I thought dd (now 2) was a noisy sleeper, but this is something else. Dh and i are currently in different rooms to try and sleep, with ds shuttling in between, but when I hand him over I can still only sleep with earplugs as he's so loud. It's not constant, but gets worse through the night (worst about 5-7am) and does stop/calm if I pat him or pick him up, so I think he must be uncomfortable, though I suppose I should be grateful that it doesn't always wake him! Have tried taking him into bed, but he wasn't any quieter: I just had the honking inches from my face instead...

He mostly settles Ok-ish after feeds at night (with a bit of patting and cuddling), but in the daytime will only sleep in the sling (I'm arms-length typing!), or in the pushchair while moving: any pause and he wakes and cries piteously, as he does if you put him down in pushchair/basket to sleep, whether he was drowsy, just asleep or asleep for some time when you put him down. Love him dearly, but don't really want to cart him around all day. He'll take a dummy, but wakes when it falls out.

He's mostly fairly cheerful, but does seem windy (lots of poos - 18 in 24 hours at the weekend - and farts), though rarely burps after a feed. He is breastfeeding well and very frequently (every 2-4 hours) and packing on weight at a great pace, so obviously not ill as such. Latch is OK, I think. No success with infacol or gripe water.

I don't think we could honestly call it colic, as while there is quite a lot of crying I'm reasonably sure it's overtiredness, as he nods off and wakes up umpteen times when I'm cruel enough to put him down/pause for a moment in the pushchair, and sometimes even in my arms. Any words of wisdom?

(Yes, my family have all pointed out that he will probably just grow out of it... I'm just sleep-deprived and impatient. And feeling bad about taking it out on husband and daughter.)

[madmouse]

It is getting less now he is older (8months) but my ds has always been very noisy at night particularly after a feed. My dr thinks it is something called flabby larynx which causes snoring and sleep apnea type things. he also breaths noisily during the day, particularly when he is excited, dh and I can hear him a cross the room if he spots something that grabs his attention. But he makes higher pitched sounds at night.

He was also very colicky and windy and used to be a really greedy adn fast breastfeeder and fall asleep again straight away and refuse to burp. I think this may cause the problem in your ds too. Their internal organs like wind pipes are so small that a burp can literally get in the way. One thing that often helped was picking him up again 10mins later to see if a burp would come. Favourite burp technique head on your shoulder and whole body hanging down holding baby under arms to make him really long.

Having said all that I would ask a gp just to make sure as it sounds like he is not getting a lot of the deep sleep he needs.

[foodfiend]

Thanks Madmouse. Fairly sure it's not a breathing issue - it's more of a groaning noise. Will try the delayed burping - I'm a bit too impatient perhaps, so if it doesn't come straight away...

I've got his 8 week check week after next, so will ask advice. I'm concerned he's not getting enough sleep (let alone me!). As well as noisy and restless at night he'll hardly settle at all in the daytime - awake for as much as 6 hours at a time as every time he gets sleepy/nods off I put him down and he wakes up. :-(