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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask for bloods to be taken for my baby DC?

83 replies

DrewBerry95 · 26/02/2018 20:47

Back story:

I spent 4/5 nights in hospital after DC was born.

I had DC late at night. Woke up at 7.30am in a fright because I thought he was dead. He was not. Just sound asleep.

I enquired to the Midwife on duty and she said she knew, she kept checking on us both but we were just sleeping.

I thought no problem, one off from birth but 2nd night would be normal 'newborn' experience. Wrong. DC slept from 10pm to 7.30am again. But this time I was awake constantly because of other babies on the ward crying! Same thing happened until we left hospital.

Ironically, the other thing keeping me up at night was other people's babies Envy

I kept expressing my concerns of him maybe getting dehydrated during the night and the midwives insisted I didn't wake him. So I didn't and enjoyed my sleep well what I could get of it since other people's babies just wouldn't shut up

Before we were discharged, I spoke to the paediatrics Dr. Again, reassured to count my lucky stars and not to wake him.

So I didn't. Went home and just let him sleep through consistently, night after night.

Fast forward to 5 weeks old and he put himself into a routine of 9pm to 9am, so 12 hour slots.

Fast forward to now at 4.5 months. Still the same but often doesn't wake until 11am.

I'm getting worried because usually I just let him wake himself and he's a happy bunny. But recently I've been trying out a few local things and he's so grumpy. For example, stay and play starts at 9.30am. He doesn't take kindly to being put in a pram and hoisted off.

I didn't know what to do in those early weeks because all the baby books and stories prepared me for sleep deprivation, not over sleeping!

It wasn't until a friend of mine commented that when her premature baby was born, she was told very clearly not to let them go over 4/5 hours because they could dehydrate or be jaundice. She said she thinks what I done was dangerous and the medical professionals advising me to let him sleep should be questioned.

Furthermore, I saw a someone with a similar baby post once and people kept saying letting small babies sleep through is indeed dangerous and to wake them.

AIBU to ask for bloods? I'm scared he's too sleepy/lethargic. He's an older baby now and still the same. I'm worried there may be an issue, of some sort.

Otherwise, he's a very healthy and happy baby who just gets very cross if things are too loud and he's trying to sleep.

He's also gained weight very well and put on instead of lost in his first week of life outside the womb.

I don't want to waste NHS time but at the same time, I don't want to miss anything abnormal. What if he has an illness I don't know about?

Obviously I'm not going to wake him now because he's an older baby. But could his overall sleeping habits be a sign of something?

It can't be normal because it was bashed and hammered home to me so much during pregnancy that I would Be sleep deprived, not setting alarms so I don't over sleep and end up getting myself ready and gone 12 in the afternoon by the time I've had 'breakfast' and given DC their first feed Blush

OP posts:
Gatehouse77 · 26/02/2018 21:29

Apparently my DH was similar until he was about 2ish. MIL used to wake him for meals but otherwise he was a content little thing who slept. A lot!

MiniMum97 · 26/02/2018 21:29

Sleep is incredibly important especially for small babies so don't wake him to go to morning groups as his sleep is more important. Have a read of the book "Why we sleep". Sleep is vital to a baby's development.

Rainbowsandflowers78 · 26/02/2018 21:30

Just enjoy then! Smile

Haudyerwheesht · 26/02/2018 21:30

My second baby was like this, my first baby NEVER slept so it did worry me tbh because it was so alien. She’s 7 now and very bright and nothing wrong!

DrewBerry95 · 26/02/2018 21:31

I no longer have a HV but suppose I could request another.

I didn't like the one I had, she was very patronising and said it was dangerous of me to co-sleep and said "next time I see you I hope I see a place for baby to sleep!"

She didn't seem to fussed by DS's sleeping patterns though.

Needless to say I didn't invite her back

OP posts:
DrewBerry95 · 26/02/2018 21:32

Sleep is incredibly important especially for small babies so don't wake him to go to morning groups as his sleep is more important. Have a read of the book "Why we sleep". Sleep is vital to a baby's development

Which is fine but all these local groups seem to be during morning time so I can't really go to anything Sad

OP posts:
RadioGaGoo · 26/02/2018 21:33

Yes, on reflection, that probably wasn't the best advice. Having chatted to friends who have had the 9-12 month review, the stock answer from the HV's to all questions was 'all babies are different' Grin

BertieBotts · 26/02/2018 21:33

Seriously I am a bit worried because I'm pregnant again and I'm totally baffled at why people are sleep deprived when they have a newborn Grin Even if DS was awake he would just lie there chilled out next to me when I slept. I can remember exactly one night when I had to walk around with him and that was when he was ill.

I'm going to be broken with a normal one, aren't I? Shock

BertieBotts · 26/02/2018 21:34

I don't think you need to worry about waking him up TBH, it doesn't sound like he's going to be massively lacking in sleep without that! Go to the groups if you want to.

DrewBerry95 · 26/02/2018 21:35

Bertie I shall hazard a guess that yes, you may be a bit shocked if this one isn't the same? Grin

People have changed the goal post. Now they can't scare me of how hard having my baby will be, they scare me into never having any more because they're insistent I've got too lucky and Mother Nature will come for me eventually Wink

OP posts:
SoftSheen · 26/02/2018 21:38

My cousin apparently slept through from birth (she was a huge 10 1/2 lb baby, if that's relevant). I apparently slept through 11-12 hours per night from 7 weeks, despite being EBF and not being subject to any form of sleep training. We both grew up fine! Sadly my DCs were not good sleepers as babies, DD in particular was quite capable of waking up 8 times a night. Just enjoy your baby and count your lucky stars!

RainbowGlitterFairy · 26/02/2018 21:39

DS slept through from day 1, never got up before about 10 and the only time he ever really cried was if I woke him up, he's nearly 14 and incredibly healthy, athletic, smart, sometimes even well behaved. Don't worry, DD made up for and at 9 still doesn't sleep through the night and wakes me at the crack of dawn everyday.

BertieBotts · 26/02/2018 21:39

I did wonder if it was due to co-sleeping though. So I suppose I will find out (with my wondrous sample size of two) and then I will be that smug arsehole on the internet who raves about co-sleeping being a miracle cure for everything.

Or I will just cry because I'm insane and am planning to go and start a new job (fx) at about 4 months postnatal.

It's a fun adventure!

brownelephant · 26/02/2018 21:42

you are clearly worried about your baby, so go to your gp.
explain the worrying things you describe, maybe take a diary of baby's sleep pattern.
look up what baby should be doing, is he meeting milestones?

Idontbelieveinthemoon · 26/02/2018 21:45

she was very patronising and said it was dangerous of me to co-sleep and said "next time I see you I hope I see a place for baby to sleep!"

What a rude HV! Ok, if you're taking any kind of medication or drinking alcohol, or even if you're an especially heavy sleeper, I'd understand that out of thing, but co-sleeping can save people's sanity when it comes to non-sleeping lunatic babies like my DS2 who feels even now he's 7 that sleep is to be avoided at all costs unless absolutely necessary.

littlebunnyhophophop · 26/02/2018 21:47

Not to frighten you , he's maybe just a sleepy baby but ... my ds 5 was like that everyone around me told me it was great he was so chilled out slept all night etc he has autism he didn't meet milestones on time and had delayed development is your son trying to sit up crawl etc etc?

SoftSheen · 26/02/2018 21:47

Bertie I co-slept with both my babies and sadly, it didn't prevent multiple night-wakenings in either of them, though at least I didn't need to get out of bed!

bobstersmum · 26/02/2018 21:49

Well. I am not gonna lie I'm totally jealous! I've had three babies two boys and a girl and none of them have slept as babies. In fact, if you weren't boasting you bloody should be! I doubt there is anything wrong with him, enjoy the sleep while it lasts because it doesn't always last forever!

PoofShazam · 26/02/2018 21:50

OP you could be describing my DS, even down to the sleeping on night 1 in hospital!!

I kept wanting to apologise to the woman sharing the room with me, her DD screamed all night Shock

DS is now 10 and still likes at LEAST 10hrs a night, I'm pretty sure he'll become a sloth as a teenager and I'll go days without seeing him.....

The only ailment DS has was by around 18 months he had permanent sinus infections, they discovered his adenoids were too big and blocking his airways which were restricting the oxygen in his blood and what was more than likely making him so laid back/chilled out when he was awake. They whipped them out along with his tonsils when he was 3 so no big deal Grin

As others have said if your DS is healthy happy and gaining weight don't fret too much Smile

BertieBotts · 26/02/2018 21:51

Well exactly! He still woke up (from about the age of 4 months to 2.5 years) but it never really woke me up so I was never sleep deprived in the slightest.

Milestones at 4 months are more along the lines of smiling, laughing and starting to control the movements of their arms/grab at things and possibly rolling, not sitting and crawling surely?

Ylvamoon · 26/02/2018 21:52

My DD was similar... had 12/13 hours sleep, morning nap time (10-11ish) and afternoon nap (1ish- 3ish). She is a happy healthy 14 year old and very active. But still needs her sleep.
(My DS never sleeps... he is 8 and can survive on 6-7 hours! Be careful what you wish for.)

hopsalong · 26/02/2018 21:52

I think it’s troubling that he sleeps so late and I would be a little concerned, yes. How many hours of sleep does he have in total over a 24 hour period?

My firstborn was one of those babies who gets themselves into a Gina-Ford-approved 7-7 routine without much input. (Second baby definitely not like this, although in many respects the ‘spitting image’ of first!) But he also napped very little for a small baby — perhaps only 2 hours a day by 4 months, so the total amount of sleep was normal, and he was waking up every day raring to go. He was also quite easily woken.

There are various (very unlikely and rare) metabolic disorders that could cause oversleeping. It can also be linked to asthma. I would keep a really precise diary of every night and every nap for a week or two and then go to see the GP. Is it also possible that he’s awake for a certain amount of time in the night but just not making a lot of fuss/ waking you? A calm baby who woke and looked around at midnight for twenty minutes and went back to sleep: no problem! But, yes, sleeping deeply for 14 hours without stirring or being interested in food or the surrounding world, and being hard to wake — that would worry me too.

littlebunnyhophophop · 26/02/2018 21:52

Op made a mistake up thread @BertieBotts her ds is 6.5 months

Rainbowsandflowers78 · 26/02/2018 21:53

Actually there is a link between very sleepy babies and delayed development - I would just keep an eye on his development rather than ask for bloods

Caenea · 26/02/2018 21:59

FOR GOD'S SAKE LET HIM SLEEP.

I was told to wake my DD up when she started sleeping through at three months. She's nearly 18 months now and her sleeping is still erratic because I woke her.

If he is happy, alert when he is awake, gaining weight and not jaundiced, just let the kid sleep. I wish I had just let DD sleep.

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