Worried about my DS but no one taking me seriously

[HomeTimeByeBye]

DS is now 7 months old and sleeps 7pm to 9am.

He then naps from 10.30amish to around 1/2pm.

Like clockwork.

From newborn, he slept 8 hour stretched and stretched it to 12/14 hours by 6 weeks old.

I've never done a night feed.

He's meeting all his milestones cognitively, and is now starting to stand unaided. He is on the small side but I've been told he's in proportion.

I'm worried. I have been since he was born and I don't feel that it is right.

He is always sleeping.

AIBU to be concerned and take him back to the GP?

The last time I went was 3 months ago. But now he's 7 months, I think he should be sleeping less, not more.

He's very active and alert when he's awake but it's just the amount he's sleeping.

I'm worried but everyone has always bashed me and told me to 'count my lucky stars', especially when he was a newborn.

I was worried to death. I'd read all about sleep deprivation, how to survive it etc. But I didn't experience it and had 0 support when I was upset. Even the midwives brushed me off.

I tried waking him for a few weeks after the birth and he would just get very cross and go back to sleep. I'd wake up drowned in my own milk

He was asleep when I woke up the morning after my labour and I thought he was dead.

The midwife laughed at me and told me to keep my magic quiet.

I feel like I'm being fobbed off.

Have you taken him to a paediatrician? If you can afford it, I would pay to go private as it does not sound like a referral would be easy to get. I think you should do this to put your mind at ease at the very least. But also, if there is something causing his need to sleep so much, then it would be good to get to the bottom of it. You should keep a sleep /eat/ play diary for him too in the meantime.

I have one who likes to sleep. When he was newborn I logged all his sleep in an app that told me the total number of hours asleep in each 24 hours. It was on the upper side of normal but it seemed like he was never awake so was reassuring to actually see the number of hours totalled up, if that makes sense?
He's 7 months now and does around 11 hours at night, with 3-4 hours of naps in the day. He really needs it. He's already crawling, pulling up to stand and cruising a little. He just needs and likes his sleep. If he doesn't get what he needs or is woken, he's miserable.

As you're worried, you could keep a log for a week or two and just see how it compares to 'normal' range? But professionals are likely to just look at whether baby is happy, growing and hitting milestones.

My twins were like that, worse in fact. All hell broke lose when they went into beds though 😂 now it's a nightmare to keep them in bed 😂

It's almost certainly absolutely fine but yanbu to go back to your gp. I would explain that you have an instinct that it's not right and word your question as 'is there anything untoward that could cause this?'. It's very easy for gps to reassure you and send you away but they should take a parent's instinct seriously and if they start thinking about possible diagnosis they might be less likely to fob you off.

I went to Potters in Norfolk - it's a family run place. No cooking, no washing up, no cleaning, everything just there in front of you, kids always entertained, beach on the doorstep, it was heaven. We had a bungalow, which was basic, but there's a hotel that looks much more fancy. Very clean, lovely people, very well run. Both DH and I came home feeling refreshed because we didn't have to do any sort of housework or even any thinking really for a whole week. The kids had a fantastic time.

Sorry wrong thread!

If he is fine when awake and meeting normal milestones I don't think you need to be concerned. I had one like this, excellent sleeper from about a week old and you could literally do anything with him when he was asleep and he wouldn't wake up. Hes now an almost teen and completely normal. A bit hard to wake in the morning for school but I'd saythat normal!

I actually first thought too that perhaps he wasnt quite the full ticket, or something wrong but he seemed fine otherwise so we just rolled with it. He is now pretty much top of his class in most things. No issues at all.

I probably didn't stress too much about it at the time as I already had a few kids and they had all been different so we just put it down to a chilled out personality and growing (that makes you tired!)

My DD was like this. At 4 weeks old I'd have to wake her after 14 hours for a feed. I worried too at the time, but she's nearly 9 now and nothing wrong with her (though still likes her sleep). I've always put it down to her being really long/tall, as a new born she was off the scales and shes now already taller than some of the Y6s in her school (she's Y3)

My dd was like this, always asleep.
Her gp's used to complain that every time they visited she was asleep.
I thought it was because she was so small and needed to make up for this, eating and sleeping.

It didn't last long though and from being a toddler she has never slept well. She's 14 now and will wake after a few hours, do something for a couple of hours and then go back to sleep.

My daughter was like this until she was 8 months old when she had a growth spurt and woke and fed through the night for a month or so. Then she went back to her normal pattern and she has always, always loved her sleep.

As a baby she was slower to walk and talk but was very sociable and friendly and had good dexterity.

She is now 16, anticipating top GCSE results and dreaming of going to Cambridge University. She likes nothing more than to go to bed at 8 loves to sleep late in the morning and at weekends she will have a cheeky nap in the afternoon.

If she is out all day on Saturday which she often is she will come home and go straight to bed. If she goes out on Friday evening she won't wake up until lunch time on Saturday.

She is however very healthy. Other than flu a couple of years ago she is never off school, doesn't catch colds or bugs, there is nothing wrong with her at all. But she needs to sleep.

My MIL had the same issue with her first daughter. She slept and slept. She took her to the GP as a baby too. In her case, she was advised that there was no problem and SIL is now a secondary school teacher. You are not alone feeling it is unusual but it does happen.

My friend’s daughter was like this. Would also nap in the afternoon. My friend would be able to wake her up at 6:30pm, give her a quick meal and then she’d STILL fall asleep at 7pm!
She’s fine and 5 years old, now

My dd2 never had a night feed, slept through from the day she was born. I was actually a bit worried about it too. Dd1 had woken several times a night till toddlerhood. Keep getting check ups if it reassures you.

My DGS is like this. None of my children (including his dad) ever slept for more than about four hours at at time. DGS would go to bed from newborn at around 6pm, wake for a feed at 8am, then back to sleep until 10am, awake for a couple of hours and then off for another long sleep after his lunch. Like clockwork.

I found it odd then, and I think there's something 'off' about his behaviour now that he's nearly three (very few words, behaviour that seems very 'young', late to his milestones). But he's not my child so nothing I can do. But I'd say if your son is hitting his milestones and seems bright and alert when awake (my DGS always seemed a bit sleepy and unfocussed when awake) then he's just a sleepy baby!

I’d go back to the GP or a private paed if you are concerned. Try logging all his naps in an app for a week so you can take it with you.

If he is meeting all his milestones and seems alert and kicking about when awake it sounds fine, but I can understand your anxiety!

DD1 was like this, possibly slept even more during the day. It was like having a cat!

I was worried about her starting school as she still had naps but she's been absolutely fine!

I think she's just G&T at sleeping gets it from me!

I don’t think it’s ever wrong to be concerned but just for context-

My DS has always been a terrible sleeper. It’s not unknown for him to have 9 hours of sleep in 24. When he is awake he is alert and happy, doesn’t doze off in the car etc, meeting milestones and growing well.

Would you, hearing this, think I should take him to GP for medical advice?

All babies are on a curve for what is ‘average’ and someone is always going to be at the far left and far right. It’s natural to worry if you are in a very different situation to the majority of others but it’s also good to keep it in perspective...

My dd is eight weeks and since four week old she's slept from ten while six every night without waking or feeding at all and sleeps most of the day. She just likes her sleep

This is a most unusual "problem" to have -- one where I think the main issue is how you feel about it.

One of mine was like this, then grew out of it at about 5, then back into it again as a teen.

I am sorry you feel so worried, and would never try to dismiss your concerns, because this is "extreme" (using the label light-heartedly) sleeping. But still, all other indicators are good, as you point out in your OP.

I would get back to GP for your own peace of mind.

Good luck :-)

Thank you for the replies

I think it's worth mentioning that he's been Breastfed from birth so the sleeping through thing was even more shocking because I was constantly told he would wake up every few hours to feed because their tummies are so small.

He is still breastfed now but has food too.

He woke up at 9am today and has been asleep for 2 hours now

Whenever my mum comes to visit, she always feels quite sad because he's always sleeping

How are you getting on OP?

Any symptoms of thyroid problems or anything else?
You say he’s a little short and sleeps a lot. Just wondering if anything like that is going on that could be tested for.