2mo with sleeping issues

[MadameG]

I'm a first time mum with a 2mo son and having some issues with his sleeping. I think mostly I'm confused about what is normal at this age etc.

He is bottle fed, and currently sleeps roughly from 10:30/11pm ish til 4:30/ 5am ish for the next feed. Sometimes its slightly earlier, and sometimes he sleeps longer- the other night he slept through til 7am! I take it that this is quite good for this age?

Problem is, he will currently only sleep in his car seat!! He used to sleep in his pram top but this has fallen out of favour and he only lasts 20 mins in there. I'm sure this is just a phase but does anyone have any ideas of how I can try and get him used to the cot/ pram top again? I'm sure being in the car seat won't hurt him but I'd much rather he was somewhere normal!

Plus, he doesn't really sleep during the day at the mo- should he be? He has occasional phases of seeming asleep but after about 20 mins he wakes straight back up again, and sometimes gnaws on his dummy all through being 'asleep', so maybe he's just sort of dozing.

During the night feeds we always keep the lights dim, the noise down, tv off etc, but what else could I do to encourage him to learn the difference between night and day for eventual all-night sleeping?

I think I'm more stressed as I'm very anxious at the mo and feel like I have no idea what I'm doing as a mother, and find it very hard to get to sleep myself when he is sleeping. Feel like a nervous wreck!

It sounds as though he knows the difference between night and day - he's going longer periods between feeds at night and is more wakeful in the day, so that's really good.

I think if I were you I would aim to get him to nap, if only so you can get some things done. But I don't think this is really a case of what he "should" be doing. IME most babies do nap, but maybe yours is a little different!

I'd probably do two things:

• if you think he's tired and you want to get him used to napping in the day, bundle him up and try taking him out for a walk in the pram (with a blanket or towel over the opening so it is dark in there). Maybe then he will get used to napping for longer periods and you can then transfer his naps to the cot. By the way, sometimes sleep really does beget sleep so if he starts napping you may find he sleeps more overall.

• swaddle him at night and prop his cot head up on books. He may like the car seat because he feels secure in there (which the swaddling may replicate) or he might like being a bit upright if he has a touch of reflux. Swaddling and propping the head of the cot up can both help with this.

Actually one more thing: if you have some way of making the cot seem cosier to him (bumpers perhaps) that might help him feel snugger in there.

Oh, and relax. Honestly you sound like you are doing fine.

Thanks for your ideas. Since yesterday if he gets sleepy on me during the day I've tried putting him in his pram top and he seems to last for half an hour or hour in there.

I'll try propping the cot up, that's a good idea.

He slept from midnight til 7am this morning- yay!