4 week old baby will NOT nap and is crying all the time

[christmasbabyboy]

Title says it all really. He spends every day exhausted, I cuddle, feed, rock, bounce him in the bouncer chaiir, sing to him etc but he will not drop off to sleep. He soends his days crying and grizzling WHATEVER I do. I just can not figure him out. He looks like he's going to sleep, closes his eyes then all of a sudden is wide awake crying again. What the hell is going on?

Something you could ask your GP to check quickly: whether he has oral thrush. Sometimes it can be difficult to detect, so ask them to check very carefully, and if possible ask for a second opinion (perhaps from a breastfeeding councillor). Refusing the dummy, crying after or during feeds and having a lot of wind all sound like the symptoms of thrush. It's not serious but if left untreated can cause a lot of soreness and discomfort. Just a thought! (my DS had it and it made him miserable)

xmas baby boy, I have a 7 week old girl that is much the same. I have discovered that I have got thrush on my nipples and its in her mouth. Yeast makes them windy and also difficult to feed. could you have same?
I still cant put mine down to sleep she would be sound asleep with my boob in her mouth and as soon as i put her down she wakes up!! The only way i can do it at night is to lie her down in a safe position in my bed and pop my boob in so when she falls asleep she is already lying in bed and i can just remove my nipple and get some sleep lying down myself!!
I agree with everyone elses suggestions too re Tracy Hogg baby whisperer babies can only stay awake for up to 2 hours (mine needs to sleep about an hour and 15mins after waking) if I dont get her to bed before the 3rd yawn she cries. apparently they cry loudly to block other stimulation out. I would recommend reading some of her tips because it makes you slow down and think more from their perspective. DEFO IF YOU ARE STRESSED THEY ARE TOO!! I need to take a deep breath sometimes!!

hey garliclover we had the same thought at the same time!!

I don't have any helpful suggestions I'm afraid but just to let you know my DS was the same and I know how hard it is. He turned out to have multiple food allergies but I don't know if that's what caused him to be so unhappy as a baby.

Looking back I wish I had just relaxed a bit more about it - it feels as though it will go on forever but it soon ends.

My DGS was exactly the same at that age, he too is a very windy baby who fights sleep. He was particularly horrendous at 6-8 weeks, then gradually improved a little.

We found that fennel tea helps him expel his wind more easily (we boil a tspn of seeds in about 250ml water for 5mins, and use 50ml of it when making up his FF).

Now 16 weeks old, my DGS still fights sleep and takes very short naps, but cries much less than before and has been sleeping through the night since 10 weeks.

One thing that has always calmed him, even in the middle of a huge crying jag, is to remove his nappy and let him kick for a few minutes. Still works a treat now ;)

My DS was like this, even though I carried him most of the day. It was almst as if crying was his nap. Instead of sleeping he would scream. Invest in some decent earplugs.

Is it worth seeing GP or HV on Monday? Just in case anything else is wrong? Great advice on here as usual, hope you're doing better.

There's a brilliant download on itunes called shhh the secret to sleep - it's five tracks of natural white noise ie waterfall/waves, not in a hippy whale noises way though! We put it on loud at nap/sleep time and it really seems to help soothe LO if she's overstimulated which is sometimes just unavoidable. Good luck, take a deep breath and remember you are doing a great job

It's so hard - I found 4 weeks particularly bad actually - still massively emotional, the lack of sleep is beginning to really hit and there is no routine to speak of. I was constantly worrying about the bags under my son's eyes. I would get myself comfy on the sofa and watch a film while he slept on my chest. Hopefully the doc will be able to diagnose and treat, or reassure you that everything's ok. It all passes. Promise.

DS2 was like that - he needs total silence to nap and always has. Also he cried continuously in the pram (actually all the fricking time) - sling is the answer.

I know this is a few years old but my DD is also 4 weeks now and is exactly the same! I don't get to sleep, eat, bath, drink etc etc it's a nightmare I'm exhausted! Reading this had helped alot and I'll try some of the tips given. If you are still receiving replies to this may I ask how your DS got along, did you manage to soothe etc