Baby at night

[papp1986]

Hi can any one offer me some advice. My baby is 6 weeks old tomorrow she was 4 week prem and we are having a hard time settling herror after feeds at night. Last night she feed at 1am feed very well then I was awake with her until 3am trying to settle her. She is grunting and wriggle when I put her in her moses basket I just can't seem to do anything to make her settle.
Any advice?

Try googling Sarah Ockwell Smith and The Fourth Trimester. It isn't a solution to the problem but it does help to understand it.

Sounds like my DD at night. Are you Bfing? I find I struggle to settle her, but if I pass her to DH after a feed, he burps her and gets her back to sleep within 10 min! Do you have a partner that can help?
Also placing baby on its side (I know probably illegal or something) helps as well as propping the mattress up so it's not completely flat helped.

Agree with the fourth trimester thing too. She usually sleeps best next too me, but I find I end up not sleeping very well in that case.

White noise, swaddle, blanket rolled up and placed in a U shape under the sheet

As bunique said. Also try a co-sleeper crib so you can lie beside baby but they are in a safe place. Means you can have your hand on them and help settle them.

What we did:

• Swaddle

• Swap the Moses basket for a little crib with barred sides pushed up right against bed - she slept better when she could see me and I could touch her

• Hot water bottle. Make up at night, leave on chair near cot. Baby wakes, pick up baby, put hot water bottle in cot. When baby is ready to go back in, remove hot water bottle and sheets are nicely warmed

• White noise

• Making sure she was totally asleep before trying to put her down - floppy-arm test.

(Longer term though we ended up getting a 3-sided beside cot, and she settled much better in that.)

When you say a blanket under the sheet is this so she isn't fully lying flat and do you rest the u park on her head or feet?

Neither - it creates a bit of a best that can help them feel more secure. Head goes inside the bend of the U but baby remains lying flat. Not my photo but like this

nest

Lovely thank you for the advice

Likely to be a combination of wind (especially troublesome for preemies) and
overtireness.

Suggestions:

• Try to get her back to bed within 45min-1hr of her waking up, can be tricky as feeding takes so long but aim for this

• Wind really thoroughly - not just after the feed as they can be too sleepy by then to bring it up, esp at night, try a couple of times during the feed as well. Infacol can help too.

• If BF then get latch checked in case you can reduce wind going in by improving latch

• A nest like the one pictured above, you can make one under the sheet as suggested or buy a Sleepyhead which does the same job (for more money!)

• Lie her on her side not her back, helps get wind out (the nest will help keep her in position on her side) BUT be careful to put her on alternate sides and on back sometimes to avoid flat head (esp with a preemie)

• Swaddle. If you take it off to feed/change nappy then keep it between your legs while feeding so it goes back on warm

In the end the main thing that will help is time. As she gets older she will be able to feed better, bring up wind better, and stay awake longer without getting overtired. So it's a question of getting through these newborn weeks... Afraid with an early baby you get 4 extra newborn weeks (and a slightly more underdeveloped digestive system to boot)

I agree with the above - sounds like wind and tiredness. My dd was the same and she was 5 weeks early. I'm bf her and as long as she is fed, dry and burped (I make sure she is upright for 20 mins after a feed), I then try her with a dummy and she goes back to sleep. I also use Ewan the dream sheep but it's the dummy that has helped most.