Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

Original poster

6wk old, should i be worried?

9 replies

clairelou87 · 03/07/2010 22:29

my 6wk old daughter only has about 2hrs sleep a day then at nyt only falls asleep when she has screamed herself deaf! Its as if she fights the urge to close her eyes..also when she has her evenning bottle its as if it pains her to take it but she cries for it..doctor couldnt find anything wrong..is it something i could be doing?

OP posts:

Original poster

clairelou87 · 03/07/2010 22:34

i give her gripe water and she poo's everyday..i have changed her milk to aptamil for colic and constipation. She winds ok and takes 4 onces every feed, sometimes crying for more. Want to help her as its upsetting seeing her get in a state

OP posts:

PaulineCampbellJones · 03/07/2010 22:43

Do you think she might be getting herself overtired? My DD had some chronic crying episodes at about that age too. This usually happened when we had had a busy day or lots of visitors and she had been fighting sleep at naptime.
I used to take her out in the car or pram to get her over to sleep and it hasn't affected her ability to get herself to sleep. Hope that helps.
Or another thought, has the doctor checked her for silent reflux?

sweetkitty · 03/07/2010 22:45

Didn't want your post to go unanswered, I have no experience of bottle feeding but it sounds like colic to me.

At 6 weeks old it is normal for them to be very unsettled in the evening, we call 5-10pm the witching hours every night.

Have you tried giving her some Infacol or Colief before her feeds?

Also try propping her up in her cot or carrying her in a sling, babies with colic don't like lying down flat but prefer to be upright.

I know it is hard and upsetting for you but it does get easier honest, try some Colief have heard it can work wonders.

Original poster

clairelou87 · 03/07/2010 22:56

thanks for your replies..been giving her infacol from 1wk old but the colic seems to have settled..took her hyde park today and walked round for hrs! She slept in the car and that was it. The doctor didnt really seemed bothered, think he thought i was over reacting. I wish i could read her mind!! Shes asleep now and wont wake up until 4am..she is very small and wonder if im over feeding, giving her guts ache, although She crys for the milk. Can you tell me what silent reflux is pls? First baby so everything is new for me!

OP posts:

hobnob57 · 03/07/2010 23:02

silent reflux is when stomach contents rise up the gullet and are swallowed back down again giving the baby acid burns - like heartburn. My dd1 had it and she slept very little and always lightly. Other indicators are that your LO doesn't like lying flat (naps, nappy changes, etc.), often arches their back during and after feeds and may have a husky voice. Look at the symptoms on the crying over spilt milk website. If any ring true, go back to the GP and ask for medication to help. It can take a while to get it right, but when you do, you have a transformed baby on your hands.

Octaviapink · 04/07/2010 06:18

Try carrying her in a sling during the day. Bottle-fed babies don't get the same comfort at feeding times that bf babies do so it's worth a bit of extra contact - babies need to be cuddled A LOT!

TheSugarPlumFairy · 04/07/2010 23:04

Claire, how much does your DD weigh? and has she been gaining weight ok?

I would try a swaddle to see if that helps her sleep better. Some babies seem to have trouble settling to sleep and do fight it like you describe. If she is refluxy then a swaddle will help her feel more secure. We used one called a Swaddle Pod which is similar to a Woombie (google both for links) which really helped DD get to sleep. For her it felt like she was being held all the time.

How often are you feeding her? I know with my DD, she has a very strong urge to feed more of an evening. during the day she is fine to go on a 4 hour feeding routine but we shorten that considerably for the evening. If i didnt she would be frantic for her bedtime bottle which would result in her gulping it down and her getting trapped wind.

Fifilottie · 04/07/2010 23:57

At six weeks my LO cried all the time and I carried her in a sling nearly all day. She really wanted the mummy comfort. She has grown up a bit now(18 wks) and she doesn't even like going in the sling and cries less all round. Think 6 weeks is a crying stage as they are just seeing the new and scary outside world yet craving the womb experience....also think they might tend to fight sleep or someting(I'm not an expert)...also remember 6 weeks is a typical growth spurt stage, you are probably not over feeding her, she would be sick or refuse it.

If it is wind you will prob know it by the sounds she is making. Try dancing up and down and bouncing her gently in a way that makes you feel that the wind can be released if you know what I mean.

It must be really hard...I hope it all works out

Chil1234 · 05/07/2010 06:36

I'm also going to suggest that it's colic/wind problems. You say she 'winds OK' but I'd keep look for signs of trapped wind ... top lip a little grey/blue, 'fluttering' eyelids, drawing legs up when lying flat or arching her back... and keep holding her uprigh and rubbing/patting to relieve the wind. My son was OK sleeping during the day but around 6pm - bedtime he used to yell like anything because of wind. If you do all of this and she's still not sleeping and not thriving then go back to the doctor.
Good luck

Flip