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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Help! Why won't he settle

18 replies

bubble99 · 06/04/2005 21:02

Elijah (7 weeks old) has had a good day today. Slept well last night. Lots of smiles today and he was awake for most of the afternoon with just little 10 minute catnaps here and there - His choice not mine, I expected him to sleep for longer this afternoon. At 5pm he had a BF followed by a bath, jamas, more BF and a burp. At 7pm I tried to settle him in his grobag on our bed (he's not in a cot yet) He was yawning yet everytime his eyes were closing and I put him down he would sleep for about 10 minutes and then wake crying. This is still going on. I've tried offering him a boob but he's not really interested, quite wants to suck but is full of milk already. I tried a (very clean) little finger and he sucked away happily, fell asleep and then (you guessed it - woke up yowling) HELP!
He's not hot. He's not dirty. It's a normal pitched cry, nothing high pitched and scary.

What can I do? Should I just let him cry for a while. He's so tired I suspect he may drop off but it's been five years since I've had a seven week old around and I've forgotten what I did last time. Any ideas?

OP posts:

Mum2girls · 06/04/2005 21:04

wind maybe?

colditzmum · 06/04/2005 21:07

Have you tried draping him over your knees and rubbing his back? He will more than likely throw up a bit, but it used to bring a lot of relief to my ds. HTH

Mud · 06/04/2005 21:07

let him sleep on your chest whilst you lie on the couch and watch tv

Original poster

bubble99 · 06/04/2005 21:09

Mum2girls. Could be, but he's not bringing up any wind when I try. If it's down below there's not much I can do. Does a baby learn to sleep through wind or will it always keep them awake?

OP posts:

Newbarnsleygirl · 06/04/2005 21:09

I found winding my dd over my shoulder was a good way to get her off to sleep as she settled from me winding her and then she would just nod off with her head on my shoulder.

chipmonkey · 06/04/2005 21:13

bubble , I have the same problem and I think if the wind is further down there's very little you can do. I have found that if I sit him upright and rock him back and forth it sometimes helps.

chipmonkey · 06/04/2005 21:14

And they do grow out of it as thir digestive system matures.

Prufrock · 06/04/2005 21:17

Dummy? YOu might have to keep putting it back in but if he's just very sucky it's better for him to have a dummy than your nipple

Original poster

bubble99 · 06/04/2005 21:30

Mr Bubble is now rocking him in the bloomin' car seat. Elijah love's that thing so much I'm convinced he'll be in a giant one when he's 18.
I was all set to get him onto his tummy as Mud and colditzmum suggested but DH has beaten me to it. The car seat technique has worked before when he won't settle but I'm not happy with it. Am I storing up bad habits here. Will he ever learn to settle on his own? He fell asleep literally the minute he was put in the carseat. If it was wind surely he'd still be crying?

OP posts:

NannyJo · 06/04/2005 21:36

sounds like a comfort issue. When he's in the car seat put him up in the room on his own with the monitor for a while to get him used to sleeping without you arond.

mummytosteven · 06/04/2005 21:38

if you think it is wind down the bottom end, it might help if your rub his tummy clockwise (apparently this is the same direction that his digestive tract works).

Lonelymum · 06/04/2005 21:39

He may be overtired if he didn't sleep much during the day. I know my babies would be just as you described after a tiring day and it would be so frustrating, knowing they just needed to get off to sleep, but seeing them crying instead.

lockets · 06/04/2005 21:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

mmmmchocolate · 06/04/2005 21:46

For future reference helped me with my dd, if you hold him under his arms and tilt him from left to right, used to relieve my dd's wind. HTH

Original poster

bubble99 · 06/04/2005 21:50

He's out like a light. We've moved him through to the bedroom in his carseat and I'll decant him into bed soon. I agree that car seats are not ideal for sleeping in for too long, the airway is in a poor position. We've had a few nights though when the only way to get any sleep is to use it. I'm going to try tomorrow to make sure he gets a deceny sleep in the afternoon to prevent overtiredness, the baby carrier seems to do the trick and I'll try the 'windy' suggestions you've all suggested. Thanks all. Can I have some wine now?

OP posts:

florenceuk · 06/04/2005 22:22

Bubble have you tried one of those adjustable rocker baby chairs - Chicco do one and you can pick them up second hand easily enough. Better for their back than car seat as they "give" and you can lie them flat. Anyway, lots of sympathy, my DD didn't sleep in her cot until she was 10wks old - before then she slept on Mummy...

chipmonkey · 07/04/2005 12:47

Bubble, what about swaddling? some babies wake up because their involuntary arm movements wake them up.

tiny01 · 07/04/2005 20:23

hi bubble 99, my one week and two day old was doing the same thing, she would fall asleep on boob, but the minute I put her down she would mooch around and wake up crying. I looked on the internet for colic and got loads of tips ie. swaddle(they do a brill blanket from mothercare called the miricle blanket), put a rolled up towel inder the matress so they are slightly raised which is probably why he likes the car seat.(this was on a site about reflux - very interesting), infacol before each feed. In my Gina Ford book the contented little baby book she suggests to use a dummy for sucky babies which my ds is, to give them comfort instead of the boob otherwise they would be latched on forever but to take it out just before they go into a deep sleep to avoid bad sleep association. I have done all this together and have had two wonderful days and nights. Although it is early days yet with her, but maybe it is worth a try with your ds.

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