Help - 1 month old won't settle when awake!

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Need help please? My one month old doesn't settle during the day. He sleeps brilliantly, but if he isn't asleep then he is crying all the time. I know that babies do this sometimes, but not all the time surely? He is ds2 and ds1 certainly was able to lie on play mat or in car seat, or in bouncer chair quietly for at least a few minutes, this one can't and won't for even a few seconds. Also he arches his back alot, and makes me think he has tummy ache all the time, but its not colic as he is sleeping and he wouldn't if it was that. I put him into Gina (please lets not start a debate on that, it worked for me with ds1 and so I am trying again) yesterday and he is sleeping better than ever, but still can't be put down. Any ideas? Thought about taking him to the doctor, but decided against as they never have any ideas other than medicine!

He also managed to sleep through 3 nights straight from 10.30 till 7.30 when he was a week old which was lovely but then started waking at 3.30/4ish. Now however he is waking at 2ish taking a small amount of food and then going back to sleep for 6 hours or so! Its formula feed at 10.30 and bf for the rest of them. Any ideas on this one too?

Thanks for help in advance!

at one month I think you just have to go with the flow, carry him around during the day and thank your lucky stars he sleeps so well.Does he cry when you are holding him?

DS at that age only ever seemed to be sleeping, crying or feeding - that was it. But he grew out of it soon enough and started to enjoy being out of the womb.

Sounds normal to me, too - DD did have peaceful lying down times, but not many! Also, babies do tend to sleep through the first night or few nights, because they're still adjusting to life on the out: then they become normal, frequently nocturnal, little creatures IME...

Sorry, not starting a debate, but what is Gina?, neither of my two ever really slept well. I use to put my ds1 in a baby carrier all the time, he seemed happier facing out and upright, so that he could see everything, at 1 month its a little early for that, I agree with Aloha.

Gina is Gina Ford - very hot on babies being on a strict routine for sleep/feeding etc.

I don't think that 1 month is too young to carry him in a sling. Does he settle when you pick him up? Or try a bouncy chair - he might be more comfortable upright than in cot/moses basket. I wouldn't worry about the sleep - even Gina would expect them to have a night feed at this age, surely!

he sounds totally normal to me too.

i would put him in a sling and carry him around. and try and get out a lot, they are often happier out and about, even at this age. even if they just seem to be comatose in the sling they are often more settled when they are outside or there's other people and noise about.

Agree on sling and being out. But I also think there's a difference between slings and babycarriers, and when I did use a babycarrier I had DD facing inwards for the first few weeks - which she quite liked.

Yeayh - I have a normal baby! Thank you all - you would think that I would remember all that early stuff from the first ds but clearly I don't! So used to ds1 being grown up (all of 22 months) that I am not used to all the boring early stuff again! Want him to be eating three meals a day already adn sleeping through! Have done baby bjorn facing inwards and he is fine in it but sleeps, and I wanted to keep him awake for at least ten minutes a day at least! Interestingly, my mother gave him a top up this morning after my bf becuase I had to take ds1 to the doctor (repeat ear infection in both ears in two weeks!) and he took only an ounce and a half, but then was much nicer and watched her ironing etc without screaming, so maybe he isn't getting enough food from me. I certainly have enough in me as he isn't even moving onto second breast most of the time, but maybe there is something wrong with me and my milk? Thoughts on that one?

Really unlikely there is anything wrong with you or your milk! But possible that DS feels full enough not to bother going on? Or maybe, give him a few minutes break/wind him then try some more? Was crap at B'feeding, so hopefully someone else will chip in with suggestions...