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Parenting

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Original poster

Trying to comfort a newborn

18 replies

cookiemonster100 · 27/11/2013 11:07

Hi,

My LO is 4 weeks old & I am after some advice.

If he is upset or awake for too long & is overtired the only way to comfort him which seems to work is to feed him. He is ebf. For example this morning I fed him & then winded him. Put him in his Moses basket & quickly realised he still had gas. Picked him up winded again but by this point he was crying & fussing so I gave him another feed winded & then he went to sleep. This in total took 2 hours!

Is breast feeding the only tool I have to comfort / settle him? DH will sometimes take him for a drive to get him off to sleep but he is back to work & I can't drive for a few weeks.

Thanks x

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lockie1983 · 27/11/2013 11:10

Have you tried popping him in a sling or the pram and going for a walk? (Get yourself some waterproofs!). He is just at that age where he wants to be with you, on you, feeding and sucking all the time. Enjoy it as it passes quickly and soon the boob might not work either !

Sunnysummer · 27/11/2013 11:18

If he likes being close to you for comfort then the sling can definitely be a lifesaver - a soft one like a moby is great at the beginning, or a structure one like a manduca may be useful for longer. But if he just wants to feed that is also normal at this point, it does lessen over time!

wellieboots · 27/11/2013 11:21

a walk? Singing, cuddling, rocking, stroking? White noise? Swaddling?

They are all different but one of the above should work! Good luck OP, I hated the early newborn period as I had no clue about these things. Now, I miss the snuggles!

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MollyMatey · 27/11/2013 11:24

Boob is always first choice - fixes most problems. This is how humans are designed!

I would stop winding him if I were you, sounds like that is what is making everything take so long. Breastfed babies don't usually need it.

Original poster

cookiemonster100 · 27/11/2013 11:38

Hey,

We do walk & that does sometimes help. Cuddling me always seem to makes him want milk, my hubby he will settle for. White noise app is hit & miss for us ( gutted!). Rocking is an interesting one as it will settle him but he tends to fight the sleep & become alert quite quickly.
I do have a sling but LO was tiny when he was born & is not the required weight yet so nervous to use it yet.

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ninjasquirrel · 27/11/2013 11:42

Sucking my little finger (nail underneath so not to scratch him) is helping my 7 week old settle at the moment.

milkingmachine1 · 27/11/2013 11:52

My lo sounds similar to yours. She's 6 months now and a lot more settled. At 4 weeks, dummy, swaddling, sling, rocking in her little chair, all worked. She is exclusively breastfed and definitely needs winding. If your lo is gassy maybe try infacol.

Passthecake30 · 27/11/2013 11:56

I ebf my dd, but she just wanted me as a dummy quite a lot of time, so she had one pretty early (4 weeks?), she never confused dummy and boob, she would spit the dummy out if it wasn't what she was after

milkingmachine1 · 27/11/2013 11:57

Also, just to say at 4 weeks my lo was feeding every 2 hours and would take between 30-40 mins to feed. It felt like all I was doing was feeding her. She was very clingy and still is. Perhaps your lo is the same.

KatAndKit · 27/11/2013 12:00

I think Moby wrap and close caboo sling are both suitable for low birth weight babies. The caboo is really easy to use and would be a nice way for your DH to settle the baby when it is your turn for a sleep. We also found a dummy to be a lifesaver and putting the bouncing chair near the tumble drier was a hit for a short while (until he was old enough to be amused by the clothes going round)

EmmaLL25 · 27/11/2013 12:45

My wee guy was ebf and definitely needed winding (we had very unhappy baby until we got his wind under control).

We use kari-me sling which has been great. Sometimes they just want boob though. I used to get food/drink supplies and hunker down with baby in front of TV or in bed.

Original poster

cookiemonster100 · 28/11/2013 21:33

Hi,

I just wanted to thank you all for your responses.

We went on a good walk today & he fell asleep in the buggy. I also used it to rock him to sleep in the living room.
Plus we used a dummy a few times just to help settle him.

I really want to get a sling but LO is only 6lb and they generally start at 8lb.
Thanks everyone for the advice,
Xx

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KatAndKit · 29/11/2013 07:28

Do look at the stretchy slings mentioned on the thread. Some are suitable from a lower weight. And better than the Bjorn style carriers that are less comfy for you and the baby. A google search will find one you can already use.
glad to hear he is settling in his buggy.

KatAndKit · 29/11/2013 07:30

I just looked it up for you, the close caboo sling is suitable from 2.27 kg.

FreckleyGirlAbroad · 29/11/2013 10:37

We use a hanawrap sling but not sure from what age it can be used but as my ds was born 9lb we never had an issue with minimum weight!!! Did you buy one of those Swiss balls for during your pregnancy as my 10 week old loves being held whilst I sit on the ball and bounce up and down.... It's a great calmer.

QTPie · 29/11/2013 16:34

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Mintyy · 29/11/2013 16:39

Have you seen this op?

Original poster

cookiemonster100 · 30/11/2013 07:20

Thanks KatandKit I have just ordered the close caboo sling. Thanks for letting me know xx

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