My baby doesn't sleep for long on his back.

[gingermumsie]

A first time mum of 41. My 11 week old baby doesn't sleep well at night on his back. He had terrible colic & occaisionally still has problems. He had reflux but this is easing. I still hold /cuddle him upright after a feed & no more sickness. However, he mainly sleeps for 45 mins in his Moses basket, then starts groaning & thrutching. Coincidently he stopped pooing at night around the same time. We end up letting him lay on us on his tummy as he needs his sleep. Occaisionally he will sleep longer on his back. It's hit & miss. He actually slept one whole nightvin his back.
I am breastfeeding, he usually feeds twice in the night, sleeps for 45 mins then it all starts again. If left, he thrashes about for ages asvif needing to fart / poo. He's always been a farty boy (a bit like his mum).

Any help or advice would b welcome.

The thrashing could be reflux, although it could be normal too. Both mine have had reflux and have done exactly as you describe. Is his reflux being treated with anything? Have you tried cutting out all dairy from your diet as milk proteins in breastmilk can cause similar symptoms to reflux. Have you tried swaddling - it can help replicate the cozy sensation they get sleeping on their tums.

Also, how does he fall to sleep in the first place? Is it with your help? The thrashing could also be his way of attracting your attention to help him back to sleep. If you think his reflux is easing, you could gently try encouraging him to settle himself wherever he is going to sleep - some find shushing and patting works well, others that gently rocking them in their moses has the same effect. Although he may still be too little for this.

This said, lots of reflux babies do not sleep at all well on their backs, but I still don't think it's worth taking the risk of putting them on their tummies when so little.

He's prescribed gaviscon for reflux but as that's settling he rarely needs it. He isn't sick much any more so that's why I didn't think it was reflux. I think it's wind in uis tummy/bowel as sometimes after ages of thrashing/moaning he does a big fart (or in the morning a poo) and then he settles. He's difficult to wind at night, he can fall asleep & even though I wind him gor ages nothing comes out.
I have cut out most dairy and chocolate. Just realised eggs are dairy & hadn't cut them out.
He can settle himself to sleep. Where possible I don't get him out if his basket unless crying or if he appears in pain with his wind, as he sometimes will drop back off to sleep after a fart!!! This however can be calf an hour or longer.
When he's on his tummy he's lay on me or his dad so we can ensure he's ok. I know not to leave him in his bed on his tummy.

Thanks for your post, at least I know he's not the only one.

I think the thrashing could still he reflux. Could be silent reflux where it's acid coming up but he's not being sick. Or he could just be getting problems with bum wind. I remember DS straining alot in the early hours of the morning at that age - I would have to pump his legs to get the wind out. He still gets problems now at 18 months but it did get easier once he slept on his front at nearly 6 months.

What worked for us was raising the head end of the moses basket (it had rockers so put a pillow under the head end). You can then make a small sausage of a sheet and place it in the moses basket in a "U" shape and place it so the bottom of the "U" is just below his bottom and he won't slip down the basket.

Just by raising him up a little can stop the acid from coming up and make a big difference.