Help 8 week old baby that willnot sleep

[smr2002]

My eight week old son will not sleep all he does is cry. When he was born he had really bad colic and he still has a reflux. At the beging he was on colic medicne and gavisgone and had to be held upright for 20 mins after every feed. He is now on comfy milk and no medicine. he has a bath and goes to bed around eight he is feed again at ten, he wakes around two and he might take an hour an half to settle again . he then wakes at six am . then the fun starts he sleep forty mins if lucky all day and then only if you walk around with him stop and he screams all the time, he also does not feed only takes a couple of ounces because he is so tired. Tried the car , pram to no avail feel i cant go out and see my friends because of the crying and also if go out people always make comment , feel trapped in my own house. doctors and hjealth visitor just keeps saying he is a difficult babay he will grow out of it. Any sugesstions greatfully recieved.

Hello!!
Didn't want to leave you unanswered. Have you tried a sling during the day or a bouncer/rocking chair?

Afraid so rocking chair works as long as you sit and rock it stop and the screaming starts again. Slings good if you are moving around. seems to all kick of if you stop moving, loosing weight fast hate to think how far i walk in a day.

O you poor thing :(

I second the sling uggestion. I used a Moby wrap which holds them close, upright and secure and leves your hands free.

Some people also swear by cranial osteopathy for colic. Did he have a difficult birth?

Oh dear... What about a battery operated rocker thing? I've seen them in Argos I think?
Otherwise I don't really have suggestions other than it will pass and great work with losing the baby weight!!!

no birth was great quick fairly pain free. what is this cranial osteopathy

Otherwise have you tried a dummy??? Or can oh or a friend take for a while so you can have a break?

Tried a dummy just spits it out after a couple of sucks. Mum coming over for a week to help out and my sister been great but she has got a daughter of her one so dont like to ask to oftern. Just want the crying to stop hate to see him so unhappy, do you think it would be worth tryig the colic medicine again

Yes.. It won't do any harm. Did it help previously?

Have you read 'happiest baby on the block by Dr Harvey Karp? He has a method which involves using movement and noise (he calls it the 5 S's) to calm babies and help them 'switch' off. The basic idea is to try and replicate the womb environment using swaddling, white noise, joggling type movements, swinging (electric swings so the movement is constant and doesn't involve you walking for hours). It is really worth a try. Both my DD and DS were hard to get to sleep in the day time and DD was colicy too and the techniques really did work!

Ds was like this (I am thinner than I have ever been as an adult).

He did grow out of it, not overnight but was much happier when he could sit, crawl etc. I know this is a long way off when you are at 8 weeks. Do whatever you can to get through this patch (dh had ear plugs), ask for help, ignore anyone giving you looks, know its not your fault - some of them are just like this.

Ds liked looking in the mirror and watching the visualiser thing on itunes.

Oh yes 'sucking' either a dummy or even a clean little finger is one of the other 5 S's previous post reminded me.

If his birth was quite quick then cranial osteopathy might also help.

I second the sling idea, wear him around the house to get used to it and see if he sleeps. What type of sling have you got?

Hi,
Never commented on here before but your post sounded so familiar I just had to! My DD had really bad acid reflux (combined with cow's milk intolerance but that's another story) and health visitors and GP were next to useless - we were totally fobbed off and ended up seeing a paediatrician in A&E because it got so bad. A dummy really does help, extra saliva helps with the acid, but if you don't feel things are getting any better keep going back to your GP until you get referred to a paediatrician - there are more medications available that work so much better than Gaviscon!
Hope things start to get better soon

Great thanks for all the advice. will try the rocking craddle was looking at one that was half price in Toy r us. i am lactoce intollerant and was wondering if he has that as well but to young to be tested. Can't remeber the make of the sling will keep trying with this. Will be reading 'happiest baby on the block by Dr Harvey Karp. Fingers crossed things will get better soon. Must admit he likes sucking his thumb so hopefully that will help. also will have to look into this craniel osteopathy

Its great to know that he is not the only one out there that having problems and thanks every one for the sugestions

Not much advice here but just sympathy as I'm in a similar situation with 8 week old DD with terrible, terrible reflux and colic who will not sleep on her back at all. That your DS is sleeping in little stretches for a couple of hours at at time is a good sign. Try to rest yourself whenever he's asleep. I second getting a good sling. I use a Mei Tai as I find it easier to deal with than a Moby or other wrap-style slings. A sling will keep your baby settled, comfort him, reduce the hours or crying and enable you to get things done around the house and get out and about for walks and to see your friends. Some areas have sling groups or "libraries' where you can try and borrow a few different styles and get advice on babywearing. Do a Google and see what you can find near you. NCT may also be able to help. Hang in there. It will get better as your son's digestive system matures. He will be a happier baby soon.

Yes, please do let us know if you find anything that helps. My DD can only sleep in her sling or being held. She has never done more than 30 minutes in the Moses basket or bedside cot. Or pram, or car seat. Day or night, its no matter. I'm too nervous to put her on her tummy so DH and I sleep in shifts. My day starts at 2 am and I don't get to sleep until 9 pm. Exhausting!

Hi again, if you do read the Harvey Karp book he recommends a proper swing rather than a rocking cradle. Also to work, it needs to have a pretty fast setting lets see if I can find a link to something similar. I got one which cost about £100 new for £20 or so on ebay.
here:www.gracobaby.com/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=1761531
I was hesitant at first to put it on a fast setting - but it worked and meant DH and I sometimes got to eat a relatively warm dinner, with both hands. On full recline I sometimes let DD sleep in it for quite a while too (long enough for me to nap too)

Another vote for cranial osteopathy - a quick birth can be a nightmare for the baby and leave him hyperextended or unable to get comfortable enough to sleep. It had incredible results for DS2 (1 hour labour!)

If he's not feeding well, get him checked for tongue tie.

Forgot to say, get recommendations for osteopaths, the one I used for DS1 was crap but teh one for DS2 was great, if you are in London I can PM you details.

Sounds just like DS, he's 7 now and did eventually grow out of it. I know it doesn't help but some babies just cry a lot. I used to leave DS in his room (safe in his cot), go down and make a cup of tea and calm down then go back. It helped me stay sane and he realised I wouldn't pick him up straight away every time he cried. Might be different if yours has colic, my DS was just very demanding.