Should I just resign myself to sleeping on the sofa for now?

[Enfyshedd]

DD (7 wks tomorrow) is becoming more & more difficult to put down to sleep. After reasonable start (awkward every other night, then every third night), DD is now hanging on to wind which is waking her up at 1am and driving DP & I mad.

We've tried Infacol, Gripe Water and just starting trying Dentinox - she still finds this bloody wind at 1am. Tonight, we even kept her awake from 9pm until 11pm and winded her until there couldn't have been any more in her. I've tried propping up the top of her bednest mattress. The only thing that works is bringing her downstairs and setting up the cushions on the sofa into a slope and nursing her to sleep here, which then means she uses my breast as a pillow and I have to sleep with her if I, DP, DSS1 (13) & 2 (6) want to get any rest. Without fail, she will sleep on the sofa with me, but not if she's put down on her own or on a horizontal surface (travelcot or bednest).

Am I just being overly ambitious on the sleeping ability of a 7week old baby?

Try colief. Worked much better for us. And cranial osteopathy? It's not for everyone, but was great for the ds's.

Could she have an intolerance? Our baby was very windy but I cut out dairy mostly and she's much better.

A friend's baby had reflux and used some sort of wedge to prop her baby up to sleep, would that help. I'd also send your partner to the sofa and co-sleep safely in your bed with the baby, it's much, much safer sids-wise, particularly if you're tired.

Agree with not sleeping on the sofa, it's generally one of the no nos with small babies esp when you're exhausted.

Have you tried swaddling?

She doesn't seem to have reflux, which makes me think that Colief wouldn't make any difference (isn't that to reduce lactose?). She sleeps perfectly fine wedged up slightly on the sofa (hard cushions), but won't sleep wedged up in her bednest(?). She always rolls onto her side no matter if she's flat or not (she sleeps like me, tucking one arm under her face to stop from rolling over).

I would send DP to the sofa, except he has MH issues (PTSD & Anxiety following an assault before we got together) and really needs to get as much sleep as possible, and we only have a small 2 seater sofa (I can curl up with DD on it reasonably comfortably, DP wouldn't have a hope in hell).

She's got worse at sleeping since Thursday when she was diagnosed with Oral Thrush and was given medication for it - could that be contributing to her rubbish nights?

Swaddling no good - she pulls her arms out all the time.

My DD had colic and is still struggling with reflux. We tried a cot wedge and sleep positioner in her bednest and that has helped a bit, she can do a good 3-4 hour stretch in there now at 16 weeks, though we also co sleep when she is unsettled. Please don't sofa share, that is very risky as far as sids goes. If DH can't give you the bed, then ditch the two seater sofa and get a futon so you and DD can co sleep safely.

Re swaddling, you can try a swaddle pod if you can't get a good swaddle with blanket. Summer infant swaddle me wraps are good, they fasten with velcro. Tend to run a bit small though.

Just wanted to let you know you're not alone. My DD is 3 weeks and is awake most of the night either with wind or trying to poo. She can only poo if her bum is stimulated ie, wiped with wet cotton wool. She will sleep for a couple of hours in her bednest then is pretty much awake the rest of the night while we try and wind her using Infacol. She is also well swaddled, we migh get a couple more hours between 5 and 7 am by bringing her into our bed but that's it. Have been recommended the Bowen technique? I spoke to a practitioner last week who said she can treat colic in one session and reflux in 2 or 3. I feel your pain!!

I appreciate that MH issues are serious, both DH and I have them, but you need your sleep too and the sofa is not the place for your baby to be sleeping. Can you do as another poster suggests and swap the sofa for a futon? Ikea have them cheap or try the local paper. His MH issues will be a damn sight worse if the unthinkable happens. Is it really worth the risk?

Again with the not sleeping on the sofa with a tiny baby: there's just too many places to smother or drop them. Can you not cosleep in your bed with DH there? If you're nursing to sleep and snuggling all night and that can keep her fairly quiet, then it shouldn't disturb your DH too much.

Otherwise, if he is basically physically fit, even a cheap air mattress and sleeping bag to put in the lounge would let your DH sleep fairly well whilst keeping LO safe.

I had similar problems with my 6 week old DS. He's very hard to wind,we found he'd sleep nicely in his pram carrycot during the day but when in crib at night he would wake up every 2-3 hours. Even when asleep we can hear him gurgling and grunting with trapped wind. I got a new mattress for the crib ( which I should have done at the start, I know! ), a swaddle wrap and a sleep positioner wedge. Since then he's been sleeping for 4 to 6 hour stretches! I don't always use the swaddle ( summer infant one ) as I feel a bit sorry for him not being able to wave his arms! This has coincided with him crying pretty much non stop from about 1pm to midnight though so he could just be knackered from that! I tried Infacol, Dentinox and gripe water to no noticeable effect. Going to see a homeopathic pharmacist tomorrow so will see how that goes! (sceptic...)