8 wk old - will go to sleep but won't stay asleep!

[lazzaroo]

it's driving me mad & doing her no good. She's my 2nd DD so I can't spend all day settling her for nothing! Today ( with 3yo in nursery) I ave settled her for naps about 4 times...so far. Each time she has woken after 10-30 mins.

I think it might be wind unsettling her. But she's always got wind so how can I overcome it? She has oral thrush & that seems to be bothering her today. Lots of clicking Tongue etc.

Short naps also means she's been feeding more frequently during the day, adding to the wind problem. I am going round in circles.

It's the same at night. She sleeps well from last feed at 7/8ish to 1am (usually) but then won't settle properly the rest of the night & not in her cot. So she feeds more, probably for comfort, and wakes up with trapped wind....and so it begins again! I'm sure a dummy would help her but she won't take one....help!

We used Gripe Water for trapped wind with every feed (max of 6) which helped a lot!
My DS is now 12 weeks old and is sleeping for longer at nap time, but at 8 weeks we had very much the same problem as you. He would never go longer than 30 mins.

From what I read at the time is is normal for 8wk olds to only nap for 30 mins. I think the bigger problem is the wind which is making her want to feed more (we had the same).
If you haven't already, I would consider Gripe Water. Once the wind is sorted the rest should fall into place. It did with us.

My Ds is 8 weeks Sunday, and if he slept from 8 until 1 am I'd be delighted! But he would also be pretty alert and awake after 5 hours of sleep, and would be starving. I know when he sleeps a long time he does a cluster feed for a few hours after that.

Mine also takes longer naps if he's swaddled pretty tightly. he seems to wake himself flinging his arms around if not swaddled.

DOn't know if that will help or not...

Thank you. I know we're lucky with first part of night! But I hate her waking and being so uncomfortable with wind. Despite my best efforts to wind her.

We've tried gripe water & infacol so will persevere with that. I've also limited my dairy intake to see if that helps, am ebf. Going back to dr's next week as thrush hasn't shifted & am sure that must be horrible for her.

She will also be 8 weeks on Sun So share a bday!

Sorry to hear your baba is waking with pain. That not nice to see and deal with. We too use Gripe water in every feed. My baba has 4 feeds and is 15 weeks old. However between the ages of 6-9 weeks of age (peaking at 8 weeks) My baba had terrible trapped wind and was in constant pain. Would settle to sleep unless on me and the occasions she did go in her cot would wake up in pain after short spells. She was diagnosed at 9 weeks old with a Cows Milk Intolernce. Just saying this incase if your baba is in alot of pain it could be the same. people think they have to be being sick or not gaining weight to have a CMI but it isnt always the way. Since going onto the prescribed Milk she has slept sooo much better as she isnt in pain anymore. She sleeps from 9pm until around 8am.
I would also like to add that for a baby with wind trouble they do often like to sleep on their tummys. I know people dont agree and i completely understand why but thats how my baby sleeps. I can here her bring up her wind when asleep in this position as well. WE have a monitor that picks up her heartbeat for reasurance.

I hope these experiences help you in some way. I know how hard what your experiencing is and i wish you luck. Hope everything gets better soon xxx

Lazaroo, I was not sure if I was happy or bummed to have his bday so close to Christmas, but ds is too awesome for me to care. He's also windy and gets very uncomfortable. I find putting him on my chest face down to nurse encourages the bug belches. It is also a sure fire way to get spat upon. :)

Dh was doing super bany in bed and ds spat up right into Dh.a mouth.I haven't laughed so hard in a long time!

That's super baby!

Could it possibly be silent reflux? DD was the same.

Thank you for all replies.

Monstorchild, my first has birthday at beginning of Dec so that's going to be a busy (& expensive!) month for us!

I have wondered about intolerance which is why I have tried to reduce my dairy intake. I'm ebf. I do often put her down to sleep on her side, which suits her better but haven't been brave enough to try front yet! Although she is big & strong so that might be worth a try.

I think the only reason she settles so long for first part of night is because it takes about 45 mins to get her into proper sleep. Before that she dozes on & off, doing what she does at nap time, bringing up wind.

We have considered reflux, my first had it really bad but this seems different. She cried a lot etc. When this one wakes she often isn't crying, her eyes just ping open! If we move her around a bit can often hear her bring up wind & then she'll sometimes settle again until the next time! The only time she really cries with it is about 4/5am when I think it's all built up in her tummy. We layer down, massage & pump her legs & eventually she farts away!