figity 7 week old..wind?

[elsabel]

My 7 week old DD has never been a great sleeper but been very unsettled the past few nights. Throughout the evening she is crying alot and unsettled, clingy. Then when we put her in her moses basket at bedtime she figits constantly, bit doesnt cry. Its as if she is fighting sleep as will almost drift off then wake herself up figiting and this will continue on and off all night. She is clearly knackered but cant go off.

Ive tried gripe water incase its wind with no luck. She also has diarrhea the past couple of days. Anyone experienced this? Were exhausted!

Could she be over tired? That makes it hard for them to go off. When are her daytime naps? How long? And when's bed time? Sorry so many questions

She doesnt have set naps in the day, and will only 'cat nap' she just wont sleep for longer than about 20mins during the day unless shes in the car or pram. We have been trying to get her into a bedtime routine but havent been able to due to her crying all evening. However, yesterday she got more sleep and slept better last nightso im wondering if she was over tired.

Do you think 7/8 weeks is too early for a routine/set naps? as some people say it is?

Sounds like she might be over tired. Don't think it's too early to have a routine. I had to put my first Ds in one as was a nightmare for sleep/ daytime naps. I followed gina ford ( whispers!) for timings as they were closest to what we were doing. I did however use the baby whisperer shhh pat to get him off as I couldn't leave him as she suggests. Definitely made him less fussy and happier. Even now he needs structure, think some kids are just like that

With second ds I used baby whisperer timings as he was more flexible and needed more sleep. I did however just leave him as he could self sooth from the start.

It's not too early as long as you pick a routine which fits for them not the other way round. As Ds1 was a nightmare I had to use a very structured one as I didn't know where to start. Never looked back his sleep improved and he still has naps now on occasion ( nearly 4) Also can't speak highly enough of the baby whisperer for teaching them to self sooth. The shh pat was ok but needed me there, however the pupd at four months worked brilliantly and never had issues after that.

Hope you find something that works for you guys.

Sorry forgot to say, I did use these routines as a guide, when they say wake the baby I never did. He slept so little if he wanted a long nap he was getting one :) think some people are against them as they are prescriptive and don't allow for babies to be different in some cases but as long as you use common sense eg baby wakes at 8 not 7 so you put it down an hour later despite what the book says, I think you're fine. The baby whisperer one follows more of the babies lead anyway.

LOADS of different ones, hope you find a good fit, if you decide to go down that route. If its not for you no worries. We're all different as well as the babies :)

Thankyou tricksy, i will look at both of those they sound really helpful. Tonight is the first time with any kind of routine, slept very little today so shes grouchy but here goes!

Hi, I'm having the same issues with my 6w DS. I'm trying to start a bed-time routine but it takes forever to get him off to sleep. Tonight started with a bath at 7.15, then bf, then trying to get him off to sleep until he eventually settled just before 10. In the earlier days he fell asleep while feeding and we could put him in his Moses basket without waking him but that doesn't work any more.

Often he looks like he's asleep then a few minutes later he'll startle himself again.

Anyway seems like he's off to sleep now so I'd better get my head down before alarm goes off at 6.30!

Hi grainmum, my dd is exactly the same. Have you been having any luck?

it's worth checking with a Dr - is she ok in the day? could be wind/ reflux but I'd also check her urine for a uti - we had this and it turned out to be a combo of reflux (silent), wind due to tongue tie (which made reflux worse) but also a uti due to bladder reflux, for which he now has to be on long term antibiotics. I just go to the Dr with any feeding issues now. hv useless.

ps I found bedtime routines at that age worked better if done later; its only as he's got older and slept less in the day a 7 o'clock bed works. around that age it was still a lot of cluster feeding so I just bedded down with him from around 7 or 8 and let him go with it. I think we got going with routines around 10 weeks. but he's bf.

Thanks for posting clarella, she sleeps very little during the day, 20mins at a time max. Today she has been fussing and crying at the end of a feed (i am BF). She also has diarrhea. Dont know if its all connected? She doesnt seem poorly though although may call doctors tomorrow.

Have been trying to settle her for 2 hours now, she will begin to drift off then wake up figiting, but not crying and doesnt appear to be in pain (not bringing her legs up). I can tell she is knackered as yawning and hardly slept. I just dont know what to do and am so tired as hardly getting any sleep myself, am trying to make sense of it all...

Help please

Could you swaddle her? If she's not in pain or hungry etc then as you say she may well be overtired but fidgeting and so waking herself up. Swaddling her may stop the fidgeting and she might be able to drop off properly.

I dont know much about swaddling but im thinking maybe its too hot for that right now? I think she is overtired, which is awful as im trying so hard to get her to nap during the day and she only will in pram or car seat.

But am going to get the diarhea and possible reflux seen to tomorrow by dr i think

You can swaddle babies if its warm just adjust the rest of their clothes so they don't get too hot. You can use a large muslin square.

DD only started having lengthy naps in her cot at about 10 months or so. Up to then she'd nap we'll in her buggy or the car seat or have cat naps at home of up to 30 minutes. Don't worry too much about a routine for the moment. You'll notice a rhythm to your day developing before long.

not unheard of to start teething at this age - affects latch too so could be leaving her windy and this also can affect reflux. I'd take her to the doctor's .to double check urine, but also double triple check your latch and burp / keep upright for a good 20 mins after feeds. if at all possible see if the doctor can check for tongue tie too - ideally you need some one qualified which is usually a consultant or a la leche league leader (who's trained).

this all happened to us around that age it was hard work but we got through in the end.

Thankyou for your advice and support. She has a doctors appt this morning