7wk Sleep Routine?

[DetentionGrrrl]

Hi, I'm a new member and a new mother! My son is 7wks, and a very bitty feeder. He's growing well and is breast fed, but he feeds little and often. On a good night, he goes 3 hours between waking up until about 4 or 5am, when he keeps waking up every 20-30mins. Any ideas? I gave into trying a dummy, but he just looks disgusted and spits it out!

i htink you're doing well for 7 weeks tbh, thats probably not what you want to hear but most babies down sleep long after 5 am at 7 weeks unless you feed them but thats not something i would want to get into the habit of, id rather they cry in their cot for an hour (with you going in and putting dummy in or shhhing him) each morning than rely on you feeding them. have you tried light shows? maybe if he wont have a dummy he would like a lightshow - you get ones that are remote control so you dont even have to move to put it back on. he will soon learn theres no point waking at 5am as hes not going to get fed, well this would be my hope.

i htink our dd was waking at 5am until she was about 5/6 mths so you're doing ok imo

Hi, I think you're doing great, and your ds sounds perfectly normal. He'll soon settle into his own routine. The more he feeds the more he will boost your supply and then he may not need to cluster feed so much in the mornings.
Just ride it out, he's still very, very little and needs you to comfort him

Hiya... my DS is the same... goes 2-3 hours at night, then when morning comes, from about 5 hes feeding every 1/2 hour or so. Is the room nice and dark? it might be the light sort of waking him up more. My DS is 19 weeks now and still sometimes does it... its not "wrong", its just one of those things xxx

Hi. New mum to a 2 week old girl. I know it's too early for a routine but am a lttle confused. How do i put her down to sleep before she's asleep if she keeps falling asleep on me when i'm feeding her? At this age do i just let her feed when she wants (breastfeed) and sleep when she wants? When putting her down to sleep and she wakes, how long should i leave her crying for, when i know she doesn't need feeding or changing? What's the best age to start a nighttime routine? So many questions, sorry!!!

i started a routine at 2 weeks it was hard at first as she wanted to sleep alot and i was worried but i found it i stuck to feeding times it worked out fine and she was sleeping in her cot at 7pm every night and then we dream fed (gave a bottle while she was half asleep about 10.30pm and changed her with the lights dimmed, no noise.)

you cant stop them sleeping but when they are awake talk to htem show them books and toys to stimulate them it helps to keep them awake longer and they get more activity.

As for waking when you put her in a cot then i would try swaddling (just under the arms if you're worried) they feel more secure also put something in their cot that smells of you.
with our dd she wouldnt sleep at all at night and would wake as soon as her back touched the matress.

top tips for first time mums, enjoy it and remember no stage lasts forever. be calm, consistant and it will be fine.

gosh i wouldn't leave a 7 wk old to cry for an hour each morning. if they wake at 5am ready for the day then i would get up with them. they'll be tired again in an hour or 2 at that age anyway. or i'd even just feed again to get them back to sleep for a bit longer. i honestly would go with the flow, especially whoever it was saying about their 2 week old. my dd is 11 weeks, sometimes she's up ready for the day at 5am, sometimes 8am. sometimes i feed her back to sleep, sometimes we get up.

Bring him into bed with you and feed/ doze as long as you can?

I used to do this with DS. I wouldn;t call it co-sleeping as I would just be dozing really, as usually in a light sleep by that time of teh morning.

HTH

caspercat, just go with the flow. Your baby is still really little so feed on demand, and let her sleep when she wants.
I'm quite anti-sleep training personally so wouldn't go down that route at all unless you have a major problem with sleep. You shouldn't do any form of sleep training until a baby is at least 6 months old.

As for putting her down awake, I would just wait until she is a bit older and having more awake time. Then you can start popping her in her crib while she's awake and letting her get used to being in there.

As for leaving her crying, again I wouldn't do it. At her age it's her only form of communication and she's trying to tell you that she wants you. She's spent 9 months inside you and it's natural that she just wants to be close to you and held a lot and that's totally normal and fine. PLease don't think that you are making a rod for your own back by picking her up when she cries.

I think his room is dark enough. I have to admit i have taken him to bed with us at 5/6am when he won't go back to sleep in his cot- despite being told he mustn't be in bed with us! He seems to want cuddles in the early morning rather than feeding- when i picked him up at 5am this morning, that was all he wanted- he went back to sleep until 6am then!

Please don't leave your baby to cry. She has no understanding of where you are, where she is, or what's going on. At this age, all you need to teach her is that mummy is there to meet her needs and give her love. Hold her and cuddle her and keep her near you when she cries - babies of this age can be VERY difficult to console, just keep giving her cuddles and love and she will learn the important stuff.

"... despite being told he mustn't be in bed with us!"

Now who told you that?! If he was 17 I might agree but at his age, if he's happy with a cuddle in bed then that's what you should do. Go with the flow - it will make you both a lot happier.

I know! We love having a cuddle in bed together to be honest- it's all midwife / HV advice to the contrary making me feel like i'm endangering his life by sleeping within 10 feet of him!

DG you sound like a FAB mummy - just keep doing what makes you both happy and you will be fine. Welcome to mumsnet!