sleep problem for 2-week old?

[casa]

Sorry in advance, but this one is a bit of a ramble!

Our ds seems to have a problem with sleeping, but we're not really sure whether it's normal behaviour or not as this is our first baby!

During the last few days, he feeds constantly during the day and falls asleep during the feed, but then wakes crying within a couple of minutes as soon as he's put in his cot or sleep chair. The only thing that will stop the crying is being fed again, and we've tried rocking him, talking to him and swaddling before being put down. We think he's getting less than 10 hours sleep each day, which is way less than the 16 hours he's supposed to get. During the night, the only way to get him to sleep is to feed until he goes to sleep, and then just keep him attached.

We could really do with some advice to help him sleep by himself, and between feeds as currently it's pretty tiring for mum. Is this behaviour normal for a two-week old or is there something we can do to get him to sleep more without feeding?

Sorry Casa, there is no such thing as a sleep problem in a two week old baby. Everything they do is normal. Remember, they are used to literally being part of you - it's not surprising that they don't like being separated from you. But if he is very sucky, you could try a dummy. Being tired will also soon become the norm. Early parenthood is absolutely shattering, I'm afraid. Take it easy. Get as much help as you can - including just asking someone to push the pram around the block for an hour while you get some kip. Things will eventually settle down but it could be a long time so don't get stressed about whether your baby is normal - there is no 'normal' with a fortnight old person, I'm afraid. Congratulations, by the way

What about a sling?

Hi
Have u tried a sling - you could wear him down so to speak.

You can also feed them in the sling

Dr Sears is a good adovcate for slings and might provide u with some useful info.
here

Hope things improve for u soon.

used this one for 2.5 years

loved your link papillion

Hi- Have to agree that your bubba does not have a sleep problem. I have a ds who is 9 months old and I clearly recollect the point that you are at. It is frustrating- you are tired, your partner is tired and this is the first time you have ever owned a baby! My baby was almost the same as yours. We just kept trying different combos until something clicked with him. My ds preferred a gentle bounce to sleep. It took ages to find the right rhythm for him but when we did, we did it everytime he needed to sleep. We got some funny looks from people but in my opinion - do whatever works and stick with it to get you through the first crazy 6 weeks. We also wore him quite a bit as others have suggested in his baby bjorn sling. He did most of his naps in it and sometimes it was the only way I could get things done! As soon as he went in it he was asleep in a matter of minutes. I believe its because they need that warmth, closeness, hearing your heartbeat and the gentle rocking rhythm- afterall thats how he was inside of you only a couple of weeks ago!
I would like you to know that this period you are in with your baby is shortlived. Gradually they graduate to being ready for a routine. People told me my baby would let me know when he was ready for it. I thought they were nuts- but he did! Don't worry- he'll settle down. In the meantime, I would suggest swaddling, the sling and maybe try gentle bouncing instead of rocking.

Thanks to everyone for your advice, it's a big help. It's good to know that we have a "normal" family! I think we'll give the sling a go, we borrowed one from a friend but it appears to be a bit too big at the moment. He's sleeping at the moment BTW, but only cos he's attached.

Anyway, thanks again, and we'll keep going!

You'll soon learn to do everything opne handed including typing here!

message withdrawn

Dear Casa ... congratulations
Yes, your baby is normal!
I found with DD that the best way to settle her without being permanently attached was with a dummy as she is a very sucky baby. This coming from the biggest dummy snob that ever walked ... we now go nowhere without it!!!
Also, have you tried swaddling your baby? Often babies wake themselves up with the 'startle' reflex and if they are not where they were when they fell asleep they get upset. I find that swaddling DD: a) stops the 'startle' reflex waking her up too much and b) makes her feel warm and cosy!
HTH

Many congratulations on your baby. My background: I have a 19mth old toddler and a 6month old baby.
I would imagine that while you say your baby is feeding constantly through the day this actually means he very happy to stay on your breast but not necessarily suck all the time. And then when you take him off, as he has dozed off when it suits him as he is very comfy snuggled up to you, he wakes up because actually he hasn't had enough milk?!
I would advise that you give as much milk as possible during each feed by keeping your baby awake either by taking off his trousers (but keeping his socks on) or even gently tickling his feet. If he has lots of layers on, that will make him sleepy as well. Instead of changing his nappy before his feed, you could try changing it half way to wake him up to then start again - this worked for me. Keep him sucking while he is on the breast, with little breaks of 5 seconds if he wants them, before reminding him what he is there for (tickling feet/rubbing cheeks) so that he keeps sucking. When he has had a good sucking session, it will fill him up, tire him out and he will want to sleep. You may have to rock him in the cot/chair briefly, or gently rub his temples or chest (both worked for me). I don't know how you feel about dummies, but it can be very comforting for a baby and lets face it, it's so important that you get some rest yourself. And well done on conquering breast feeding - I found that v.painful and so bottlefed my babies with my breast milk. Good luck!!

did u notice that people have been talking about slings

mumsnet sling thread

Must agree, my ds is 3 1/2 now but I have a clear memory of those forst few weeks. Especially if you are trying to establish breast feeding, it is very very tiring. Perfectly normal though. I must say I was pretty desperate to establish a routine for feeding and sleeping for my ds but you can't really do it until 7-8 weeks when they have really settled into feeding. Plus if you get a colicky or sicky baby its twice as difficult. I know this might be unpopular with the 'attachment parenting' advocates but I read Gina Ford's Contented Little Baby Book, which gives you a step-by-step adjustable routine. A lot of people think its old-fashioned but I found it to be absolutely wonderful. I stopped demand feeding at 2 months and set the pattern. Within a month I had a baby who never cried for a feed because I was always one step ahead of him. Anyway might want to give it a look. You don't have to follow it to the letter, but a lot of her basic rules are quite sound (like a baby should never go more than two hours without sleep, the feeding environment, swaddling and bedrooms etc). Just a thought. Congrats. And hang on in...IT DOES GET EASIER. Promise.

Congrats on new arrival
Just to join the other messages, yes it does settle down and get easier, more predictable, and you will one day get more sleep. But 2 weeks is too early for this to happen unless you are incredibly lucky.
Another suggestion, agreeing with Sarajane above, make sure so far as you can that the feeds are feeds and the rest of the time is not. You might benefit from chatting to a breast feeding counsellor, just to check that the baby is properly attached and can take the milk easily. I fell into the trap with ds (2nd time around) of not realising that he was not properly latched on, so he sucked and sucked away on the nipple, exhausting himself and falling asleep on the job all the time, but not really getting the milk through. Also, it does take a very little baby a long time to feed! Each feed can easily last up to an hour, then the next one starts pretty soon...but there should be a difference between feeding and not feeding (even if it's only 30 minutes at this stage).

Hiya

I've got a ds who is 11 weeks, and asleep in his cot as I type, but not yet sleeping through the night apart from on odd occasions.... so I'm not one to offer advice really...

However I just finished reading Sleep: The Secret of Problem-free Nights by Beatrice Hollyer and Lucy Smith - which offers advice about the feeding/sleeping link - ie how to avoid falling into the trap of feeding a baby to sleep and then not being able to get them to fall asleep on their own.

I think I must have read most books out there, and I try not to get too hung up on the advice because there are so many different methods etc, and at the end of the day you find your own routine... but I do think there is some really useful advice in this book and I wish I had read it before my ds and I had progressed down the feeding to sleep routine.

Having said that, at the end of the day, when you are very tired, whatever works is a good thing in my mind!

And by the way, those first few weeks (8 in our case) were really hard, and it is only now at 11 weeks that I feel I am getting into a routine. Don't worry, you will get through it!

By the way - what on earth am I doing up at 11.30pm when my ds is asleep!!! I must be crazy - I am bound to be called on for a 3am feed!

Night!

Casa, have you tried a dummy? I was rather against them but now swear by the Sacred Dummy as a great means of getting a baby to sleep. I'd avoid it the rest of the time though to try to minimise the habit. AND I'd rather he sucked a dummy allnight than my nipple, to be quite frank.

We're seriously considering a dummy, marsup! We managed to bag a free one from somewhere or other, but it's still in it's wrapper. The main reason for not using it is because the health visitor recommended against it until ds is at six weeks old because of nipple confusion, but also because Gina (we're not worthy) Ford seems to think that it may be a Bad Thing. Then again, if it gets desperate, that wrapping may be coming off.

He loves the sling BTW - along with the vacuum cleaner, it sends him off to sleep in minutes. Lovely.