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Sleep

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Original poster

7 week old sleep nightmare

46 replies

Pennybrown86 · 14/05/2016 13:33

Long story, bear with me...

LG born 7 week ago, attempted to BF but was unsuccessful, lack of supply and LG had major latch issues, now FF. Since we got her home we have had serious problems getting her to sleep, day or night. We have tried all methods to get her to nap and are rarely successful. She doesn't feed well and spends lots of time crying for apparently no reason. The only way I can get her to nap in the day is by pushing her in the pram and at night it usually involves her passing out from exhaustion. She sleeps for a decent stretch at night (5-6hours) but I am struggling to see light at the end of the tunnel. I know when she is tired but she just refuses to sleep and has been this way for the majority of her life.
I need help!!

OP posts:

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Original poster

Pennybrown86 · 15/05/2016 11:30

It's called semilac. I have no idea if dairy is the issue but her dad is dairy intolerant. She isn't bothered by the taste.

In your opinion, if I have managed to get her to sleep, and it has been 4 hours since I fed her, should I wake her to feed her or leave her to sleep until she wakes? This often happens when I have been out with the pram, I'm always in a dilemma about if I should wake her, especially as she isn't gaining weight as she should.

OP posts:

FATEdestiny · 15/05/2016 11:55

What's her weight gain like?

During the daytime, if she's been asleep for 3 of those 4 hours then yes, IMO I would wake.

During the night if you get a block of 4 hours sleep then just enjoy it! (Unless newborn weight gain is an issue)

If you meant that you'd spend, say, 3 hours getting baby to sleep and eventually she dropped off exhausted, then I would let her sleep for that time but next time try feeding her before that sleep, maybe 2 or 3 hours between feeds so that you don't get to that point again.

Original poster

Pennybrown86 · 15/05/2016 12:39

She has dropped from the 75th centile to below the 50th.

We are also wondering if tongue tie might be an issue (explaining our earl breastfeeding issues) which could be why she gets so frustrated on the bottle and often falls asleep after just a few ounces, only to wake up crying not long after.

So many possibilities!

OP posts:

Oly5 · 15/05/2016 13:25

Ask the health visitor to check for tongue tie. If she's on the 50th she's ok, if they drop two centiles then they may suggest further action. As for feeding, you don't need to worry about her going longer than four hours if she's asleep. Hunger will wake her and she may well take more. I wouldn't let her go longer than six hours but I wouldnt stress about an hour or so here and there. At night, if she's asleep then leave her.
I think you'll be surprised what can happen in a few weeks or months at this age. My son was on special milk but by six months all his discomfort was gone and we switched to normal dairy

Original poster

Pennybrown86 · 15/05/2016 16:14

Thank you for your advice, even the pram has had limited impact today! We've got the doctors tomorrow so will ask for a referral regarding tongue tie.

OP posts:

pocketsized · 15/05/2016 16:33

Having quickly googled the similac appears to be a "highly hydrolyzed" milk, this means it is made from cows milk, which has been processed to reduce the size of the protiens and reduce the likelihood of allergy. For some babies (including my DD) this processing isnt enough to prevent discomfort. We had to switch to an amino acid based formula. I was also told by the dietician that some babies tolerate different brands better than others and that we might have to try a couple before we found one that worked for DD. Maybe worth discussing this with your doctor? We also found it took a good two weeks for her system to settle, and several weeks after that for her to get used to drinking more at a time. I think she'd formed a habit of only drinking the minimum amount as it had been making her feel more poorly.

Oly5 · 16/05/2016 09:24

You do have to bear in mind that prescription formulas are less nutritious than normal milks.. So I'd be alto asking for a referral to a dietician to see if this really is the root of her discomfort.
I think it's highly likely that by six months she will be a lot less troubled because their whole digestive system massively improves at that point

Original poster

Pennybrown86 · 16/05/2016 10:00

That's a good point. If I do find out she is tongue tied, I'm going to be very disappointed that it wasn't detected earlier, perhaps bf would've been more successful then.
We have a huge list to bring up with doctor today, and I'm not leaving until he has some decent plans for us!

OP posts:

MigGril · 16/05/2016 10:14

If you think tounge tie mite be an issue then this may be a good read milkmatters.org.uk/2011/04/15/hidden-cause-of-feeding-problems-however-you-feed-your-baby/

Another website I found really useful with a fussy baby, in fact I read some of his books www.askdrsears.com/ he's very non routine, his fussy baby book help me unstand my DD and go with the flow a bit more. He is very breastfeeding orientated though.

Oly5 · 16/05/2016 11:37

Don't beat yourself up about breastfeeding. I completely failed with my first extremely difficult and fussy baby, and breastfed by second easily for 15 months. It's wings and roundabouts... And just think of all the amazing nutritious food you can cook her when she's six months old!
Yes, doctors Can be reluctant to check tongue tie etc but I would stress that you're worried about her weight loss.
The referral to a dietician (actually I'd ask for a paediatrician) is a back up to check there's nothing else wrong.
Hang in there OP, I'm sure by six months this will all be so much better

Oly5 · 16/05/2016 11:37

And yes... Dr Sears makes you realise you don't need Gina Ford and a billon routines

Oly5 · 16/05/2016 11:38

And sorry for typos.. I meant my second baby obviously ... And swings and roundabouts!

FizzyFeet · 16/05/2016 21:12

Just to chip in with an extra thought on top of the great advice you've had already. Have you tried a different teat size for the bottles? If too slow, your DD might be getting frustrated and tired out with the effort of sucking, leading to falling asleep on the bottle/ taking smaller feeds/ generally being grumpy. It might take a day or two to get used to the next size up but worth a try. My DD has a strong suck and we ignored the teat size guidance on the packets as she needed faster ones much sooner than the packet says!

Original poster

Pennybrown86 · 17/05/2016 08:37

Great advice, will have a go.
It seems she has decided that sleeping in the pram is off the cards now too!

OP posts:

ricketytickety · 17/05/2016 08:43

I was going to say tongue tie too because 1. she's happy to sleep flat which suggests there isn't lots of acid coming up (though this could still be the case) 2. she sounds hungry but can't feed for long.

ricketytickety · 17/05/2016 08:46

yes, try a faster teat. You'll know if she can't cope with it as she'll have too much milk in her mouth.

If she wants to sleep on you, so be it. My dd liked the pram. My ds liked me. You've got to do what works best for you and I wouldn't bother tackling sleep routines etc until 6 months because you have feeding issues and sleep routines just ain't gonna work until the feeding issues are sorted. Dr Sears is good with this.

ricketytickety · 17/05/2016 09:10

Bouncy chair was useful for us - semi upright and you pop them in and bounce them gently until they fall asleep. With a bit of baby einstein on in the background (find it on youtube)

Oly5 · 17/05/2016 17:04

I also agree that lots of tears at this age may indicate hunger so definitely give faster teats a go.
Keep going op, just let her nap in your arms while you put your feet up. Routines can be built if you feel you need them when she's older

Original poster

Pennybrown86 · 18/05/2016 17:23

Oly5 you're a genius. Cosleeping is the answer!!!!! She loves it!

OP posts:

mrsmugoo · 18/05/2016 20:27

Co-sleeping with newborns is the best! I'm about to have my 2nd and after struggling to get my first to ever sleep in the Moses basket before just co-sleeping from about 6/7 weeks - this time I'm not even bothering with the basket!

Oly5 · 18/05/2016 21:12

Brilliant!! Just make sure you do it safely, no duvets anywhere near her etc. I used to wrap my duvet to my waist height (wear a long top) and put her head level with mine so there was no way she could slip under. Honestly, when they're tiny they sleep much better with you. Do it for naps too if it gets you some rest.
Don't worry about habits, both of mine were in our bed in some form or other (I'd start them in the cot as often as possible but they'd usually end up in with me later on) til they were 18 months old. They both sleep in their own beds now, no problem!

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