Please someone help me. This baby will not sleep anywhere.

[maybethedayafter]

She won't sleep in her cot, she won't sleep in her car seat, she won't sleep in her pram. She will only sleep if she's held and even then not for very long. She is exhausted because she wakes up because she's unsettled, not because she's well rested. I don't know what to do. She cries and cries and cries because she's so tired. She gets herself so worked up that she won't feed and so she just won't settle. I have a sling but she won't even go to sleep in that for me. Please help me. My baby is becoming really unhappy because every waking minute she is exhausted.

[2protecttheinnocent]

Here you go. We did it the other way round but I don't think it would make any difference. Got to be worth a try!

[maybethedayafter]

Thank you, I'll give that hold a go. I'm prepared to try anything. If you told me I had to remove my own hands in order to make her sleep I'm pretty sure I'd do it right now!

Does anyone have any tips for a automatic bouncy chair? I have a cheap one that you have to bounce yourself but she at least seems to like it. If I could find one that will do the bouncing for me I at least might be able to go to the loo!

[SophieofShepherdsBush]

My non sleeper used to nap in front of the washing machine in his buggy.....white noise app might be better, but def worth a try. Hang in there. Lack of sleep is awful but it won't be forever.

[Bigfatnope]

Has baby been checked for tongue tie?

[MrsWildermac]

Had pretty much the same thing with my DD at about the same age. It turned out she had silent reflux and a small daily dose of Ranitidine sorted her right out.

It sounds like she could be intolerant to dairy? Might be worth querying it with someone.

[Mar15mite]

I say go to see you GP and describe everything that's going on.

I was convinced we just had 'a fretful baby' but after my DH persuaded me to go to the GP my DS has been diagnosed with a cows milk allergy and silent reflux. Prescription milk, infant gaviscon and ranitidine have transformed him, so glad I spoke up and didn't just grin and bear it

[maybethedayafter]

I think she was checked for tongue tie as part of her discharge examination from SCBU. Who could I ask to check this to make sure?

Do you think it's worth a call to the HV to ask about the dairy intolerance/symptoms? Or is that more of a GP thing?

[Handsoffmysweets]

The snuffy snorty noise is interesting as my LO with silent reflux had this from day one. Not sure if they're connected but worth a mention. Don't worry about rocking to sleep, sleep habits etc, just concentrate on finding a way for you all to sleep!

[maybethedayafter]

I'd be happy for her to stay asleep in her cot even by rocking or feeding to sleep.

She keeps bringing up milk through her nose as well. Does anyone know if that's a sign of reflux?

[Handsoffmysweets]

Yes yes yes. Classic reflux. Poor LO. Ring GP first thing and don't accept any excuses!

[FATEdestiny]

It's not automatic bouncing, but I swear by the Fisher Price bouncy chair with removable arch. I've bought the same bouncy chair 3 times for my 3 children.

It is just the right z-shaped to be able to park yourself on the sofa and bounce it with your foot. It does have vibrate but I never used that. I like that you can control (and decrease or increase as needed) the rate and power of the bouncing rather than it being arbitary on/off of an automatic bouncer.

Have you tried a dummy?

I second the suggestion to swaddle at night, when not using the bouncy chair.

[CocktailQueen]

I agree with advice to go to your gp. She sounds uncomfortable or in pain. Could be silent reflux. Bless her.

Try propping up her Moses basket at one end - that could help. Or will she sleep in her car seat? Dd slept well in hers, as she was more upright.

Also, half swaddling may help - up to her chest. Wrap her arms, so she doesn't startle and wake herself.

[CocktailQueen]

Oh yes, snuffling and brining milk up through her nose - silent reflux. Poor baby.

[MyDarlingWhatIfYouFly]

Could you try cutting out dairy from your diet for a couple of weeks? ( Not easy I know!). The evening crying then poo sounds like classic cows milk protein intolerance (we've had a few babies in the family with it).

Unfortunately if that is the case then cutting out dairy while you are bfing is the solution (or special formula).

[maybethedayafter]

If it is reflux I'm really annoyed at her consultant for dismissing it previously. Our GP is very good though so I'll get an appointment ASAP and hopefully he will agree. I feel really bad for her if that's what it is and I've not done anything up to now. This is the danger of "colic" though. It's just labelled as that too easily when there could be another cause.

I'm going to cut out dairy from my diet as of tomorrow. It can't hurt to give it a try. It takes about two weeks to get out of your system doesn't it?

[Handsoffmysweets]

For babies under 1 the GP has to see you the same day, so don't let the receptionist fob you off either! (Can you tell I don't like the receptionists at my Drs ha) really hope that you and baby can get some rest tonight OP x

[maybethedayafter]

I haven't been able to get an appointment for today but I've got one for first thing tomorrow.

She is currently asleep in the sling and has been for 2 hours! I always worry that she's only staying asleep because she's too hot in it though.

I also started today with black coffee. No more dairy for me.

[Mermaid36]

If my two are too hot, they wouldn't sleep!

[maybethedayafter]

Been to the GP this morning and he agrees that it sounds like reflux. He's prescribed Ranitidine so hopefully that will help.

[Bigfam]

Really hope it helps her maybethedayafter

[ScarletBegonia1234]

Just want to add that everything you have described (colic, straining and constipation, snuffly blocked nose) matched our experience which ended up being a dairy allergy

[rebeccahazel]

Oh you poor things, it's so difficult when you don't know what's wrong. My DS, 8 months, still has massive sleep problems, possibly caused by reflux. We've been down the whole medication route and nothing has helped so we just manage it however we can now.
Things we have found helped have been as others have suggested - white noise, we got an app called Sound Sleeper that has a shhhhhh sound that's good. Swings can be great to get them to sleep. What about cranial osteopathy? It didn't do much for us but others I know swear by it. It can really help with wind and colic issues.
Good luck!

[NaturalRBF]

My DD was super similar and EBF too. She had milk intolerance and within days we saw a difference. Apparently being snotty can be a sign of milk intolerance.

[maybethedayafter]

I'm cutting out dairy. I already miss cheese! The only problem is that I'm cutting out dairy at the same time that we've started ranitidine and reintroduced Colief so we don't really know what's working - if anything does. I don't want to jinx it but today has been better. We have had some crying and fussiness but not continuous. She really does seem in so much pain when she's crying. I don't know how colic differs but I can't help thinking there is a cause and hopefully we've now identified it. She has also sleep better today. At one point she was asleep while I was holding her and laid her down in her cot so I could make DD1s dinner, fully expecting her to wake up, but she stayed settled her half an hour. And it was at the time she's usually screaming. I was amazed.

[DocMcFanjo]

I was coming on to suggest reflux! Ranitidine can be a revelation for this but if it's not quite doing it then omeprazole (losec) would be worth a try.

Also, though I haven't used one myself, a friebd of mine with a reflux baby used a baby swing- an automatic swingy chair thing that they can sleep in for naps and at night. Fisher Price I think. Maybe that's what already mentioned up thread!