Baby won’t settke after night feed?!

[SS1987]

My 7 week old has recently started to be really unsettled after her middle of the night bottle, she seems to be asleep but is wriggling and grunting. I thought it was wind but she seems to stop if i put my hand on chest or stroke her face. It’s exhausting for me but also I don’t think she can be having the best sleep with all the movements. Anyone else’s little one done this? I know she settles more when she’s on my chest so I try to avoid this as much as I can as I don’t want it to become a habit. I love that she’s missing me and obviously wants to know I’m there but I also want us both to have a good sleep without co sleeping. Any advice??

You can't make bad habits or spoil such a tiny baby, Google the fourth trimester.

She's looking to be held for comfort. Babies are classed as newborns up to 4 months and it is scientifically proven to be impossible to spoil a newborn or create bad habits. They are not capable of crying to manipulate you into picking them up or old enough for their brains to work along the lines of "if I cry she'll pick me up". They are only able to cry for needs not wants. And comfort is a need for newborns. Ignore anyone telling you you'll be creating bad habits as it's just not true at this stage. Baby is used to being warm and curled up inside you listening to your heartbeat. She still wants to experience that feeling for a little while. As PP said look into the fourth trimester.
Good luck

Grunting and straining at night is really common in newborns. DS used to do it alot after his first stretch of sleep (around midnight). A lot of straining, pushing sqwirming. Even when in bed with me or on my chest. A lot of the time it’s just their bodies figuring out wind and how things work 😂 I tried numerous things, nothing worked. In the end he grew out of it about 12 weeks

Thanks for your responses! She is now ten weeks and it’s still the same. What I’ve noticed is the first stretch of sleep is ok, she can fall into a deep sleep fine but by about half one it starts, her eyes are closed but she is wriggling and kicking her legs up. I think she asleep but not in a deep sleep. This goes on all night. I know she isn’t getting a proper sleep as she is yawning within minutes of us getting up for the day. We are both exhausted, is this something she should grow out of soon? I don’t like the idea of co sleeping as I’m too scared! Thanks again

You need to read up on what's called the fourth trimester. She'll grow out of it but she's still only ten weeks old. I don't think co-sleeping would resolve the issue and it's not the safest way to sleep. If you decide to co-sleep, there is information out there on how to do it as safely as possible. If you're concerned maybe ring your health visitor but it sounds totally normal for a newborn baby.

I’ve had a read of the fourth trimester and it doesn’t make sense. We already swaddle her and use white noise each night. She isn’t crying over night just wriggling and kicking. Should I pick her up and hold her until she is settled again? Just wondering also why this occurs randomly at around 1.30-2am and why she isn’t like this from the moment she goes to bed. Could she possibly be cold or be suffering from reflux etc? Sorry for all the questions, first time Mum who doesn’t really know what she’s doing :(

As FortheloveofJames says, if the baby is asleep it’s almost certainly just a case of brain and bowel not quite talking to each other properly making them grunty. Some people call it “grunting baby syndrome” but it’s a normal thing that they grow out of. It’s hard for us to sleep through though! It’s also common for them to be unsettled in the early hours of the morning and appearing to sleep more deeply before midnight. My son grunted much less when he coslept with me. Most babies are noisy and wriggly in their sleep, it’s completely normal