My six week old DD has not had good rest today. I've noticed when she goes to sleep she is haveing frequent jerky/flailing movements of her arms and legs. It happens every minute or so. It does not wake her up. I thought it was gas at first but it was not. I know some movements are normal but this seems more than that. She's fine when she's awake and is eating well. Any ideas?
I would suggest swaddling her. These are exactly the type of movements that often startle babies awake. I was surprised at how much my newborn daughter moved in her sleep.
We can't see your baby, so it is impossible for us to be able to say how much is really normal.
It is worth mentioning to the pediatrician, but certainly nothing that I would be worried about at this point. Only you can make the decision based on what you can actually see.
I would swaddle her , newborns have no control over limb movements and they like to feel snuggled. All 3 of mine slept really well being swaddled.
its normal.
She is real young, a newborn... they do flail. It will be outgrown in a few months.
It is good it does not wake her. Just let her be. With my kids as babies, it would wake themselves up, so it was "busy" getting them back to sleep.
A good book is: "What To Expect The First Year" which you can find at any bookstore or online.
all the best,
Susan
It's totally normal and actually awesome that your infant does this!! It's called the Moro reflex and it's very import for infants to have it. The absence of it, shows a serious motor system problem. It goes away around 4-5 months. My son had a really strong moro reflex and we swaddled him until 4 months, when it went away.
I would try swaddling. My littlest one was like that, we used to call her burrito baby.
I wouldn't worry too much about them unless they are disturbing her sleep, could be she starting to develope REM sleep in which they will twitch, flare their arms etc. I would watch her but I believe it is perfectly normal unless her actions tell you otherwise. If you are still upset by these movements I would consult with your Ped. Dr.
Completely normal. Our son was a wiggly one, and swaddling was the way to help him be calm and sleep without the jerks. I suggest getting a few waffle weave cotton baby blankets (easily found at Babies R Us). The are much better than the swaddling blankets with velcro or snaps. Just wrap her up like a burrito. Borrow the DVD of "Happiest Baby On The Block" by Harvey Karp from your library to see how swaddling works, and why it works.
