Hi! My sister's baby boy Samuel was born on March 20. She is nursing him. For the first month, everything seemed ok. However, when he turned about a month old, it became more difficult to put him down for his naps - only during the day. For example, he nurses well, & then my sister tries to put him down - he'll sleep maybe 15 mins, & then he's up & fussy & cries - not screaming cries & not crying the whole time. He will stay asleep in her arms, though. (She is careful about what she eats since she is nursing. She is giving the baby Mylicon, if it appears that gas is the issue. The doctor recommended these drops if she thought gas could be a problem.) Baby boy likes to sleep upstairs, not downstairs (unless my sister is holding him.)
At nighttime, he will sleep for 2 or 3 hrs at a time - normal.
So, mamas - has anyone else had this experience of baby not wanting to sleep long during the day & being fussy & crying a little? Basically, baby will sleep in her arms, or he will sleep in the bjorn (so, she is carrying baby on her chest in the bjorn). They have pretty much ruled out colic - he doesn't cry that much. Sometimes he doesn't burp after he eats, so that could possibly affect how long he sleeps. However, even when he has been burped successfully, he may still have a short 15 minute daytime nap & be fussy! My sister also swaddles him when she lays him down for his naps to help comfort him.
I know that my 3 children had different sleep patterns, but they usually slept 2-3 hrs even during the day & night - I nursed them all. However, I know that there was a time when the 2-3 hr naps changed. Maybe my baby nephew is just growing & changing?
They also bought a baby swing, recently. They are going to give it a try to see if it helps with daytime naps.
Sometimes, he falls asleep while nursing on one breast, so my sister has to remember to feed him on the other breast the next time. (This used to happen to me, too.)
Mamas - any suggestions, advice, or input would be much appreciated! Other family members are wondering if maybe my sister doesn't have enough breast milk, or that maybe something is wrong with my baby nephew. I don't think so - I think he is just growing & changing! (Lastly, he had jaundice, but no more - healthy baby according to the doctor.)
Please give us suggestions!
Thank you! I will share all with my sister & baby Samuel.
Thanks to everyone for all of the helpful responses! Yes, he is normal. Well, my baby nephew is still fussy & crying like before. My sister took him to the doctor, & the doctor did mention the gas. They have introduced "colic calm" to him & given him massages. My sister is watching her diet to avoid gassy foods (stopped eating eggs last week). I am at her house right now, & after she had nursed him a little while ago...they put him in a swing. He was ok for several minutes, & then his 12 yr old brother tried to keep him entertained. Then, he really started to cry! I held him & thought it would comfort him, but he just kept crying! He didn't want the pacifier, & I tried walking around with him inside & outside.
So, my sister is holding him again while she is eating her dinner. She was holding him very closely to her, so maybe I should have tried to do that. Actually, my sister said that it seems that now...he only wants to be held by his mom & dad. I felt so bad for my baby nephew because he was crying a lot, & I couldn't seem to comfort him. (My babies are now 16 yrs, 17 yrs, & almost 23 yrs, so it's been a while since I've had an infant.)
Any other suggestions on comforting him with the crying? Your suggestions are truly greatly appreciated by my sister & me. Thank you very much!
I think MOST little babies are just like this, and it is completely normal. I used a Sleepy Wrap with mine and they were pretty much worn on my chest in it all day, every day until about 4 months old. Babies just want to be close to their mamas and really have no regular nap schedule yet. In my opinion, almost all babies do this but we just black out those memories as they get older because it is such a short, fleeting time.
I don't see anything wrong with this baby! I had a baby that would never nap unless sleeping on or with someone, walking in the stroller, or driving in the car! I mean never! She napped until Kindergarten, but they didn't come easily. She slept just fine at night - four to five hours a stretch from Day 1.
The swing might work, the Bjorn works, your sister will find other things that work.
Hi there, yes, this is completely normal. My month old son does the same thing. He sleep well at night, 2 to 3 hours. But during the day he's usually fussy. Sometimes he'll fall asleep in the swing, but other times he won't even want to sit in it. He usually does fall asleep at my breast, then I'll take him over to his bouncer or moses basket and he'll wake up and fuss. His fave place is in my arms. Completely normal, no need to worry or be appalled. My M.I.L gave me the suggestion of putting him in his carseat to sleep and sometimes it does work, maybe this will help your S.I.L as well, good luck.
My one month old grandson's sleeping ways have changed and are much like what you describe for your nephew. I think, as you suggested, it's a part of growing and changing. Babies change as they grow. This will change.
I think it's great that she is holding him and wearing him. He needs that extra assurance that she is there for him.
My baby has been like that since she was born! It was a surprise, because my older son always had really regular naps and slept for 2-3 hours at a time, day and night. My daughter has always taken 15-30 minute naps during the day, unfortunately! I believe this can be chalked up to normal variations between babies. Tell your sister to hang in there and it will change, just like everything else does with tiny babies.
My duaghter (now 18) was like that. Between her 3 and 6 month checkups she didn't gain as much weight as the doctor expected. But at 5 months when I started giving her cereal mixed with formula I noticed that she broke into hives when the milk based formula touched her skin. Up to then I had been breast feeding her exclusively. One of my sisters suggested that I eliminate dairy products from my diet since she was so fussy. I did, and all her fussiness went away. She started gaining weight at the right rate. She out grew her sensitivity to milk by the time she was about 5. She still drinks milk at most meals. We've had her tested for allergies (stratch test on the back) and everything turned up negative. The allergy doctor said that you could still have a sensitibity to things that don't show up on the test. Bottom line -- if it effects you bad enough you will avoid it even if it doesn't show up on the tests!
Good luck!
Both my kids were like this (1 boy, 1 girl). It seems that they just go through a phase where they want to be held almost constantly. The swing worked for us for a while, but I had to almost watch the clock before I could lay them down. Babies have different sleep patterns in the respect that when they fall asleep, they fall into a light sleep. Tell her to try to wait at least 10 minutes before trying to lay him down. At 6 weeks, this only worked about 25% of the time for me. It got exhausting because they did it ALL day, not just once or twice. At least he has this pattern during the day, and not while she's trying to sleep at night!! (been there, done that... wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy!)
Also, nursing on one breast is completely normal. Neither one of my kids ate on both breasts at one feeding. Some has to do with mom's milk supply, some on baby's stomach size, some on baby's appetite. Many people don't view babies as "human beings" with their own appetites, etc. They think that babies eat the same amount at the same time every day, and it's just not true. It's great to hear that mom's milk supply is sufficient enough that he can be satisfied on one breast!!!! Go mama!
As far as everyone questioning her milk supply, please tell her to try not to let outside pressures get to her. The only thing she needs to pay attention to is her baby. Is he growing? Is he alert and hitting his milestones? Does he engage eye contact and smile when awake? This is what matters... not what everyone is telling her. I mention this because even as strong as a mama can be about her decision to breastfeed (or not to), the constant questions, doubts, and sometimes downright belittlement can be exhausting and start to wear at a person, especially a new mom who has a lot going on as it is :)
Congratulations to both you and your sister! Tell her it sounds normal to me, but if she gets concerned, talk to the pediatrician to rule out medical issues (like reflux, etc).
A.,
I think I may have the answer; I'm not positive, but it sounds so much like my son. My second son had a terrible time sleeping. When he finally did go down, he would be really fussy and groan a lot during sleep. He would tighten his legs up and strain every time he had to pass gas also. It looked painful! I got very little sleep since I would rock him in the chair and nurse him just to settle him down which did help. He wouldn't scream, but he would fuss and groan all night long, and I was up constantly trying to comfort him. The doctor ruled out colic also.
It seemed like it went on forever until I said to my husband that we should really get him checked out by a specialist. Well, the specialist said she often sees what my son had with babies that are breastfed. They don't know why this happens. It's called infant dyschezia. She told me that by the time I began feeding him solid foods at 6 months, it would stop, and sure enough it did.
It was a tough time, and we couldn't figure out why he was doing what he was doing. She told me to continue breastfeeding him. I breastfed him until he was 3 years old with no more straining and fussing while sleeping once I began solid foods.
You can google "infant dyschezia" and see what you can find. I hope this helps. I bet when he starts to eat solid foods, it will stop. (Mine also had jaundice, but I don't think that had anything to do with it.) Good luck to your sister A.. Tell her it won't last too long if that's what he has.
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