My Friend Is Having Problems with Her 1 Month Old Sleeping

I wish people could understand that sleep is controlled by the brain, not by hunger. She should read "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child", it's a wonderful book that clarifies a lot of things like the fact that until a baby is around 4 months old, he/she will not have a normal and reliable sleeping schedule. Also, all babies have digestion issues which tend to peak in the amount of problems at about 6 weeks but then they get better due to lack of melatonin which isn't really produced by their brains until they're between 3 and 4 months old. I can't recommend this book enough. If you're a true friend, buy her a copy, she'll thank you.

That is so hard. It may be acid reflux. Try a sleeping wedge. It keeps his top higher than his bottom. If it turns out to be gas, hold him tummy-down on a thick towel on top of the dryer so the motion and warmth can help it come out. After her first eats, hug him upright and walk around and jiggle him to get the gas out and let him digest a little. Poor little guy.

My son is 7 weeks today and has had a lot of trouble with fussiness and not sleeping very well. He is always at my breast otherwise he is fussy and still hasn't sleep more than an hour straight. And when he is asleep, he still seems like he is in pain. We took him to the pediatrician a few days ago because we noticed blood in his stool. The doctor said that it is probably a milk protein allergy. I have stopped eating dairy and I am waiting to see if there is an improvement once the dairy is out of both of our systems.

My son was the same way... I let him sleep on his tummy and viola! I know people tell you not to put the child on their tummy, but the only real concern of SIDS is with people who smoke in the house and even more importantly right after any vaccination.

Hey S.,
How is she feeding her son, breast or bottle? If she is breast feeding and having this issue, she may need to burp between switching breasts. If she is bottle feeding, she may want to consider switching formulas to a type that is known to be more gentle on the stomach.
Another option is to purchase a product called "Colic Calm". This product really helps with digestion, even if a child does not have colic. It can be purchased on-line from a variety of places.

Maybe she can try one of those "wedges" that goes in the bed to keep the baby propped up.

get homeopathic Lycopodium drops. 30C should do the trick.
Good Luck
V.

Both of my daughters (now 4 1/2 and 1yr) had a lot of gas problems at that age. They tended to get more controllable after 6-8 weeks of age (my personal theory is that the stomach and intestines begin to realize what they are suppose to do, belch and pass gas without so much of our assistance).

Anyway, the mylicon drops did not make a difference for us, but the Gripewater was a miracle. I could see relief in both of my daughters in just minutes. It is a homeopathic tonic that has ginger and a couple of other things to calm the stomach and such. It is suppose to help with colic, stomach upset, gas, and even teething issues. I have used it more with my second and I have used it for the gas when she was little and then again to help with minor teething (when the teeth were really coming in, all that helped was tylenol).

Anyway, you can get it at CVS or some other mainstream pharmacy. It is usually in the same section as the mylicon drops in the baby area.

I think also using the positioning that the others have mentioned too, but I would never put the baby on it's stomach at this age. After the 6-8 weeks I would consult your pediatrician if the baby is still having major problems.

Good luck. These are tough first weeks as the baby is adjusting to a whole new way of being.

E.

An infant that young, their digestive system is still very immature.

Does she know for sure that it is a "gas" problem? Usually, gas problems causes pain and crying. My daughter had gas problems as an infant... she rarely burped and rarely farted. She had pain and cried. The infant Mylicon gas drops helped her each time, very well.

If her baby is uncomfortable, then perhaps ask the Pediatrician.
But, infants and babies as you know, can be restless and maybe the baby is just plain hungry? Some babies feed a lot or cluster feed. Or some infants get "uncomfortable" before they poop. Every new sensation affects them, even temperature.

All the best,
Susan

Our pediatrician was skeptical about using products like Mylicon. Not a bad product, but their opinion was that you really had to keep up on it regularly, and even then, it may not resolve all the pressure.

I've found that two things were helpful when my kids were newborn:
1. Laying them across my lap on their tummy to put pressure on it to help alleviate the gas/bloating (or holding them with their back to me and my arm around their abdomen)
2. Pulling their knees into their belly to help force the gas through their intestines (lay them on the back and gently pull their knees into their belly)

As young as he is, I'd also call the pediatrician's office to see if they have any recommendations. You never know, they may have a killer trick that makes baby and mommy much more comfortable