My Two Month Has Trouble Sleeping

Our baby did this for the first few weeks until we started overemphasizing night and day to attempt to get his circadian rhythms going. For example, when he would wake up in the morning we would open up all the curtains and turn on every light to simulate daytime as best as we could. During this wakeful period, we would play with him and stimulate him (but not enough to annoy or bother him), but keep him awake for no more than 2 hours. At the end of this 2 hour time period we would try to simulate a nap time - turn down the lights, turn off any music or tv and talk in quiet voices, and then try to get him to nap. It didn't matter to us if he were in his swing or a bouncy seat - as long as he got the chance to nap. When he woke, we started the process again - eat, then play, then awake for about 2 hours, then same naptime routine.

There's nothing wrong with starting him out sleeping at night in a swing or a vibrating bouncy seat for the first several weeks if he is having problems going to sleep. We still woke up with him every 4 hours or so, but once he hit 8 weeks we followed his lead and only got up to feed him when he asked for it.

You may also wish to check out the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth. Even if you're not a fan of CIO, the information on infant sleep patterns can be especially helpful if you're interested in knowing how much infants typically sleep and how to help them establish a good sleep pattern.

Our baby was a colicky mess the first 3 months, then it turned off like a switch. I thought I was doomed to live a life with an unhappy, miserable child but now at 1 he is so entirely pleasant and fun, so DON'T DESPAIR! Fortunately for us, the only thing he did well at that age was sleep!

When my son was two months old my husband and i were at our wits end. He would not sleep soundly and he was constantly fussy. We though it was the formula so we switched to soy. We thought it was gas so we bought stock in mylicon. Nothing seemed to work. We then watched a video called The Happiest Baby on the Block. The advice and techniques given seemed to solve alot if not all of the issues we were having with our son. It's amazing how a tight swaddle and some shushing calms a baby right to sleep. I wish we had watched the video sooner. My son is four months old now and he still gets swaddled every night. I know there is a book available but the video is better because you get to see the techniques in action.

We had a lot of trouble with our baby at two months, we bought the book "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Harvey Karp. What helped us most from it was we downloaded white noise and burned it to a cd, played it in her room and she slept better. Also, we swaddled her really tight, we thought we were doing it right but werent, make the swaddle really tight so he can't get his hands out(arms on the sides of the body). Swaying the baby or rocking the cradle will help as well.

We eventually found out that she had allergies, so even though we couldn't tell, that was causing the problem, she is highly allergic to all kinds of things including milk. Try changing the formula if the other previous methods don't work. You can't get allergy tests until the baby is older, so it's a matter of trying different formulas, there is Soy based and Hypo-Allergenic. I hope things get better for you, I really understand what you are going through.
N. B (mom of 3)

I never fed formula to my kids but I hear that sometime one type of formula can be better on baby's stomach than another. Maybe the formula you are giving him is not agreeing with him? Try a different one maybe? Also, ask your ped what he or she thinks. Usually first babies are more colicky for NO REASON. Is this your 1st? I feel for you. Been there, done that.

They say around 6 weeks is a growth spurt and 7 weeks can still be in the thick of "fussiness." I should know, my daughter peaked from 8-12 weeks. I went to the doctor because I was so concerned. She's now a happy, smiling, outgoing baby so they do get over it! Have you read "The Happiest Baby on the Block?" It's an easy read with great tips on swaddling, rocking, and soothing your baby. Another idea is to wear your baby in a sling. How long/short is your feed-wake-sleep cycle? You could have hime up for too long and he's having trouble falling asleep. At that age, it could be every 2-2.5 hours. Could he be sensitive to outside stimuli--lights, noise, dogs, other family members? Perhaps a dark, quite room is best. Remember, sleep begets sleep. Just some ideas to get you thinking.

If your child sleeps all day or a good part of the day he may not be sleepy at night. Try to keep him up longer during the day He may have his nights and days mixed up.

IMO, 6 ounces is too much for a 7 week old to drink at one time. You are right on your feeling with that. My 6 month old takes in 6 ounce bottles of breast milk. Formula is heavier from what I understand.

I agree with MR's response (I usually do). Both of my son's had their days and nights mixed up at first so we would only let them nap during the day with stimulus around him. At night, it was quiet. Since your little guy is having trouble napping all together, I'd turn off the TV, radio, whatever during the day and make it comfortable for sleeping. Some babies are more sensitive to noise/activity. I don't think you should tiptoe around him, but just make sure it's not impossible to sleep during the day.

As for not sleeping, we used the swing and our youngest slept MANY hours in the swing. The doctor said at that young age it wouldn't hurt him but if you use it too long, it would be a hard habit to break - this was at his 4 month check up. He's now off the swing addiction - or I should say we are.

We had a very colicky first son so when I was at the end of my pregnancy, I heard of this class "Happiest Baby on the Block." We signed up for it. As it turns out, I had my son the day before the class so we changed to a class when he was about 4 weeks old. Our second son was SUCH an angel compared to son #1, so we didn't need the class. BUT, people SWEAR by it. I'd look into it.

Finally, if he's spitting up a lot he could have reflux or an issue with the formula you are feeding. I wouldn't rule that out. You should have a check-up soon (8 weeks, I think) - talk to your doctor about everything you mentioned.

Good luck.

J.,

Is he crying non stop or just won't sleep? I would change formula to either Neutromagen or Allimentum. (Abbott offers discounts for employees and their family members;) I wouldn't mess with other formulas! All of my children and most of the grandchildren in our family had either milk allergies or sensitivities. I would switch formula, get the Dr. Brown baby bottles and make sure that you have a slow enough nipple. Give it a few days and see how he reacts. If he seems in pain, esp at night, have his ears checked. If he does have gas and congestion or other signs of allergies, he may very well have an ear infection. Also, my son cried constantly at 4 months and I struggled to figure out what his issue was. Come to find out he had a hernia. We thought it was gas, etc. But when I gave him gas drops and addressed it the way that I knew how to, it didn't help. I wondered if he had a hernia. So I examined his area under his diaper and noticed a bulge in the pelvic area and sure enough, he had emergency surgery for a hernia. (Extremely painful, so if God forbid it be the case, insist on treatment...not just "pushing it back up" THAT is awful, awful pain to deal with. It would just fall back out again.) I doubt that is the case, but you just have to be patient and go through that checklist we all have to run through as parents.

I hope that you get this figured out. Rely on people to help you. This can be so draining and you want to be your best. Let me know how this comes out. M.