Newborn Who Has Trouble Sleeping, Stays up for Hours!

It sounds like she is not getting enough to eat. Or the other reason would be the formula is not agreeing with her but it sounds like you are just breastfeeding? You may have to supplement with formula if that is the case.

Hey,

Well it sounds like you have become a human pacifier. She might be ready for crying it out, if you are ready. What I did was make sure that all of my baby's needs were met before I put her down (which I'm sure all moms do) and when I know nap is inevitable, then I swaddle up my little one and put her down. If she cries - that's okay. She is now 3 and is a very good sleeper and has no "trust" issues. Don't become the human pacie... I know another mom that went down this route and her daughter didn't give it up until she had to wean her (around 18 months). I work with her husband and he is no fun to be around because the lack of you-know-what due to human pacie. The diapers sound very normal for breast feeding. If they stop looking like that and you are exclusively BF, see a lactation specialist.

There are a couple books. I swear by "On Becoming Babywise" and my friend swears by Dr. Ferber. I didn't do babywise word for word, I did it to what I thought was best for my children and I. I have used the guidelines for both children and they don't need to see a psychologist because they cried it out (CIO).

Whatever you do - just remember that you are the mom and you do what you think is best for your baby. Suggestions come and go.

Good luck and congrats! :)

~T.

Def discuss reflux with her doctor. BabiesRUs sells a wedge that goes under the crib sheet that will help prop her up and may help if it is reflux. And you can also check out the book The Happiest Baby on the Block. He discusses the "fourth trimester" meaning those first 3 months outside the womb. And tips/tricks you can use to recreate that secure close feeling. Also, Dr. Sears has a wealth of info on his site. I swear by my mayawrap sling. You can wear her when she's cranky, have your hands free and she'll get some rest. But it sounds like she's sleeping well at night for such a little one. She should be waking every 2-3 hours to eat. And please do not let her cry it out. Even if you chose to use that method of sleep training ( and I would hope you wouldn't) she is way, way too young.

what you are going through is normal. Hang in there and just give her all the love she needs. Please don't let your precious baby "cry it out" at this age, if she is crying she needs something and crying is the only way she has to let you know.

Thank God she sleeps at night!
At 1 month old, your best consultant is your pediatrician. Take her for a walk in her stroller, the sun's warmth and the movement could make her drowsy plus it gives you the chance to enjoy the outdoors.

I'm sure you will have moms tell you to let her nurse as much as she wants, but it's just not healthy to be constantly eating, and unnecessary for her to use you as a human pacifier all day long. Get and read Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. It will change your life. Someone gave it to me when baby #3 came along and I wish I'd had it for the first 2 kids so I wouldn't have been so miserable!!! The book will explain a routine called E.A.S.Y.

I'm glad to see things have been improving for you. I just wanted to add that pacifiers may help against the risk of SIDS until the age of 2. I was unable to get my daughter to take one of the thousand different shapes and sizes this planet had to offer until she was about 5 or 6 months, but now ONLY sleeps with her "Nuk" (refuses to sleep without one and is only allowed to have when she is sleeping). A fan in the nursery is also reported to reduce the risk by 70%.

She sounds just like I remember from my nursing days. I felt like a walking utter. I kept my sanity by reading and netflix the first few months while she nursed. Putting her down for a couple minutes while you take a breather is perfectly fine. And I read a whole mess of baby books and articles telling me to keep to a routine and only sleep her in her crib. She ONLY slept in her little pink boppy chair that vibrated for the first few months for maybe an hour at a time (stupid automatic off mechanism!).

There will be a time when you reclaim your body as your own. It sounds like you are doing everything you possibly can. And that is all you can do. Her sleeping habits are going to change periodically depending on growth spurts, teething, solid foods, etc... It's a growing experience for both of you.

My first daughter was what I called, "a nipple nurser." She would nurse, suckle, nurse, suckle and this could literally go on all day long. Being that I was a first time mom with a baby like her, I didn't mind because I had nothing more important to do than to take care of my baby.

It sounds like she is getting adequate milk (wet and dirty diapers) so I doubt there is a problem with her intake of breastmilk. It sounds like she just loves the comfort of being near you, and that is perfectly normal. It does NOT last forever, so please be patient and enjoy this special time with your newborn. The house work can wait...

It sounds like she's sleeping very well for you during the night but you're concerned about her not napping during the day. My second daughter would take "power naps" which lasted 10-15 minutes tops. I called her my little snoozer because she rarely took long naps. She liked to be awake, even as a newborn. Yes, for me it was frustrating because when the baby is awake, you feel compelled to hold your baby and enjoy her while she's awake and take advantage of doing things around the house or for yourself while she sleeps. I wouldn't encourage the pacifier only because I never used one and I feel that they are unnecessary anyway. I do not recommend you letting your baby cry it out for any number of minutes. She is in infant~ still getting acquainted to her surroundings and YOU are her immediate source of comfort and she needs to trust you. Babies cry because they have no other means to communicate so when she cries and you do not respond to her cry right away, it distresses a baby to point where they may become inconsolable. I found that bringing my baby into every room with me comforted her and you migh try a bouncy chair and bring it to the kitchen so you can talk to your baby. I brought my babies with me to every room I went to just so that they knew I did not disappear. As they get older, they will learn to be without you long enough to use the bathroom without fearing you disappeared forever. My best advice is to enjoy this beautiful time with your newborn. She won't nurse forever and soon enough before you know it, she'll be a toddler and these "needy" days will seem like a distant memory for you.

I have two recommendations….

1. Have you tried a swing, one of the ones that swings side to side as well as back and forth, one direction may sooth your baby more, also sometimes they have a little reflux and sitting up in the swing a bit may help….

2. I know this is going to sound odd….but after weeks of no sleep with my infant I started letting him sleep in just a diaper, and can I every tell you he was SOOOoooOOO much happier, and much more rested. I started with just a onesie then eventually we figured out he was sleeping longer with no clothes on.

I don’t know if this will help but just thought I would pass along what worked for me best of luck I know you’ll get some great advice on here!

Sleep training (a.k.a. CIO) does work, but is only for older babies, and should NOT be used for a one month old (or anytime under four months). If all her physical needs are met (clean diaper, full belly, no injuries, etc.) and she is still crying, maybe she just needs to be held. I know it is tough at this age, but it will get better. If you have to put her down and let her cry, becasue you need a minute to yourself, that is okay, but do not let her cry herself to sleep. She is just too young for that.

My oldest was like that. I called him a "never napper" He was the most alert baby I had ever seen, from the time he was four day old. I though at least for the first couple months they were supposed to sleep all the time, boy was I surprised. I nursed him A LOT, too. Sometimes it seemed like hours on end. He also would not take a pacifier.

It goes so fast. Just do what you can for now, and know that she will grow and change so quickly over the next several months. Hang in there.

Hang in there, sweetheart, she's a newborn and needs your comfort. It's exhausting; but get dad or grandma to walk her so you can take a shower and a nap! many Blessings to you...

well the poop is normal. most of the time with the pacifier she just needs to get her tongue going to the right way. what i did was put the pacifier in my daughters mouth then leave me finger on her cheek so the skin to skin contact will make her think its the breast. i went through the same thing with my little girl. it gets easier, but really try for the pacifier. worry about breaking her later, also she's a little young to cry it out. for the next few monthes do pick her up, she's going to need that security. good luck

Oh, M. I remember those days. It was not so long ago and I thought they would never end. My daughter would only sleep in my arms with me nursing her. At about 8 weeks I could tell she was not sleeping good with me, especially at night. Here is what I did-I started putting her in her crib to sleep for nap and put her on her tummy. i know that this is a big no,no. But she would not sleep on her back or side, even with one of those wedges. I knew she could hold up her head too. This worked. i also started getting her on a good nighht time schedule. I started one half hour earlier each night til i got her to 7:30-8:00. Also a baby needs to get their first nap of the day 1-1/2 to 2 hours after waking in the morning. Believe me it makes a difference. Then a second nap after lunch. At one month she will still be napping alot through out the day. A swing may help too. Just remember that this will past.

Look at what you are eating. Write down everything and the quantity for a week or at least a few days. Examine it carefully, looking for items that cause distress or are hard to digest, gas etc. Obviously, stay away from caffeine, sugar and refined items. Hope you find it, maybe its your own diet.

Dear M.,
You will get past this stage. I know it can feel like you are just a walking udder and get very frusturating especially when you are going on no sleep. You just have to remind yourself that this is all new for the baby, too. One month ago she was quite happy with being in your belly, but you had to go and be all selfish by pushing her out :). During the day, try putting her by a window in a swing or just in her carseat. But keep her wrapped snuggly, even if its just in a thin blanket. That will comfort her and make her feel safe, which is a big part of why she wants you to hold her all of the time. Another thing you can do is pump your milk and give it to her out of a bottle. That will unlatch her from your body for a few minutes and you will also be able to see how much she is eating. Just hang in there... one day when she is walking and talking you will wish she was still at this stage.

C.

For the first 2 months of my sons, he is 2 1/2 now, life I think that all I did was breast feed...I realized later, that all he was doing was using me as a human pacifier most of the time. At first he didn't want anything to do with the pacifier but about a month later he started to take it and it took a load off of me. I used to always rub his head to get him to sleep and he loved that, he also loved being in front of the fan or getting wind on his face. My is and always has been a mover and a shaker....at about a month old he didn't sleep that well because his arms and legs just wouldn't stop moving...so I finally turned him over on his belly and he slept like a champ. I know, the doctors say that they aren't supposed to sleep on their stomachs at such a young age but about 10 years ago when my niece was born they said that newborns should sleep on their stomachs not their backs, so who knows. All I know is that he slept great! I hope some of this helps, hang in there....I know you already know this, all the frustrations are soooo worth it in the end....she'll come around and you'll figure it out...it's just what Moms do....God Bless!!

Hi M.
i had the same problem when my baby, use a t-shirt or something with your own semll and put on one side of his face... Try a daily routine to put her to sleep...and the swing chair work for my...or talk to your doctor maybe is colic or other thing...good luck

mama puertoriqueÑa

My daughter never slept much as a newborn either. She would go several days with perhaps a few naps of 20 minutes each, if that, and then perhaps once a week or every four days she would sleep a lot that day. She wasn't cranky though. If you are changing her diapers enough perhaps try a swing or bouncy seat if you can. You can use your stroller inside to calm her down if that helps. You can try keeping her upright after feeding for about half an hour, in case her issue is reflux. If she is having gas cramps, baby fart aerobics, massage, simethicone drops, etc. might work. My daughter would almost always go to sleep if I had her in the sling and vacuumed. The roar of the vacuum and the swinging back and forth worked like a charm. For your own sanity, get outside with her. Getting outside worked like a charm for my baby and a bunch of others that I know; babies love to be outside. Get a soft mat, folded blanket, whatever and take her to a park. Read a book while she lies down on the picnic table and stares around. She's too young to see much, but still, being outside is great for babies. Carrying her in the sling, facing inward until she's old enough to face outward, is also comforting. Good luck!
I just want to reassure you that some newborns don't sleep as much as they say they should, because mine surely didn't and she's still a sleep fighter to this day although she's getting better.

please do not let a one month old cry...

It sounds like reflux?
http://www.mamasource.com/business/14059862321568677889

there is silent reflux where the acid goes up & then back down, so no spit up.

what are stools like? if they're normal breastfed stools (mustardy/seedy) then most likely it is not anything you're eating. an occasional green diaper is totally normal. FREQUENT green diapers are not. if you're seeing a LOT of: green diapers, mucousy diapers (looks like banana 'strings' or actual mucous/snot), foamy (like shaving cream) diapers or very watery diapers - then it might just be something in your diet. NOT LACTOSE INTOLERANCE but maybe a milk or soy protein intolerance. another sign of protein issues is lots of foul smelling gas and your baby SEEMING constipated (baby is not!) because s/he is straining and grunting to pass a stool...

NEXT: I would discover BABYWEARING. find a local group! there's one in broward, one in dade and I have no idea where you live...
www.thebabywearer.com/forum

HOLD THAT BABY!!!

I sooo know what you are going through. It will get better, i promise.

My daughter had bad gas the first week i went home with her. Every three hours like clockwork she was up. We tried a couple of pacificers and kept pushing it as docs request. She said babies need to suck and then our daughter found her thumb and all was well.

Car rides really put her out, some belly time every day( mostly sleep on my husband's chest as they both caught a few zzz).

I thought i was gonna go insane. I too sang to her and finally a few months later it started to put her to sleep until we laid her down in her bed. She is now 3 and doesnt fall asleep til i sing the lullabye.

If you really cant stand it anymore- put her down in the crib, close the door, and scream yourself til you can take a breath and call your doctor for advice. All moms have been there and the doctors understand and expect a few phone calls from new moms.

I agree with the posters who said 5 minutes of crying is 5 minutes too long. Her behavior is very normal! There is a very good book called The Wonder Weeks. It tells you the times when babies go through mental growth spurts. One of those times is 5 weeks. You'll get a lot more clinginess, fussiness, and sleeplessness at those times.

http://www.livingcontrolsystems.com/wonder_weeks/content_...

I think the main thing going on is a growth spurt and I can't believe no one else mentioned it.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/growth-spurt.html

Even if she's not actively getting milk, she's stimulating your supply just by being on the breast. I know it's frustrating having a baby attached to you all day. My first was very much like that. I am nursing my 5 month old right now and when he goes through mental or physical growth spurts, I get more fussing and nursing for a week or two.
Hang in there because I promise it gets easier!