Seeking Help on Newborn

My pediatrician told me they don't have the ability to get their days and nights straightened out until about 3 months or so. Now I will say my little guy was sleeping about 7 hrs at around 2 months which was heavenly!! Mom can try keeping him up in the day, but at his age, good luck!! Now if he seems to be in pain and gassy at night, she can give him mylicon to help out. That first month can be rough, but it will get better:) Just encourage her to hang in there and that in a couple months it will all be so much better. Congratulations on your new grandson!!

Congrats on your new grandson!

Newborns are like that... the best advice I ever got was sleeping when the baby was sleeping (even if you aren't tired at the moment). He will gradually adjust with the suggestions already given (daytime means light and activity, nighttime is quiet and dark). We have natural body clocks that set and reset for light and dark, etc. For the previous 9 months this little guy has been in a time controlled, temperature controlled, light/dark controlled environment - the outside world is a shock to him and it makes sense that all of the stimulation of daytime (especially if there are visitors and family all hovering around) would make him want to sleep but when it is quiet and darker out then he is awake and still adjusting.

One of the things that we learned in "newborn" class was to think of the first 3 months as the 4rth trimester - we think that the baby knows what is wants/needs and we just don't get it right but at the end of the day - this little guy never had to ask for anything before... all his needs were taken care of and now this being outside the Mommy stuff is a shock. Imagine waking up somewhere and not knowing the language or environment or anything about the world around you.... that is what he is doing through.

Good luck.
blessings,
stacy

He's so young that I think it's a bit unreasonable to think he'd be much different. Around this time I believe you can start regulating his feeding schedule, though. During the day, feed him every 2 1/2 - 4 hours (depending on if he's being breast or bottle fed) and be consistent, doing it the same time frame at each feeding (give or take half an hour). After each day time feeding, try to keep him awake for 10-20 minutes and then let him go back to sleep. After the last day time feeding (usually around 11 or 12) put him right in his crib and let him sleep or lay there until he's ready to eat again. Keep the environment quiet and as stimulus free as possible. There's nothing that says a parent has to be with him just because he's awake. Then, when he's ready to eat again, feed him with as little stimulation as possible, change his diaper and put him right back down. Do this until the parents want the day to start (around 7 or 8am or whatever is their preference) and then start with the daytime routine again. So, it's feed time (making sure he's getting a full feeding and not snacking), awake time (even if it's just a few minutes) and sleep time. All this is covered in the book On Becoming Babywise by Ezzo. I highly recommend it! They don't even recommend starting what I've just told you til after the baby's a week old, so they're not behind at all. Sounds like they're having a normal newborn experience. I know just how hard it is. This is going to take time! Newborns need a chance to adjust to the outside world. Most infants don't start sleeping at night for 6-8 hours at a stretch until 8 weeks or so. We used this method with all four of our kids and had good results. Feel free to email me with any other questions you might have. I'd be happy to help any way I can.

That heppened to me too and I did 2 things. I kept her up by moving all around right before her last feeding and that seemed to help a little. And I also tried letting her cry some when she would have eaten, burped and been changed so she would know that it was sleep time. That is all I knew to do. Just sleep when he sleeps!!! Just when they get it all figured out he change it up on them again!

Patience and time will bring him around. Do not read Ezzo as someone else suggested. Babies do not need to be on strict sleep or feed schedules when they are so little. It is normal for breastfed babies to eat every 1.5-3 hours (and more often when they are going through growth spurts). Bottle fed babies may eat every 2-4 hours. Babies have been linked with failure to thrive and many prematurely wean when they follow Ezzo's plan. The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics)strongly warns against strict schedules with newborns.

If he is not happy during the times he is awake, have her swaddle him. It may calm him more. When the baby is sleeping have her rest and sleep. She will be more able and capable to take care of the baby at night if she is rested.

Many blessing to you and your family.

My 1st did not sleep during the day or night. She would nap during her marathon nursing sessions. If I moved her, day or night, she would wake up. Sooo, I ended up holding her and sleeping in the glider most of the time.

I dreaded the nights. My husband would be asleep and I would be pacing the floor doing all I could think of to get her to sleep. She would cry and cry and cry and then sleep in my arms, then start over for about 2-4 hours between midnight and 4 am. It was dreadful. I thought it was something I was doing.. and partially it was. She was diagnosed with acid reflux and some of the foods I was eating, in excess, were causing it to be worse. I cut out all dairy, broccoli, grapes, and tomato sauces.

I also figured out that this is normal and they do regulate with a little help at around 1-3 months. My 1st did not sleep through the night until she was 3 1/2. My 2nd had the BAD night and day mix up the same as the 1st. From the day I brought them home from the hospital, but he was much better after 1 month. He started sleeping 7 hour stretches at 4 months. I was AMAZED and kept checking him to make sure he was breathing.

All babies are different and all babies this young do not need a strict schedule. Let them be babies in 'the 4th trimester' and the parents sleep when the baby/ies do. All parents are sleep deprived and the 1st month or 2 usually feel unbearable but it gets much better.

Good luck and cheers to the new baby.

the Dr. had told me to keep them in a well sun lighted area during the day and dark rooms at night to help the understanding. It worked right off the bat for us, but don't know if it work with them already mixed up? Worth a try!

Hi J.,

Our oldest son did this, too. My pediatrician said to wake him up constantly when he tried to fall asleep the following day all day. We did it and I held him most of the day tickling him or undressing him to keep him awake and he was back on track. Good luck!
C.

Some babies make the adjustment more quickly than others. Some of the best advice I received was to never try to keep a sleepy baby awake nor wake a sleeping baby. Infants this age don't respond to sleep "training" in the usual sense. If they cry it is because they need something.

A good thing to do is to make a very clear distinction between night and day. Awake time is stimulating, full of light and activity (even if just in a sling or wrap with someone moving around). Day time sleep is NOT in particularly quiet or dark circumstances--I would even vacuum while my daughter was napping. Night sleep is quiet, peaceful, and calming. Getting to the baby before he fully awaked and soothing him can help keep him from becoming too awake.

I am a little surprised that he is staying awake 5-6 hours at a time...a baby this age usually sleeps 16-20 hours per 24. If it persists more than a week from now, it is certainly worth a mention to the midwife/pediatrician/nurse.