Improper sleep of infants

Dear aarthi,

first no it isn't true that ALL babies sleep and only sleep during the first 3 months or so. some babies do (to the level of alarming the parents) and some don't, like mine few things that can help:

1. proper nursing - i didn't know how to nurse well with my first born. when he left i simply thought he'd done with feeding. then with my 2nd one the midwife taught me proper latching and nursing techniques. so with my boy he'd sleep for, say 40 minutes, and then wake up and cry. it was like that in the night time as well. i learnt to nurse for longer by trial and error and it happened only when he was around 5 months old. with my girl - even if she unlatched, i put her on my shoulder and latched again. she used to drink properly and sleep for 3-4 hours at a stretch. while this sounds magical, i also understand that some babies are just so by birth - not sleeping well

2. discomfort in tummy - check what you eat. it could be colic that's bothering the baby. colic also causes improper nursing because of that heaviness in tummy. put your baby in lying position. lift the legs and move it in cycling fashion - hope you understand what i mean. it relieves the gas.

3. develop a consistent sleeping pattern. something like this - after every feed burp, sing quietly and rock gently then put in bed. keep the lighting in the room soft (i somehow feel complete darkness is not very comfortable). see if the room is airy enough. with my girl the midwife taught me to keep one of my clothing near her (not too close for risk of choking). the smell of mom you see. i used to wrap the towel, i used to cover while nursing, on her pillow.

i can't think of any other tips at the moment. keep up hope. there'll be a stage they do sleep through and then again a regression will occur my little one is 2 yrs old. finally, since 2 months, i sleep through. she co-sleeps with her brother in their own room

Latha

 

Whoever told you that all new borns sleep well, then they are WRONG..
It takes a lot for a newborn to adjust into this world..The new environment outside the womb, new smells, new touch..everything is new..So it is hard for them to sleep peacefully without your help.
I followed the Five S's mentioned my Dr. Karp.

Five S's - Swaddling, Side sleeping, Shushing sounds, Swinging and Sucking...

You can read more about these at
Harvey Karp's Happiest Baby On The Block

These tips helped me a lot...It takes a lot of courage and patience to take care of a new born..So hang on..If you are tired then ask for help...Take help from husband, parents, in-laws etc whoever is available because the baby can sense your frustration and can be restless...

Also, don't change too many sleeping places...Choose one safe and calm place and keep the bedding comfortable..Baby might not like too many changes...Also put some white noise or a table fan at high speed..Just for sound...This will atleast mimic the sounds your baby heard in the womb...

Hang on...This too shall pass..

 

make sure that the baby is not having some type of medical trouble or is not in any type of pain.. can be gas issue also

make sure the baby is clean and diaper is changed and is fed proper amount of milk .. some babies eat little little more often
idealy babies should be having milk every 3 hours..

ask the baby's pediatrican doctor if they think the baby has colic .. (crying for no reason)

good luck

by the way I am going to be a first time mom soon .. so all my knowledge is from reading many books .. baby is yet to come

 

Devika,

New borns should be fed on demand and NEVER go by clock..The 2-3 hour rule comes after the baby is little older and has started gaining weight...

 

You are kidding, Infants never sleep for longer stretches, simply because their bodies are very small and they only eat a little at a time and need to eat very often to maintain the growth they have to do in a year.
Some kids get to 4-5 hours stretch around 12 weeks. But that can not be generalized. For the first 6 months, you would have to wait and watch where your kids schedule is going. You can only try to maintain a routine like bathing, feeding, changing diaper and singing.. But the sleep patterns would start stabilizing only about 3-4 months..
a baby this small needs to be fed on demand. Around 10-11 weeks, some sort of an eating schedule would start appering to you.. Dont force baby on a schedule.. every baby is different The only way to see the baby is eating well is if he is peeing and pooping and also gaining weight..

 

dear aarthi...i understand ur problem perfectly well bcz my daughter too had the same problems when she was born..she used to cry for apparently no reason for hours during the night and she demanded milk all through out the night..post delivery i had the problem of piles and back pain..i was very upset during that time but my parents and husband supported me very well ...anti-colic drops helped to some extent..she used to sleep through out the day and wake up at night.it was a very big problem and we never slept for many days together....
1. colic..if the baby cries persistently from late afternoon or evening u can suspect colic to be the reason..check it out with her paed and burp her after every feed 2. i was very scared to handle my baby as a newborn so i used to hold her only during feeding time but then i found out that the baby needed my touch badly..and she became fine when i started holding her often so hold her when she/he wants to be held let her feel safe and secure and please dont allow visitors to handle ur baby..each person handles in a different way and we dont know whether it hurts the baby so restrict that...3. make sure that u dont put too many clothes on the baby..make sure that she doesnt feel too hot or cold...feed her very often..feed on demand and make sure that she empties the first breast before offering the other so that she gets the fat rich hind milk..also ensure that she has no infections ( is her stool green?)..then certain foods that u take have effect on the baby. for eg caffeine..some babies become irritated if their mothers consume too much of coffee..for me it was tea that made problems..well it takes time to find out that so leave that part for now...make sure that her sleeping place is neat and airy..

dont worry too much...this is only a passing stage...

 

Hey,

Dont worry.,.You can Definitely relocate when ur baby is three Months...My son is the Standing Proof...My Son was born in chennai in MAy (Peak Summer) and i took him to US in September (Peak Winter in October ) with Snows...There was absolutely no Fuss about it..He got accustomed to it very Quickly..I just ensured that he is wrapped properly whenever we take him out...Also i brought him back to chennai when was almost 9 months ...He accustomed to Hot Climate also Quickly...So no issues..

Cheers,
Brahan:thumbsup

 

It's much easier to adapt when they are little. So I see no problems there.
Regarding you being alone with the baby - It's not an impossible task to not have any family help...With some planning and scheduling at home you can easily take care of the baby. Of course you would need your husband's help too..

DH & me took care of our son (without any help) since he was 3 months old...And specially in U.S without any domestic help if we could do it, being in India I am sure you could do it too...

Good luck