Help

[pinkbundleofjoy]

my DD is just over a month old and does not like to sleep at night. i understand that to a point she has her days and nights mixed up but no matter what i try i cant get her turned around. so as it stands she sleeps a lot during the day (usually only staying awake for maybe an hour or two at most) despite numerous different attempts to get her to stay awake and play, read a book with me, sing to her, etc. she eats about every 3 to 4 hours during the day and about every 2 to 3 (if im lucky) at night. she usually wakes up anytime between 9 PM and midnight and is awake until between 3 and 5 AM crying because of colic or maybe because it looks like shes getting a tooth or both. if anyone has any suggestions on how to correct the day and night mix up it would be greatly appreicated

[SnuggleBuggles]

I would try waking her up more during the day. Go ahead and let her have 2 longer naps (3-4 hours) but the rest of the time try and feed her every 2-3 hours. It might help. Another thing is to wake her up to feed her when you go to bed because you will kind of refill her and not get woken up 30 minutes after you turn off the light.

3-4 hours of straight sleep is pretty par for the course at this age. It gets better! Just do what you can to get sleep right now. That may mean co-sleeping at night, taking shifts with your partner (I would sleep in the guest room and dh would bring baby to me to nurse and I would give the baby back to him before 4:30am or keep him after since we were co-sleeping and baby tended to be fussy), nap during the day,...experiment till you find a solution that at least helps a bit.

About the colic- you should post over on the Kid Food board about that so the wise moms can weigh in on it. Could be reflux, growth spurt, normal.

Beth

[egoldber]

I agree that I would let her go no longer than 2-3 hours between meals in the day. By tanking up during the day, she may not need to eat as often at night.

Also, the nightly screaming could very definitely be reflux. You may want to call your ped's nurse line to ask their thoughts. A lot of what used to be called "colic" they now realize was undiagnosed reflux and/or food intolerances.

[pinkbundleofjoy]

thanks again for the advice :) unfortunately she wont co-sleep she only wants to be held and cries if i do anything else and no partner. thanks for the idea to post on the kid food board im gonna give that a try asap. :thanks:

and do you have any ideas on how to wake DD up during the day? nothing i try seems to work.:( im trying to do the best i can but im just a little confused and worried about DD.

DD was just at the ped (DD had problems early on and we had to try several different formulas but finally found one that seems to be okay... :)) and this was when he said that it is just colic (after several conversations about this problem before he took me seriously) in answer to all my questions about what is wrong and why she cries like she does. colic.... thats why DD cries almost all night until she turns red in the face, is inconsolible at times and cries until she coughs and then cries some more.... i really doubt it but i dont know what else it could be....

[egoldber]

What you have just described is classic reflux behavior. Many peds don't "believe in" reflex, especially older ones.

Honestly, your ped does not sound very respectful of you and your concerns. I would consider finding a new one who takes you seriously.

[BeccaB.]

I agree with previous post. If your ped is taking your concerns seriously look for a new one. My baby was crying for 30 to 45 minutes at a time from gas until we got him on the right formula. I can't imagine how you are dealing with your dd screaming for that long without losing your mind. You definately need help and if ped is doing it, find a new one.

Hope your dd feels better soon.

Rebecca

[pinkbundleofjoy]

what exactly is reflux? is it common & how is it treated or does it just go away on its own?:confused:

[pinkbundleofjoy]

it is really hard to hear her cry like that but i guess the only thing that keeps me from losing it is that i know she needs me and i have to do the best i can for her and i cant do that if i lose it

[ThreeofUs]

No time - call friends and get a referral to a ped who takes you seriously.

My DS1 had awful reflux, could only sleep on us (upright and a little face down), and it took us 4 months to figure it out. He went on a prevacid prescription, but to sleep still needed to be tummy-down.

Reflux is like adult heartburn - what has been in the stomach comes back up the esophagus. It's very common, can be caused by allergies (such as milk), and only the pain is treated. It either goes away or the baby learns to manage it.

Much of what used to be called colic is now called reflux.

Gotta run - good luck and keep it together!

[MoJo]

It sounds like your little one has many more issues than ours. . . but one thing my DH read early on that has always seemed to help with nights and days is to open the curtains/blinds during the day, and turn off most if not all the lights at night. As soon as we started doing that, DD slept more at night and for shorter durations during the day.

I agree with everyone on the ped. . . ask anyone you know with kids at any stage in your area, or even ask your OB who they recommend, and go see a different doc ASAP.

Gotta go. . . DD always gets up at first light!

[KrisM]

It sounds like your little one has many more issues than ours. . . but one thing my DH read early on that has always seemed to help with nights and days is to open the curtains/blinds during the day, and turn off most if not all the lights at night. As soon as we started doing that, DD slept more at night and for shorter durations during the day.



This should help. Get the baby in bright light all day for awake times. Quiet and dark at night. Even at 6 months, DS can be wide awake at night and if I just turn off the lights, he settles down immediately.