Phase or Am I Doing Something Wrong?

[Indianamom2]

DS #2 is 3 months, 1 week old. He's always been a good sleeper and a pretty laid-back little guy. I could, from day 1, lay him down after nursing him and he would stay asleep. I have always been able to lay him on his play mat and get a few things done for 10-20 minutes without a problem.

The last 2-3 weeks, every time I nurse him (at night or nap time) and think he's asleep and try to put him down, he's instantly awake again and crying. He won't just go back to sleep until I pick him up. Then, he insists on nursing again, but only for a minute or two and he falls asleep again. This process happens 4-5 times before he will actually stay asleep. I went through this with DD#1, but she was always like this, from the beginning and has always had MAJOR sleep issues. I'm just wondering what's going on with DS #2.

I've changed absolutely nothing in our routine, particuarly at night. (Naptime isn't such a big deal) Is this just a phase or am I doing something wrong here? I should add that he doesn't really use a pacifier, never at night anyhow, and I know he's not hungry if he's falling asleep again with a minute or two. What am I missing here?

Christina

[wellyes]

I think a lot of babies have a change in sleep patterns around 3 months. I sincerely doubt you're doing anything wrong, I just think the little guy is growing and changing. His behavoir sounds pretty normal to me; consider yourself lucky that you had it so good for so long!

My DD went from very intermittant sleeping to sleeping the whole night through at 3 months. I patted myself on the back, even though it wasn't really anything I'd done of course. And 2 months later she went back to the way she'd been before, and did not STTN for another 6 months. So, in other words, I think "expect the unexpected" is pretty normal new baby behavoir.

[catsnkid]

This just started happening to me too, DS is 4.5 mos and is doing the exact thing you describe. Very annoying.

[sste]

I think this may be happening because your baby is developing cognitively to realize he is waking up in a different place (bed) from where he fell asleep (nursing/in your arms).

Starting at the 3-4 month mark, we tried to put DS to bed sleepy but not asleep. It is hard with nursing but we just nursed before we got him in pjs and did his nightime routine. There is a little crying this way and if I think we let him cry for 5 or so minutes at 3-4 months and then 10 minutes or so at 5-6 months before coming in an soothing. Our goal was for him to learn to self-soothe and put himself to sleep.

[WitMom]

Those little babies can be turkies, can't they? My DD2 dramatically changed her sleep habits at the 3 month mark, too. She went from sleeping through the night (from about 9:00 until 4:30 or 5:00) to waking up at least twice. I don't think it's anything we did. I just attribute it to the fact that she was starting to become more wakeful and alert at this age....outgrowing some of that newborn fog. She was a reflux baby, and her doctor thought it might be because she was outgrowing the dosage of her medication. Even though we upped the dose to accommodate her weight change, she didn't go back to sleeping through the night for a long time. All this to say....as a PP said....expect the unexpected.

[maestramommy]

THat's very funny, sounds like Laurel from around the same time. The difference was that she was NOT a good sleeper at the beginning. But if you nursed her until she fell asleep, she would stay asleep when you put her down, most of the time. But around 3 months that ended. It was pure torture. Dh got good at patting her down at night, but I just didn't have time to do that with the other two to take care of during the day. She got worn a lot. Until she got sick of it. One day out of desperation (Maybe 2 weeks ago?) I just put her down in her crib and left. She complained (NOT cried) for about a minute, then got quiet. And that was it. Her naps were/are still very short, but she will go to sleep on her own now, after complaining for a little while. I know she complains that she really is tired and wants to sleep, because when we are out and about I have to wear her on my back, and she STILL will complain for a minute or two, then fall asleep.