newborn will not sleep at night

[spunky84]

DS will be 4 weeks on Tuesday.

The first few weeks he was a good day and night sleeper (would sleep and wake for feedings on que).

In the last week, he's suddenly stopped sleeping at night. It's impossible to get him to sleep. He's been having more of a rough time during the day as well.

Swaddling, swing, holding.... Nothing works.

DH is taking him for a drive to see if that helps.

Ever since he was born, he's had problems spitting up (various amount of spit up - breast milk and formula). We feed him upright and keep him upright after feedings. He still spits up. He's impossible to burp.

This week he's seems to have problems with being very gassy. We've tried gas drops.

He has a check up next Friday on the 9th. I'm contemplating calling tomorrow to see if they'll check him out, but I know it's a possibility it's something he'll have to grow out of, but I'd hate to have him (possibly) in pain for another week if there's something causing serious discomfort.

Sometimes he's just wide eyed and awake, but the majority of the time he's crying. Which then usually leads to more spit up because he got so worked up.

Has anyone gone through this? Was it something they grew out of eventually or did it require a visit to the doctor?

Eta: he's only bottle fed. Nipples are slow flow (orthodontic ones).

We tried playtex vent aire which is supposed to help reduce the amount of spit up and gas. We can't afford to go buy and try a tin of different bottles / nipples.

 

[greats]

Sounds like you've passed his first wonder week leap... also sounds like reflux and overtired. Do you keep lights on at night? You need to switch his days and nights. Loud, bright, cheery during the day and soft, quiet, dark at night. No lights on at all... I use my phone to see or the tv on low sometimes.

Focus on getting him to stay awake for about 1.5 hours at a time during the day before he should be napping again. Lots of tummy time, walking around with him upright while supporting his head, etc.

Also, I suggest bringing up the severe spitting up and fussiness to your doctor... ask for reflux meds, they have been a lifesaver for my 2 month old!

We worked on making sure her days and nights were in the right order. We also have established a bedtime routine... babies thrive on routine! Soothing bath (we don't use soap every day), massage with lotion, diaper, pajamas, lights off (except tv on low) swaddle, and bottle and she's out like a light sleeping a 7-8 hour stretch, one feed at 5am then back down till 7.

 

[mummytobe_93]

It sounds like it could be reflux if spitting up a lot. Is he in pain?
I too had same issues with my son he had to learn night and day, also threw up a lot and in a lot of pain with his stomach with wind. At 8.5 weeks in eventually seeing light at the end of the tunnel. He is starting to sleep a bit better for a few longer stretches!
Definitely get him checked out and also try and keep it light and noisy in the day and quiet and dark at night. No eye contact, don't talk to him and keep it boring. Eventually he will learn night time is for sleeping snd hopefully once the gas reduces he might sleep a bit longer x

 

[JumpingIn]

If this is reflux jump on getting it sorted NOW in terms of meds and support. Quick intervention is key to aiding with sleep...4 month old here been medicated since 2 weeks but took months to get his dose and med right, now has no idea how to sleep

Holding upright etc is all well and good for helping a little but this is a medical condition, albeit a temporary one, that normally requires treatment whether it's a change in formula, meds, supplements or a combination of those.

 

[spunky84]

We have been keeping a light on at night since we've been up so much.

I called his pediatrician Friday morning because he seemed to be so miserable with gas, his spitting up, etc. It's just been getting worse (and really only started when his sleeping problems at night started).

He has a check up on the 9th, but I didn't want him going that long and it was almost the weekend.

She was in the nursery all day, so we couldn't get in, but she called later in the day. After describing all of his symptoms, she said it sounded like he could have a dairy allergy / sensitivity. Since Monday was the earliest we could get him in, she suggested giving him Similac alimentum and we'd go from there.

So we have him his first bottle of it last night and we now have a new baby. No / little gas pains, little spitting up, much less fussing, and he actually slept last night, waking only for feedings (though I made sure the only light on was in another room so that his area was dark. Before he was pooping constantly. He'd always poop during a feed, and usually a few more times after. I had never known a baby to poop so much. He's had more normal bowel habits since the first bottle as well.

So it loss like his sleep problems were because he was so miserable and probably in pain from gas.

I'm still going to keep lights off at night so we can make sure he rests at night in case the lights were post of the problem.

 

[JumpingIn]

Ah fellow dairy intolerant here... Isn't it nice to have an answer? On my breastmilk my boy was in bits and now he's on Neocate formula he's showing real improvement. So happy for you