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Sleeping for a 8.5 week old. What is normal?
Hi,
I'm at wits end with my son. He used to sleep like a baby then at 6 weeks he got RSV and was in the hospital for week. After that, kiss napping in the day/evening goodbye.
I thought he was having GERD issues (which he still may have) but then I realized he doesn't take naps beyond 5-20 min and is up for two hours. We also noticed that his feeding could be contributing and vise versa.
He's been eating every 2 hours (4-4.5 oz). On the dot when it hits the 1.5 hour mark after a feed he gets incredibly fussy. Then at the 2 hour mark we do a finger test to see if he wants to eat and he gives a sucking to semi sucking. But if I hold him out with just soothing him, he will be calm or fall asleep. To me that means he isn't hungry but just fussing out of being tired. So I put him in his crib. He falls sleep anywhere from 5 min, 10 min, to 20 min. Only once today did he hit 1/2 hour. But then will waking up fussy cry that leads to crying and moving around a lot in my arms.
Before noticing this I was keeping him up playing in his activity mat for 4 hours. Now I realized maybe I was doing wrong.
So what IS NORMAL for a 2 month old and sleeping? I'm lost.
I'm at wits end with my son. He used to sleep like a baby then at 6 weeks he got RSV and was in the hospital for week. After that, kiss napping in the day/evening goodbye.
I thought he was having GERD issues (which he still may have) but then I realized he doesn't take naps beyond 5-20 min and is up for two hours. We also noticed that his feeding could be contributing and vise versa.
He's been eating every 2 hours (4-4.5 oz). On the dot when it hits the 1.5 hour mark after a feed he gets incredibly fussy. Then at the 2 hour mark we do a finger test to see if he wants to eat and he gives a sucking to semi sucking. But if I hold him out with just soothing him, he will be calm or fall asleep. To me that means he isn't hungry but just fussing out of being tired. So I put him in his crib. He falls sleep anywhere from 5 min, 10 min, to 20 min. Only once today did he hit 1/2 hour. But then will waking up fussy cry that leads to crying and moving around a lot in my arms.
Before noticing this I was keeping him up playing in his activity mat for 4 hours. Now I realized maybe I was doing wrong.
So what IS NORMAL for a 2 month old and sleeping? I'm lost.
Sophia has horriable gas, particulary around the 5pm time frame...we call them the 5pm grizzlys (a term we got from Dunstan.) We now give her anti-gas drops in her bottle and also to her. For the most part, once she gets the anti-gas meds, she calms right down. Luckily, it lasts for only about 30 mins during this time of night. Otherwise, during the day it seems the gas doesn't bother her as much. Its like its builds up during the day and goes to a head around 5pm! We do burp her lots during the day and do the little kangaroo cruches to help the gas pains and put her belly up on on shoulder to put pressure on her little belly.
She now takes 5oz bottles and she is 7wks old and goes about 3-4 hours during the day for feedings, somtimes longer, somtimes less. She sleeps about 5/5 and half hours at night. She just reached 11lbs, so Im hopeful that she will be able to sleep through the night soon.
We also do not change her diaper at night unless its a smelly one. We try to disturb her as little as possible during the night time feedings.
She now takes 5oz bottles and she is 7wks old and goes about 3-4 hours during the day for feedings, somtimes longer, somtimes less. She sleeps about 5/5 and half hours at night. She just reached 11lbs, so Im hopeful that she will be able to sleep through the night soon.
We also do not change her diaper at night unless its a smelly one. We try to disturb her as little as possible during the night time feedings.
My son is 8.5 weeks and we have lots of issues.. Consistency is difficult at this point! We have had to switch his formula, then he got the flu, then we had company for 3 weeks, the BAM he is 8 weeks and had to get shots!! We haven't even had a chance yet to establish a "schedule" EVEN THOUGH WE REALLY HAD WANTED TO!.. He eats 5 oz. about every 3 hours, in the evenings, we *try* and put him down after his 9pm 'ish' feeding, then when he wakes, we feed him in his room, diaper change, burp, then back down... He typically sleeps for 3-5 hours straight, but not consistantly.. It is very frustrating.. Just hang in there.. It takes time to establish routine! He also has reflux, so he is on zantac, and sometimes, he will only sleep and hour or two at a time at night b/c he is uncomfortable and spitting up.. If your baby has reflux or GERD, have you tried to put baby down in a bouncy chair or something where baby sits more upright? This helped with my son as well! Good luck to us all! Maybe there be some sleep in ALL of our futures!
i am actually having the exact same issues with my son who is also 8.5 weeks old at this point.he has just given up napping for any amount of time.if he falls asleep he'll go down for no more then 20 min as well.and on top of that unless he is just completely exhausted he will not go to sleep unless i am holding him and by thetime i get him out cold enough to put him down and walk away hes already up.he eats essentially every 3 hours but there are plenty of times throughout the day where by 2 hours hes screaming his head off to eat but i force him to go longer.he was sleeping 5 hours at night but that has ended to.i go back to work on monday and am terrified i will never be getting any sleep.so if u get any good ideas please pass them my way as well.
To clarify, he says if you try and strectch out baby's feedings to 3 to 4 hours but she is hungry, then feed her before then. I don't feed her before 2 to 2 and half hours.
Also, its only during the day that is she goes to 4 hours of sleeping, that I wake her to feed. At night, I let her go as long as she wants/can.
Also, its only during the day that is she goes to 4 hours of sleeping, that I wake her to feed. At night, I let her go as long as she wants/can.
I am paraphasing here and its best to read his book but here's a bit of his advice:
I have been reading Dr. Karp's "The Happiest Baby on the Block" book and he says that if you want to put your baby on a schedule you may want to try spreading out the feedings to 3 to 4 hours and to do closer feedings like every 2 hours in the late afternoon/early evening. However, he does say that if your baby gets hungry before then, then by all means feed your baby. He does say that trying to keep your baby up during the day could cause her to be fussier at night. Plus, try and keep your baby in motion during the day like in the boucny chair, in a Bjorn or in the swing. Also, if your baby falls asleep right after feeding, try to jostle them gently awake and then put them down to sleep. That way your baby will learn to put herself back to sleep without needing a bottle/breast to fall asleep to.
I really like his book and philosphy. It seems to work well for Sophia. The 5 ways to calm your baby, espeically the sushing noise and putting her on her side after being swaddled, work so well for us.
A book a friend recommended to me about feeding/scheduling is called Baby Wise. I just ordered it and have yet to read it.
Soph is just a month old and sleepsl for the most part, about 3 to 4 hours a night with her last feeding/being put down to bed around 10 or 11pm. She takes about 3 oz during the day every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. If she is sleeping, I never let her go past 4 hours for a feeding (dr. karp's advice). At night, I give her 4oz which sometimes she takes and other times she doesn't. She is only bottle fed. She does spit up several times a day and we have elevated her crib mattress (pillow under her crib mattress) after the pediatrican said this was ok to help with the spit up while she is sleeping.
I have been reading Dr. Karp's "The Happiest Baby on the Block" book and he says that if you want to put your baby on a schedule you may want to try spreading out the feedings to 3 to 4 hours and to do closer feedings like every 2 hours in the late afternoon/early evening. However, he does say that if your baby gets hungry before then, then by all means feed your baby. He does say that trying to keep your baby up during the day could cause her to be fussier at night. Plus, try and keep your baby in motion during the day like in the boucny chair, in a Bjorn or in the swing. Also, if your baby falls asleep right after feeding, try to jostle them gently awake and then put them down to sleep. That way your baby will learn to put herself back to sleep without needing a bottle/breast to fall asleep to.
I really like his book and philosphy. It seems to work well for Sophia. The 5 ways to calm your baby, espeically the sushing noise and putting her on her side after being swaddled, work so well for us.
A book a friend recommended to me about feeding/scheduling is called Baby Wise. I just ordered it and have yet to read it.
Soph is just a month old and sleepsl for the most part, about 3 to 4 hours a night with her last feeding/being put down to bed around 10 or 11pm. She takes about 3 oz during the day every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. If she is sleeping, I never let her go past 4 hours for a feeding (dr. karp's advice). At night, I give her 4oz which sometimes she takes and other times she doesn't. She is only bottle fed. She does spit up several times a day and we have elevated her crib mattress (pillow under her crib mattress) after the pediatrican said this was ok to help with the spit up while she is sleeping.
I'm right there with you. My son is eating on pretty much the same schedule and sleeping (or not I should say) the same as your little guy.
He was having some issues with spit up and weight gain that had us change his formula to a soy based formula. I figured that was a reason for wanting to eat so much, since he was finally able to keep formula down and wasnt spitting up so much, but now he has a cold and is FULL of mucous in his chest :(
He gets where he is fussy like he wants to eat, but if I make a bottle he barely eats it and then its wasted.
I think it's normal of the age...(my son is 6wks)...they are trying to figure out a pattern that works for them and its frustrating for all!
He was having some issues with spit up and weight gain that had us change his formula to a soy based formula. I figured that was a reason for wanting to eat so much, since he was finally able to keep formula down and wasnt spitting up so much, but now he has a cold and is FULL of mucous in his chest :(
He gets where he is fussy like he wants to eat, but if I make a bottle he barely eats it and then its wasted.
I think it's normal of the age...(my son is 6wks)...they are trying to figure out a pattern that works for them and its frustrating for all!
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