My son will be 8 weeks tomorrow...we are battling reflux (which he takes medicine for) as well as some colic (which is getting somewhat better). Also he isn't gaining weight like he should be...he is in the 14th percentile for weight...he weighed 6.13 at birth and at his 6 week appt he weighed 8.10...he is eating 2-4 (4oz bottles are rare...usually takes around 3) every 3-4 hours. He eats much better during the day (those are usually his "big" bottles of 3-4oz but his last two night bottles around 6pm and 9pm are between 1-2oz each). I am thinking that he doesn't eat much at night b/c that is when his reflux and colic are the worst...maybe??? We try to offer more bottle but he just squirms and fusses and is very uneasy at those two night bottles. His days are pretty good though...he is very alert and LOVES to play on his activity mat and sing/dance with mommy and read books, etc. I have been on maternity leave thus far but will be returning to work next week. He is going to have a nanny with him here at our house...she will be with him from 8:30-4:30. This is my first baby. The first month of his life was a blur...mainly due to the colic and pure exhaustion but now we are settling in and trying to get on more of a routine. I want to make the transition for when I go back to work and the nanny is with him more during the day as smooth as possible. I know he is young and I don't want to be on a strict schedule but just something to give him structure and routine. Here is a sample of what our days look like now (I am starting with nighttime b/c that is the only area where I have really implemented a routine thus far):
8:30pm bath (he LOVES bath time - favorite time of the day...it calms/relaxes him)
9:00pm bottle (here is where one of our problems is...he doesn't eat much at this bottle)
10:00pm bed (after bottle I swaddle then rock and sing our nighttime songs...then he is asleep between 9:30-10...he fights going to sleep sometimes...we have to be on "binkie" watch b/c if his binkie falls out he fusses and cries...we repeat this (binkie falling out and crying) for about 3-4 times then he is finally out...he sleeps in bassinet next to our bed at night
4:00am he apparently has this time set as his alarm clock b/c for a couple of weeks now this is when he wakes up...usually I will put him in bed with us and he sleeps for at least an hour or two more (which helps mommy's sanity :)
5:00-6:00am he will take a bottle...and of course he is starving b/c he didn't eat good the night before so at this bottle he almost always takes 4oz...he is usually pretty sleepy during this time so it doesn't take him long to go back to sleep...what I have been doing is walking him around or talking to him for about 30 min...then I can tell when he is getting sleepy (yawning, fussy, etc) so I swaddle him (he sleeps soooo much better swaddled...my mother thinks it inhibits his movement too much but swaddling just calms him down and helps him sleep...he may go to college swaddled lol)...anyway swaddle then (here is another problem)...I put him in his swing and he usually falls asleep there so I don't move him...so at this point he is napping in his swing (something I want/need to change) but he just sleeps soooo good in there so it is hard...anyway for the rest of the day...he will eat usually about 3 oz from here on out...he is awake for about an hour or lil more for playtime then it's swaddle then nap in swing...he usually takes one really good nap during the day for about 2-3 hours the others are usually for 1-1.5 hours...then about 5:00-6:00pm is when the fussiness/colic starts and that is when it is hard for him to eat and sleep and then bath time at 8:30 (which calms him down).
I hope that all made sense...I know it sounded confusing to me lol. Anyway my questions are this...how can I help him to eat more? Or should I even mess with it...should I just let him eat what he wants to when he wants to?? Also should he be on more of a feeding/sleeping schedule...everyone tells me "read Baby Wise" (first of all when as a new mom do I have time to read lol)...right now it is about every 3 hours and he is awake for 1 hour then sleeps for 2 (maybe more). Oh I forgot to mention that he does sleep good at night usually between 6-8 hours...usually sleeps 6 hours in his bassinet and then when I put him in bed with my husband and I...he will sleeps for 1-2 more. I know, I know...he shouldn't sleep in his swing (I hear all of the time how he needs to nap and sleep in the same place) and he probably shouldn't be in bed with us either. But at this point I still feel like I am in survival mode...haha! Whatever we can do to get some sleep and to help him not be so fussy/colicky at night is what we are doing! So like I say...I need some help/advice from moms who have colicky/reflux babies...what kind of schedule did you do for your baby at this age? How about sleeping? How to do I get him to sleep in his bassinet for naps? I have tried letting him fall asleep in swing then moving him but he just wakes right back up and if we don't get a good nap in during the day then he is overtired and that just adds to our problems :). I want to eventually transition him to his crib but first I need to get him sleeping in one place for everything before I can even think about the crib! Oh and just for reference...my husband and I both start our day around 5am...I leave for work around 6:15 and he leaves for work at 8:30 when the nanny gets here. I just want a schedule/routine that is going to work for us and for him as I go back to work and I have heard that structure and routine may help the colic too :)...sorry for the LONG "quesiton"...if you need me to clarify anything just ask...but please...HELP!!! :) One last thing I forgot...he is on Nutramigen, we use Dr Browns bottles, he takes probiotics, we use mylicon drops at bottles, we use gripe water when needed (he gets VERY gassy esp at night and grunts and cries when he need to pass gas or have a BM)...I feel like I am doing everything I can to help my little guy out but we still have issues :(...poor baby...on his good days I can see the baby he truly "wants" to be...and it just breaks my heart to see him hurt and uncomfortable :(
His bassinet is elevated (although I can't seem to get the "elevation" thing right...I have tried books, towels, pillows but it just elevates his then kind of drops off and looks super comfortable). He was sleeping in a nap nanny but I took that away b/c he has to sleep with his legs bended and I worried about him not being able to "stretch" out...but maybe we should try that again??? Also in his bassinet I have one of those "snugglers" that is meant for car seats...but the head thing and side pieces really help to keep him in one place....when I didn't have that in there...he would move himself (swaddled too :) to one side of the bassinet so his head could lean up against something. Any ideas on how to elevate the bassinet good? I wish they made a bassinet wedge...I have seen the crib wedge at BRU but nothing for bassinets...and I know I could move him to his crib...just not sure how to "transition" into that or if we are ready for that.
As long as he's eating, peeing, and pooping regularly and is maintaining his percentile weight (e.g., not drastically falling from 14th to 2nd) he should be fine.
My granddaughter had reflux at that age. She slept in her car seat placed in her bed. This helped tremendously. Both grandchildren slept in their swing. No need to move them.
I suggest that your baby isn't sleeping in his bassinet because he has to lie flat which causes the reflux. I'd skip the bassinet.
First, there is absolutely no reason why he cannot sleep in his swing. It is a very snug and cozy place to be ... that's why it's so popular with newborns. Many babies are happier in their swings or carseats during the first few months because they are cozy and because it slightly elevates them. I would actually recommend you keep him there, because it will really help his reflux.
If he sleeps well in bed with you, then just go for it. One of the best pieced of advice I ever received was, "Who cares where he sleeps as long as he sleeps!?! Because if he sleeps, you get to sleep!"
As much as possible, just go with the flow. If he's hungry, feed him. If he doesn't want to eat, don't make him. He knows whether he's hungry or not, so you just have to try to trust him.
I would not recommend reading "Babywise." I have not read it myself, but I have heard that it is really about putting your child on a schedule rather than following your child's natural schedule and needs. It really won't be long before your child will "fall into" a routine and a schedule. He doesn't need you to watch the clock, he needs you to watch him. He will let you know if he's hungry, tired, needs to be held, etc.
I know you are concerned about his weight, but is the pediatrician concerned about his weight? Generally speaking, whatever percentile your child is in at birth is the one that they should stay at. My oldest was around the 10th percentile (I think, hard to remember), so I always looked for him to be between the 5th and the 15th. He's following his natural growth curve. My youngest, on the other hand, is always between the 60th and the 70th. Go figure! If either of them changed greatly from those percentages, that would tell me that something might be wrong. They were either gaining weight too fast or losing weight. If your ped is not concerned, then you don't need to be.
Sounds like he's doing just fine ... very typical 8 week old :-)
All your questions are normal. You're doing fine. Like another post said, he naps when he's tired and eats when hungry. Just keeping giving him food when he asks, and sleepy time when needed.
At only 8 weeks, don't give yourself a hard time about naps in the swing and sleeping in your bed. There is nothing wrong with that. His sleep is the most important thing.
As some advice, babies go through so many changes and needs during the first year. Let go of the need to control everything and just enjoy the ride. For example, when he never sleeps because he wants to eat all the time (the time will come :)), just feed him with a joyful heart knowing that growth spurts are temporary. When he cries and cries until you pull him into bed with you, just hold him close and remind yourself that in just a few years you will never have such intimate sleep with him again. Ever.
Ah, motherhood :)
Nothing about what you said sounds abnormal to me. My son only slept in his bouncy seat during the day and I never worried about it. At some point he became better at sleeping on his back and we moved him to the crib. He also was sleeping at night in the crib and in the bouncy seat during the day. The only thing i would say if you are trying to get him to gain more weight is maybe try a bottle when he wakes at 4 and then he might just sleep straight through until 7 or 8 rather than waking up at 5.
And as far as a schedule goes I think this is about as structured as you should get with a baby this young.
Relax, mama, you're doing great! My babies' schedules were...eat when you're hungry, as much or as little as you want, and sleep when you're tired. I wouldn't try to get him to eat more at this point unless your pediatrician is very concerned about his weight gain and thinks "Failure to Thrive" or something but really, he sounds like he's doing just fine. If you had gas or indigestion, the last thing you would want is more food, right? Colic usually clears up between 8 and 12 weeks so he should be more comfortable in the next month and maybe his appetite will kick in a bit more.
Regarding where he sleeps...don't sweat it! Honestly, my youngest son slept in his car seat for 7 months because that's where he was most comfortable. Nothing wrong with a nap in the swing or car seat or some snuggle time in your bed. Learning to sleep in different places is a valuable skill. An 8-week-old sleeping 6-8 hours would have been a miracle in my house, so really, he's fine.
I absolutely hated Baby Wise - I read maybe a chapter or two and vehemently disagreed with just about everything in it. No book is really the baby Bible and don't pressure yourself to read anything.
Finally, colic is what it is. The only real cure is time, and it does go away. My first was the most colicky of all of my kids and I remember how awful that time was. You're doing everything you can and should do, and he'll be OK, really! Best of luck as you transition back to work - try to relax about things a bit and worry less about what you think you're "supposed" to be doing. Your instincts sound right on...trust them and try to relax a bit and enjoy these last few days at home.
Please do not beat yourself up about baby sleeping in the swing. Being upright helps TONS with reflux so don't worry one bit about it! He sleeps well in there because he is comfortable. Laying down flat just makes all his tummy acid move up and cause discomfort.
Well i have a few suggestions for you. First if your baby is not gaining weight like he should i would attempt a midnight bottle instead of allowing him to sleep straight through he is still little and sounds like he needs the extra calories. As far as the reflux goes get him out of the bassinet (lying flat casn be very painful for babies with reflux. My daughter had severe reflux as a baby and the only thing that was positioned correctly for her to find comfort was a bouncy seat so she would fall asleep in that and then we would move her to her crib which we had elevated on one end. This is how she slept until about 18 months when her reflux started to settle down so she could sleep flat.
Hey there. I'm not sure I'm answering all your questions, but if your baby has reflux/colic, try a different formula. (I assume you're using formula b/c of your reference to bottles; my apologies if I'm wrong.) Ask your doctor for a prescription for a soy-based or sensitive brand.
And, on his schedule, he's too young for a day-to-day routine, so don't worry about it! For a baby this young, a "day" is the duration between each nap. It's probably worth it to develop a routine around how you comfort him, how you get him to sleep, etc., but don't stick to something just because you've done it before. Babies have enough flexibility in them -- take some time to figure out what works for the two of you.
Best wishes,
Mira
There's nothing wrong with what you're doing. It sounds to me like he's eating when he's hungry and sleeping when he's tired.
Don't worry about naps in the swing...if he's taking a nap, it doesn't matter if it's in the swing, bouncy seat, car seat, on the floor, in a basket of clean laundry...he's taking a nap!
Gas is pretty normal at this age...his little system is learning how to process food. Keep doing what you're doing. Don't be afraid to grab his little legs and push them gently so his thighs press agains his belly. Be sure to burp him very well after meals. And when he's gassy, he might like to be put on his belly across your thighs and have his bottom patted firmly (for a few months of my own life, this was the only way my mom could get me to sleep I was so gassy).
Get rid of the bassinet and find a wedge to put into his crib to prop him up slightly. This will help the reflux. Also, be sure you're burping firmly enough and long enough...many parents think that gentle patting is burping...but it's not firm enough to do anything. Don't be afraid to pat a bit harder.
Every baby grows at it's own rate. Don't worry too much about the doctor saying he's underweight. He'll grow. Just keep doing what you're doing.
My baby is 8 weeks as well. She is my 2nd so I'm more relaxed bc I pretty much know what I'm doing. I read baby wise and basically you are doing it. Your schedule sounds great for his age. Don't worry about napping in the swing. He will grow out of it. Babies like the cradle position. Mine sleeps in the fisher price cradle rocker. It's been great. She sleeps about 9pm-5am. I feed her...I just keep her swaddled and she passes right back out. I stick her in the swing. I have fisher price little lambs cradle swing. She sleeps there until about 8:30 or if I wake her up sooner. Daytime I try to stick to at least 2.5 hrs between the start of each feeding but if she is hungry I feed her. Just like your baby she is fussy at night usually just as we sit down for dinner. Her last feeding is always weak too. She is gaining so I don't worry. I have no idea how much she drinks bc I exclusively breast feed (not my intention but she won't take a bottle) your boy just might be small. My older daughter has always been in the 5% for weight and 20% for height. She is a little peanut but so am I. She will most likely be short and skinny. She is almost 3 and 25lbs.
If my memory serves me then I think this is the age that my daughter got colic. She was very fussy and was hard to get her to stop crying. The swing is what saved us. We put her in the swing and she would get calm and go to sleep. Also, we would hold her face down and swing her back and forth in our arms and this helped too. Sounds like it may be colic and he will go through that and it is just a stage that comes and goes.
Do NOT read "Babywise". Just DO NOT. You sound like you have a "high needs" baby but at least he sleeps well at night. He should be held and comforted, possibly even worn as much as possible. I know you have to go back to work but ask you nanny to do this and you should do it as well when you are home. You said nothing about breastfeeding. It is not too late and it will calm even the fussiest baby. Some babies are just not great eaters but you might try A.R. (I think similac makes it) because it has rice in it. Talk to your doctor though. He does need to gain more weight but I think he might not be eating because he is in physical discomfort. My advice is to do anything and everything it takes to make him happy. Don't worry about bad habits, ect. Most babies enjoy car rides, swings, being held,warm baths, ect. Perhaps I missed it, but is he on the right medicine for his reflux?
I had a very fussy/colicky baby. My mother would insist that I just didn't know what I was doing to get her to calm down, but then she finally stopped saying anything when it was clear she wasn't successful either.
We let my daughter sleep in a side-to-side swing for nearly 6 months and she was swaddled in a Miracle Blanket. These were the only two things that would calm her down and get her to sleep. One day she just transitioned easily to her crib and no longer needed to be swaddled. We just let her decide on her own time.
Everyone would tell me I just had a very "spirited child" but now I think she could have just been in a lot of pain and couldn't get comfortable. She is now almost 8 and has multiple autoimmune illnesses and other health issues that I think started when she was an infant. I breastfed and think she was getting some of the allergens from my breast milk that caused her to be colicky/gassy/fussy. Her illnesses really kicked in as soon as she started on solid foods. I don't know if it was food, antibiotics, vaccines or something else that triggered all these health issues, but we're now working to repair her gut flora.
I don't know if your child is having similar issues with a reaction to his bottle, but suggest if/when you have time, you check out the GAPS program - http://www.gaps.me. I heard the doctor speak in Dallas last November and she said colic should not be considered "normal" in babies, but instead it is a warning that something else is going on. It's better to try to find the source of the colic if possible than to try to suppress it. I know... easier said than done.
Hi, i have a 16 week old baby that was born premature. His "real" age is only 9 weeks. He has severe silent reflux. He is only on acid reducer at this point so it won't hurt so bad coming up or going back down. Your schedule sounds great. He must be your first. I already have a 6 1/2 year old and she was on a tight schedule. This baby doesn't have a choice but do what we are doing and I wish I could schedule him! First off, after mine came home from a month stay in the NICU, we were miserable. He was miserable. He couldn't sleep anywhere. Not sitting up in his seat, swing, crib...nothing. My doctor told me NOT to swaddle him so his lungs to expand more. When we stoppe swaddling, things really got bad. Finallly......after weeks.....I finally gave in to some advice to laying him down on his tummy. OH MY GOODNESS! He slept for the first time ever! I have an angel care monitor. I highly reccomend this monitor to any parent. HIGHLY! It sounds an alarm if there is not movement (breathing) for 15 seconds. With this alarm in his crib, I felt more safe letting him lay on his stomache. Reflux babies do not like laying on the back. Tummy reduces it. Life saver. Mine is small baby and he is only taking 4 oz bottles. He is taking the minimum amount for his size. At 8 weeks, he was eating a lot less that what yours is. Most babies his age are sleeping 8 or 9 hours at night. He is a very very noisy and loud grunting sleeper... He also only sleep 5 hours before waking..usually hungry or snorting (reflux causing stuffyness and snorting in his nose). I'm jealous yours sleeps already! I think you are doing great. Most babies improve greatly around 3 months. Their esophagus grows longer, they get stronger and all in all are happier. I say survive. If he will sleep in a swing...go for it!
I'm only going to comment on the bassinet to crib. For an 8 week old baby, there is no transition. Just start putting him in his crib. The longer you wait, the older he gets, the harder it will be. My daughter started out in a bassinet but she was so big I moved her to her crib when she was about 6 weeks old. No transition, just did it. She was fine. I will also say: You need to relax. Go with your gut. You will both be fine. And, let him sleep in the swing. He'll be fine and it may be more comfortable since he has reflux.
we went through all the same stuff. Sounds like you are doing what you can. Its just a difficult time. We did sleep our daughter on her tummy though, it helped with the pressure from her gassy tummy. Doctors recommend back sleeping, but our doctor said because of her "issues" however we could get her to sleep was good.
Hang in there! It will get better as he gets a little older. I know its hard to see right now, but it will. I have a happy healthy 7 year old to prove it. Although she does still have tummy issues...
