Son Is Soo Jumpy

I would try swaddling him. There are loose swaddle blankets that you can get (kiddopotomas I believe at BRU), if he doesn't like the tight swaddle. Both my girls would startle themselves awake and this really helped.

S.,

My daughter was the same. The only way I could get her to sleept soundly was to swaddle her as they do in the hospital. Even then she would try and get one little arm out, and when she did I would have to re-swaddle in the middle of the night. It worked..for many months. It makes them feel as if they are still in the womb. I hope this helps..

It's been my experience that babies startle pretty easily during the first few months of life. Any little noise can cause him to do it. As far as I know, it's a normal part of their development.

Have you tried swaddling him? Do you swaddle him at night or during the day? Swaddling makes infants feel secure and might help with the startling.

Hope this helps.

I think this is very normal for your sons age. I think it just has to do with their muscles moving and growing even while they're sleeping.

Do you swaddle him? That is supposed to help them to stay asleep and not wake up from the jerkiness at this age...

good luck

Hi S.,
I promise you he will grow out of it. my son did the exact same thing. He is now 5 years old and no jumping. it's normal.
And drove my husband insane. Just relax.

N.

I just had my 3rd about 2 months ago and I could honestly say that what your son is doing actually normal. It is their "startle" reflex and it is good that it is working. Basically, they thrust their arms and legs out, but they can't control it. Babies don't have much control of their arms and legs at sucha young age. If it bothers you at night you could swaddle him (they sell swaddle blankets, I have one for my son). They say that helps for a restful sleep because the child can't "startle" himself and won't wake up.
Hope this helps.
J.

Hi S., My niece has something that sounds like the same thing. She is now 4 months old. When my nephew and his wife first saw this happening with their little girl they thought it was a seizure and she was taken to the hospital and admitted and had all kinds of test. All her tests came back fine. They were told it
was sleep tremors and that it will go away on it's own. They were not given a specific time. She does, however, seem to sleep well
enough. She is gaining weight nicely and is alert and a happy baby. I hope that this helps you a bit. Ask you Dr about his/her thought on this. Good luck. Enjoy your baby and being a 1st time Mom ...it goes....so fast. D.

hi, it seems to be something normal for newborns possibly until around 6 months. my daughter used to be like that everytime she slept in the crib. when she slept on me (or someone else) there would be a twitch every once in awhile (but both my husband, and i do that in our sleep from time to time). also when i had her in my bed, i had a pillow rolled up and tightly stuck between the wall and her, kinda like a bumper in the crib. and she used to snuggle with her back against that and have my hand/arm by her side, so she felt more secure. i also had her in bed with me until she was 6 months because she just couldn't seem to sleep in her crib. i would take the suggestions of trying to swaddle (which my daughter would freak over, which is why i didn't swaddle her after a couple weeks). but don't worry, mention it to the dr. but it's normal for them at this age.

It sounds normal and your reaction reminds me of myself. I always say ask your doc if you are seriously concerned about something but my girl did the same jumpy thing, I finally just learned to sleep thru as much as I could and let her be. She is 9 months and still a restless sleeper.

My 2nd son did the same thing as a baby..I don't recall how long he did it for but he did stop. He mainly did it while sleeping. He's 3 now and just fine. Hope it helps.
Linda
www.wah4yourfamily.com

S.:

This is the moro reflex and all babies have it. It is a self help mechanism, and it will go away around 3-4 months if I rememeber correctly from what I read. What I did with my daughter is I put her to sleep on her tummy during the day, this helps keep their arms and legs grounded, so that they don't startle themselves. Keep in mind that it is not recommended for babies to sleep in their tummies but as I quickly learned you will do what works for you regardless of what others say. At night b/c I was less vigilant she slept on her back but I made sure I swaddled her, arms out. This seemed to help b/c it kept her legs a bit restricted. B/C she spent so much time on her tummy she quickly gained head control and strength so at the 3 mo mark she always selpt on her tummy night or day and still does, she is 9 mo now. Good luck with your baby and congratulations. Hope this helps.

O.

My daughter was exactly the same way. She thrashed so much that she wore a bald spot on all 3 sides of her head. She hated to be swaddled and would thrash her way out of the blanket so all I could do is let her thrash all night. My pediatrician just said that at that age a baby's nervous system is developing and their startle reflex gets set off very easily when they sleep. She eventually grew out of it(somewhere between 5-6 months)and is a healthy two year old now. One poster mentioned acid reflux as a possible cause and my daughter did have that too. Hers was fairly mild so she never needed any medication for it, but it could have been a contributing factor. It's worth asking your pediatrician.
all the best, B.

My little guy did this until he was about 4 or 5 months old. I believe it's called the Moro Reflex and it's completely normal. I did notice with my guy that it was more apt to happen when he had been overstimulated or was particularly tired. Not sure if that was associated with it or just a coincidence.

Hi Suzzane,
when i brought my son home he immediately would was kicking his arms and legs...my husband and i thought...oh how cute..he will be a boxer or a soccer player one day....the way he moved looked so cute and funny. needless to say he had severe acid reflux. and the pediatrician kept insisting he was fine with only a little gas. go with your instinct...if it continues i would make an appointment with a specialist. you cant be too safe. i am not saying he has the same thing as my son but he might need attention in another area. because i listened to the ped doc my son ended up very sick and hospitalized for 6 weeks and on a feeding machine for months... i dont want to scare you but my point is follow thru and dont wait!

Have you tried to swaddle him? Swaddling keeps their hands and arms immobile while they sleep. This is common among newborns and it some sort of reflex. I used the amazing swaddle blanket and my son slept pretty soundly in it with the help of some white noise. Good luck

Hi S.,
Maybe he is exercising too much and is over stimulated by it. Alot of exercise keeps us alert. Maybe trying a little less would help.

Just a suggestion.

This is very normal. I read they have a falling sensation, and feel like they are falling. This is mainly due to being used to small area in the womb, so the open area is too open and unsecured for them. My son was like this too when he was little, and to help it I swaddled him. The swaddling really helps them feel secure. He might fight you at first when you start to swaddle,and may even get himself out. My son got himself out of the swaddle every night, and sometimes was only able to get his arms out. I tried all different swaddles, but found that the miracle blanket worked best. You can also roll up two towels and put it on his either side, to keep him in a tight area in his crib. Just make sure it's from his waste down, and he is able to move or flip on his stomach while laying down you should not do this. Good luck.