1/ We hired a hammock today and OMG - such a difference. I wouldn't say James has reflux, but he is a little chucky, swallows great amounts of air and every time we put him down he would wake up within a few minutes grunting and straining and we would go through the pacing settling routine and get him asleep again and put him back sometimes up to 4-5 times until he settled which would leave me with about an hour sleep between feeds. Since getting it this arvo he has slept for a 3 hour stint (record since being home) and has looked so peaceful in it. I really think the angle and movement is helping all that milk stay down and not hurt his tummy so hooray for hammocks!!
2/ I know never wake a sleeping baby but last night James fell asleep in his bouncer and slept for 7 hours and needless to say, after feeding 3 hourly, I woke in agony with rock hard boobies. SHould I just let him sleep at night if he does this now with the hammock? I am happy to get up and express a tiny bit for relief and he has put on 430grams in 9 days so Im not worried about him getting enough but I just can't remember this happening this early with Izzy. I am pretty much demand feeding and he is demanding 2-4 hourly (average 3 hourly more often than not).
3/ How much awake time do newborns need/want? We are watching for tired signs etc but sometimes he will fall asleep after a feed and I will try to wake him and he just won't stir - only to stir awake 10 minutes later in bed, so then Im not sure if I should keep him up a bit or just resettle. Am trying to keep him up a bit during the day when he stirs and not at night. Again I just can't remember! About 20 mins max seems to be how long he lasts - does that seem right???
Ok Im off to relax while my little guy snoozes in his hammock - SO glad he seems so much more settled and not struggling with his sore tum.
My thoughts are if he is sleeping longer during the night - let him! Unless he is underweight or jaundiced then I would let him be. That way he can establish his own sleep patterns. I know it kills the BBs but they settle down and get used the pattern after a few weeks.
From memory DD wouldn't be able to stay awake for longer than 30 min after a feed during the day and would be needing a sleep after that short amount of time.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that you should not let a newborn go any longer than 4 hours between feeds.
Newborns need min 9 hrs at night and 7hrs during the day. I remember DS only lasting abou 20mins or so when he was afew weeks old. DS would often feed then fall asleep. He now lasts about 1- 1.5 hrs before getting tired.
Tan, I'm jealous, you're a lucky chook to be getting 7hrs!! I would just leave him, if he's settled enough to sleep that long and putting on plenty of weight, there's no need to worry I wouldn't think. And as for the wake/sleep thing, some days Liam would just fall straight back to sleep after feeding, he still does occaisionally. But I would say that 20-40min would be about the average time for a bub so young.
i remember with DD#3 i could not believe how much she was sleeping in first few weeks. People would come over to visit and she was always asleep. A feed, 10-20 mins of wake time, and that was it. She was buggered by then !! I agree with the others, he is still so new, i say he is getting the sleep he needs......
Ooooh Tan, where do you hire hammocks from?
I used to let Natty go 5.5 hours max overnight (just cause I thought I should wake her - wasn't based on anything) but this time round I will just let bubs go for as long as they like overnight! Bring on the sleep, I say! Especially if he's feeding really regularly during the day. If you reckon he's getting enough feeds in before and after the big sleep then it sounds like you're onto a winner.
Can't remember the waking time for newborns. Honestly can't remember. Max 20 mins sounds very reasonable.
In the early days Brock would wake after 3 hours and we'd have time to change him and feed him then he'd often go back to sleep right after feeding (sometimes in the middle of it) - he didn't have much awake time at all. I never woke him for a feed but he always woke every 3 or 4 hours back then. I'm pretty sure bubs would wake if they needed a feed.
Hammocks, boobies and awake time for newborns....
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