My baby doesn't sleep during the day!! Help please...
So, my gorgeous bub is 8 weeks old today. We are co-sleeping and she sleeps well overnight, waking once or twice for a BF and settling straight back to sleep. But we're having a few issues during the day... Miss P does not sleep during the day! She has not slept during the day since she was born. She will settle on my chest (or in the sling) but she wakes up as soon as I put her down. She can be in what appears to be the deepest sleep but put her down and her little eyes pop open... and she SCREECHES!
I have tried settling her all over the place - her cot, her pram, my bed, the couch... As much as I would like to sit on the couch with her all day, I have two other kids to care for as well as other jobs to do - like shower and use the toilet!! I can't wear the sling constantly as I have a bad back and it is simply not practical (hmmm... the sling in the shower?).
I don't want to let her CIO, she is too little and it would break my heart!! Any suggestions... please??!!
Hi hon. I only just re-read I posted about my DD when she was roughly the same age!! I'll post a link as the thoughts and advice from other members was great I'm a useless mum
My DD ended up being diagnosed with silent reflux. Medication did help a lot but I found she didn't cope well with developmental leaps well at all in the first 6 months (are you aware of The Wonder Weeks?). She became a brilliant day sleeper around 6 months.
Some things that helped were a hammock for day sleeps, medication for silent reflux, a baby chiropractor and her fave - wearing her in the sling.
Good luck, it sure is tough and even tougher with other kids to look after too! I hope my old post helps in some way
The only way my DS would sleep during the day at that age was in the hug a bub.
It's great she'll sleep at night - suggests that she really just needs you close by to fell comfortable right now. It is likely to improve with a bit of time (hopefully). Kate's suggestion is good - have you tried that? Maybe a bit hard with the other kids.
DS had silent reflux and he couldn't sleep lying down day or night until around 10-11 weeks.
It's interesting that silent reflux has been mentioned as I began to suspect it a couple of weeks ago. I discussed it with our MCHN who agreed it's likely Miss P is suffering from it. I started her on Gaviscon a few days ago and she is a bit more settled after a feed but she still screeches if I put her down, even though I am careful not to lie her flat.
I have a close carrier and Miss P loves being in there and will sleep. She will fall asleep on my chest as well, but as soon as I put her down she pops awake. I think she just wants to be attached to me and can smell when I'm not in contact! I tried snuggling her in bed and then carefully getting up when she was fast asleep but as soon as my feet hit the floor she is awake and crying! I put her on my pillow so it would smell like our night sleep but still no good.
I know she is only tiny and she needs her mum but I'm finding it difficult to do the basics such as shower, go to the loo and look after the other kids. It breaks my heart to hear her cry... there must be some way to settle her to sleep (I know she must need some sleep!).
Thank you all for your replies. I will go and check out that thread now Taurean...
With the silent reflux (if the mchn agreed its probably that, thats good enough for me), you may find it will take a little while (as in up to a week) to see a real improvement with the gaviscon, because what may have happened (it happened to both of mine, who are both 'fluxies) is the acid going up and down will have burnt her throat a little bit, so whilst the gaviscon is helping now, she still needs to heal a bit first.
Since you co sleep at night, you could try having a t-shirt you've worn close by to bub during the day when down for naps so that her "area" smells like you even when you're not there....when I worked in long day care I suggested this to a couple of parents who co-slept at night, but bubs were with us during the day and it worked a treat!
And (whilst I'm sure theres a forum for it) feel free to pm me re: silent reflux if you want!
Congratulations on your new little bubba The advice you have been given is fab but I was wondering if you had a swing? We have a fisher and price swing and it was worth its weight in gold when DD was small. The rocking motion helped her calm right down and she rarely slept in it but it gave us some "2 hands" time. She was usually ready to be wrapped and put down after that too, the rocking seemed to make her sleepy.
Yesterday afternoon was very unsettled and already this morning Miss P is pretty miserable. I am pretty confident that she is suffering silent reflux as I can see her gagging every now and then, screwing up her face, swallowing then crying. My poor bubba!! We have a doctor's appt on Friday when I will try to get something better than Gaviscon for her. I might see if I can get an appointment today or tomorrow instead. I think the Gaviscon thickens the contents of her gut but I don't know if it actually changes the acidity? And now she is constipated from the Gaviscon...
My DD was a 'happy chucker' but I have never dealt with reflux which causes pain before. Why does she sleep so well at night but can't sleep during the day? Is the reflux not as bad at night or is she just so exhausted that she sleeps through it?
We do have a swing starangelk, she will sometimes sit in it for 20 minutes or so and occasionally fall asleep. Never for very long though!
BabyWrangler, I have tried putting her to sleep on my pillow with one of my dirty t-shirts but no success!!
I may be wrong but I thought Gaviscon was better for normal reflux (so happy chuckers) as it thickened it and therefore tended to stay down. At least I'm sure that's what our Paed said Our DD was put on Zoton first by our GP which didn't do much at all. The Paed said that was often the case and that GPs arent comfortable subscribing anything stronger. Our Paed put DD straight on Losec and we had a different baby within 24 hours. The tablets were hard work so we paid more to get a suspension dose made up each month.
Like I said in my previous post, DD didn't cope well with her 'Wonder Weeks' but the Losec definitely helped her silent reflux.
My DD had the EXACT problem and from what I hear it is perfectly normal. It is when they get their night/day confused. So here is what I did and I hope it might help. We got DD on a night time routine as we heard routines can sometimes make them realize it is night night time. We gave her a bath at 7pm everynight. We put Aveeno Lavendar lotion on her and put on some soothing music. It took awhile but it worked. We also gave her a time limit on her naps during the day..like not letting them go longer than 3 or 4 hours. Hope this helps
On the advice of the MCHN I started DD on Gaviscon about a week and a half ago as we both thought she had silent reflux. It made absolutely no difference apart from causing some constipation. Saw the GP yesterday and he gave me a script for Zantac and said it would take a few days to have an effect (if indeed reflux is the problem). She has now had 5 doses... and slept this morning for 3 and a half hours!!! Woke up, had a big feed, a play and a bath and has now been asleep for another two and a half hours! OMG... I don't know whose baby this is - but I hope she's here to stay!!!
Thank you all so much for your support and advice, I was really struggling and your words made a big difference.
My baby doesn't sleep during the day!! Help please...
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The advice you have been given is fab but I was wondering if you had a swing? We have a fisher and price swing and it was worth its weight in gold when DD was small. The rocking motion helped her calm right down and she rarely slept in it but it gave us some "2 hands" time. She was usually ready to be wrapped and put down after that too, the rocking seemed to make her sleepy.
Our DD was put on Zoton first by our GP which didn't do much at all. The Paed said that was often the case and that GPs arent comfortable subscribing anything stronger. Our Paed put DD straight on Losec and we had a different baby within 24 hours. The tablets were hard work so we paid more to get a suspension dose made up each month. 
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