Unsettled at nite - grunting, groaning etc

[Jacki]

Hi all
Please someone help me !!!

My little one is just over a month old. He isn't much of a crying baby but makes lots (and I really mean LOTS) of grunting, groaning, straining type noises particularly when asleep.

He feeds well (has put on 1 kilo in a month since birth) and usually goes 3 -4 hours between feeds (sometimes 5 hours).

Over the last couple of nights he has been extremely noisey. Example - last night I fed him at 12.00 and put him to sleep in his cot at 1.00. He started making noises (grunting, groaning, etc etc) at 3.00pm. (Not crying). I got up assuming he was stirring and to BF but he was still asleep. This went on until 4.00 when I couldn't stand the noise anymore and I got up again. But still asleep and would not stir - but every 5 minutes making noise as though he is uncomfortable, moving a little and then falling back into a peaceful position asleep like an angel !!

He makes lots of the same noises when he is stiring from day sleeps, when he has finished feeding and when I am changing him (don't get me wrong - there are times when he is quiet !!)

I ended up feeding him at 5.00am when all his noises eventually turned into a bit of a cry.

I don't know what to do. Is he in pain? Do I need to take him to a doctor?
Please help, I am going insane with worry.

[Spring Angel]

Please don't worry. Sounds totally normal to me for a 1 month old. As his mummy you are just so acutely tunned into his noises and I bet DH sleeps through it if he is anything like my DH My DS seemed to always be making noises and I'd jump out of bed to check on him and he was sound asleep. There was grunting, groaning, farting, squirming almost constantly. Just remember they are only little so even digesting food is a big task for them.

I would stick to a 3/4 hourly feeding schedule that you have going but if he doesn't seem concerned or crying and still seems to be asleep then just leave him and try to get back to sleep yourself.

You are doing a fantastic job.

Lv spring

[Jacki]

Thanks for your reply Spring Angel. Your comment about me being "acutely tuned into" to his noises gave me a laugh.

He is so loud the next door neighbours can hear him !! The noises are just so loud and aggressive it is hard to accept that they are nothing and that he isn't uncomfortable.

DS is currently napping and probably due to wake for a feed. He has been grunting, moaning etc for the past 45 minutes or so - all this noise makes it hard to take him to certain places where he would be too loud.

This has been the longest 4 weeks of my life !!
Thanks again for your advice

[Willow]

Jacki, my DS did the same thing and from about 4-6 weeks it drove me nuts! The "5am Grunt" we called it - it would start at 5am every morning and last about an hour and a half when I'd get us both up cause I couldn't stand it any longer! LOL.

It only lasted a few weeks then passed. These little ones have so many weird phases, but they never usually last very long.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Aww Jacki, i thought Alex was bad, but sounds like you're a bit worse off than me...

Hopefully it's just a phase for Luke and it passes soon!

[Ezz]

My DS makes grunts etc. in his sleep - but not as much as he used to. They drive you nuts at the time - but when he doesn't do them, I worry that maybe he's not breathing (so I keep getting up to check anyway)

[Jacki]

Thanks for the posts ladies.
DS also grunts when I am trying to put him to sleep, when he is about to poop, on the change table etc etc.
Hopefully this will be a short lived phase

[mrsr]

My Jack is a big grunter when asleep and awake...it's all normal.

[firsttimer]

My little girl is nearly 8 weeks old and we call her "simba", because she sounds like a lion cub with all her noises!

[Rahjah]

oh we were so worried when our DS started doing this! The first few nights we were up with him, stressing that he was in pain...then we realised HE was asleep, and we were the tired ones up worrying!
So we moved him into his own room - it passed in a couple of weeks.

You so sound like me though - at the time NO ONE seemed to understand how LOUD he was. It's no small grumble. It's freaky!

But...it DOES pass. good luck!

[sirenz]

my DS was a big 'grunter' in his sleep from about 2 to 6 weeks old. we always found that once he did a poo the grunting would stop.

I think its just their way of digesting and getting their bowels moving.. all normal i think.. but yes i agree it can be annoying when you are trying to sleep.. especially when they start at 3 am