How to know what is "normal" baby crying/sleeping/eating?

Hi everyone,

DS2 diagnosed with reflux (not silent reflux) at 4 weeks, medicated with Zoton (like Losec) at 5 weeks and is now approaching 6 weeks. The Dr said to come back at the end of the week if the Zoton doesn't seem to be working and she will send us for some tests.

I am finding it hard to determine what is within the range of normal baby behaviour and if there might be something more wrong with DS2. I don't want to go down the whole "medical" route, if it is just having an unsettled baby doing normaly 6 week old crying, but then again I don't want to do nothing, if there is a medical problem like an allergy.

So, is it normal for a 5-6 week old not to sleep/settle between feeds? To keep spitting up/vomitting up to 2 hrs after last feed? To feed every 2-2.5 hrs during the day? To feed 3 times over night? To cry for 1.5 hrs during/after some feeds? To vomit up to 6-8 times after every feed? To wake suddenly from sleep with crying out, even after only being alseep for a few minutes?

I'm thinking of called the 13Health line to talk to a child health nurse, do you think that is a good idea?

Some times when he is crying in pain, I am certain that he must have a medical problem to be so unsettlted, but then later he will zonk out and I will think "oh no, you are being silly, he's just crying like babies do".

TIA,

Oh gosh, I have no idea. Like you, it's hard to know because all babies are different. I think you know best, if you think something else is bothering him, it probably is.

So I will just answer your questions based on what my babies did if that helps??

So, is it normal for a 5-6 week old not to sleep/settle between feeds?
Around this age mine went through a period of being more wakeful and harder to get to sleep and some days I just couldn't get them to sleep for hours. It was just a wonder week and it passed.

To keep spitting up/vomitting up to 2 hrs after last feed?
Mine sometimes did. I didn't have real spewy babies. They would chuck up a little after most feeds, sometimes a lot.

To feed every 2-2.5 hrs during the day?
Very normal.

To feed 3 times over night?
Yep, both mine fed at least this much and then when they got a bit bigger even more *sigh*

To cry for 1.5 hrs during/after some feeds?
Not for my babies no, they really only cried because they were tired and sometimes after a feed if they had an upset tummy but not for that long.

To vomit up to 6-8 times after every feed?
No, mine didn't this much so not sure on this.

To wake suddenly from sleep with crying out, even after only being alseep for a few minutes?
Yep, especially if I had held them to sleep and then put them down.

Wow ok, sorry Heaven copied your format lol was a little easier....

So, is it normal for a 5-6 week old not to sleep/settle between feeds?
I would say yes its fairly normal. Bub is getting more aware & awake regarding their surroundings by this age. DS was like this, its quite normal for him to only have one...maybe two sleeps during the day. As far as settling goes, what have you tried? I do the 3: burp for wind- if no wind, check bum- if bum ok, offer feed- if not interested.......start from the beginning again coz something may have changed in the time it took me to work through those 3 lol.

To keep spitting up/vomitting up to 2 hrs after last feed?
DS does sometimes, perhaps there was a little air bubble that didnt quite shift with the burping? How much is brought up?

To feed every 2-2.5 hrs during the day?
Yep very normal, sometimes more often than that.

To feed 3 times over night?
Yep normal, DS was feeding more than this untill recently. If they have a growth spurt they can feed more often too.

To cry for 1.5 hrs during/after some feeds?
Not really. It depends why they are crying. If you've checked for wind, bum, feed, over-tired & still come up clueless I would say not normal.

To vomit up to 6-8 times after every feed?
No I wouldn't think this is normal. Again though is it alot? or just little dribbles? Its really hard to say without knowing the exact circumstances.

To wake suddenly from sleep with crying out, even after only being alseep for a few minutes?
Yeah DS does this sometimes, maybe its a stage they go through at approx. 6 weeks? He was terrible to try & put down, just wanted to be held to sleep all the time. He could be dead to the world, I'd put him down & 5mins later he would stretch & realise he was down & start crying again.

"Some times when he is crying in pain, I am certain that he must have a medical problem to be so unsettlted, but then later he will zonk out and I will think "oh no, you are being silly, he's just crying like babies do". " ---- DS does the same, when he has wind or upset tummy, he will scream & scream untill he wears himself out then just completely flake. Don't dimiss your instincts so easily, it could be he has made himself over-tired or there could be more to it. Try & elimate things i.e. wind, bum check etc. etc.

TBH Ive had DS screaming in my arms before & been completely stumped what was wrong with him, checked his bum, burped him for wind, tried a feed. I was at my wits end so I checked his bum again & what do you know?? He'd done a big poop in the time it'd taken me to get back around to that (10-15mins).

Hope some of this might be helpful :)

Thanks ladies! It really helps to get a handle on what is going on - I thought the frequent feeds were a problem but maybe not. Maybe I just don't handle sleep deprivation well!

I should add that he is formula fed.

When I say "not settle" I mean that he cries even when being held/rocked/walked etc (he is pretty much held all day at the moment - making life with a toddler hard!). I have pretty much given up trying to put him in his bassinet during the day. The vomits are hard to quantify - we have had a few clear projectile ones, but they vary from reaching his bib to soaking most of the bib. I am a bit worried about the quantity coming up!

Thanks Lissy for your "cycle" of things to check! : )

It sounds very much how our DS was and (as you know) he had Cows Milk Protein issues. :( Happy to chat if you like x

The unsettledness, lack of sleep etc sounds within the bounds of normal, yes. The vomitting maybe not. I would certainly consider allergies/intolerances, especially if using formula. Can you get onto a paed?

Off to see the GP tomorrow as today he's wanted to feed every 90-120mins and lots of vomits. Poor baby.