Dear all,
I have a 5 week old little boy. We have been trying to follow the 3 hour EASY routine. Although it did get interrupted due to a cold and some reflux issues. He is now on Gaviscon infant (I am BF only) which has decreased the sicking up, head of crib and changing station raised. He still gets hiccups constantly which can sometimes cause him to get upset and spit up, but seems happier lying on back and doesn't bring up whole feed.
I think he is somewhere between a textbook and spirited personality. He is not that vocal and can sit quietly. he can wake in his crib and amuse himself for 15 minutes before crying - and even then it is just a grumble not a yell. The only time he gets really vocal is if he is hungry. Happy to be bathed - even the first time he enjoyed it. Never cries when changing nappy etc. However the reason I think he has some spirited traits is that he really thrashes around and fidgets, especially when trying to get to sleep. The movements involve all 4 limbs, head, facial muscles and torso that flexes and extends. He can fight his way out of the swaddle and then proceeds to hit himself in the face, poke himself in the eye etc. This is not condusive to getting sleep! I have just bought an ergobaby swaddle in hope that it is more secure.
The problem is that aswell as taking a while to get to sleep due to the movements, during the day I am lucky if he naps 40 minutes during the day and at night we get 3 hours early in the night (Including the dream feed time) but after that he is waking constantly - squirming, hiccuping, grunting, groaning and eventually crying (although this can be as much as an hour later). I have read other posts which say their babies are doing this in their sleep but he is definitely awake - eyes wide. As a result yesterday, when I wrote all the timings down, he got 10 hours sleep in 24. I am exhausted and I am sure he must be.
I have been very aware of not overstimulating and am doing a wind down period, sleep ritual (4 S's). He doesn't cry at all during the sleep /wind down ritual, even when put in his cot whilst sleepy but awake - it is just these squirming movements that keep him awake. I stay with him a good 30 -40 minutes, well after he slips into deeper sleep.
Any thoughts?
Thank you
Quick - update!
I have just received the ergobaby swaddler - he seemed to like it. Also I noticed that he doesn't have the movements whilst in my arms only when laying flat in cot. So I have made a couple of rolled up towels as positioners to recreate the body position in my arms - small one under knees to bring hips into a slightly flexed position and then small ones along his sides to make him feel like he is enclosed in my arms - this seemed to decrease the movements and he went to sleep quickly. I will update later to see if this has helped with the length of naps.
Thank you
