5 week old sleeps best on top of dryer!?!

[NatashaB]

Hi There

I have posted on several message boards this past month since our LO was born March 1st.  He is fussy, unsettled, grunty, gassy.
Feeds every 3 hours max. Naps are disturbed.  I have over milk supply and fast let down, which could be the cause of all this.
My question in regards to napping is, when he wakes disturbed, I reswaddle him and craddle him for a bit offering a soother. Sometimes helps, sometimes not.  If not, I head to my laundry room and lay him on his bouncy chair on top of the counter which has the dryer underneath.  The rolling of the dryer puts him right back to sleep for the rest of his nap...usually.  I also use the dryer sometimes if he is fussy being put to sleep. I craddle him and hold him infront of the dryer and his eyes slowly shut.  Am I creating a mess?  This is my only saving grace when I have to deal with my toddler and the little one on my own in the day.
Send me your thoughts please. Perhaps a white noise sheep would help?  Don't know the sounds on it,but this dryer really clicks with him.
Natasha

[~Sara~]

Hi Natasha

We use a fan when DS sleeps--helps keep the room a bit cooler (he sweats when he sleeps--plus the helmet doesn't help things), and it provides enough white noise to allow him to sleep longer.  You might try something like that.  If he likes the loud dryer, you could try louder white noise--some moms use the static from a radio.  It's worth a shot anyways so that you don't have to move him all around during his nap time.

Re: him being fussy, gassy, etc....have you considered that he might have silent reflux or colic?  Just a thought.  Here's a link if you'd like to check it out:
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=654.0

[dijjibob]

Sounds to me like it could be the noise he likes, I remember the first time my LO fell asleep independently was when I dried my hair and just didn't have time to cuddle her to sleep before I got ready, I was so happy and temped to do it for all sleeps but refrained from doing so. (but didn't say never)
I am sure others have better advice but the white noise maybe a good move to help you out.

[anna*]

Stan has 'tumble drier' on his Little Sleepyhead CD. We used to turn it up loud and it really helped him.

[NatashaB]

Thanks so much everyone for reassuring me that the dryer noise is helping.  Perhaps I will record it and keep it going on a cd in his nursery???

I did check out the reflux/colic board.  He has gassy colic and perhaps some silent reflux.  All...most likely from too much air when drinking from my over supply fast let down. Working on draining one side so he gets hind milk and expressing before feeding. 

Thanks a lot for the feedback
Natasha

[anna*]

If you record it, try and get a fade in and fade out at the beginning and end. The track we have is 15 mins long and fades in and fades out so if you have it on an mp3 player on a loop there is no click or 'jolt' or anything to wake him up.

[NatashaB]

Good one! Thanks