*****SORRY LONG MESSAGE....*****
Hi everyone
I've been reading this forum for the last week, trying to learn as much as i can.
I read Tracy's book when LO was one week old, so I think i know a fair bit by now..
Her first two weeks of life were great, sleeping without our help, everywhere (although we tried from the start to be careful with Accidental parenting, so mainly in her bassinet..), eating and sleeping like a clock. An angel baby...
From 2 or 3 weeks, she started to become difficult to settle. She is now 9 weeks and i spend the whole day trying to make her sleep, basically. Evenings recently have started to get better (for the last 2 weeks roughly), she usually goes into a deep sleep between 6.30pm and 7.30pm, takes the dream feed between 10pm or 11pm and only wakes once during the night. In the morning she wakes between 6 and 7am. She is very easy to settle back at night.
But the days are awful: If she wakes, let's say at 7am, i change her nappy, feed her, quick cuddle and straight back to bed (one hour all up, roughly, but we've tried a bit more and then wait for her sleepy cues) as she tends to be overtired. This morning, shh-pat worked wonders, and she woke 2 hours later.. but the rest of the day, especially after 12, I'm unable to make her sleep.
I've tried doing the A part before feeds and after, and she definitely is easier to settle if the A part happens before feeds. After feeds is a cuddle, and to her room to wind down.
What drives me crazy is that, most of the time, she will become almost hysterical. When i tuck her against my shoulder, she keeps looking around, staring, and starts to 'rebel' with an annoying noise (like a wingeing noise) She is swaddled at this stage and she will kick her legs (thus standing up as she pushes against my lap) and then literally head-butt me. The shh part usually stops the crying but not the wingeing noise.
and then it goes on for minutes and minutes. i have so much trouble reading her cries now... she seems angry when in bed, she will arch her back and really 'fight' (i must say that she has always been swaddled so is used to it).... when i take her back after unsuccessfully calming her in bed, she either head-butt, whine and 'fight' or just stares.
I've tried just to let her be. A cuddle, wind down in room, patting her on me and when she is sleepy, leave her in bed. she will 'talk' to her mobile and kick, but anywhere between 5 mn and an hour later, she will cry. She never never falls asleep on her own.
Today, we got her to have a short nap around lunch (took about an hour to settle) she woke up after an hour pretty happy, had her bath, and was very difficult to feed as she kept staring (when she does that, she either turns her head fully to the left or the right. her neck stays very stiff and i'm unable to make her eat properly (head and body aligned)
Anyway, a 1.30pm we went to put her to bed and succeeded...at 6.30pm!! obviously at some stage we took her out the room to feed her..
If anyone recognizes a pattern that they encountered with their little one, please help....
I've tried to include as much info as i can. I can post my routine, but it is very very inconsistent..
Thank you so much....
Mana
re-ps: i take her for a walk in the pram every other day, sometimes every day. Even straight after a feed, she won't fall sleep in the pram, even if i pull the visor, she will stare at it. same goes in her car seat.
PS: i saw the doctor who prescribed Gaviscon in case it was reflux-related (according to the details i gave him). After 3 days without pooping, she ended up literally bleeding to get a block of compact poo (sorry TMI) and could not even breath from the effort of pushing it out...that was awful to watch and i've stopped the medication as i can't stand her being in so much pain, especially as we are not 100% sure reflux is what annoys her.
