12 week old wont sleep!

DoubleB

Hi everyone, I'm looking for some tips. My 12 and a half week old baby was an excellent sleeper at night up until about a wk ago when she made the move from her Moses basket in to her cot. it is positioned in same place as basket was in our room. She used to get last bottle between 9.30 pm & 10.30pm and sleep right through the night until 7am. She did this since 6 weeks. (We were blessed!!) oh how things have changed. In the past week she has had 2 nights where she did this but every other night it has taken at least 15 attempts to get her to settle. I have a few questions: 1. If you think she doesn't have wind/ pain/ nappy issues etc would you leave her cry for a while? 2. Would you lift her out of cot to soothe?(she instantly stops crying when we do this) 3. Could there be something wrong or do you think she just wants to be in our arms(she suffers a bit with reflux, cot is tilted & she always gets a Gaviscon in her last bottle, we wait 25 mins after her bottle before putting her down) 4. What's your bed time routine? Oh lads we are at our wits end. Both so tired. For example last night we gave bottle at ten, winded etc put her in sleeping bag, stroked cheek, she fell fast asleep & woke roaring 20 mins later. Lifted, winded, put her in stroke cheek, fast asleep again, woke 15 mins later this happened at least 6 times on seventh time we left her cry for 4 mins( I timed it while crying myself) she fell asleep herself but then woke twenty minutes later again cried a little fell asleep this happened once more. At this stage it was almost 3am. Nightmare! She still wakes at 8 am for morning feed. Help!!! Sorry for the essay.

fuzz69er

Sounds like a nightmare!

How does she sleep during the day? At 12 weeks our little man didn't sleep much during the day, maybe 10 mins after a feed, but he was sleeping 12 hours at night from 8pm.

He had reflux as well and we had to put Gaviscon in every feed cause he couldn't lie down without it. He's 5 months and we've just started weaning him off it for 1 feed a day and we had the cot tilted same as you.

One suggestion that might sound silly, we started the little fella in a crib and only recently moved him into a cot. He used to love holding onto the bars of the crib (or touching the sides of the moses basket, which he hated in general). As soon as we put him into the cot he made an effort to stretch and grab the bars, almost like a comfort thing. Maybe your little one feels a bit open and uncomfortable in the new surroundings, perhaps the jump to cot is too soon? You could try swaddling, but I know people have mixed views on it. She might feel more comfortable when all wrapped up.

We put our wee fella sleeping on his side as soon as he was big enough and he goes off to sleep pretty quickly in that position and only moves when he gets into a deep sleep. You could try that position either.

aristotle25

There is no right or wrong answer but when our guy cries we lift him and try to sooth him. We do give him a couple of mins to see if he settles himself back himself which he usually does (but he is now 13 months).

At 12 weeks I think it is important to be there to soothe them as they get comfort from that and they are still so young.

Given she was fine in the moses basket would you go back using that for a while? I can't remember when we started using the cot.

Perhaps going into the moses basket is just a coincidence and it might be reflux causing the discomfort.

Lastly I think a routine for bedtime is crucial. We generally clothes all the blinds and turn off TV at 7pm and just let our guy calm down and play quietly. We don't stimulate him at all and then at 7.30pm I walk with him and sing twinkle twinkle little star quieltly.

Then he gets a bottle of warm milk and back into my arms, on with grobag and up to the cot at 8pm.

Whatever you do just stick to the same routine ALWAYS once you get one that works. Babies need routine so they know when bedtime is as well.

DoubleB

Thanks for the advice and tips guys. Will take them all on board. Much better night last night- phew!!

fuzz69er

typical after posting in here that our little fella has his worst night's sleep on months and had been grouchy all day as a result!!