HELP AND ADVICE NEEDED - 19 DAY OLD BABY!!!!!!!

i am a big fan of the books baby sense and sleep sense - lots of practical & useful advice that works. they helped me when my son was born that get him in a wonderful sleep routine.

maybe the formula is not working? also try to get him to drink every 2 or 3 hours? it is worth checking with the clinic sister on that.

and lastly i found that for a month after my son was born he was extremely nigglingly around the time that my c-section was performed. i believed it is because he remember that time when he was separated from me. the only thing that worked is letting him sleep on my chest. lucky no ill effects - after a while he was much better.

good luck!

tivaniag

how do you put him to sleep? sorry sounds like such a silly little thing but if you can get in to a routine of feed, burp and lay down he will eventually sleep better. I used to cuddle my boy to sleep, then when he was well asleep i would lay him down and he did exactly as you're explaining. Eventually when i couldn't take it anymore i started a better routine of feed, burp, lay down so that he could learn that falling asleep was not something to be done nestled in my arms or rocked to sleep. Eventually he started sleeping a little longer each night and learnt to go to sleep without me. Maybe introduce a comfort blankie or taglet or teddy for him to sleep with, lay it by his face when he feeds and burps and eventually he'll start falling asleep with it.

Eventually as he learns to sleep better he'll feed less often.

i used to bath my boy in the morning and night because it relaxed him and he slept ever so slightly longer so that way i had 2 periods in the day where he had a more 'core' sleep.

Larger feeds do not always make for longer sleeps in fact an over full baby can suffer more with tummy cramps than an under full baby so if he really doesn't want more leave him be, the longer he sleeps for the more milk he will intake with time.

Thanks for the advice Wilma. I have tried to increase his milk intake but once he drinks around 40 or 50 mls he will never drink more. I have tried to make him uncomfortable by tickling his feet etc to wake him in an attempt to make him drink more but it doesnt work, he ends up vomitting or spitting out the milk. I also check every single thing to ensure that nothing is wrong with him but he is still so restless. I even changed his bath time and now bath him later in the evening and massage him every night and he does sleep well after that but then wakes up at 9 or 10 and doesnt sleep thereafter. Its difficult to sleep when he sleeps because thats when I have to bath/see to my daughter etc.

The cord has fallen off days ago so there is no infection and nothing to dry, so thats why I wanted to know for how much longer must I keep cleaning the area.

Hi Tiviana
This is how I would handle it. Other mommies might have different suggestions.
Increase your sons feed, give him 75ml at a time. Make sure he finishes the bottle even if you have to wake him if he doze off. That should stretch the time between feeds. I found when Dewald is nigly something is bothering him or he is hungry, So I check everything, try and give him something to drink, check his nappy, wind him, check his temperature, wipe him off and massage him with lavender cream. After that he normally sleep soundly. Try and catch a nap when he is sleeping, I know it is almost impossible, but you going to have to try. Clean the cord until it is completely dry, otherwise it might get infected.

I hope your difficulties will soon pass.

Ladies, I have about 120 questions and concerns so please bare with me.

I am so enjoying and loving my lb and am still on a high since having him BUT I am beyond exhausted and this is having an effect on my mood now. Just let me say that he was delivered by c-section and I am not fully recovered from that. I had my family here for a week but they have left, hubby is back at work and I just have a maid come in to clean 3 times a week so I am basically doing everything on my own for the baby with no help and I still have to sort out my 9 year old daughter - do homework, make supper/lunch etc...but I am not complaining I am coping fine. I just have a problem with my baby's sleeping and drinking patterns. I could not breastfeed for many reasons and opted to put him on formula after one week. He drinks between 30 to 50 mls per feed never more than that. He drinks every hour sometimes and then at other times can go without a bottle for almost 3 hours. I dont know if he is getting enough milk but is growing nicely despite all this. Also his sleeping patterns are killing me. He will sleep for about 2 hours at a time during the day but from 9 pm at night he is awake, restless and niggly and can stay awake for hours. Last night he was awake from 10pm and slept at 4:30 only!!! I cant manage or function anymore and despite my happiness I am exhausted. Can anyone offer some advice please!!??

Then, I just wanted to know for how long does one clean the navel area? My son's cord fell out at day 6 so do I still have to clean with spirits every day?