My baby can’t fall sleep PLEASE help

amother

OP ↓

Yesterday at 8:29 am

My reflux baby needs to be held upright or rocked in a swing or car to sleep. And even then it’s so hard for him takes so long. Losing my mind here. Please help.
He won’t transfer. Is on reflux meds. Just has no ability to fall asleep on his own!!! Crying

can’t let him cry it out he’s 4 weeks old

Can he just be terrible at falling asleep??

OddoneOut1

Yesterday at 8:50 am

Is he still in pain from reflux- even with the meds?
If not- you need to implement healthy sleep habits for a 4 week old.
This just means that you should have a sleep routine.
Lower the lights
Change his diaper/bathe him
Low music or humming in a quiet room
Swaddle and put to bed- gently rocking and picking him up as needed, but he should become familiar with his bassinet and the routine before sleeping.

If he is still in pain you need to deal with that first

amother

Chartreuse

Yesterday at 8:55 am

NO CRY IT OUT. For sure not for newborns.

There are sleep blogs that you can read up on some tips. Check out Riki Taubenfeld on Instagram

Right now you need to figure out to get him to sleep any which way, rocking while singing/soothing.
Patting his back while he sleeps on his stomach, yes yes, desperate times call for desperate measures
Rocking in stroller
Nursing him or feeding him.
On your shoulder etc.
Ride in car so he can sleep in his seat for a bit

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 9:07 am

He doesn’t like anything flat, on his stomach or back. Rolling up a towel for slight incline doesn’t help Sad

Yes we’ve even tried sleeping on his stomach. I pat him for a long long time and he seems to thrash around a while. Two hours later after I hold him and put him back in he falls asleep. He likes his doona and seems to sleep well in it, anything that’s inclined but I know it’s scary and not advisable. At night he takes the longest to settle, and I’m not letting him sleep overnight in the doona! Only for smaller naps

I don’t know if he’s still in pain or just uncomfortable Sad

we definitely are holding him a lot to get him to sleep

amother

Seagreen

Yesterday at 9:38 am

1. Try probiotics, it might really help. But try for a few weeks because it can take time to kick in. Cuturelle for infants, BabyGaia should be easy to get from walmart, target. LoveBug is on Amazon. You can start with one brand and then alternate with another after a few weeks. If you want a more targeted approach, you can do a TinyHealth analysis and work on their recommendations.
I regretted waiting so long to start my baby on probiotics. I do think he was calmer, slept better and spit up less after he started taking it. I used BabyGaia and now I'm moving on to SFI labs (formerly Klaire) Therbiotic Baby. Oh, he also had more frequent dirty diapers which I think helped his stomach feel better.

2. If the baby has tongue tie, he might be taking in air while feeding (possibly even from a bottle) and that can make him more uncomfortable, might be worth seeing a provider if this is a possibility. I have heard of babies who get more settled and sleep better (and usually eat better) after tongue tie is revised.

3. Maybe try wearing the baby in a baby carrier at some times during the day for contact naps? I used the Baby K'tan. Sometimes it helped, sometimes it didn't but at least I was able to move around and use my hands to get things done.

Above all, make sure to stay safe and sane. If you can get a break and someone else can handle the baby for an hour or two, take it. This all will pass. One day iyh the baby will sleep well and you will have time and brain space to breathe. It doesn't feel like it now when you are in so deep, but it will pass and you can survive this.
Hatzlacha and Mazel Tov!