My 6.5 week old baby grunts and flails for hours. Is this normal?

[redvanmum]

Does anyone else have experience of this? I can't get her to settle and sleep, sometimes for hours and hours. She will also cry intermittently but sometimes cries inconsolably for a long time, particularly late afternoon and through the evening (colic?). The grunting is really loud. Have tried raising her mattress slightly but have to be careful as she falls under the covers and scares me! Thought it might be reflux but infacnt gaviscon just made her constipated and worse.

[Beabea]

I have a grunter, but he does sleep well though. Not really of any help but I think the grunting is normal. DS does sometimes struggle to poo but it happens eventually.

[PrettyCandles]

The morro reflex could still be strong and she's startling herself awake. I remember ds1 doing this a lot. Do you swaddle her? Tjat may help. Or lie her on her side. Alternatively, take a towel, roll it up, wrap it in something you have worn that day (or sleep with it the night before) and bend it in a sausage around her head and shoulders. That way it will cradle her so that she doesn't startle and rock, and the smell of you will be soothing as well. If you feel confident, and meet all the health parameters, you could also try letting her sleep on her tummy.

The grunting is fine, she's just communicating. My dd was a phenomenal grunter (and now she's a chatterbox ).

[Beabea]

Oh and he will only sleep on his tummy.

[LRWG]

Swaddle her - that will stop the flailing arms. She has been scrunched up inside you for the past nine months and is used to that secure feeling.

Also, put her in the feet-to-foot position to stop her slipping under the covers.

[purplemonkeydishwasher]

i think it's one of those things they don't tell you about babies!
They're really loud (my ds was a grunter too). and they tend to be pretty miserable in the evening.
could be colic, but maybe she;s just hungry? I found that ds was permanently attached to the boob in the evening.
redvanmum - it'll get easier. I promise!!

[redvanmum]

Thanks all. I have been swaddling her in a cellular blanket but she just gets out of it. Maybe I am doing it wrongly. I have her feet to foot but she just scrunches her legs up and then slides down. I do think she has a sore tum a lot as giving her a tummy rub can sometimes help for a couple of minutes. Trying not to overstimulate her also. Will try the rolled towel. Still too scared to put her down on her tum. She is a voracious feeder but mostly only goes for 10-15 mins.

[Beabea]

You could try putting your LO on her tummy during a day time nap and you can watch her to see if it helps. Its good for them to be on their tummies for a bit anyway.

DS has a really strong neck and regularly lifts and turns his head to a comfortable position. I now feel confident but I know how you feel about it.

DS does have to be nearly asleep before putting him down but he is learning to settle himself already (5weeks)

[PrettyCandles]

Is it a pure cotton blanket? Often synthetics will slide over each other and the swaddle cannot be secure. Or if the blanket has some stretch in it it may also come undone more easily. You could try swaddling her in a small cotton sheet and putting a light blanket over her if you feel she is chilly.