Rhett continues to fuss and seems uncomfortable whenever we place him on his back in the bassinet and wants to be held or rocked or placed more upright in a swing instead. I’m hoping that if it is reflux, it’s relatively mild at this point since he’s not spitting up tons of milk when he spits up and it’s mostly just little amounts frequently after nursing. Have any of you been through this before? How did you get your little one to settle? What did you do about nighttime sleep? How did you sleep? Haaalp! In so many ways I feel a million times more relaxed about the newborn baby phase since this is our third rodeo but this just goes to show we always have something new to learn when it comes to little ones and motherhood.
My mom is leaving on Friday and I cannot say how grateful I’ve been for her help and Ryan’s help with Rhett (and Chase and Ryder!) right now because earlier this week I hit a major wall after several nights of horrible sleep. (Go figure last night was finally a better night so I’m feeling pretty good today!) Ryan and my mom have jumped in and helped in a big way the past few days so I could get a few solid, uninterrupted hours of sleep which truly saved me. Life with a newborn ebbs and flows so much and I almost forgot how some days you feel like you’re flyin’ high only to feel like a tiny little 7-pound baby completely kicked your butt the next.
I didn’t mean to start today’s blog post with a deep-dive into baby sleep mayhem, but clearly that’s a big part of life over here right now! What I initially sat down to blog about today was our day yesterday. It’s been a little more than a month since I’ve shared a day-in-the-life blog post so I wanted to share what life looks like over here right now as we continue to adjust to life with the newest addition to our family.
Morning
Bless my mom and Ryan for taking over all the kid stuff first thing in the morning yesterday because after passing Rhett off at 3:45 a.m. after several hours of restlessness and zero sleep, I crashed hard from 4 – 7 a.m. and emerged feeling like an actual human. Victory!
Ryan had Chase and Ryder’s preschool lunches all packed up and my mom was snuggling with Rhett when I emerged from my cocoon of comforters and blankets and I scooped Rhett up and nursed him as I joined in the big kid chaos.
Then it was coffee time!
Chase and Ryder served as my little baristas and helped me make a cup of coffee with collagen and frothy coconut milk that I sipped as a I ate a homemade apple cinnamon muffin. I ended up taking most of my coffee to go because preschool drop-off sneaked up on us as it seems to do these days!
This is the first week of “real” preschool for our big boys, as the past two weeks their school did a staggered start. Rhett hung back with my mom (Ryan was upstairs in our bedroom at this point where he continues to work from home these days) and I brought Chase and Ryder to school before swinging by UPS to drop off some Amazon returns and making my way back home.
After I walked through the door, Rhett started crying again, so I quickly nursed him and said goodbye to my mom as she headed out for a car appointment. (Her car is having some issues she wanted to get checked out before her drive back to Florida on Friday.) Rhett seemed wide awake as I nursed him, so we followed up his feeding session with some play time on his play mat.
He seemed content to look at the little dangling toys above him, so I took advantage of a happy baby and made myself some oatmeal for breakfast 2.0.
This combination looked like oats, banana, cashew butter, egg whites, cinnamon, shredded zucchini and cacao nibs. I’m all about oats these days because I truly believe they help my milk supply and this combination reminded me a bit of zucchini bread.
I hoped Rhett would settle for his nap soon after his play time but he had other plans and I ended up walking around with him and nursing him off and on for a couple of hours while I stress-ate several handfuls of chocolate chips before he eventually drifted off into a solid sleep for about an hour. Sadie took full advantage of me being baby-free and curled up next to me on the couch as I got some work done on my laptop.
I think she appreciates the fact that even after three kids, she’s still front-and-center as the background on my computer.
Afternoon
My mom arrived back home just before preschool pickup and stayed back with Rhett again so I could pick up Chase and Ryder and bring them back home. They seemed to have a great day at school and we drove home as Ryder sang the “how I wonder what you are” line from Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star over and over again and Chase told me all about his day.
(They did twirls in our driveway when we arrived home and collapsed giggling because they were “so dizzy.”)
Once we were back home, both boys ate an afternoon snack and then I settled Ryder down for his nap and reheated some leftovers for lunch.
Leftovers looked like this balsamic chicken Instant Pot recipe with potatoes, broccoli and kale. It was a winner on day one and also on day two!
About an hour or so later, I was still a little hungry, so I whipped up a smoothie from Daily Harvest to enjoy as well.
I’ve been a Daily Harvest fan for years now but man oh man do I appreciate their harvest bowls and smoothies even more during the postpartum period of life. Anything that lets me get some nutritious food in my body without much effort is a major win for me right now. (Also, just a reminder that you may use my affiliate link + the code pbfingers to get $25 off your first box if you’d like to give some Daily Harvest goodies a try!)
The afternoon passed by in a blur of nursing Rhett, watching Chase hunt for creatures in our backyard and attempting to squeeze in a little work and a load of laundry. Once Ryder was up, he joined Chase outside for creature hunting and outside play and my mom and I tag-teamed watching Rhett, playing with the big kids outside and dinner prep.
Dinner last night was pretty darn simple and looked like baked BBQ chicken thighs, curried corn (a go-to side dish around here lately — I need to share this recipe with you guys!) and baked beans.
After dinner, Ryan and I put Chase and Ryder to bed and then did our best to settle Rhett and head to bed early ourselves. I’ve been a reading machine lately (I try not to look at my phone when I’m up in the middle of the night nursing and opt for reading on my Kindle instead) and just finished The Lying Game by Ruth Ware and The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda and loved both of them. Last night I started reading The Last House Guest, another novel by Megan Miranda, and am already very into it as well! I’m feelin’ suspense books lately and read until my eyes would no longer stay open… and then again during a couple of my middle-of-the-night nursing sessions. Rhett thankfully had a much better night last night and settled relatively quickly after nursing which felt like a gift.
Now I’m hoping to sneak in a quick shower before the day gets going (postpartum night sweats are REAL) and I’m also hoping to have some time amid the kid chaos to work on Friday’s post so I can have a little somethin’ somethin’ to share with you on the blog on Friday morning, too.
Thanks for stopping by PBF and tolerating my long-winded blog posts and typos during this crazy phase of life! I hope you have a great Wednesday!
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Both my kids had what the pediatrician called silent reflux meaning they didn’t spit up but were clearly uncomfortable after feedings when I laid them down lots of grunting. The pediatrician suggested holding them upright for 30 minutes after feedings and it definitely helped. More time for late night reading :). They both grew out of it can’t remember how old my son was but for my daughter I was able to stop holding her upright post feeding around 10 weeks. Good luck!
In my research with Dr. Google yesterday, I found the same thing about holding them upright for 30 minutes and tried that last night. I think that helped a lot as last night was our best night in a while! Thank you for sharing!!
Hi and it all sounds wonderful and also a bit exhausting, really sorry to hear that Rhett is uncomfortable. Our little Anna had exactly the same and sometimes I could even see her eyes get a bit red / water as she (I guessed) was struggling with silent reflux. We made it a habit of wearing her in a carrier most of the day to make sure she was upright and struggled a bit less. The baby bjorn seat was also worth its weight in gold, as it was kind of the exact right angle for her to hand / sit in? And I can only second above that it will get better. In Anna’s case she seemed to do a lot better when we switched to formula when she was 6 months old.
Also I have a lot of respect for how you manage all of it including this blog. 🙂
With my little ones, I took the “Taking Cara Babies” sleep training class before they were born and referenced it frequently. While reflux wasn’t an issue for us, I do remember her addressing it in the course. I’ve also had 3 of my friends take this class as they have one for newborn-12 weeks and then a baby one and all give rave reviews. She was a delivery nurse and her husband is a pediatrician so I felt pretty good about the information they shared. I also remember her once showing how much a teaspoon of milk would completely soak a baby shirt putting into perspective how much they are actually spitting up.
Aren’t mom’s the best!? My mom stayed for 2 weeks after both my girls were born too and I could never thank her for the support as we had a very rough couple weeks with feeding at the beginning and the additional help and mental support was incredible.
Hey Julie! I’ve been a fan of your blog for several years now; just wanted to say that I enjoy the day-in-the-life posts! As a 30 year old woman that isn’t married/doesn’t have kids yet, it’s cool to peek into the life of someone with a very different daily schedule than myself. Keep ’em coming, and congrats on the newest addition to your fam!
My son was a spit up machine. There were times I jokingly wore towels all day… but I guess the joke was on us because we needed them. Unfortunately to tell you he did this until he was about 5 months old. It peaked at around 4 months. I hope your son grows out of it before then, but it actually helped me to read that a lot of the time it does last for months, just not forever. Doctor checked him out and said it was ok, and he was gaining weight so nothing to worry about.
Yes, holding them upright for awhile after helps too!
Good luck to you! Glad you’ve had help the past few weeks!
Both of my kids had reflux (10 years apart). My oldest had silent reflux, she screamed a lot at night, but it seemed to subside on its own by 6 months and after that she was an excellent sleeper after some sleep training. My youngest was a spitter as you’re describing. Even though we tried all of the pediatric suggestions for remedies and even had her on meds, this didn’t seem to do much for her sleep. My youngest still had restless nights and kept spitting up for the first year. She’s 15 months now and has finally slept through the night starting around 12 months. I nursed both kids and had to change my diet but that didn’t seem to do much for either until the reflux finally subsided in its own. It’s not the worst thing in the world but it can definitely be a journey you just have to get through until things eventually get better. Hopefully your pediatrician will be able to give you some good suggestions for helping baby Rhett through this period.
You’re doing an awesome job and I just love your blog! Hope you get some good advice on Rhett’s possible reflux.
My son spit up a lot after feedings and the pediatrician we took him to said that it’s caused by an underdeveloped or weak flap/valve, I can’t remember exactly what he called it. He said it would strengthen with time and as he grew.
We were told to keep him upright after he ate. This was 11 years ago, so I don’t remember exactly how long it lasted, but I know it was definetly months. Hang in there!
My son was the same way. Not a huge volume of spit up but unsettled and clearly uncomfortable, especially at night. I used a rolled towel under the bassinet mattress to keep him propped up at night. By month 4 it had resolved and by month 5 he was a great sleeper. You got this!
Keeping him upright helped with my first son too, as did the paci after feeding. He grew out of it after 6 months or so. He was also very tiny, but our pediatrician didn’t seem worried. He’s a great eater now (he put turmeric on his apple slices this am…hmm..)
I have a 6 week old currently, so am definitely relating to a lot of your posts right now! Luckily, he doesn’t seem to have any reflux yet! Just goes to show how different each baby is!
My daughter had some reflux issues in the first 6 months and I found that taking dairy out of my diet made a HUGE difference. It seemed that her reflux was significantly worse when I accidentally slipped and ate dairy. It was really hard, but definitely worth it. It did however take a couple of weeks for the dairy to get out of my system before I noticed a difference. She just turned one and it totally fine with anything dairy now, so it was just a sensitivity! I would maybe try the other things first and if those make enough of a difference, keep enjoying that dairy! But if you’re still struggling after trying all the other tricks, dairy could help.
I second this! Removing dairy entirely from your diet could help. Yes it does take 6-8 weeks for improvement but it has helped tremendously with my (almost) 3 month old who used to spit up constantly and always had to be held.
I had a fussy babe at one time. Yes, mild spitting up and just overall cranky. It was diagnosed as silent reflux. It seems the smaller babes digestive system have not developed. Gripe water is good, a warm wash rag on their tummy. Laying him on his tummy while you are in the room and monitoring. Moving his legs in the bicycle motion slowly. Time is the last thing. I know this is not want to hear but time. They gave my kiddo meds which also helped. He is know a strapping 16 year old that is smart, witty and adorable. He would be upset with the last statement but he is adorable.
Oh, Julie, this post brought back so many emotions as I remember dealing with similar spitting up issues/ sleep derivation with my first (he’s now five.) Our family medicine doctor had initially told me to switch breasts every couple of minutes while feeding to stimulate more milk supply. After lots of reflux issues, a lactation consultant told me to fully empty one breast before switching so the baby got more hind milk, and that seemed to help the most with reflux. He was still quite the spitter-upper but seemed less fussy. Once we introduced solids, we figured out that he had an egg and dairy allergy, so I often wonder if that had anything to do with it.
Bless you and sweet Rhett! I’ll say a prayer for you. I am currently 27 weeks pregnant with my third, and this is a good remind for me to get sleep while I still can!
I need to know where I can get that sweatshirt you’re wearing in the first picture 😍
My twins (baby girls 3 & 4) had reflux for months – they had to sleep on a an elevated mattress & take a reflux medicine before each feed. It was a nightmare after feeding baby girls (single babies) 1 & 2. I would wake, feed twin 1 on one side, feed twin 2 on the other side, bounce twin 1 with my foot whilst feeding the other. Eat, pump & go back to bed for 30 minutes as that whole routine took 2 hours! My older girls were 3 & 5 at the time. Those baby twins are 11 next Wed!!! Sending empathy as I know now hard this phase can be.
Hope Rhett starts settling soon! I dealt with a little one with reflux and the doctor said that reflux is actually just the burning from acid and not necessarily huge amounts of spit up. So might be that. Also, my sister’s little one would never settle and they figured out that he had a milk allergy (is a simple test they can do in the office by testing their diaper). After she cut milk out of her diet, he did much better.
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda is SO good! I can’t wait to check out your latest book recommendations.
Sleep. Is. Everything. I am so glad you were able to get a nap and better sleep last night. I have experienced so many days as a mom where I have been beyond sleep deprived and I think it’s one of the hardest things to do as a mom. Trying to care for children, especially small ones, when you are sleep deprived or ill is so insanely hard! Thinking of you!
My son was so fussy, spitting up, and had tons of gas starting at about 3 weeks too. Our pediatrician recommended gerber soothe probiotics drops. After three days, I definitely saw a difference. Still a bit fussy, but I was able to get him down with a combo of swaddle, sound machine and pacifier for longer stretches. He was also happier overall when awake and much less gassy. He’s 12 weeks now and is like a different baby. I am tempted to stop the drops but don’t want to ruin a good thing.
Seconding what a lot of people have said here – we would keep our son upright/burp for 20-30 minutes after feeding, which in the middle of the night feels like an eternity, but it definitely helped. Also to be totally transparent, we had our son sleep in the Rock n Play (before it was recalled) instead of the bassinet because it seemed to provide the right angle. We were also told to put towels/books under his head/chest in the bassinet to get that angle and keep him from being totally flat. We were told all babies have some degree of reflex due to an underdeveloped esophagus/trachea area (? – this may be incorrect), but it got better over time. We moved him into his crib at 3 months and it wasn’t an issue anymore. Wishing you the best!
I certainly don’t mean to give you bad advice, but sometimes a mother has to do what a mother has to do….I switched my second child to sleeping on her stomach and everyone got some sleep!
Babies with digestive issues are so so tough! We found that co-sleeping was the best way for all of us to get some sleep. I would nurse my daughter side-lying and then just stay that way all night. It can be even safer than baby sleeping alone and so much easier in my opinion 🙂 https://cosleeping.nd.edu/#:~:text=McKenna's%20Mother%2DBaby%20Behavioral%20Sleep,psychological%20well%2Dbeing%20and%20development.
Good luck Mama!
Hi there. This probably doesn’t apply to you but my 2nd daughter spit up after each and every nursing session until she was 4 months old. Not a lot, but every single feeding. I ended up at a naturopath for my own inflammation and she stopped spitting up literally the day I stopped consuming dairy. My daughters (18 & 15) both have issues with dairy still, as do I (I’ve been off it for 15 years). Probably not the same issues you have but thought I’d share just in case! All the best figuring it out.
Our first son had “silent reflux” which meant he never spit up (ever) but that almost made it worse because the stomach acid would come up into his esophagus and sit there. He was on reflux meds for over a year, but it did eventually go away. It hit right about the 2-3 week mark and his sleep suffered so bad, we actually hired a sleep consultant, because we figured we were doing something wrong as first time parents. We didn’t get him to the dr and on meds until 4 months because it wasn’t until the sleep consultant said “we’ll get a good sleep routine going but in the meantime, get him checked for reflux” that we asked the dr about it. The meds we were on took about 2 weeks for them to fully kick in, so you don’t get “results” right away, but it was worth the wait. We also tried to wean him off them several times, only to go back on them, which meant we had to wait the 2 weeks again. We also had to delay starting solid foods as a result, because as soon as we weaned him off the meds at 6 months and tried solid foods, he was throwing up everything he ate. Also, nursing seemed to be the thing that soothed him the best (I imagine it would be kinda like having a milkshake when you have a sore throat) so he nursed OFTEN, but not always for long, which in hindsight was probably not the best because I know the milk changes as they nurse for longer. However, it soothed him so he would end up falling asleep, and this mama was desperate for sleep. So we threw the Babywise book out the window and did eat -> sleep -> eat -> play and it worked much better for us (even with our 2nd who didn’t have reflux we did eat before sleep… who knows).
Things that helped… we ditched crib for a bit and he exclusively slept in the swing with it set to go side to side. EVERYTHING was upright… even tummy time he did laying on me while I sat at an incline on the hammock or propped on pillows or something. Anything that had him on his back was torture for us all… he would scream and cry all the time. I hated the thought of other people holding him because I knew they would hold him in a cradle position and he would be on his back and then I’d have to calm him down. The carseat was the one thing we didn’t have any other options for. Even now 6 years later, my husband will not take our 2 kids to visit his family in PA (we are in NC) because of the drive, he was THAT traumatized. I even found a way to nurse so my son was laying on my stomach and I would prop myself on a pillow in bed and we would both be laying down. I also used a kidney shaped nursing pillow (I think it was a pregnancy pillow actually) so he could nurse with his head higher than his feet. Just think about doing everything so he can be more upright. I sincerely hope Rhett’s isn’t as bad as our sons was, but we did get through it!
Feel free to let me know if you have any specific questions. I didn’t know anyone who had been through what we had, so I was left to figure it out on our own. I’m happy to throw suggestions over the fence and you can see if they work for you guys!
I have a nine month old and am still getting up multiple times a night, whereas my daughter was a great sleeper from
The start. My second had colic/fussy stage for about the first 3-4 months. Nothing seemed to help but tine. I tried so many things. It started at about 3-4 weeks. Hang in there, it will get better!
Three of my four babies were born 1-3 weeks early and were 6 lbs each, and those were the ones with the same issues as Rhett! For us the underdeveloped digestive system was definitely the cause of fussiness and ended around 4 months. It was helped a ton by having them be as upright as possible (and even later feeding bottles while in the baby bjorn) and we also had them swaddled and sleeping in a bouncer seat/car seat at naps and nights until they could start wiggling/rolling at all… first 2 months or so. Sleeping in the moms on call swaddle method (google the video) also helped tremendously!
I’ve had a baby with reflux before. In my experience (and from a nurse practitioner friend who also had a baby that had it), it usually appears around 6-8 weeks. I thought my now three month old twins had it this go round, but in the end I think it was a tongue tie that we had fixed). With my older daughter that had it, she was prescribed an antacid to help…. but I found giving up dairy helped the most to help calm her tummy. She didn’t spit up a ton, but we had to keep her upright after every feeding for at least thirty minutes. Hope some of this info is helpful! It was not fun, but sounds like you have a good plan!
Hi Julie! Rhett is absolutely precious! Both of my kids had reflux. We didn’t address the extreme fussiness and spitting up with my son until he was 7 weeks old. We knew right away with my daughter after our experience with our first baby. We thought my son was just constantly hungry, but he was really just trying to soothe his throat, but then was spitting up the milk which was burning his throat. Both kids became so much happier after our pediatrician prescribed medication. Saying prayers for y’all!
Hang in there, mama. I’m a mama of reflux and dairy intolerance babies. It’s HARD, and you’re not alone. We settled on medication for both. My son was far worse and needed to be on an amino based formula due to such a sensitivity. I feel for the current moms who can’t use the rock n play bc that’s what saved us.. I certainly do not know if this is an approved method. But we did angle the crib mattress, and we rolled up a small towel and made a U under the mattress cover to support the baby’s bum. I will say that I learned this method because my first child had to be hospitalized at nine weeks old for something unrelated and that’s how they had her hospital bed. Hang in there. I know how sleep deprivation can make you question your own sanity but you’re doing great!!
I hope he gets some relief! So you both can get some sleep! Our second baby had terrible reflux, they actually noticed it when we were still in the hospital. But no matter what I did, changed my diet, burped her, kept her upright for a period of time, she would spit up. But because she was gaining weight, they didnt want to put her on meds. We ended up switching to formula, which drastically improved the situation. I always joked i made skim milk….but it was just not heavy enough to stay down.
I would definitely get Rhett checked out for a dairy allergy, reflux, etc.
My daughter would not lay on her back and was just so fussy and miserable.
Sure enough she had a dairy allergy so I went dairy free and in three days she was a completely different baby. Happy and I could actually put her down. Good luck!
my little dude is 3 months and had the same issue as a newborn- turns out he has a dairy sensitivity and I had to cut out dairy. You can check with your doctor on this- they will test one of his dirty diapers and look for microscopic blood, which confirmed a sensitivity to something in my diet. 9 times out of 10 (my ped says) it is dairy! Once I cut out dairy (and soy) he was like a new baby!! I hope you are able to figure it out and get some much needed sleeeeep!
Oh man – I feel like our lives are identical right now! I have a 5 week old and this past week suddenly took a turn for the worse with us too! She has been so much more fussy, started spitting up, and seems to have lots of tummy troubles. It’s so frustrating and stressful, and I feel so bad for her! My first had reflux issues and it’s reminding me of him so the doctor said to keep a journal of her spit-ups and if necessary we will go to the doctor and make sure she’s still gaining weight well. If not, they prescribe a medicine (which helped with my first!). My only advice is that they do grow out of reflux, so hang in there! And also I don’t know if you use a lactation consultant but I see one and she helped me fix my latch so she takes in less air, and I also pump a little before nursing because I have a strong let down and it causes her to get more gas than she should! I love reading your updates, and I’ll be sending you positive vibes for easier days to come!
Hi Julie,
I have been a long time reader and have a 5.5 month old son. He never spit up but sleep has been an issue since day 1 to the point he couldn’t lay flat until after seeing a chiropractor at 3 weeks old. If you have a chiropractor who specializes in paediatrics it may be something worth looking into. My son had a lot of neck muscle tightness and found out it can be more common to also have reflux with it. Thankfully my son didn’t have those symptoms. Between the chiropractor and her recommendation to use a wedge, we ended up just elevating the bassinet we had much better nights until the 4 month sleep regression. Good luck 🙂
Oh gosh. Reflux and baby spit up are miserable! Both of ours experienced this and it is the pits!!! Sending you so much love.
Both of ours have been formula fed and our first needed a sensitive formula and reflux meds. Once those things kicked in she was a different kid. Our second one ended up having a milk allergy that we discovered was causing his spit up so eliminating milk from his formula was the ticket for him. I hope you can uncover the puzzle with Rhett soon!
Julie, my mom had a reflux issue with my brother and she found that putting him in an upright swing to sleep helped! Otherwise, she slept with him sitting up, although that can be super difficult to do for the mom.
Hi Julie,
I feel your pain and just said a little prayer for strength and wisdom for you. My second born is 3 months and you are describing her behavior to a T. She was like this for about 2 months. Gas drops would help occasionally, so we tried to give those before or after a feeding, but she was pretty miserable all the time with small amounts of constant spit up and gas. Our pediatrician said some babies can be very fussy and spit up a lot at first and assured us she would eventually settle, which she did. It was very hard at the time and honestly a struggle to bond with her because she was so miserable, but now that we’re a month past it she is happier and so are we. I hope that provides at least a little comfort and that baby boy feels better quickly!
My first child had really bad reflux. He would project across the room. The meds didn’t really help him at all. What helped at night was putting his bed at an angle. I actually bought a foam wedge that he slept on that had vertical rolls on the side that kept him from moving too far. I’ve heard of putting something under one end of the mattress as well. He doesn’t have a dairy allergy and I didn’t switch him to formula. He did start to sleep and grew out of it. Getting him at an angle was key to sleeping.
Rent. A. Snoo.
I LOVE that Sadie is still your background!
My preemie had horrible reflux! He still has lots of digestive issues a year later I’m afraid. Check for thrush though! It can have some of the same symptoms of reflux. Also, what helped us was leaving him sitting upright for 30 minutes after each feeding. I would attempt to burp him for a good 15 minutes too. The more burps out, the better he slept. Our doctors didn’t want to prescribe Medication for it unless it was a last resort because of the nasty side effects.
Oh Julie I’m sorry! We went through reflux/colic woes with my daughter. She was formula fed – we switched to Nutramigen, which I’m still not sure actually worked, and she spit up until about 7 months. The ped told us this was nothing to be concerned about and she would grow out of it when her digestive tract fully developed. She still doesn’t tolerate milk well and drinks lactose-free, so we think that could have been the issue.
ANYWAY, I totally feel your pain on the lack of sleep and trying to position the baby so they’re comfortable. I honestly blacked a lot of it out, but we did use the Rock n Play to elevate (which I know was recalled since then) and just always kept burp cloths nearby til it passed. We also tried putting a pillow underneath the crib mattress to elevate her a bit. When she was old enough, Merlin’s Magic sleepsuit made a HUGE difference in settling her.
It’s incredibly stressful and discouraging but this too shall pass! I hope you get some better rest soon! xo
Thank you thank you for this post. I knew newborn life would be hard, but wow I had NO idea!! Just seeing your day makes me feel like all of the crazy around here (including the loads of spitting up-like until he nurses again) is normal/to be expected in this season. As this is our first, I can’t imagine it with 2 other kiddos in the mix; you guys are truly amazing. Hope you get a good night’s sleep in soon and bravo for getting in work too.
My son had reflux around the same time and he could not lie flat at all. After a few weeks of him sleeping on Mom & Dad’s chest while sitting in the recliner we finally put him in his swing and that is how he and we were able to sleep at night. He did this for about a few months and then was able to switch back to his crib.
If you have a strong letdown it could be b/c your milk is coming in fast, and baby is gulping in a lot of air as he tries to keep up. This happened with my daughter around the 2-3 week mark. Also the spit up is b/c he’s drinking more milk than he can hold. What helps is unlatching baby and letting the milk release on to a towel. Once the flow stops baby will have to suck more and can better control the flow. Also look at different nursing positions for help.
Hope things get better soon!
Girl, you need to rent a snoo!!! It was the best thing ever for getting my girl to go to sleep (especially as a newborn).
The snoo also has leg lifters that raise one side a little which also helps a ton with reflux.
Yes! My oldest (now 7) had this issue. We too use a swing for night time sleep and naps until he was 4months old . The incline of the swing helped with the reflux. Spit up and general “colic” continued to 7weeks, when our Dr thought it could be an allergy to soy and milk proteins. I stopped eating soy an milk proteins (casein and whey) and nursed through it. (Very hard because I too eat ice cream daily – So Delicious saved me). At 12 weeks – poof — happy, sleeping baby. He grew out the the allergies. (Also, my other kiddos didn’t have this issue). Good luck!!
So sorry your little guy is having trouble! I highly suggest researching craniosacral therapy. It is a super gentle, non invasive approach that helps babies with digestive/sleep troubles (plus many other things!) relax and get relief. It made a night and day difference with my 3rd. It takes minutes and often little ones sleep right through it. I took my son 4 times and it was a night and day difference.
I always have to cut out all dairy when I’m nursing my babies (4/5 kids had issues) – for around 9 months. I’d try that and see if it helps. Also, it presents in different ways – some get bloody stools, some get a rash, some are fussy nursing, some might spit up. That’s always my first line of defense with baby digestion issues! Also, I have friends that had success removing soy from their diet and gluten as well. If you are comfortable with it, you can also try to prop up the head of his bassinet so gravity helps keep things down. I hope you see some improvement soon! Weeks 2 and 5 were doozies with my last baby, who is 7 months now. Each week gets easier! I just tell myself that over and over 🙂
Reflux is such a bummer! Both my little ones had it and eventually we had to put them on medicine recommended by the dooctor. You can put blankets/towels under one side of his mattress to try and prop the crib up at a slight angle and that can help a bit. Hoping it’s mild case for both you and baby Rhett!
My third had reflux. We ultimately had to go dairy free and Gerber probiotic drops (there are several other brands but our Ped recommended gerber) were a LIIIIFESAVER – they gave us instant “help” on the sleep front (I say that in quotes because here we are nearly three years later and despite multiple sleep training attempts, etc she’s still not a GREAT sleeper 😉 ) Talk to your pediatrician about the drops! We also did gas drops – infants mylicon. You could probably even call and talk to the nurse over the phone, they were a game changer at about 3 weeks for us. She still spit up but was what they called a “happy spitter” She gained appropriate weight and was the happiest little thing despite not loving sleep 🙂 it is exhausting and stressful though .. I remember sitting up with her for about 20minutes after every feeding to make sure when I laid her back down in the crib/bassinet she wouldn’t spit up and choke. Hugs <3 the third is a wild card and keeps us on our toes 😉
I google this almost everyday since my son is 4.5 months old right now dealing with reflux. He doesn’t spit up a lot, chokes more and vomits, and doesn’t like to be on his back for too long. Our pediatrician said that most babies outgrow it by around 6 months (which seems like forever when going through it). He said the car seat is the worst due to the angle. We also had a big flare up of reflux after vaccinations. We bottle feed with a smaller nipple size and he does much better with that. He also only really wants to eat 2/3 oz at a time and feed all the time.
I also read that switching to a convertible car seat instead of the infant car seat could help – not sure on this one but probably going to try soon. Hope some of this helps and thanks for sharing so I can also get advice from other mams in the comments section!!