Baby Sleep Help - Natalie's Response

Mum Zone's resident Sleep Expert Natalie of Sleep and Settle is available to answer some of your questions about settling your baby and more.

Topics include: Sleeping and settling, moving from bassinette to cot, cot to bed, breastfeeding/formula, solids, floorplay for babies and play for toddlers/children, wrapping/sleeping bags/dressing baby, behaviour/tantrums, what's normal? bedroom environments, music, lights, entertainment, mattresses, mattress protectors, sheets, unsettled babies and the 0-12 week afternoon arsenic hours, reflux/colic, teething, worms, toilet training, night terrors/nightmares, the older child issues 5-10 years and single parenting/separation/divorce.

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Reader's Question

I have a beautiful 4 month old daughter who is a dream except for the arsenic hour which I thought they grew out of at 12 weeks. My girl gets so upset and there is no consoling her. I've tried everything and am at my wit's end.

Natalie's Response

Hi,

I appreciate that this is very confusing and frustrating for you. It is very difficult to answer this question without baby's history.

Consider:

• Is your baby hungry? Breastfed babies often feed more frequently in the afternoons because your supply is lower then. If you are tired and busy your letdown may take longer to happen and this may frustrate your baby during feeding. Demand feed your baby if breastfed and expect to feed as frequently as every hour and then also expect shorter sleeps in this time because baby needs to feed more frequently.
  
  
• Is your baby tired? I would encourage an uptime of 1.5-2 hours during the day and sleeps of 1.5-2.5 hours. With shorter sleeps in the afternoon from 3pm-7-8pm.
  
  
• Have you started solids early and baby has a pain in the belly? Solids should be given within 30 minutes after a milk feed.
  
  
• Is baby constipated? Formula fed babies need extra boiled water each day before a feed to encourage moist bowel motions and adequate hydration.
  
  
• Is baby frustrated that they cannot follow you around the house? I would expect baby to be rolling around from back to tummy and tummy to back.
  
  
• Consider seeing a chiropractor incase baby's spine is out of alignment and a nerve is being pinched causing discomfort or pain.
  
  
• Is baby reflecting your own emotions and frustration? It is the busiest time of the day and there is lots to do before bed. If you are worried about anything baby will feel this and mirror the feeling back to you.
  
  
• How about making this time your power walking time and getting baby out in the fresh air? Sometimes a change in scenery can get take the baby's mind off whatever is bothering them.
  
  
• Is baby teething early? I like Nurofen with the last milk feed of the evening, Hylands teething tablets and a sheepskin under the baby's fitted sheet.

Hope this helps,
Natalie

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The opinions expressed on these pages are of a general nature and are by no means a substitute for professional advice. Therefore neither Mum Zone or Natalie Ebrill of Sleep and Settle are liable for any actions pertaining to the use of the supplied information.