What expectations should I have about my newborn's sleep patterns?

Your baby's 3 weeks old and you're dying to get some sleep. He falls asleep on other people, but won't settle in your arms. Babies are born with different temperaments. Some are fussier than others. Your baby may be fussier on you, because babies can smell milk on their mother. Sometimes they won't settle down till they get what they want. The best suggestion I have is to have realistic expectations. A baby's eating patterns largely govern their sleeping patterns. They have to eat every 2-3 hours and sometimes every hour. This is when they go through growth spurts. These commonly happen at 7-10 days of life, 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 4, 6, and 9 months. So if your baby seems extra fussy and wants to eat during those times, that's probably what it is. Growth spurts typically last a couple days and then they go back to their normal pattern, but it's important to feed a baby on demand, especially at this age, because they need all those calories. They're growing and need constant nourishment.

Also, a baby's tummy is very small and can't hold much volume, so they need to eat small amounts frequently during a 24 hour period. This is why it's normal for them to eat every 2-3 hours. That means that you'll be up every 2-3 hours feeding your baby. And this is 2-3 hours from the beginning of 1 feeding to the beginning of the next, so you have to take into account the fact that after you feed the baby, they may not go back to sleep, you have to change them, sometimes entertain them, then they go down, and then they're up an hour later. It can be very taxing There's no fatigue like the fatigue a new mom experiences. But there's hope in sight, because between 4-6 weeks of life, there's some changes happening in a baby's body that allows them to sleep longer. One is circadian rhythm. As their brain develops, they start to understand night and day. They may go 3-4 hours between feedings instead of 2-3. Another important change is that their stomach starts to get bigger. They hold more like 3-4 ounces instead of 2-3. For this reason, they start to go 3-4 hours between feedings. You can give your baby their last feeding at 12am and sleep hopefully till 4am. By 3 months, most babies are sleeping 6-8 hours at night.

As for your baby's fussiness, crying is their only form of communication. Sometimes cries mean they're hungry, tired, or over-stimulated and need a break. Maybe they're uncomfortable. need a diaper change, or want love and attention. As you spend more time with your baby, you'll know what those different cries mean and understand your baby's forms of communication. It's normal for babies to cry for 2-4 hours cumulatively in a 24 hour period, because this is how they tell you what they want and need. If you're trying to calm a fussy baby, try feeding them, check their diaper, make sure they're comfortable, not too hot or too cold. If you've addressed these things, given them love and attention, and they're still crying, remember 3 S's.

The 1st is Sound. You've heard moms talk about vacuum cleaners, turning on the dryer, going for a drive - all of those sounds are soothing. You could try an ambient noisemaker or something. You hear moms going "Shhh" with babies, because that's soothing. The 2nd is Sway. Babies like motion. When you hold a newborn, what do you do? You start swaying gently, because they like that. There are things on the market where you put your baby in it and it will rock them. Just keep safety in mind. The 3rd is Sucking. Sucking is soothing to a baby. You mentioned your baby likes to nibble on you for 3 hours. That's not good for either of you. There's a difference between nutritive and non-nutritive sucking. A baby should eat when they're at the breast. You'll notice a difference in how they suck. When they're expressing milk, they go [demonstrate], but when they're just sucking, they go [demonstrate]. They're nibbling. If the feeding is done, then break the seal and try a pacifier.

There's 2 basic pacifiers. 1 has a bulb at the end that's easier for the baby to keep in their mouth. You may be interested in the type that's straight, because a baby has to work just as hard to keep it in their mouth as they do the nipple. This doesn't confuse babies as much. I'd encourage a pacifier between feedings instead of letting your baby nibble on you, because that will cause sore, cracked nipples. It's also hard to tell when a baby needs to eat if they've been at the breast for 3 hours. You can try skin-to-skin, because it's bonding, it promotes brain development, and regulates their temperature. You may want to keep a diary of your baby's fussiness and your eating habits. If you notice there's something you're eating that's causing fussiness, you can cut that out of your diet and see if it makes a difference. If nothing seems to be working, your baby is still excessively fussy, talk with your pediatrician, and after asking you more questions, they can give you tailored information and advice.

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