Help getting on a schedule!?!?

Question

My baby is 6 weeks old, she has alot of tummy aches but is there a way to get her on a schedule to help her? She wants to sleep all day and stay up all night! Also, she has her tummy aches mainly at night too... should I keep her awake all day after her tummy hurting all night?

Yes I am breastfeeding her, and when I said keep her up all day I didnt literaly mean all day, but I understand your concerns on that... I feel like she has collic, the mylacon drops work some, but you can tell when they wear off. I am on a schedule I usually get up about 7 every day, though I work two days a week. I dont mind staying up with her, thats not at all the problem, I just wish I could help her with her tummy aches. and thought maybe a schedule would help.

Answer 1

No, you should not force a newborn to stay awake to help her with 'tummy aches.' I don't even know where to start with what's wrong with that.

She is a newborn. Give it some time; she'll figure out night and day.

Answer 2

There's no such thing as a "schedule" for newborns.

Her tummy aches are probably what's causing her to stay awake and therefore sleep all day. It may be gas that's causing it. You can put Mylicon drops in her bottles (or squirt it in her mouth by the side of her cheek)

Also...when you feed her....make sure you're burping her enough. It could be that at night you're too tired to wait for the burp. You can lay her over your lap (face down) and pat her back. Or place her high up on your shoulder (to get some pressure there) Rub upwards, in circles, and pat.

Also...during the day...make sure she's getting enough sunlight. Natural light is a way to "reset" her biological clock. That can help keep her more awake during the day and sleeping at night.

And babies need sleep more than anything....don't force her to stay awake simply because you want her to sleep at night. She'll lose a ton of rest that way...and it will be worse for you if she gets overstimulated. (she'll scream more and actually find it harder to go to sleep)

Good luck. And if the tummy aches continue...I would call her pediatrician. It might be something else going on with her that is more than a simply tummy ache.

Answer 3

Tryin to keep a newborn awake is a losing proposition just like trying to get them to sleep is. But putting yourself on a schedule first is the answer. Really think about your day - do you get up at the same time each day or does it vary? Once you start to have a schedule for your day baby will start to fit right in. You will soon see a pattern emerging as to when she naps then you can figure that nap time is about that time. Most will have a morning nap then an after noon one until they are around 6 to 8 months then they may change to one longer early afternoon nap. As baby gets older she will stay awake for longer periods of time and thats when a schedule will really help you out.

You might want to consult with the baby's doctor about those "tummy aches" - those really shouldnt be a daily occurance.

Answer 4

I don't think that getting her on any type of schedule or routine will help with the tummy aches. Do you know what is causing them? Is she breastfed or formula fed? You should check with your doctor about the tummy issues.

It does sound like she is switching days for night, but a newborn really doesn't have any sense of this yet, and still requires constant feeding and sleep around the clock. You can help encourage her body clock by keeping it low key and avoiding stimulation at night. Keep the lights low, and don't play, and keep interactions calm. You don't need to keep her up all day. She will still need a fair amount of daytime sleep as well. Keeping her up too much during the day will probably just end up in getting her overtired, and she may have trouble sleeping at night because of it.

I would just get the tummy issues checked out and gently try to encourage activity and play during day awake times and still get in some good naps, and keep it low key at night.

Bes of luck!

Answer 5

6 weeks old is around the time that my son started having tummy problems. He was very gassy and had a hard time pooping (it would be hard and he would have to strain to pass it). I give my son mylicon for the gas after every feeding and he also has 2oz infant prune juice to help move his bowels at the doctors request. He's a new, happy baby!!!

As for the schedule, it's still a bit too early for baby to get on a schedule. But you can get her started by making bath time at the same time each night before bed. Give her a bath, rub her down with Lavender Bed time lotion from Johnson & Johnson, feed her the bottle and off to bed...

Answer 6

I would wait a few more weeks to try to get her on a schedule. Are you breast or bottle feeding. If you are bottle feeding she might be having a reaction to the milk-based formula. My son had acid relfux and had to be on soy or he would projectile vomit 2-3 times a day. If you are breast feeding make sure you are not eating anything that might upset her tummy. My son was a preemie and the nurses at Children's Hospital kept washclothes in a warmer to put on the babies tummys when they were gassy or colicky. You can do the same thing at home by putting a dry cloth in the microwave for one minute at a time until warm, not hot, and placing it on top of their onesie. Have you tried Mylicon (Even the generic is fine) and safe for babies of all ages.

Answer 7

i wouldnt start keeping her awake all day just yet since she's only 6 weeks and sleep is very important for such young babies, but i would start to wake her up a little more often throughout the day, you can also put a little rice in with a bottle if shes not breastfed to try and put something a little heavier on her belly at night time which may get her sleep better and night, and it'll also help in keeping her to sleep longer through the night since she probably wont sleep all night right away. try mylacon for her belly aches and rubbing her belly a lot too.. the belly aches may just be caused from gas and those to can help

Answer 8

you cant keep a 6 week old baby awake all day ,it sounds like she has colic which sould pass about 14 weeks in the meantime you can help her by getting her into a routine its never to early. bath her and feed her at the same time each nite with minimal conversation and dimmed lights and put her to sleep in the bedroom if you have a baby moniter it may take weeks or even month s but eventually she will sleep through the night if you keep at it all mine were sleeping through the night before 6 weeks of age

Answer 9

she will start her own schedule soon. Try feeding her on a schedule and maybe cut back a bit if she is getting a belly ache. Get some mylicon drops to keep her belly from getting upset.

Answer 10

You might be feeding her too much, make sure she eats every 4 hours none in between because it might be giving her belly aches. It could be her formula(if bottle fed) giving her the belly ache. Talk to her doctor about it. She sounds like she has her days and nights mixed up. Make sure she doesn't get too many naps during the day. And don't let her nap too close to bedtime because she will want to stay up longer. Hope this helps!