Excessively sleepy baby?

[*kate*]

Josie is now just over three weeks old and I'm a tad worried, but don't know if this is normal newborn behaviour.

She feeds then almost straightaway goes to sleep. During the day I tend to wake her for feeds, as she would sleep right through for hours. During the night she wakes regularly every 3 hours to be fed, takes a sleepy feed and settles again.

She's hardly ever awake, but when she is, she is following toys and faces etc and seems to be doing the normal things that 3 wk olds do. But after being awake for 10 minutes, she's really sleepy again and grizzles until she's put to bed (or if she's being held, goes to sleep).

Is this normal newborn behaviour or should she be waking up a bit by now? The other two were much more awake than this (but they were whingier babies) - is Josie just a content baby or should I worry?

(She is still quite small - 5lb 14ox last week)

[goldilocks]

Hi Kate,

I wouldnt worry too much. Emma was exactly the same at that age.She would happily go 6 hrs between feeds if I let her! Even now she sleeps alot. Its perfectly normal, but if youre worried ( and you know your baby best so trust your instincts) have a chat with you hv.

In the meantime enjoy it! Before you know it she'll be into everything and you'd give anything for her to have a kip :laff:

[Matilde]

Clarissa was like this. I was so shattered after the c-section and the shock of motherhood that I just let her be.

I am not saying this will happen to you AT ALL, but even though I did all I was supposed to (sleeping at night in cot, during the day downstairs, had her milk regularly etc) she started having cry-a-thons at night and I hadnt a clue what was wrong. Only in hindsight I can see that she was sleeping all day, going down almost immediately after milk and at night when the lights went off, she was having massive paddies because she was awake and wanted cuddles. (she has always been clingy and affectionate btw). I only sorted it when I did Gina and got her into a routine. The first 2 days i LITERALLY had to sing to her, go wheeeeee up and down, and almost shake her awake for hours because she was used to sleeping all day (I thought that was babies were supposed to do :oops: and I was on my own so noone told me otherwise) and crying all night. i was so shattered during the day I was letting her sleep so i could get some kip!

So, if everything else is Ok, dont worry, she sounds like a normal newborn, she may just be a sleepy one ;) (ENJOY IT!!!)

[*kate*]

Thanks - I am doing (loosely) EASY from baby whisperer, she eats but the activity bit is harder as she just stays asleep, even when I blow into her face :oops: and talk and sing to her.

This goes on during the night as well Matilde, so it's not like she's sleeping all day and not at night, because she just sleeps and sleeps. I thought new parents were supposed to be knackered but I'm getting more sleep now than when I was pregnant!

I am quite worried about how sleepy she is, but I am comparing her to two babies who hardly ever slept properly and were jumpy, tense children.

Of course I have tempted fate now and she'll be up and active, crying and wailing all night :roll: :lol:

[Mad Madam Mim]

Oh completely normal - I thought the same thing - just wait there is this period where they go mad and won't nap once they get more alert.

I did EASY too (quite loosely) again, don't worry about the activity part - it comes into play more later.

Do you do nappy free? - Dylan adored it and this was his activity time he used to kick his legs and make this earping sound like a sea lion - used to make Oh and I laugh loads.

Were your other two not like that? Was I lucky then??

[*kate*]

Actually I did nappy free this afternoon when she was grizzly and she quietened down and really enjoyed it - for 5 minutes before falling asleep again :lol:

The other 2 most certainly weren't like this - DD never slept one night - not ONE - until she was over 18 months old. She was awake most of the day from tiny baby unless in the car and was whingy, overtired and too nosey to go to sleep. Ditto No2 (but not quite as bad as he had cranial osteopathy).

You were lucky - or was I unlucky? :lol: You're right though - in a month I'll be posting to say she's too active!

[Julesb]

It was the same here, my LO could sleep for England and even now at nearly 6 months she still likes her zzz's.

[Bubble]

It's perfectly normal. Both my two were like this. We did EASY too with them both and at first the activity bit was just a nappy change then they needed to be put down for a nap again! I never woke either of them during the day, I figured if they needed to sleep then I would let them and they would wake up if they were hungry. This didn't affect their nighttime sleeping at all and they both slept through (12 hours) from a few weeks old.

They both still like their kip now, Sam sleeps about 12.5 hours at night with a 2 hour nap in the day and Chloe about 14 hours with naps totalling 3 hours!

[Mad Madam Mim]

Yes like Bubble - Dylan still likes his zzzzzzz's so this one could just be a lovely sleepy baby

(also forgot Bubble you're right the nappy change is activity time)

[*kate*]

She's been more awake today actually, in the pram she looked around the shops for a bit ;) and is now awake in my arms, looking at Damsels (get her started early :) )

Thanks for the replies, I feel less worried. Let's hope she continues to be a sleepy baby :) I need her to sleep now so I can make dinner!