1 Month Old Cranky and Will Only Take Cat naps....HELP

My DS was a tummy sleeper, we found out on accident. I put him down for tummy time in the sun and he conked out for 1.5 hours. From then on out he slept on his tummy and slept, well, like a baby.

That age was really tough for me because I could never really understand what they needed or why they were so cranky.

A few things may be going on - he may be hungry and simply not getting enough to settle him, he could have colic (which is hard to appease) or he could have an issue such as gas/reflux that is making him uncomfortable and difficult to sleep.

With our daughter, pressure on her tummy helped alleviate gas and make her less fussy. She was a crank for the first 12 weeks. She liked laying across our lap on her tummy and being patted (relatively hard) on her back to help reduce the pressure of the gas.

You'll likely get a lot of good advice from other moms, but if it persists, don't be shy to call your pediatrician and ask their advice in the event it is something like acid reflux that may require medication.

Absolutely keep looking for the reason why he won't stay asleep, like others have suggested. My daughter was the same way. She would only sleep longer in her swing. If I tried to put her in the bassinet, crib, or inclined chair, she would only sleep for maybe 10 minutes. If in the swing, she would sleep an hour or two. I used that swing until she was almost 9 months old and then we moved her to the crib for naps. The first few days of that were hard, but we got through it and now she is a good napper and sleeper (knock on wood!).

If you haven't tried swaddling, give that a go, too. :)

There is a "wonder" week at 4-5 weeks which may account for it --good 'wonder week." Peek fussiness is from 4-6 weeks also. Hang in there. It will be over soon. And next thing you know (around week 7), you will think something is wrong with him because he will spend a few days doing nothing but sleeping ;-) Then around week 8 things will go all weird again,though he should be sleeping better at night.

Also, they should never be up for more than 2 hours, so watch for the yawn, and as soon as you see it, rock, nurse, swaddle, etc. your son to sleep. Also, you need to do 2 or 3 S's (see happiest child on the block) at the same time to interrupt the fussiness and give him something else to concentrate on.

Have you seen the d.v.d. "The Happiest Baby on the Block"? Has anyone taught you to swaddle your baby? Dr. Karp, the doctor in this d.v.d, suggests that the first three months of a baby's life are essentially a fourth trimester. Human babies, due to the size of their skulls, are born before they're really ready for the world. Experiences, then, which replicate the experience in the womb are soothing; they trigger the babies calming reflex. Swaddling is a piece of this, but some babies (mine!) need more- swaddling, sucking, shushing, swinging, and being on side or stomach- all at once! I highly recommend this d.v.d.. I think there's also a book. Those first few months are SO intense. Blessings.

Check to make sure he's not having digestive problems. If he is colicy or allergic to the milk he's eating he could be uncomfortable. After you have made sure it's not like that try to find something that he can use for self soothing. Something like a pacifier,swing,vibration, special toy, etc.