Grunting Squirming For Hours

[Partaria]

Hi Mamas!

DS is 4 weeks, 1 day old today.

Just a few days ago, he started this grunting/squirming pattern in his sleep. I'm not sure what to do. It's made our nights go from "challenging" to "making us totally crazy."

So, around 8 pm or so, DS will have his eyes closed. It seems like he's sleeping. For about a solid minute, he'll suddenly squinch his face, grunt deeply and flail his limbs everywhere. If he's not swaddled, he socks himself in the face. If he's swaddled, he freaks out because he can't move his arms. If the pacifier falls out during this time, oh boy, then he'll wake up and start screaming.

Usually, when this happens, I change positions with him. For instance, if I'm rocking him in my lap, I'll put him over my shoulder. And it subsides. I've tried just kind of talking to him and putting my hand on him, but that allows him to escalate to full wakefullness and crying. Thus, the need to change positions ans soothe him (he can't seem to self-soothe through this). Anyway, I change positions with him, a few minutes go by where he's silent and sleeping, and I think we're in the clear.

Then the whole cycle repeats itself.

I have no idea what's going on with the little dude. Is this something he'll outgrow? Is it poo? Gas? He's exclusively breastfed, gaining weight well. Lots of wet and poopy diapers. I try to burp him after every feeding.

Last night I tried the "I Love You" Massage to maybe alleviate some gas (if that was the issue), but he uh, pretty much hated that.

Usually, around 11 or midnight, he'll finally stay alseep, but usually only when he's lying on top of me or on top of DH. It's adorable, but I'd totally feel more at ease and comfortable (mentally and physically) if he'd sleep on his back in the cosleeper or next to us in the bed. If I take him off the chest (tummy to tummy) he freaks out, and we begin the whole hours-long grunt cycle again.

What is this? Any ideas? Remedies? Anyone else seen this?

[greenmulberry]

We also experienced this at about the same age, and it also worried me. She would flail about and grunt, and also crack herself in the head with her little fist. (We called her a "flailure" LOL)

Apparently, they do this as they learn to manage their bowels. DD used to do this every night, starting as about 3 or 4 am, for several hours. Often it resolved with a poop or a fart, sometimes not though.

It also really disrupted our sleep, but she grew out of it. There is something called "grunting baby syndrome" that you can google. It is apparently so common that people often bring babies into the Dr for it.

[ashleybrook]

CONGRATS MAMA!  i'm not so sure about the grunting...but if i've learned anything i'd say that almost everything is a phase! :) i hope you get better clues from other mamas.

as far as the when he finally gets to sleep, have you tried tummy to tummy side-lying? this is how me and my LO slept for months...it's great for easy breastfeeding, but i think it's also really calming...i know i felt better with him pressed right up against me. and both of us slept great. just a suggestion if you haven't already, it might work...

[anjsmama]

Both of my kids did this same thing at about the same age. It lasted longer with DS, but he had some other medical issues which probably contributed to that. He grew out of it around 12 weeks, DD grew out of it around 8 weeks. It also used to freak me out - just the idea of me being asleep, baby being asleep, baby being on her belly, which was on  my belly.. What if she rolled off and I didnt wake? What if she suffocated on my chest? Etc..

DH is the laid-back practical one so he did most of this tummy-to-tummy sleep holding when the kids went through that phase. As a PP mentioned, this can move to the side-by-side tummy position which is a lot more comfortable, a lot less mind-stressing and great for breastfeeding. I transitioned DD into that position starting around 6 weeks and it was wonderful for us and seemed to ease the grunting and when she flailed, there was no "openness" to flail into and she'd stay asleep.

Best of luck mama, Congratulations!

[Blanca78]

YES! My DD does this too. She's almost nine weeks now and it seems to be subsiding somewhat, and it's never been every night, but I definitely think it's gastrointestinal--what the PP said about it relating to maturing bowel systems makes sense, because it often seems to subside if she poops/spits up/farts. It seems most related to spitting up in her case. It is MADDENING--in fact, it's a big reason why I, a light sleeper, have been sleeping in our guest room and DH just brings her in to me to eat. Otherwise I wouldn't sleep at all. Glad to hear it's something that they outgrow.

ETA: A couple times lately, when she's been doing the flailing/kicking thing and will not stand to be swaddled, I've laid her down next to me and dozed while I let her kick and flail away. After about 15 minutes, she slowed down and actually fell asleep on her own--then I could pick her up and swaddle her. It's kind of like getting her yayas out, I guess? But it's only worked those two times--other times she gets mad.

[cooper1414]

My DS started doing this too.  He's 5 weeks and just started the grunting and will pull at his hair and face sometimes.  He either wants to nurse or be held anytime he is awake now too...

[Partaria]

Thanks for the replies! Glad to know this is pretty common. Hopefully DS will grow out of it soon. I'll try tummy to tummy sidelying. The only down side right now to all this tummy-to-tummy business is that I wound up having to have a surgical birth, and sometimes DS ends up kicking me right in my incision. No fun.

Cooper- ditto on having a babe who never ever wants to be put down! My nephews loved their swings and bouncy seats at this age. But if DS isn't eating, he wants to be in a carrier, nowhere else.

[MoonWillow]

Grunting can mean respiratory distress. I would take him in to be seen, maybe armed with a video of the grunting. Hopefully its nothing but as the mom to an asthmatic child, it makes me nervous. 

[owlgirl]

I 100% agree with MoonWillow. As an L&D/Nursery RN grunting is a sign we look for that indicates respiratory distress. Sometimes when baby is calmer and heart rate is lower there can be inadequate oxygenation and one of the symptoms is grunting. Not meaning to scare you as it may be 'normal' but def get it checked out. They should use a pulse oximeter to determine the % of oxygen your baby is functioning at. Make sure they do this. Since it only happens at night you may ask to go home w/ one and keep it on overnight. They are small and very noninvasive machines that alarm if the % drops below a programmable % level. Good luck and congrats on your new addition!!