help considering giving up!

[soootired]

I have a 5 week old little girl who seriousally has day and night the wrong way, is feeding every 2-3 hours all day/night except for 1 long sleep during the day when we go out which she will go 4-5 hours.
When she feeds she goes for about 10 min then falls asleep then wakes up 20 mins later if she remembers for seconds so at night i get very little sleep. Add half hour of being upright to avoid bad wind/colic (thankfully this works). She wont be woken up when she want to sleep (even resorted to putting her feet in a ice cold bowl of water)

I am exhausted, really hate the night feeds and feel paranoid about falling asleep with her on me! Also expressing really gives me the heeby geebies lol so i think thats out unless for one offs. Oh and to top it of i have just got my period hu????

I have support with partner and my mum but they cant really do anything as i am breast feeding so just after some advice and encouragement to continue (with the breastfeeding not life lol). Any advice on waking a sleeping baby other than the normal ways which dont work to get her to have one long feed not first and second course and advise on getting day and night right?

If you cant tell i am in a bad mood lol

 

[petal040]

I think her frequency of feeding is normal - it's a shame her long stretch isn't at night.

Apologies if you have already tried or thought of these things...

To keep her awake to finish feeding - have you tried changing her nappy when she is starting to fall asleep, then putting her back on the breast? I'd avoid trying to make her too cold though.

Also - you could try propping her mattress so it is tilting with her head at the high end to try and avoid the wind?

What is her weight gain like?

Have you tried keeping noise and lights on when she naps during the day, and having dark and no talking during the night? Babies aren't able to start 'knowing' day from night until they are around 3 months old - but I think that can help a little for some.

Hugs - and sorry if that wasn't very helpful!

 

[K477uk]

Petals advice is good.. I used to have a snacker, and found changing in between helped massively. Likewise with the making a distinct difference between night and day.

I also found that from about 7 weeks LO was awake a lot more during the day so would sleep more at night... it does get better!

During the long sleep during the day, make sure you get some rest! Do you have any kind of bed time routine? We found that giving a bath, reading a story and a last feed helped to show LO that it was bed time and soon after he was sleeping through the night! (don't know whether it was the routine!)

 

[Seraphim]

Hazel was like this for 2-3 weeks but *seems* to be a little more settled yesterday and today.

You say LO is asleep while you're out... we stopped doing this cos H wanted to fit in all the feeding we'd missed while she slept.

Sleeping in the carseat etc isn't really out of choice / the same as at home.

You know *everyone* says it gets easier after 6 weeks ish.
So I won't let you give in now. Come on, we've got this far

 

[Pyrrhic]

I have a 5 week old little girl who seriousally has day and night the wrong way, is feeding every 2-3 hours all day/night except for 1 long sleep during the day when we go out which she will go 4-5 hours.
When she feeds she goes for about 10 min then falls asleep then wakes up 20 mins later if she remembers for seconds so at night i get very little sleep. Add half hour of being upright to avoid bad wind/colic (thankfully this works). She wont be woken up when she want to sleep (even resorted to putting her feet in a ice cold bowl of water)

I am exhausted, really hate the night feeds and feel paranoid about falling asleep with her on me! Also expressing really gives me the heeby geebies lol so i think thats out unless for one offs. Oh and to top it of i have just got my period hu????

I have support with partner and my mum but they cant really do anything as i am breast feeding so just after some advice and encouragement to continue (with the breastfeeding not life lol). Any advice on waking a sleeping baby other than the normal ways which dont work to get her to have one long feed not first and second course and advise on getting day and night right?

If you cant tell i am in a bad mood lol

Once they get to 4/5 weeks they go through a growth spurt, and what your experiencing is normal I promise it gets easier!

 

[soootired]

Thank you all, to my amazement she slept from 11 to 3 and then 4 to 6, she is asleep now aswell yippidy do dah i was so conserened i had to keep checking she was breathing. i was all ready to go out and get formula tomo aswell, maybee she new and realised it was time to behave for one day atleast just to show she can do it. I never got her to wake in the daytime but i am guessing my efforts stopped the deep sleep, and dont worry the cold water was just a quick dip in lol and a warm rub and cuddle after. goes to show you cant predict what these babies are gona do next. of back to sleep as when she wakes i am guessing im gona have a lively babs. so happy

 

[bana]

Thats good im glad she managed to sleep better and nearer nighttime, it really does get better after 6 weeks honest! Are u doin much to distinguish a difference between day and night feeds, like very low lighting, not speaking at all, swaddling, different position, no stimuli like tv. All this helps, shell soon learn the difference! dont give up and good luck xx

 

[lucilou]

Hamish is the same and although he is still feeding every 3-4 hours day and night (no long night time sleeps for us yet!) I am getting used to it and am coping better than I did before.

I try to keep him active during the day - having lights and TV on and talking to him etc and he is awake much more during the day now which means he settles more easily at night (low lights and no distractions) even though he doesn't necessarily sleep for longer yet.

You will be amazed how you adapt to this new lifestyle, just stick in and it really will get easier.