Nights - do they get better??!!

[xxleannexx]

can someone please tell me that the sleepness nights get better! i just seem to not get any sleep at all im either lying there constantly checking on her or she wont settle. she sleeps lovely in the day lol its just night! then every night about 8ish she screams the house down for an hour as she has evening colic and i hate seeing her in pain. she is being a little madam at night when it comes to feeding she will cry as if she is hungry then only take an 1oz and a hour or so later will want more! is this normal as i kno its still really early days but im dreading nights already as i live at home with my parents not her dad so i have to get up every time, and there is no one to help me in the nights so it kinda feels lonely. Maybe its just my hormones at the min

 

[kookie]

oh hunni it does get better she's only new still can't your mum help out a bit give you a break?

 

[TashaAndBump]

I'm sure it will get better, hunni. These early days are hard on everyone - we're just adjusting to being parents and our babies are just adjusting to being outside to womb at last!

I think I heard that the first 6 weeks are the hardest, but after that things start to get better. I have the same problem with Anna btw, where she sleeps all day and then wants feeding every hour at night or just stays awake and wants to be held... My healthcare visitor said that I should try to keep her awake and feed her more during the day, and then she might sleep better and need less feeding at night... not tried it yet, but I'll let you know if it works!!

Also, don't be afraid to discuss these sorts of worries with your healthcare visitor - it's what they're there for and they might be able to really help you out or just be someone to talk to. You'll probably find your mother is another good person to share these things with;being a parent is one new thing that you two have in common and she has been there and back - she'll probably enjoy havin a good natter with you about it all, and will be able to offer advice and tips from her own experience...

Big , hun. I'm sorry you're having the sleepless nights right now (mine aren't much better, tbh!) I promise it will get better x

 

[Newie]

It definitely does get better. The first week, the baby is completely out of kilter and is just settling in. With my son who is now fifteen weeks, from about week 2, he was sleeping 4 hours at night between feeds. This then stretched to about 6hours at 6 weeks on some occassions - although on others it was still four. From about 12 weeks he's been sleeping through night and for has been going until between 7am and 8:30am if I put him down at 10:30. Believe me, you never think you'll get there but it soon comes!

He also had the trick where he'd only take a little bit of his feed and then an hour later would be crying for more. I spoke to my HV about this and she said that really in the first few weeks the baby normally only take an oz per week of age - so if 1 week 1oz, 2 weeks 2oz, etc. She advised to try and stretch feeds out as they get used to be fed on demand or if you can hold out they soon realise that they have to take the feed when it's offered or it won't be again for a while. She also advised that you can try giving a bit of water to stretch them out to their next feed. Also I found that the used of a dummy was good, as sometimes when I did feed him an hour after his original feed he wasn't really taking the bottle - he was just playing with the teat for comfort. However, I would advise speaking to you HV just to make sure - if you can't get down to see them they normally are contactable by phone.

Also, you may want to speak to your MW or HV about trying Infacol - this really helped in bringing up the wind. If you're bottle feeding there's also anti-colic plus bottles which again are supposed to help.

 

[mickey]

in the beginning, Juleikas night started @ 5 o'clock in the morning and I felt like as if my bum will get sore from sitting on the sofa constantly, as Juleika wanted to comfort suck all the time!

at daytime I moved around with her and we kept voices and lights low after seven to make her aware of the difference of night and day!

comfort sucking she stopped completely during the day when she was about four and a half month old and now only at night when she wakes up, I put her on the breast for comfort, so she can fall asleep again!

maybe it's the comfort as well she wants, not hunger?

 

[xxleannexx]

Thanks for all your replies, my mom is being fantastic and even had her one whole night the other day (so cant really complain at all lol) i will try all these things, i think its just so new for both of us so will take a couple of weeks to settle down. i will let you kno how we progress!!

 

[vicky9207]

im wishing the same here right now lol. my baby is getting a wee bit better n hes 2months:O have u tried anything 4 her colic i use infacol which seems 2 help. my baby is just a stavo n eats every 2 hours lol during the day n about ever 3 hours at night. but every morning at 5 o'clock he wakes up n doesnt go 2 sleep again till but 11 grrrrrrrrrr. i think he does it on purpose lmao

 

[xxleannexx]

2 months! i tried some dentinox but i dont think its really working. how much does he have when you feed him every two hours?

 

[vicky9207]

2 months! i tried some dentinox but i dont think its really working. how much does he have when you feed him every two hours?

6 onz but hes a stavo but he just is sick up most of it.

 

[vicky]

how long have you tried the dentox for hun? it takes up to 48 hours to get their systems i found that wasn't much help for kacy, when i changed to infacol it seemed to help alot, i'm using it for Kira.

My Midwife gave me a good tip on winding cos i'm finding Kira is throwing up alot its only been in the last couple of days she hasn't been (but have changed her milk and doing the winding thing) Make them so they are sat up right when your feeding them so then the bottle is tip up a little bit more, when your burping them make sure their back is straight and just rock them from side to side and round in circles cos when your sitting them on your knee and patting them on their backs it makes their tummy sit forward so its trapping the wind more so then when you lie them down it makes them throw up, or just wind them over your shoulder.

I would try the dummy thing as well hun, that is what kira is doing as well taking 1oz and then an hour later wanting more so i have just got a dummy for her and it seems to be helping, but only been trying it a day so will let you know how it goes.

 

[xxleannexx]

she was really good last nite, fed her at half 10 and she took 20z then at 02:45 when she took 3oz and again at half 6 this morn where she had 3 oz so i actually only had to get up one in the nite to feed her, so we will see how 2 nite goes. i think its because i was feeding her every 3 hours int he day instead of 4 so gonna try tht agen today and see how it goes! thanks for all your suggestions and support

 

[vicky]

glad it was better for u last night, i hope it carries on like that hun