So exhausted!

[SophL]

Hi ladies, I'm looking for any advice or tips or support that can help me with my situation.

I had my baby girl 11 weeks ago at 33+4 weighing 3lb 11oz. She has been an absolute star and is now 8lb 7oz! Only issue is she feeds day and night, very unsettled, lots of little snacks. I have never achieved getting her to settle in a moses basket or cot so she is in a sling/ cosleeping. I am desperate for a bit of rest.

I also have a lovely 20 month old who has bags of energy. He was also an excellent feeder and gained 1lb a week, so I am used to feeding greedy babes .

I have no idea what I actually want to achieve with this post, but at 11 weeks I feel at the absolute end of what I can cope with (and I consider myself pretty resilient!). No idea how much longer I can go on like this, I just need her to develop out of newborn stage! I don't think the traumatic delivery/ the trauma of having a preemie has helped...

 

[lau86]

Wow you've both done really well! Do you have help at home? Someone who could take your toddler off your hands for a day so you can just concentrate on your Lo and sleep when she sleeps. Or even express/ give a bottle of formula so you can sleep yourself.
I imagine she will start to go a bit longer soon though x

 

[SophL]

Thank you Lau, I really appreciate your post.

She won't take a bottle or a dummy (she knows what she likes!) and my lovely husband is self employed and works all hours from home, unfortunately in our bedroom. I've tried to have a nap as my son naps (thank goodness for naptime), but I can't sleep with the constant tapping and clicking from my husband and his computer...

You're quite right and I need to ask for more help from our Mums to have my older son in the day, but in all honesty I actually enjoy his company. I also find that they want me to pretty much beg/ thank them from my knees and so I often find it easier to just keep him myself than be made to feel like I am not doing a good job. I just need to suck it up, ask them and make all the right noises when I drop him off/ collect him.

Thank you again.

P.S. Any tips on getting a BF baby to take a dummy will also be greatly appreciated.

 

[lau86]

I know exactly what you mean about your older child, my mum and mil are really good and want to have him, but even though he's a handful I really miss him.
My son won't take a bottle either, though he has always taken a dummy right from birth. He uses the mam ones with the silk teat. He wouldn't take the more plasticky ones. Sorry I wish I had some tips for getting them to accept them, I just stuck it in his mouth and he was happy. That is probably why you have good weight gains though!

 

[SophL]

Haha, yeah. She loves the human dummy. I think if she would enjoy a dummy it would be sooooo much easier. I've bought more dummies than I care to think about (I often walk down the baby aisle hoping for some magic cure to jump out) but I am persevering with the MAM ones. I keep putting tasty things on it like my milk/ infacol and she just looks at me like I'm a nutter for putting a piece of plastic in her mouth.

 

[JessesGirl29]

My bf baby won't take a pacifier either....I've heard other people say to try different brands but I haven't done that yet.

One little thing I've picked up is to use white noise for myself when I'm trying to nap during the day and there is lots going on. It can blank out other noises and allows me to sleep too.

I would definitely accept the help when you need to catch up, there's no shame in that.

 

[SophL]

Thank you Jessesgirl, I have downloaded a white noise app and am looking forward to trying it!

 

[Sunnyleah]

I find with our 4 week old son that he will take the soother more easily from dad. I've heard this a lot. They smell the milk on you and won't take synthetic. Try having dad take an hour break during nap time to watch the baby/ try a soother??