so overwhelmed

Kcaracc

Baby is 5 days old and i am a crying mess.  i cant get her to sleep in crib but she can do an hour nap during day. at night she goes down for an hour wakes up to feed and is up for hours after or sleeps on our chest while we sit up,,, does this ever get better or is this how she will always be. i just cry and cry i have no idea what to do

shannon tundel

It will get better... All I did for what seemed like a month was cry. Sleep deprevation does that to you. I remember for the first 2 weeks our daughter slept on my chest too because that would be the only way to get her to stop crying. If you are nursing she may be hungry if she is till trying to increase your milk supply, it could be gas. Maybe a bath or massage would help. Give it time and try to get naps whenever possible. My daughter is almost 5 months and actually has woken up every 1-2 hours for the past two nights. I feel your pain and it is hard when you have to work the next day. Try to enjoy all of the changes, the 5 months has gone way too fast. Good Luck!

cadeandheather

Hang in there! I think I cried the whole first week! Your hormones are all crazy right now too and baby is still getting used to being out in this big ole world! It does get better! I promise! We are 8 weeks today and although we still have trying moments, I could not enjoy it more!?

AfterAll

Like pp said.. it will get better.  I didn't feel bonded to my baby, in fact I didn't care WHY he was crying--I didn't feel badly for him, I just wanted him to shut up until around 1 month.  If you have anyone that can help you, your SO, family, friends... take the help.  You need to rest and recuperate, and you need some time for yourself.  This is a huge adjustment and not everyone falls instantly in love with their child, trust me... but it WILL get better.

PizzaBride

Are you swaddling her?  Swaddle her super tight using 2 blankets.  She is probably crying because she's tired.  Don't worry honey, we've all been there.  I promise it gets easier.

p0nd77

Have you seen the video or read the book Happiest Baby on the Block?  My friend's husband told us about it, said it was like ninja skills for babies and it does seem to help.  I find when DS gets really fussy and doesn't want a bottle or need a diaper change, that a lot of the time he is just really tired and can't soothe himself.  Swaddling and rocking seems to really help.

GL!  I never realized how hard a newborn would be -- I always loved babies, but when you are caring for them 24/7 it is completely exhausting.   

Mabzie

hang in there!  it will get better.  dd used to cry until she fell asleep.  my pediatrician said she was exhausted but couldn't fall asleep.  even now i will put on some music and dance with her to calm her down.  it is very exhausting.  i am used to being at work full time (go back on monday) and being up at all hours of the night with a screaming baby was hard the first couple of weeks.

again, hang in there! 

brideofscowboy

Your are doing great!!! It gets easier! I was a slobbering mess for the first two weeks also. Now, I'm a slobbering mess half the time b/c DS is already 8 months old! Once you get past the first few weeks, time will fly and those trivial first few weeks will fade into oblivion.

 Do you swaddle? Do you have a swing or vibrating bouncy chair?  It's okay if she doesn't sleep in her crib right away....as long as she gets some sleep so you can get some rest too.  The bouncy chair saved my sanity. DS would sleep in his crib at night, but not during the day.  Does she maybe have gas/tummy cramps? DS had this and it kept him up. Mylicon drops before each feeding helped with that. 

FWIW, if it helps to cry, by all means, have a good cry. 

Good luck!

jstone03

OMG, at 5 days, I was a complete slobbering mess.  I felt like crap, there was no routine to speak of and I couldn't believe what I had gotten myself into.  I bawled.  I had NO idea it would be so bad and it honestly felt like a nightmare.  It takes a few weeks, but you have to get used to each other, and you will totally figure it out.  We still have our moments, but it is SO much better now.  You really have to hang in there and take advantage of anyone who will help you.  Seriously.

wnk1029

The first week was the worst!  The second week got better as we started to figure each other out and we got better at reading his cues and got into a routine (wake up - diaper change - eat - "awake time" (only during the day!) - back to sleep).  My LO is at a 2.5 weeks now and I'm starting to feel more myself and getting a hang of things.  It's amazing how much a good night's sleep can help, too... if you have someone that can come and help with nighttime "baby duty" definitely take advantage of it... sleep was the only thing that started making me feel better, and when I had enough, I was much better able to deal with LO's quirks and fussy times.

Kcaracc

Thanks veryone. i am def a slobbering mess i just cry and cry all day and night and i just keep saying "what am i going to do"  I feel so depressed and helpless with her. i have a swing and bouncer but she screams the minute she leaves my arms! i hope it gets better, thanks ladies for the encouragement

maze_bright

oh, friend. i feel ya. after my LO was born i just wanted to give her back. it was a nightmare. i had serious insomnia (didn't sleep for about 5 days in a row) and couldn't eat. i lost almost 30 pounds in a week and a half. it was misery, that's for sure. now my LO is 5 weeks old and in that short time span, things have gotten a ton better. it WILL get better. i didn't believe it myself, but i swear it will. hang in there. 

bellaleanne

Hun you are in good company!

We have all been through it. I cry all the time. like people said, getting a bit of sleep will do wonders for you...you wouldn't believe how much more affection you'll have for your LO when you've gotten a few solid hours of sleep. 

My little guy has nights where he's up every hour. And it is hard, but trust me even just one good night out of three or four will make things easier. and you will start to have good nights. Hang in there, you're doing a great job. and despite how you may feel, remember that you ARE a good mom.