Does it ever get better

voirin1980 · November 2009

last not was bad, the baby stayed awake 2 hours after the feeding, for a total of 3 hours. so i was awake from 4 to 7 am ,and today I am having problems getting him to nurse on one breast. I am tired, worn out. my husband is sick so he can't help. and this afternoon i had problems getting him back to sleep... i plan to take a nap when the baby sleeps around noon, but instead i slept at 6:30... does it ever get any better...

i feel as soon as i figure it out, the baby changes, every single day is different... he eats sleeps and poops, but its not the same every day... he used to go to bed right after the meal, and although i like that he stays up... its hard when i need to sleep , or he crys and i don't no whats wrong... his diaper is not wet, i feed him, i put him in the swing, then rock him, swaddle him, and then its time to eat again... does this ever balance out!!!!

sgrl · November 2009

((hugs)) - it DOES get better - you're in Survival Mode time right now.

HisMrs07 · November 2009

It definitely does. Try to stay positive which I know is hard, because the baby can feed off of your mood. I always try to think "what if i couldnt talk" how frustrating would it be. When I get so broke I just stop and think how much I love dd and act positive even though i may not feel it inside. dd loves white noise and the "elevator" which is pretty much a squat. We will stand in the kitchen with the fan on high and that usually does it when all else fails. hopefully you can find out your little ones quiet button (hugs)

also a static station high enough to go over the cry works well for us when there is no loud fan

thetwistedwillow · November 2009

He's not yet 2 weeks old! It takes time to get a routine and everyday will vary. It does get better but right now he's a newborn and just isn't predictable. When they hit about 3 months or older is when they begin to become very predictable with eating and naps.

There are some things you can try: wear your baby in a sling/wrap, use Mylicon in case they have gas/upset tummy and let baby nurse as long as possible all throughout the day. Some babies also really enjoy "cluster feeding" when they feed almost constantly.

These first weeks you just need to park yourself on the couch and let baby nurse often (helps build your milk) and doze when they doze.

wagneram13 · November 2009

It will get better...the first 4 weeks are tough. Especially without sleep and your emotions. If your baby is fussy a lot, I would buy the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD. The techniques REALLY helped us! We even bring a portable white noise machine with us in the car!

Good luck!

farrellashleigh · November 2009

Right Hug I feel for you and yes everyday it seems to be different. I think it helps to have structured feeding times, babies like routine or like to know what to expect in my opinion. We stick with a 3 hour feeding schedule during the day and 4 hour schedule at night and have done that since day one. Other than that we kind of wing it but like I said in a PP, the structured nap thing has really helped us. We have had to let him cry it out a little bit every now and then, only for a couple of minutes because he's so overly tired that he just doesn't know what he wants and eventually he's knocked out.

I just hang on to hope that it WILL get better, it WILL balance out, and we WILL look back and go "how the hell did I get throught that?!" but we will have done it. Hang in there!!!

jshf · November 2009

I felt like I was going to have a melt down the first week from lack of sleep and milk not coming in and just getting used to baby. My friend recommended Baby Wise and the Baby Whisperer for tips on how to get baby to sleep. We are still working on it, but at least I had ideas of what to do. So far the best advice has been to get some sort of routine going and to feed, then have active time and then to help baby sleep. I also have been supplementing with 1-2 bottles of formula or pumped BM in the evening. He seems hungrier at the end of the day. That helps him sleep better too I think.

Anyways. Just try to focus on today. If I think about doing this for months, years, I just go nuts. But if I just try to think about making today good, then I am much better. It's only been 3 weeks for me, but I definitely think each day gets a little easier.