Need Advice/Rant

Lucy1108 · February 2016

I really need to vent about my DS sleep schedule I'm so frustrated or more exhausted. He's 8 weeks today and his sleep schedule hasn't changed much since birth and I exclusively pump so I get very little sleep. He usually wakes every 1-3 hours. He's down by 10 and up at about 7 when the suns comes up. We have a night time routine that consists of a bath, lotion massage, swaddled, fed, and then rocked to sleep. He sleeps in a rock n play due to mild reflux. In the morning I try and keep him asleep longer then 7 but he wakes up 15 mins later. I can get at most an hour if I put him to sleep in bed with me. He's 11 pounds 13 ounces and eats about 3 ounces every 2 hrs in the day and whenever he wakes at night. I've tried to over feed him at night but he completely stops at 3 ounces no matter what I do. I'm hoping some of you can relate and if you can't if you can please give me some suggestions as to what to do. I constantly hear about babies sleeping so good by this age and feel so lost. I really don't think I can handle this much longer.

LaceyH13 · February 2016

Mine is 9.5 weeks, 13.5 lbs and still eats 3-4 oz every 2-3 hours, so you aren't alone

Lucy1108 · February 2016

@LaceyH13 I'm so glad to hear that because I feel so alone, which seems dumb it's just sleep. And I absolutely hate when people ask if he sleeps through the night or how he slept last night. I'm like, the same as always, nothing's changing.

Mizuiro007 · February 2016

DD was 11 lbs 9 oz at her 2 month check. She eats the same, roughly 3 oz every 2 hrs (almost freakishly on the dot) and continues the same through the night, or she did. Last week (10 weeks) she just suddenly decided to sleep through the night. It surprised me. Since I'm used to getting whatever nap I can between feedings. Then one morning I woke up and it was 6 am. I freaked out a little, made sure she was still breathing to find her blissfully asleep in her crib still. It had been 9 hours! I changed her diaper, woke her up and fed her. Since then has pretty much been the same. I wake up and have to wake her up to eat then we both go back to sleep. So it gets better.

DS was EFF after 2 months and it went the same for him. Around 3 months old he just suddenly started sleeping through the night, no build up or warning. It was glorious.

christiel14 · February 2016

Definitely not alone. My LO was sleeping 4 hour stretches and I though he'd be a great sleeper. But now we are lucky if we get a 2 hour stretch at night. Everyone always asks how he sleeps and lately when I tell them not so great, I seem to be getting a lot of comments about letting him cry. Not okay with me at this point though. No advice, just wanted to share that there are plenty of us whose babies don't sleep long stretches yet.

Lucy1108 · February 2016

@Mizuiro007 I'm honestly praying for that moment. Every night I think this could be the night, the night I sleep a full 7 hrs haha Hopefully it happens soon for me and my little guy.

Lucy1108 · February 2016

@christiel14 I guess we're never the ones to post on sleep threads haha My DS slept once 4 hrs and it was glorious. I'm sure it's so hard to back track! I agree on not letting them cry it out. I even feel guilty trying to just give him a paci because I know he has to be hungry.

preggoandglowing · February 2016

@Lucy1108 Your post sounds exactly like my LO's night routine (minus the bath). She will be 8 wks Monday. I wake up so delirious I always think I missed a feeding or that I just closed my eyes when in reality it's been an hour and a half. All I could do is make the night routine as quick as possible so I can sleep those extra minutes. When DD wakes me up with her wimpering I put her bottle in the warmer (4 mins) then run and grab her and change her diaper before the timer goes off and wakes DH up. Then I hook myself up to the pump (I've found that the sports bras that cross at the front hold the flanges in place so I have free hands) and feed, burp and re-swaddle DD. By the time I'm done pumping, she's fallen back to sleep so I just put her in the pack n play. Then I wash my pump parts. I've got this down to about 25-30 minutes.

kaylanpolk · February 2016

Lucy1108 said:

@LaceyH13 I'm so glad to hear that because I feel so alone, which seems dumb it's just sleep. And I absolutely hate when people ask if he sleeps through the night or how he slept last night. I'm like, the same as always, nothing's changing.

Oh my GAWD I hate that question. My students (I teach middle school) have even started asking me if the baby kept me up last night. It takes everything inside me not to punch them.

My LO is 8 1/2 weeks and he refuses to go down before ten and rarely sleeps longer than a 4 hour stretch then a 2 hour stretch. Then he's up for good after that which sucks since I have to get up at 5:30 to be ready for work. I just keep telling myself it won't last and someday I'll catch my breath.

kristib1027 · February 2016

Man, I feel for you ladies! That was me with my first, but my LO is 6 weeks and has been sleeping through the night since she was a month. Doctor said its fine after she regained her birthweight. She is exclusively breastfed and we bed share. She's such a cuddle bug I have to have her head propped on my arm and lay sideways facing her so she can feel me breathe on her and she knocks right out Everytime 10pm-6am.

Knottie65841689 · February 2016

I see someone mentioned Formula Feeding, I think when my baby has taken formula she sleepa longer. Breastmilk gets digested faster, so they wake up more often.

kristib1027 · February 2016

Knottie65841689 said:

I see someone mentioned Formula Feeding, I think when my baby has taken formula she sleepa longer. Breastmilk gets digested faster, so they wake up more often.

Just like pregnancy, every baby is diff. Once a baby gains back its birthweight they can sleep through the night, but not all do. Like I said above mine has slept through the night since 4 weeks and she is exclusively breastfed.

blended10 · February 2016

Guess what blended's gun say....oh yah bed-sharing works for us.

but ok that's not for everyone. And my hat is off to you for pumping through the night- I can't imagine. Don't feel bad about wanting your sleep - sleep deprivation is torture - like for real.
maybe try more "stuff" during the day? Like more playtime, trips out in the fresh air, trips to the store- whatever. I find if my missus gets a lot of interaction during the day she sleeps longer at night. Or it could be I'm so exhausted I miss the little grunting & don't wake as easily. Worth a shot id say!

ksrkim · February 2016

Same here, DS's initial stretch is about 3 hours. Maybe 11-2, then awake again at 4 and 6. You are not alone!

@Lucy1108 I also hate that question!! Ugh

BrookeBrown2015 · February 2016

@Knottie1452445632 same here! My lo is breastfed most of the time and gets formula sometimes and it does seem to me that he sleeps better after he has had some formula.

Lucy1108 · February 2016

@Knottie65841689 I tried formula only at night for a week because I have to supplement and still absolute no change. I feel like he digests it exactly the same.

Lucy1108 · February 2016

@blended10 At this point I'm not against anything. So last night I tried cosleeping and he's still like a little alarm every two hours. I thought being there to comfort and give him his pacifier would help but nope.

We take him out a lot but he'll nap like normal. I want to try keeping him up more during the day but I'm kind of scared of having a cranky baby. Maybe today once he starts getting cranky I'll give him extra interaction and see if he'll stay up longer. I think the fresh air might work but it's still pretty cold here. I might bundle him up and give it a shot.

jenEP · February 2016

My DD just changed all of a sudden. She was doing 1-3 and now does 4-5 hours. This changed for us at 6.5 weeks. We didn't do anything different. It's been pretty consistent for 10 nights now. I do let her fuss for a minute or two when she wakes because sometimes she falls back asleep, but I don't let her cry it out. I would hesitate to keep your baby up in the day. Everything I've read has said that good daytime sleep promotes better sleep at night.

Mizuiro007 · February 2016

Exactly like @jenEP said. Don't try keeping them up this early. And overtired baby is one of the worst things in my opinion and does not allow them to sleep better or longer later. I equate it to when I've had a long busy day and started out tired already. By the end of the day I've faught it so long I can't sleep.

The best thing that was suggested to me (by a pediatrician in the hospital with my first) is do things normal during the day,let as much sunlight in as you can and don't worry about noise. Then at night try to keep an environment of sleep. Turn electronics off (I'm guilty of not doing this but the blue light from electronics inhibits melatonin production), turn lights down, and keep sound at a lower level or play white noise or soft music. This is all with the idea that when they start sleeping longer stretches (each baby is completely different on when they're ready) they should be overnight.

laurabwalker · February 2016

I have tried to keep babe up and holy sh*t I paid a price. At that this point I go with her and she only manages awake time of about an hour, maybe hour and a half once and awhile. I'm going to try and get a better feed in before bed. Last night it was a 40 min feed, still woke 2 hours later.

blended10 · February 2016

So what I meant when I said "more interaction during the day" was NOT keep the baby awake when they would otherwise nap - I just meant make that awake time awesome. Tummy time, walks outside, trips to the store- whatever floats your boat. I guess in my little world we are busy & the days are full. My son loooves playing with "our baby" so she gets a lot of stimulation.
Just to clarify. Keeping anyone awake when they'd rather sleep is just asking for trouble.

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