2 week old DD feeding constantly and not sleeping

[MrsTittleMouse]

Title says it all really!
She was doing really well, feeding every 3 hours at night, bit more often in the day, but since Monday the pattern has been that she feeds every 2 hours at night and constantly (slight exaggeration, but not much) during the day. She's also refusing to sleep in her Moses basket during the day, and will only sleep on one of us. She'll sleep in the basket at night (when it's on the bed between us).
She put on 1lb 5oz last week (total weight now 9lb 6.5oz), so I was wondering if it's a growth spurt. Because she's putting on a lot of weight, I do think that she's getting plenty of hind milk. If she frets just after feeding from one side, I tend to put her back on that side for a while anyway, just in case.
Is there anything I can do except ride it out? I'm guessing it's too early to express milk for DH to feed her right? I'd love to have a couple of hours break to nap and shower, but I don't want to risk nipple confusion if this will pass soon.
DH and I have had a stressful week this week (funeral, job rejections, problems with HV), could she be picking up that we're a bit stressed?
Please help, can't see the light at the end of the tunnel today!

[taylormama]

hi - i BF my DS for 7 weeks and i remember that at times it was almost constant feeding. I gave DS a bottle of EBM when he was 10 days old (i needed a break) and he fed fine - i used the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles. They encourage baby to latch on as they do with the breast - ie mouth v wide. never had a problem with mixed feeding. If your milk supply is well established and LO is feeding well and there are no probs latching on then give it a whirl. I do think 2 weeks is classic growth spurt time. With the sleeping, i would suggest a swaddle. This will help her to feel safe and warm in her basket. Little babies often can take much stimulation in the early days so try to put her down as soon as she starts to get tired. She is obviously thriving on the breast milk BTW - you should be proud of yourself.

[lulumama]

TM - twin spooky thing !!!

2 -3 weeks is absolutely growth spurt time...and i know several mums who gave EBM. or more specifically, their partners did....at 2 weeks..for this very reason...and carried on b.f for months and months ...if you can get some rest and feel a bit better...it is all to the good..

are you feeding with lots of skin to skin contact..keep you both settled?

[maisiemog]

Oh no! You've got a new baby!
I would love one of those!
But they are such hard work and you don't get any sleep. Just when you don't think you can take any more, you will just have to.
It's great that she is feeding and putting on weight, at least you don't have the opposite concerns.
I would stay away from the HV as much as you can, unless you have a serious concern. Just get her weighed when you want to.
The feeding will slow down eventually, it's just that they grow so much in the first 6 months, they need to eat all day. It will reduce though and eventually you will get to have a nap.
I know it's an old chestnut, but if you can get a nap when the baby does it helps a bit. Oh and give laundry to your neighbour/ mum/ MIL/passers by, and get them in to do a bit of hoovering while you sleep. Or don't do any housework for a month or two, you can make up for it later.
Stick in there, you are doing a fabulous job and you will look back and laugh (hysterically, like a crazy woman!)

[Papillon]

do you have a sling?

very helpful, especially for babies that want to sleep near you. You are not so tied to the house with a sling either, baby goes where you go.

[DizzyBint]

my dd is now 5 months old. i remember those first few weeks very well! i think it took her 2 weeks just to get over being born, then she was more awake. dh helped with night feeds at that stage too. had no nipple confusion issues. have you looked at kellymom.com? it's a very good site for breastfeeding info.

[MrsTittleMouse]

She's certainly had a change in behaviour, she's much more alert and interested in life now, as well as awake more often. She likes a lot of interaction with people now too, which I think isn't helping the sleep issue. We put a cot book with high contrast pictures in the Moses basket in the day. She certainly likes looking at it, but it only staves off the crying for a while, it doesn't substitute for being held. She likes having a bath or having DH change her nappy, so I think she likes lots of attention. She coped really well with the funeral too (which was 1.5 hours away and had lots of people there who hadn't met her; although I only let MIL and SIL hold her, didn't want a game of pass-the-parcel).
Thank you for all the advice. I do have a ring sling. We tried it yesterday without much success, I think I need more practise. DD doesn't hate it though, which is good. I'm really happy to hear that I can have a break and express without risking BFing. We have been given bottles and a steriliser as gifts, need to rush off and buy a pump. I'm certainly not running around doing housework, so that's not an issue! I'm tempted to phone my Mum tomorrow and ask her to take DD out for a drive in her car. DD seems to calm down when the engine is running and I know that the car seat fits.
Oh bum. She's crying again. She's been fed twice in the past hour and a bit... better go.

[lulumama]

be careful not to overstimulate her! especially if she is a little fretful at the mo! tiny babies get worn out very quickly....interaction is good..

but .being jigged about and passed from person to person can really annoy some babies and make it harder for them to settle..

perservere with the sling.....meant to be fabulous way to settle babies...

still early days yet... this phase will be over before you know it..

[MrsTittleMouse]

Forgot the other thing: she "bit" me last night with her little boney gums. The nipple is really sore now, and it's difficult to keep up feeding on that side. Is there anything I can do to ease the soreness/stop her doing it again?

[mammaduck]

Sounds totally normal to me, Mrs T-M.

You say 'not sleeping' but she is, just not in her moses basket.

My DS wouldn't sleep in his Moses basket until he was about 3-4 months old! It had to be on me so he could hear my heartbeat. I just gave up trying and co-slept till he was bigger and more able to cope with sleeping separately.

Co-sleeping obviously didn't go on forever. Now he gets himself off to sleep in his cot in his own room no probs (he's 13 months, btw).

Think putting moses basket on the bed bewteen you is a really good idea - wish I'd thought of that!

Lots of young babies need to feed regularly. Remember their stomachs are the size of a walnut - they can't hold much milk at a time.

Regular night feeds are really important for keeping your milk supply up. Have you tried feeding her lying down? It's a really good position to master if you're being woken up lots in the night, because you get more rest yourself.

[tiktok]

Hmmmmm.....my diagnosis is.....your baby is 2 weeks old and loves being close to you because it is familiar and lovely.

Taddahhhh!!

[kismet1]

sounds to me like your lo is at no risk of nipple confusion. Weight gain suggest she has got it sussed pretty well. I used the Tommy Tippee bottles too, albeit I think at 6 weeks. The teats really are very similar to the breast (although they probably don't go leathery after a few months of feeding...oh the woes of bf)

[kismet1]

also, they say that white noise, ie constant droning, like a washing machine, tumble drier or hairdryer soothes babies. Hasnt worked with DD but I thin it worked occasionally with DS (DP had to go and make up a tape of white noise especially for DS...ah bless...coulda just taken the baby of my hands rather than sit on the PC looking for white noise sites...sad but true