Help with my newborn.

[Courtney1993]

I am looking for help with my newborn as I am really struggling and don't know what I am doing wrong.

My newborn wont settle or sleep, she is 13 days old and eating 3 oz of formula every 4 hours with the odd top up feed in between as and when she requires.

She wont settle, constantly screams whenever she is put down, only settles if I walk round the house with her and I really dont know what I am doing wrong.

I have tried a bath, walk in the pram, extra winding, infacol, gaviscon infant, swaddling, hot water bottle in her bed before I put her down, one of my t shirts in her bed, dummy, white noise, please help...

Just wanted to jump on and say it’s not you and newborns are so hard! Completely normal but incredibly hard! Things I’d recommend (having had one of those babies)
-super comfy wrap sling and they can live in it in the day
-good swaddle, both my kids loved being swaddled and it really helped
-white noise to help settle makes a massive difference. App on phone or we had Oli the owl (similar to Ewan, from mothercare)
-take turns with partner (if you have one!). One of the biggest benefits for FF mums. He can do an evening shift if working and needs sleep perhaps 8-12 so you can go to bed at 7 and get solid 5 hours then he can sleep 12-7 and get a good sleep while you’re on baby duty. Get him to do a night when he’s not working the next day. You’re BOTH parents!
-remember it will pass and get better but trust your instincts. It’s likely to be bog standard colic but If you’re v worried rule out reflux, CMPA etc with GP.
Good luck!

Have you tried offering a feed every two- three hours in the day? Their tummies are tiny at this age, so going four hours and then having (for her) a larger feed is bound to make her tummy hurt and unsettle her. Mine never managed four hours in the day - she was weaned before she could hold off that long.

Feed. Burp. Swaddle firmly. White noise. Darkness. Gentle rock until asleep. Wait ten mins. Put down.

It sounds like you're doing a great job and you've been given very good advice upthread. I just wanted to add that there's a very good reason that new parents usually look like shit and it's not because everyone is getting a full 8 hours a night. I found that just by accepting that I would be sleep deprived took a bit of the sting out of it. That and coffee. Lots of coffee.

@uglyface same- current DD rarely goes more than 3 hours in the day between feeds at 2.5 months but does sleep through on occasion so not complaining.

@Pegase You’re winning then - mine didn’t sleep through until she dropped to one nap and was walking confidently - so 12 months 🤦🏻‍♀️