Please tell me this is just a phase 😩

[WillowMist92]

Has anyone else been through this around 6–8 weeks?

For the first 5 weeks, my little girl was honestly good as gold. She hardly ever cried, and when she did, I could settle her straight away. I knew all her cues, knew what she wanted, and felt like I was getting the hang of being a mum.

The last week, though, has completely thrown me. She seems exhausted all the time but fights sleep so hard. She'll wake from a nap already looking tired, with red eyebrows and staring into space, but then cry and scream for hours instead of going back to sleep.

She'll only stay asleep if I'm constantly replacing her dummy, stroking her forehead, or helping her settle back off. The second I stop, she wakes up and we're back to square one. Today, every time she's been awake, she's pretty much cried.

I genuinely feel like I've gone from knowing my baby really well to feeling like I've been handed a completely different baby overnight. I feel like I'm back at square one and have no idea what she wants anymore.

I'm starting to wonder if she's become overtired and stuck in a cycle where she's so exhausted that she can't settle herself properly.

Please tell me I'm not alone and that this gets better soon, and if so realistically how long does this last😭❤️

Have you looked at the wonder weeks app? Maybe she is going through a leap?
Or maybe try different things to aid sleep. Both of mine would only sleep if held or in a carrier- my second lured us into a false sense of security when she was first born but then “woke up” after about 3 weeks old.
Do you have a bouncer? A second hand babybjorn could be great if not.

I found the first few weeks very easy in comparison as all they do is eat and sleep! After a few weeks they do start to grow and adapt and as they keep developing they will go through many phases! As pp said - the newborn phase is pretty fleeting and suddenly they ‘wake up’ It could be heat, could be colic or wind - do you use and ap that tracks feeding ect - that could be useful to see if she’s crying after eating and could indicate colic/acid reflux ect. Something you may want to mention to the health visitor.

if you can - make sure you are getting enough sleep. In the early days I would try to sleep from 6-8 whilst my partner had the baby so I get two hours

I haven't tried that one, but I use Huckleberry. I'll have a look into it!

See one day I find something thay settles her and then will continue working that day and then the next day she doesn't want that and wants something else. Some days she prefers to fall asleep in my arms rocking, other days she doesn't want that and wants to be put in her crib and fall asleep herself, whereas the first 5 weeks she was always just falling asleep in my arms rocking before I move her to her cot or crib. 😫

Same with the bouncer, some days she likes it others she doesn't 🥹😅☹️