DD 7 wks won't settle and I'm just getting so. f***ed. off with listening to her cry. HELP.

[kookiegoddess]

WHy am I getting so angry instead of feeling compassion for my crying baby? I just am so fed up of watching her almost fall asleep while I soothe her and then watching her wake herself up again. I cannot bear sitting for 20 min stretches waiting for her to stop crying. I do it but it makes me want to scream.

Am I crazy to be asking her to learn to self soothe now? I am attempting to shush her to sleep with my hands laid on her tummy and legs.

SO FRUSTRATED AND FED UP. I'm on my own as husband works all the hours under the f*ing sun, that won't change and I'm not getting on with my mum, brother too young to help. I just wish she wouldn't cry every time I swaddle her to go to sleep when we do the same thing EVERY 3 Hours - when do they learn that it's always going to be the same? WHEN?

Oh, to answer your Qs, i never really bothered to wind my babies, they fed to sleep and I'd just let them sleep. When i would pick them up after they woke they'd let out the most almighty burps, but it didnt seem to bother them while they were down and asleep. I also never swaddled as they never liked it. I would feed to sleep, and while they were tiny they stayed asleep either in my big bed, or in my arms on the sofa, or int eh sling, I second and third the sling thing, cooking is awkward, but you get it done! BabyBjorn Active is my fav, such a life saver on every level.

when she faslls off your boob asleep, just gently lift her onto your shoulder and the pressure of her lying upright against you will make her burp. Then you can lay her down again once it's come up. HTH

Hi Kookie - just to say that the most valuable piece of advise my BF who is a midwife gave me was do whatever you need to do to survive the first few months, dummys, co-sleeping etc nothing you do is irreversible (sp?)you can get her into a routine when she's older. My dd1 is a dream now, sleeps solidly for 12 hours a night.

You could try putting her down after about 2 hours rather than 3. 3 hours is AGES for a 7 week old to stay awake. She's almost certainly getting overtired.

May not help at all, but worth a try if you really do want her to settle herself...

Oh, and I found those musical baby monitors are FANTASTIC for soothing young babies to sleep if they are unsettled, and much easier than feeding to sleep then trying to put them down without waking them!

Agree with tazmosis. They dont have rules and they dont care if the house is a tip.