Help!!! Naggy 2 week old...

[Claire5517]

My DD is now 17 days old. Until Sunday all she did was feed, sleep and change her. But since then, every morning after her feed she just does not settle down. I try everything, obviously she's full coz she's just fed, changed, try playing on play mat, sit and have cuddles, dummy, walking out with pushchair. When I sit with her she settles for a few mins , to the point you think she's having her nap, but as soon as you put her down, she cries!! So I am mainly spending my mornings just sitting with her. Give her 30 mins or so after 2nd feed and she will settle for most of afternoon. Then it can sometimes start again in the evening. What am I doing wrong??? I feel like I can't do anything with her in the mornings. Please help me, its really getting me down.

She has only been out in the world for a fraction over a fortnight, babies do need to be held a lot. Have you though about trying a sling? So she gets the closeness but you have your hands free?

2-3 weeks is also prime growth spurt time so she could be needing lots of feeds at the moment too.

Totally agree. This doesn't sound like anything you are doing wrong or something you can fix, it just sounds like she is being a normal baby.

Try to do things that will help you, accept all offers of help, if finances allow do your shopping online, get a milkman and a cleaner. Trya slow cooker, you can shove the food in quickly in the morning and have a meal at night.

But most of all hold your baby, she has been tucked up inside you for 9 months, she probably doesn't even realise you are 2 different people yet. Agree to in getting a good sling, not a baby carrier but a sling where she can feel close to you but you can have your hands free.

If you are holding her, get sone DVDs, some snacks and drinks and relax. Both is phase won't last long and in a few months she will probably be crawling and you will be posting about how you are never still all day

Fussy evenings are also normal too. Behave a read of cluster feeding and fussy evenings and bfing your newborn: what to expect in the early weeks.

If you do need to put her down, try waiting at least 29 mins after she has fallen asleep, put one of Dhs worn tshirts in the Moses baskets (one of yours won't work as it will smell of milk) try swaddling and white mouse too

Sorry for the typos, ipad is having an autocorrect frenzy and 29 minutes is very precise! Try 20 mins

Oh and how was your birth? Can you look on this cuddly time as a chance for you to recover from the pg and birth?

Thanks for the quick replies!! Will definitely look into the sling option. Any recommendations for which make is best?

Pg and birth was fine, apart from 3rd degree tear.. I think I'm panicing about the tear not healing properly either as that is playing on my mind, just making everything worse!

stretchy wraps are best for the first few months, such as a moby. Stay away from the likes of babybjorns as they are not good for the baby's hip or your back!

I had an episiotomy with dc1. It healed fine but with all wounds you need rest and holding your new lovely little dd is the perfect excuse . Make sure you eat and drink well too.

The sling I used was a Close and dd loved it. There are some sling reviews on MN or see if there is a sling library close to you.

Can recommend going along to your local nct group too. They usually are a good place to meet some local mums and mums to be, and at least you'll get a cuppa and sone adult conversation while you hold your Lo. You might even pick up some sling recommendations too

My DS did exactly the same, so I understand how frustrating it seems! In the end, I just went with it and watched a fair amount of day time TV during his first month. On a practical front, make sure you've got all the stuff you need for you to be comfortable (e.g. drink, snack, TV remote, gadget for MNing) before you sit down and let her drop off.

On the emotional front, one of the things that really helped me was someone pointing out that letting my baby go to sleep on me was actually as valuable for his development as the more active bits of parenting. Letting your baby feel how much they're loved and safe with you, by letting them snooze in your arms when they're tiny, is a really good foundation for them becoming less clingy as they get older.

Lovely post deficit

I think deficit has got it spot on! Just go along with it and enjoy your snuggles because they are amazing and dont last forever.

Congratulations on the birth of your lovely DD! Agree she's showing you she loves you and needs you. While I'd second the sling advice, I also agree with the need for curling up with her for cuddles and TV.

Claire how are things today? Just thought you might like this book. Its evidence based (unlike a lot of baby books) and is great at explaining why your baby is doing what they are doing. I read it before having dc2 and she was really chilled, just wish I'd read it when dc1 was a baby.

Your library might have a copy

I think it helps to look at the first 3 months as the fourth trimester and set up camp on the sofa for the duration.

That's so true robot.

OP try googling Youtube Richard and Judy Happiest Baby. Its a great technique for soothing crying babies

Yep, and its the perfect excuse to lie back and just cuddle your baby (before they get so big you can't cuddle them without being kicked in the stomach/headbutted/bitten)

Thankyou for all of your replies!

deficit Thankyou, your post made me feel so much better! :)

jiltedjohnsjulie Much better day today, took your advice and bought a sling!! Put DD in it while I made her bottles and she was perfectly fine :) kept looking up at me, she was loving it as well! Will take a look at the YouTube video later (am on phone at the mo).

robot yes you're right, that's a perfect way to think of it!

So glad you are both having a better day

have you tried taking her out in the pram for a walk? she might not sleep but she could just be content to lie with the movement of the pram and seeing the lights and shadows moving, plus lovely fresh air might sent her off to snoozeland try it after a feed. just put her in fed, winded, changed and wrapped up as if putting her down for a sleep then head out for a bit.