New mum and lack of sleep

[Lellowcar]

DS is 6 weeks old and I love him to pieces but I feel so tired and just out of it all day every day. He wakes up every hour at night, has a quick feed usually and goes back to sleep. However I've always found it hard to get back to sleep after waking up in the night so I end up getting only a few hours each night

Are you sleeping when baby sleeps during the day? It’s the ONLY way you can catch up on sleep in the early days, and soon they won’t be napping as long so take advantage whilst you can!

Also co sleeping is wonderful. I never know how people do it without co sleeping.

I do sleep for a bit most days. He sleeps in a bedside cot next to me so I don't have to move much to get to him but just sitting up for a bit is enough for me to be wide awake for hours

Do you breastfeed? Have you considered co sleeping? Very safe when done correctly and you can create a natural C around them. It’s the only way I would ever get any sleep, 3DC and all have slept through the night when coslept with, especially when they figure out that you’ll always be there so they relax and sleep more

I had this exact issue! My daughter would not sleep in her Moses basket either and constantly wanted to be held. If we tried to move her when she was asleep she always woke. I never wanted to "co-sleep" but in the end we bought a poddle pod from Aldi for £20 and the first night she slept on it she woke once in the night! It was the best thing EVER! There are better versions of the poddle pod like the sleepyhead but it depends on your budget really! We put the poddle pod on top of our mattress right next to me and kept her warm in her blanket and she soon started sleeping through! Sod the housework and have a nap when the baby does! (I have also found that the warmer the baby the longer they sleep- usually a vest, babygro and 2 blankets) try white noise too! I used a video on YouTube called "womb sounds" xx

Please don’t try and use methods to encourage your 6 week old to ‘sleep through’. A 6 week old baby needs to feed regularly through the night, not only for their growth but to maintain your milk supply.

It’s so hard OP, you have my utmost sympathies. Both my babies were breast fed and the first few months were gruelling in terms of sleep, I felt like I could barely function.

I didn’t co-sleep with my first becsuse I was too panicked and I didn’t start co-sleeping with my second until he was almost 4 months old. My second one has just turned 1 and still wakes at least twice a night for feeds. The good news is that with the second one you are used to feeling sleep deprived so it isn’t such a shock to the system.

I always found it hard to go back to sleep after night feeds too but I always tried to make sure I got some short naps in during the day. Also, when DH came home from work at 5pm he would send me up to bed for two hours. At least then I always felt slightly rested and more prepared for the night ahead.

Congratulations on your baby, you are doing an amazing job and as difficult as things are please keep telling yourself that it will get better and somehow you will find your way through it and by this time next month things could be much better

Have you tried feeding lying on your side? I wish I’d done it from day one. I do this in the morning now so I can rest while she feeds, I’m a light sleeper and I move all the pillows etc.

Good luck you’re doing a great job getting up every hour.

Also, if you’re breastfeeding could you pump a few feeds for your partner to do? Breastfeeding will be established now if you want to try to see if he will take a bottle.

I do this in the day sometimes so my husband can do a few feeds while I have a bath or nap.