8 week old (2 weeks adjusted, 34 weeker) so miserable when she’s awake!

[Xxshannyxx12]

Cut a long story short, I had a baby girl at 34+1, she was in NICU for 2 weeks and came home at 36 weeks.
she will be 9 weeks actual on Friday but corrected age will be 3 weeks…
she’s been diagnosed with silent reflux/reflux and has been prescribed infant gaviscon and carobel in her milk.
The gaviscon has helped since being on it over a week now, she sleeps so much more peacefully.
With that being said she still is extremely sleepy and will sleep 22 or so hours out of 24… She will wake up fussing sometimes an hour before she wants a bottle or 10 mins before.
Either time it is whenever she is awake she is so so unsettled! She whinges and cries within 5 mins, fusses so much she isn’t a happy baby at all at the moment! She can only stay awake max 10-20 mins mostly to feed at the moment, then she’s back asleep.
She has smiled at me a few times whilst awake, but isn’t really interested in interacting at all. Tummy time is a big no!
i thought if the gaviscon and carobel are helping her sleep better and happier surely it must help when she’s awake too?
unless I’ve got a fussy baby and it’s just who she is at the moment, or if it’s anything to do with being a prem baby.. (might I add she definitely has the grunty baby syndrome! She’s a loud child when asleep!)
But as it stands it isn’t very enjoyable at the moment.. 😞
I’m happy she’s getting her sleep, going 4-5 hours at night and 2.5-4 hours in the day.
I don’t think it’s colic she brings wind up brilliantly and trumps a lot, all I’m really asking here is there anyone else with similar experiences? What was the issue if there was one? When did your baby become happier when in their wake windows 😩

Bump 😞

She is still so tiny, and basically still a newborn. Are you feeding on demand or to a schedule? I’m just wondering if the fussing is hunger.

I think that’s just what babies are like?
Ds at that age didn’t sleep much at all, maybe woke every 1-2hrs at night, and napped max 30mins at a time 3-4 times a day. So was awake a lot inbetween and had to be constantly fed or rocked or
carried or walked to stay calm. He never just sat calm in a bouncer chair like you see on tv

And yes is she hungry? Ds fed approx every 90mins daytime and 2hr-3hr max overnight. So if she’s sleeping 4 hr stints day and night then she can’t be having that many feeds. And stomach is tiny at that age and if premature.

The fussy thing is definitely just what babies are like I reckon! But 22h of sleep seems such a lot- are you sure it's quite that much, is she literally asleep all that time? Are you still with a midwife, I'd maybe mention it.

Btw - imo tummy time is totally optional before 2-3 months. Probably controversial opinion but I really never saw the point of putting dd down for a few brief moments of screaming on her tummy...! After about 3m she seemed to get a benefit from it

Mine was as miserable as sin at 8 weeks. I rang my mum sobbing saying 'I just thought I'd have a happy baby, I'm so cheerful!'. She perked up about 12 weeks and hasn't stopped smiling since. Hang in there x

I think it’s the shock of having an absolute dream first baby haha..
And shes usually demand feeding, anywhere between 2 hours or 4 hours no set times for her as of yet.
I know it can’t be hunger as when I do give in and give her a feed after an hour/1.5 hours when she’s kicking off she pretty much 9/10 projectile vomits it all back up as she wasn't hungry at all.
she sleeps all the time, literally will not be awake for longer than 10-20 mins. And sleeps 2-3-4 hours at a time in the day! She sleeps great at night, I have no issue with her sleeping, if I have to get up every hour at night so be it but she goes 4.5-5.5 hours now. (I’ve been told premature babies are extremely sleepy!)
its just how miserable she is when she is awake, being held, lying down, trying to interact with black and white sensory she ain’t having none of it 😅
only content when she’s asleep!
I try not to compare her with my first baby, as at this age she was so happy and playful, I know I won’t get that as of yet with my second given circumstances, but I don’t know why she is such an unhappy baby when she’s in her wake windows

I also had a 34 weeker and 2 weeks in NICU. He was soooo sleepy for weeks after coming home I was getting worried and brought it up with the paeds team during a follow up and they weren’t concerned one bit. He was asleep all the time until maybe 3 months actual? No smiling, no interaction, no interest in anything. He’s not 19 months and has just started walking and I miss my sleepy baby because he’s awake allllll the time 😂

Oh gosh really! That’s reassured me as I was worrying about her sleeping! Literally wasn’t kidding when I say she sleeps like 22 hours out of the day and wakes for food and that’s pretty much it, I try keep her awake for that 10-20 min but she gets so angry lol.. she’s 9 weeks, she is waking up slowly but still just sleeps all the time.