Three week old - overtired

[newmummypm]

Hi
I have an almost three week old and am looking for some advice on preventing him becoming overtired.
He sleeps well at night and is really easy to settle back in his crib as he feeds to sleep (EBF). However during the day he will fight sleep until he is overtired and he will also give feeding cues when he is tired which as a first time mum I have often just thought he was cluster feeding.

He is very alert during the day but will sleep in the sling or carrier but that’s it. Should I be popping him in the carrier after he’s been awake for an hour even if he’s wide awake?

not sure what to do for the best

thank you in advance!

If he's giving feeding cues & EBF then it most likely is cluster feeding & that's why he struggles to sleep. 3 week old babies still feed a lot!

Thank you :) I meant to say he’ll give feeding cues and then latch for a minute and just flutter feed before falling to sleep, at which point if I move or attempt to put him down he cries

Normal i’m afraid. Breastfeeding is deeply relaxing and soporific (sucking plus milk) and giving feeding cues because they want to go to sleep is normal. EBF is a lot more than just feeding. At some point in the first 6 or so weeks the majority of newborns also leave the perpetually sleepy state. They realise when they have been put down when they are asleep and wake up. If you don’t have anything else to do, at 3 weeks old I’d sit and hold the baby and rest and watch tv while they nap. I’m on DC2 so not able to do that so much. I’ll quite often feed DC2 to sleep then transfer him to the carrier. If feeding to sleep doesn’t work for you (although it’s quite hard not to feed a 3 week old to
sleep as they feed so often and so long) for whatever reason then yes. I’d be putting in sling after an hour or less at 3 weeks.

Thank you! Glad to know I’m not doing anything wrong x