Why is my baby always over tired ?

[LizzeyBenett]

So my now 9 week old since 5 weeks fights her sleep terribly , she always seems over tired even though she does sleep . She could nap for anywhere from 45- 3 hours during the day but nearly always fights her next nap and gets upset as she is over tired . I'm trying very hard to have a routine she wakes up changes nappy has a bottle and maybe some tummy time or time on her play mat but she is tired and needy h a nap within an hour of waking from the last one ? She is still only drinking 2oz every 2 hours some bottles she might take 3oz if I'm lucky . I just feel like I'm doing something wrong I've tried everything dark room , white noise , baby carrier , she hates to be swaddled . So I end up rocking her to sleep and usually can't put her down or she wakes straight away. Bizarrely she is fine at night but an absolute nightmare during the day .

You’re not doing anything wrong OP! 1 hour wake windows are very common at this age, it’s totally normal for them to be tired after that and need frequent naps! My baby is 4 months old now and she was like that at 9 weeks and is still like that now just with longer wake windows! In her whole life she’s never had a single nap during the day that isn’t a contact nap. Every day time nap is on me/being held, occasionally she’ll have a nap in the pram on a walk but not often, she absolutely will not go into a crib during the day for a nap even though (touch wood) she goes down fine into her crib at night and sleeps lovely!

Every baby is different, some just want mummy all day! Try not to worry about it x

That's good to know I just hate seeing her so upset because she is so tired hard nut to tho m I'm doing something wrong. I even downloaded the huckleberry app which actually is helping but not working miracles lol

Yep every baby is different. I settled into a routine. What worked for us was: feed, nap, nappy change and awake. A good feed helped make a sleepy baby who slept well and woke up wet, needing changing and ready for playtime.

Yep- perfectly normal I’m afraid. Not every baby is a “routine” baby either. I went through similar with my little girl when she was a baby thinking I must be doing something wrong. I eventually learned that this is just who she is. She is clever and curious and gets massive nap FOMO.
If her night sleep is working, I’d say that’s the real battle as it affects your sleep and wellbeing too. But sometimes you have to lower your expectations around baby sleep and naps.

EDIT to add. Mine was always a “snacker” too and still is in some regards. She had lots of small bottles in a 24 hour period rather than fewer large bottles. Also normal for some babies.

9 weeks is still very young for a routine as such. They won't follow it. Just go with the flow for now. But put small things in place as you've already said and just keep repeating through wake and sleep windows. Don't stress about baby not going down for a nap at 9.20 everyday for example.

Mine was similar wake, change, boob, bottle, play more boob and then sleep to repeat. It felt endless. Wake windows were anywhere from 45 mins to 1.5 hours. And would sleep from 45 mins to 2 hrs.

Had frequent feeds as well rather than nicely spaced larger feeds. About a million and one nappy changes.

Even at 15 months, dc is not following the expected schedule. Still naps twice a day for 45 mins to 1.5hrs but is on 3 meals plus 2 snacks and have managed to cut the milk monster down to 3 bottles of cows milk a day.

As long as your baby is gaining weight and is seeming content keep doing what you're doing.

Random thought - when she's overtired have you tried doing a mini top up feed or winding her? She might need a snack or has gulped down some air during tummy time.

Usually when she us that cranky it makes her worse if I try give her a bottle but I do try , she is however a very very windy baby so that could be part of it

Try holding her upright for 20 - 30mins post feed, burp straight after, and burp her again after the 20 -30 mins. Is she possetting loads? If she is, she may have mild reflux.

Mine was refluxy, and we did the upright holding and burping on repeat. If bottle feeding look up paced feeding that helped up loads. And we dis contact naps upright on our shoulder which seemed to work. Laying baby down too soon after a feed just him super cranky.

Look into infacol drops as well. We did those and right from the first time he had them it was like having a different baby.