Lack of sleep is killing me

[Rosiebun]

I’ve posted on here before about my struggles with PPD, but with sleep deprivation on top I am really struggling and feel like I’m at breaking point.

My baby is 4 months old so is going through the sleep regression. Every nap is a battle, bedtime is a battle, night wake ups are a battle and she’s waking up almost every hour and screaming. My PPD seems to be manifesting itself in insomnia (which I have suffered from in the past) so even when the baby eventually does sleep, I can’t, and just as I start to drift off she wakes up again and the whole process starts again. I’m lucky if I get 1-2 hours sleep a night. I feel dizzy, light headed and my head hurts constantly. My back is in pieces from rocking her to sleep and constantly picking her up. It’s starting to cause problems with my husband now too as we are arguing and snapping at each other constantly. He’s also wanting to be sexually active and I just have no energy or desire for that.
This is the lowest I’ve ever felt and I just don’t know what to do.

What are you feeding her? Does she sleep in the car/pram? Do you have a mum or anyone who can help you? How much parenting does dad do?

With one of our children we had a babysitter to look after her once a week 5 hours.
And slept. It helped us a lot.

@PersephoneParlormaid shes formula fed and has 6oz every 2.5-3 hours which I think is quite a lot. She has 1 or 2 feeds overnight, it depends. She sleeps in the pram for 30 minutes on the dot, in the car she just screams. My mum has offered to help but in all honesty she isn’t the most reliable, my partner is working full time so it’s me and the baby for the majority of the day. He does get up with her in the night though but it doesn’t really help me as I still can’t fall asleep, so then we are both shattered :(

To be honest, that doesn’t really sound like a sleep regression to me.
How is her burping? Could it be trapped wind, gas, or constipation? My DD and DS were like this whenever they had stomach aches.
Try holding her in the football hold position - search on google(where the baby rests along your forearm like a little koala). If she settles in that position, it may be a sign she’s experiencing some tummy discomfort.

Could you see the GP for the insomnia and get something to help you sleep as a one off? And then your partner has the baby all night Friday night so you can catch up and you sleep elsewhere? (And then talk about how he can get some blocks of unbroken sleep too.)

My baby was the same at that age, it was awful, except I was breastfeeding so couldn't even share the night wake ups or seek help for some anti-depressants.

1. You are formula feeding, there is absolutely no reason why you should be handling all night wake ups. Go to a different room and say to DH he is responsible for baby until 1am. That way you know you have a block of time from 8pm -1 am to relax. Read, call a friend etc. Even if you can hear baby, don't go in. Relinquish responsibility.

1. Around 5-6 months you can sleep train. Again, especially as you are formula feeding you can cut night feeds at 6 months completely.

1. Go to the GP and get some anti depressants.