9 week old sleep issues

[denise77]

Hello,

DD2 is 9 weeks old, and is ebf. I've been trying to get her to sleep on her own in her crib i've been putting her down half asleep and sometimes she will go to sleep for a few minutes and then start screaming when she wakes up. I am a bit confused as to what you do next do i pick her up? Sometimes she falls asleep nursing and other times being held or rocked. This was going ok but 2 weeks ago she got a bad dose of the flu from DD1 and i started co-sleeping with her (she slept in crib overnight before). She was then in hospital a week ago with bronchilities.
Since then she will only sleep on me and if she is tired screams if DH tries to take her from me and just wants me, she won't sleep anywhere but in the bed with me and wakes up anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour to feed at night. During the day she can go 2 - 3 hours without being fed and will only allow us to put her down once she is in a deep sleep. Im trying to be understanding that she's just been sick but im so so tired. She will not take a bottle or dummy and just licks the teat when DH tries so no one else can help. Im desperate to have a few hours uninterrupted sleep and to get her sleeping in her cot on her own but dont want to leave her to cry. Any suggestions?

Oh poor you and your DD. She's probably just needing extra security after having such a rough time. And she's still so tiny. What about resigning yourself to cosleeping for now, putting your DH elsewhere at night if you can? I can sympathise with your need to get back to where you were before all this but little babies are so changeable that you can't always do that and sometimes you need to go with the flow for a while (and often it's easier for you as a mum to accept going with the flow, than trying to change things). You will probably find that if you offer the reassurance she needs by being there for her she'll gradually settle down again. Much sympathy though, I have been where you are with crippling tiredness and it's just a question of survival. I can promise that it gets better, much better!

Have you tried any kind of routine at night? Bath, feed, bed or something like that? Our 9 week DD is responding well to that after a week of implementing it. Also have you tried cluster feeding in the evening to 'tank her up' (baby whisperer style). DD goes about 3 hrs between feeds during day but after about 5 I try and feed her every 1.5-2 hours. I get her in the bath about half 7 with a couple of drops of lavender oil, then feed her in a quiet darkened room. After burping I try and put her down but it sometimes takes a good ten minutes of shushing, and pick up cuddle then put down. I give her a dream feed about ten (or normal feed if she hasn't got to sleep yet) and she then usually sleeps till 3,
Have you tried different bottles / different dummies? DD hated Tommee Tippee dummies but loves her Avent one. Mothercare do a range of breastflow bottles which are supposed to mimic bf but haven't used them so couldn't say for sure.
I really feel for you, sleep deprivation is terrible, especially with all you've been through.
Hope this helps - if nothing else, try the tanking up as the main reason babies wake is hunger.
Good luck!

It is still very early days and the only thing that can be relied on at this time is that your baby will want plenty of milk and plenty of cuddles. I find that things start to settle down at around 12 weeks or so. Co-sleeping helped me enormously with both of my babies, and allowed us both to get a bit of rest during feeds.

Hi thanks for your replies, i guess i will just co sleep for a while longer and see how it goes..for some bizarre reason i thought that my second one would be easier than the first!
Dreemagurl we have just started the bedtime routine with her, with your shushing have you just started this as well i will try tanking her up as well and hopefully that will make a difference - thanks again x