11 week won't sleep longer than 2 hours

[Lauraemily35]

I have an 11 week old and am having a nightmare at bedtime. I've a chicco next to me cot and also a sleepyhead in the cot and he still won't settle. I am currently breast feeding him and he won't go longer than 2 hours at night without waking. He goes down at first but once awake he fusses and won't go back in his bed.
I've fallen asleep many times with him on my chest which worries me but I'm at the end of my tether as i am getting more and more exhausted. I'm contemplating going over to formula as everyone I know with babies say they sleep through and all seem to be on formula. I'm trying to get him into a routine but not having much luck with that either.
Would be grateful of any advice at all.

Totally normal
Formula babies do do that as well and BF babies sleep soundly sometimes too, it's a sleep thing, not a food thing.
Do you have a copy of the no cry sleep solution by E. Pantley?
Google the EASY routine, that's what saved me at the same age.
it's hard...

Rather than trying formula, could you try settling with a dummy, some shushing and a reassuring hand on her chest?

Formula made no benefit to me- in fact worse as had bottles to sterilise and pay attention to making it correctly - and reflux worse as he guzzled loads

Have you tried expressing? My daughter is now 16 weeks and is exclusively breast fed. Around about the 12 week mark we started to try bottles again. She didn't like them when first born but now with a faster flow teat she loves it and can get a much faster feed.

I also found when I took her out for a walk she would sleep for a good couple hours and was quite happy in her pram so it helped the 3 hours inbetween feeds and she would drink more.

I think our breastfed babies get so.used to.falling asleep nursing, that it is difficult for them to settle without it. Persevere, mine now goes down.between 7-8 after a bottle of expressed and has a good 4/5 hour sleep and then feeds again and sleeps a further 4 hours and then 2/3 with feeds in between.

It will get easier

Also if you don't use grobags, try them.

Jx

Thanks for all your advice. I have tried everything - he only settles once I have picked him up. He's in gro bags so I know it isn't that. He's just a terrible sleeper. 11 weeks of broken sleep is starting to take its toll. I'm praying 3 months will see him settle a little moe.