Awake with newborn, anyone else? :)

[Jellybean2017]

My little boy is nine days old. He sleeps pretty well during the day but at night just wants to be held and breastfed. He doesn't settle in his moses basket at night (but he will quite often do so during the day)

Anyone else up doing the same?! I'm not keen on the idea of co-sleeping but would be grateful for any advice. Baby sleeps in a gro-snug and we have a dream sheep but I'm guessing this frequent feeding and love of cuddles in the night is probably just par for the course at this early stage? 😊 I am napping during the day so I'm probably averaging about 6 hrs sleep in a 24 hr period.

I think a lot of people panic about their partner going back to work, Nina, I know I certainly cried about it with both of my kids.
How old is baby? Might it be growth spurt time?

Nina I found the week when my partner went back really hard too. I barely left the house, through choice. Some people came to visit me but I found that unless they were bringing me something (like food that is ready to eat - big thanks to my friend who bought pre cooked pizza, cut up melon and cans of pop over), I didn't really feel up to having visitors.

Have low expectations for that week. It doesn't even matter if you don't get dressed. I spent a lot of time in the bedroom in the hope I'd get some sleep when he napped.

Hopefully this is just a bad couple of days for you, rather than the start of anything longer term.

We had another fussy cluster feeding night but this one went on for ages - 6pm until midnight. He then slept for 4 hours, woke up for a short feed, then 2 hours, short feed then 1 hour just now. I'm grabbing breakfast while my partner has him before work.

He turned 2 weeks on Sunday. Sometimes I wish he would just have a proper cluster and get it over with so we have s chance of a longer sleep. I got an hour before he was up again and my other half had to settle him again after that, but at least he went back in his basket for 2 hours (usually he will only sleep peacefully after 7 if it's on someone).

My sister is possibly taking the week off when he goes back to work so I'd could have some help during the day to let me have a nap, but the nights still fill me with dread. And the weeks after that.

I may have to try co-sleeping during the day when I can get all the covers etc off the bed.

I think week 2-3 was the hardest for me Nina but I seemed to adjust to the lack of sleep around 3 weeks old. Still exhausted, but somehow it became tolerable. Up until week 2, my partner would watch me feed as I kept dozing off. I'd wake up as my head dropped but I was still worried.

I get you on dreading the nights too, it would get to about 6pm and I would be worrying about how long he'll feed for, how much will he sleep, will he fall asleep on his dad so I can get some sleep pre-midnight.

My boy was 4 weeks on Sunday. Things feel a lot better. But I know for me, it didn't always help when people tell you "it'll pass, enjoy them as they'll never be this little again etc" when you feel like you're never going to sleep again. I'm thrilled for future me that she'll get some sleep, but that doesn't help current me!

Have you got a Sleepyhead? I just bought one this week for bed sharing naps. He's still in his cocoonababy and Snuzpod at night, but I like the Sleepyhead in the bed so I can be closer to him for a nap. You don't need one though, I've had naps without it and I didn't move an inch from my spot.

I know a lot of people swear by a sleepyhead but I think I'd be more worried about him turning his head and suffocating than I would be about rolling onto him.

"Enjoy every moment" is awful advice as it makes me feel so bad when I'm hating things. It's really hard to enjoy three hours of feeding/rocking/crying in the middle of the night!

Thanks for all the support everyone, this thread has been great over the past weeks.

As for ignore every moment - I hated 90% of the first 6 months of my DD's life. I had pnd and I struggled with everything. But she's now a weird, wonderful 4yo and we have a great bond.
With DS, I'm enjoying him more, but then he sleeps better. And I still think the new born phase is shit!
So don't worry that you're not feeling as you should. It's very very early days.

I think the advice I would give people is "enjoy the moments you can, but don't feel bad if there are times you can't enjoy." I love breastfeeding now it's not hurting me any more, but 6 hours of near constant breastfeeding is going to take its toll. And seeing every hour of the night / morning isn't fun, day in day out.

Baby is currently dozing and feeding. Don't know if this is the start of cluster feeding this evening. Hoping for another 3-4 hour stint at least, I'm pretty tired today.

We are cluster feeding at the moment, first time in about a week. I managed a half hour nap before it started so I'm hoping it won't go on past 12 and we can then sleep for several hours!

I've been using multi-mam nipple compresses for a few days now and they are great. Really soothing and they've really helped my nipples heal.

I think we are cluster feeding since 6pm. But usually he will go all night so I'm a bit worried. Last two nights I've managed to get a few hours and felt better during the day because of it.

I didn't get a nap today as we had visitors so I'm a bit worried!! I also dread the night times

He's being really really fussy on the nipple too, not latching on as he's shaking his head so much out of desperation! So on the odd occasions I can't get him on either breast and he's upset it's hard to calm him down.

I hate that part Panda. He gets stressed and upset and I get stressed and upset and it is a hard cycle to break. Have you got someone there to take baby for even five minutes to give you a breather?

Not really, I had this baby on my own and staying at my parents but they are usually in bed when DS behaves like this. Plus had a bit of fall out with them about mum's smoking so don't feel I can talk to them right now.

I will be ok, he's got to settle and sleep at some point right?!

Hurray on the healing nips Nina - are the compresses better than Lanisoh? Hope the cluster feeding leads to a long sleep.

Panda it can be so frustrating when they're stopping themselves from latching on, mine often blocks me with his little punchy hand.

I'm at my little feeding station (computer desk in the spare bedroom watching trash tv on my tablet). He's just done a double feed, and is dozing on me now. He's fed often but with some gaps inbetween, so not quite the intense cluster feeding of the last two nights. Some predictability would be lovely!

I've wondered if I've caused nipple confusion as I gave him a dummy and he's only 11 days old. But generally he does latch on ok, he just has these odd paddys where he doesn't!

It might just be that things were starting to
improve anyway, but the compresses at this stage have been better than Lansinoh. The Lansinoh has worked wonders on actual wounds but the compresses have really soothed and healed the cracks.

You're supposed to use them twice a day for a maximum of an hour at a time but I've often popped used ones back on for a bit after the next feed as well.

They are £10.50 for 12, so that would only last three days, much more expensive than Lansinoh, but I'd hope to not need more than the two boxes I've bought now that we've got a good latch going far more often than not.

I can't imagine having to do this on my own Panda, you have my utmost respect! And yes, all babies will have to sleep eventually!

This week has just turned into a sleepless haze for us. We had first health visitor visit today and she was really quite pushy about recommending we Co sleep and send my husband to the spare room! I still don't feel comfortable to Co sleep and I find it frustrating to have received different information and advice from every health professional we have seen!

Baby has been feeding on and off last few hours and I'm working up to transfer him into Sleepyhead, don't want to disturb him though! Really could do with an hour or so of solid sleep tonight. Luckily my husband was able to settle him a couple of times between feeds this evening so I have had two lovely short naps. Hope you're all having a good night so far.

I hope you're all asleep. I know it's tough, but it really doesn't last forever, everything is a phase.

I'm awake. We got two hours from half 12 - half 2, and I've been feeding since then. Tried to settle him but he woke up in his Snuzpod pretty quickly so he's just had another feed. Hopefully he'll get a longer stretch now, going to be a long day for both of us if we don't get a decent chunk during the night.

Tonight has ended up being pretty good, have had a couple of 90ish minute stretches of sleep between nappy changes and feeds. We are up again for another feed so hoping we might get another short nap in before my husband's alarm goes off!! 😊 thanks Lady, it's good to have some encouragement! Hope everyone else is asleep 😊

Sounds like a better night Jelly. Hopefully you get more sleep.

Been awake feeding for about an hour. He just doesn't seem satisfied at the moment. Keeps unlatching and shaking his head and pecking and fussing. Tried winding but that seems to invoke fury. It's like trying to feed a Tasmanian devil! It's very frustrating.

We had a really good night (but I could have had better!) after all that cluster feeding.

He went down at 11.15 and I got to bed at 11.45.

Got called through at ten to three as the baby was waking up... nope, he was just having a noisy ten minutes in his sleep. I ended up sleeping on the other sofa and waking on and off to his noises.

Baby didn't wake until 5.30 when he was picked up!

I could have had six solid hours 😭

I get the annoyance when you could be sleeping and you're not!
I put DS down at about 3.45 and was just dropping off when The Toddler decided to inform me she needed a wee. She didn't. She just wanted a chat. I may have bribed her with the promise of chocolate to get back into bed. Desperate times, and all!

I'm so pleased you got a decent stretch from him Nina but also pretty jealous. We only got two hour blocks last night. At 6.15, I put him down asleep after a feed and he woke up, so my partner got up to hold him and I slept again. I don't wake him for any of the night feeds so it's only fair.

I still don't know how anyone manages more than one kid Lady so no judgement for the chocolate bribery here!

I'd have promised chocolate, millions of pounds... anything I think!

He's actually gone back into his basket again after his half five feed. He's very noisy but asleep (seriously does anyone else's baby grunt and cry without waking up??) so I've dozed on and off with an audiobook in one ear to help.

Mine does! Or did, until last week. I think it's normal. I sleep with ear plugs in. I can hear him but it muffles the noise somewhat.