6 nights no sleep

[RaeRaeMama]

I know, it's the same old story but I just wondered if there was anything I hadn't thought of

My baby is 11 weeks and I'm in to the 6th night of her waking every 30min to an hour

From yesterday I started getting very tired, like I can't think

My baby doesn't nap during the day, other than 10-20 cat naps even those are few and far

She's been very whiny and doesn't want me to put her down, just seems generally unhappy. I'm breastfeeding and it's just constant. I'm not exaggerating about the constant bit either, it is constant.

Before this she would sleep anything between 4-5hour chunk then would wake for the rest of the night but we had sleep, I could function, now I have none

My partner is working full time as well so he is very tired also

I was already feeling really down about the intensity of the breastfeeding. I don't know how to keep coping if this doesn't ease up. Also how is my partner meant to keep doing his physical job on only marginally more sleep than me?

Everything is just shit

Please, does anyone have suggestions or even an assurance that this might end soon because I don't know what to do

Is it possible she's not getting enough breastmilk? Even though you are feeding constantly, she might still be hungry? Can you give her a bit of formula and see if that helps?

Huge hugs xx

This is a very unhealthy lack of sleep for baby. It's not usual or normal.

Is baby gaining weight and maintaining a centile line? My first thought is lack of calories.

Oh you poor thing. Give your HV a ring for advice.

Is your daughter having plenty of wet and dirty nappies?

Regarding your partner- it doesn’t work for everyone, but my DH slept in a separate room and wore earplugs on the condition that he picked up the slack with regard to cooking and cleaning etc. It really helped.

In the heat of this sort of lack of sleep, DH and I did shifts. DD cluster fed till 9, then I handed her off and went straight to sleep until 12-1 (whatever DH could hack) and then would take back over then having had at least 3-4 hours unbroken sleep. I’d cover the night so DH could sleep til 5ish (or whenever DD woke again, whichever was later) and then he’d cover till 7 so I could sleep again for a couple of hours.

If you can both get an unbroken stretch it’s better than nothing.

I’d also try swaddling and white noise. I bought a crib insert (like a sleepyhead) that gave dd more support. I felt that any risk of using it wasn’t as high a risk as me falling asleep holding her.

Good luck - it will pass and sleep will come again. It just feels never ending.