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Original poster

Restless one week old

11 replies

SarahDay1990 · 01/03/2022 09:06

Hi all my LO is one week old and I’m
Not coping with the evenings…from around 6pm she will start crying and basically doesn’t stop unless I feed her. This means she is feeding all night. But then because she’s eaten so much she screams with gas and wind. Once she finishes her feed she will not go to sleep in her bassinet and will only sleep on me. I am so exhausted and the constant screaming is killing me. I know a lot will say this is all normal - but how long does it last? I’m already dreading the evenings and nights. Is this normal for a little one to scream constantly for hours on end in the evening and well into the night?

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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victoriaaurora · 01/03/2022 09:22

It's pretty normal for babies to feel so unsettled in the first few weeks and cry a lot. It's exhausting I know but if there's one piece of advice I wish someone had given to me, it's this. Babies are completely connected to us when they are born and they feel all of our anxiety. Try to just accept the situation - i.e. this is really hard but will pass and try and be as calm as you can - it will probably help your baby to calm down. I really do understand that it's overwhelming and all consuming. I was an anxious mess with my first baby and she cried and cried too in the evenings. With my second, I just let her sleep on me and be as attached to me as she needed to be and it was a completely different experience.

Rest when you can and give up all expectation of doing anything but caring for your baby if you can manage it.

Original poster
SarahDay1990 · 01/03/2022 10:18

Thank you - this is my 2nd child too and I don’t remember it being this hard! Hopefully it’ll get easier soon…

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confuseddotcom1234 · 01/03/2022 10:43

Is it the witching hour?? My first was awful for it and we did a lot of walks in the evenings to settle him. Will they settle in the pram? Are you bf? Could be about building up supply? Not sure if any of this helps but just a few ideas

Original poster
SarahDay1990 · 01/03/2022 11:02

I think it could be the witching hour but it starts around 6pm and then she doesn’t really settle to sleep until around 4am/5am (and that’s only where she is sleeping on me) I haven’t taken her in the pram (my husband works away and I have a young son at home so tricky to go for a walk in the evening) I wonder when she’s screaming if I should just keep feeding her. Wonder if all the screams are her way of telling me she’s hungry/building supply (yes I BF - which of itself is so so hard!)

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Original poster
SarahDay1990 · 01/03/2022 13:04

Is it also normal for them to feed all day when BF?

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Garman · 01/03/2022 13:11

Yes it's completely normal for them to feed a lot when so little, the baby is trying to establish your supply. Have a read about cluster feeding, if she cries until you feed her just feed her, crying is a late hunger cue. Google the fourth trimester, sitting around feeding her in the evenings will help you with rest and recovery too.

CanIJustHaveAWord · 01/03/2022 13:11

Has she been checked for a tongue tie? Often they will want to nurse a lot of they can't form a proper latch. This leads to them swallowing lots of air which gives them tummy ache. As well ask making them uncomfortable they often seek to suckle to help with the pain but obviously then take in more air and the cycle continues.
Cluster feeding is normal and she's only very young but I would ask to see someone who specialises in tongue ties to check x

Original poster
SarahDay1990 · 03/03/2022 08:03

The midwife thinks she has a slight tongue tie so we’re going to see someone about that. Last night she woke from a nap around 5ish and then didn’t settle to sleep again until 11pm. She then slept until 2am but was then awake until 5am. It was almost as though she was so tired and just couldn’t catch her sleep so kept BFing and crying but she just couldn’t fall asleep. Is this normal? It was like she was overtired and so restless. It was brutal and my boobs are so sore today! Wonder if I need to make sure she’s more rested in the day or doesn’t that matter? I’ve also read about not letting them sleep any longer during the day than 2 hours per nap so that you can feed every 2 hours to help them feel full for night time. Would that work?

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CanIJustHaveAWord · 03/03/2022 11:34

Could all be related to the tongue tie I think. How soon can you be seen? X

CanIJustHaveAWord · 03/03/2022 11:35

I can't help with any bfing routine but what I would say is that in the first few weeks they do feed a lot and that's completely normal. They are helping establish your milk. Could you get in contact with your local breastfeeding group too as some proper peer support will help a lot x

CanIJustHaveAWord · 03/03/2022 11:36

Meant to add my last one was latched on most of the time for the first two weeks but it did settle x

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