6 week old baby-hasn't settled today, screams unless boob or finger in mouth

[littleduck]

Not quite sure what to do - poor little DD is horribly unsettled today, usually settles to sleep quite easily between feeds and sleeps well until next feed due.

Poor little thing has only had two short naps since 10am, is yawning her head off and clearly overtired but will only stop crying if I either feed her or put my little finger in her mouth. I left her briefly to have a shower and she became hysterical.

I know they can be cranky around 6 weeks due to a growth spurt - am just not sure what she wants, food or comfort. She sucked on my finger without fuss and didn't seem desperate for food but perhaps she thought if she sucked on the finger long enough some nice milk might come out.

I don't like to see her this upset and want to meet her needs but am really not sure what her cries mean and what she wants. She sounds frightfully cross though! It is getting rather wearing and any suggestions as to how to soothe her would be really gratefully received. Am hoping she will settle tonight at least but on present form not looking likely.

[TheProvincialLady]

Have you got a sling? You could put her in it if you do and go for a walk. If she gets some sleep now she will probably sleep fine tonight.

[countrylover]

How did you get on last night?

That post could have been me yesterday with my DS2 who is also six weeks old.

He did exactly the same thing, cried pretty much all day and nothing made a difference. But I know exactly what it was - he was overtired.

Like your DD he normally sleeps well but his routine was disrupted as he got woken from his morning sleep by DS1. After that he was all out of kilter and got massively overtired.

In fact he didn't go to into a proper deep sleep until 8.30pm last night so he was exhausted. I'm hoping today will be better.

[littleduck]

Thanks for the thoughts

countrylover - we had the usual bath and bedtime routine and woke twice after I first settled her. DP finally settled her about 8.30 I think - was too shattered to notice the time.

We actually had to wake her for her 11pm feed but that's pretty standard. Weird stuff going on with her in her sleep - I woke up at 2.12am hearing lots of noises from her Moses basket (snuffling/wriggling/sucking fingers) and got ready to feed her but when I turned the light on low as usual she wasn't awake. Her eyes were tightly closed and she appeared to be doing this in her sleep. Thinking about it she has been doing this for a couple of nights and I didn't bother to check whether she was awake or not before picking her up. So we just left her and she finally woke at 5 for a feed - definitely wanted to feed as she started to cry. No signs of crying during the night.

I wonder if she is trying to wake up or if I should wake her and feed her when the noises get very loud - feel more tempted to leave her until she wakes and asks though.

DP is shattered as she was really quite noisy in her sleep and he kept waking.

She screamed this morning around 8.30 but think she was just hungry although I thought it might be the start of a day like yesterday again and burst into tears and - I'm ashamed to say - shouted at her and said I didn't know what she wanted and told her to shut up. I have apologised to her but feel terrible - more tears!

She has gone down for her lunchtime nap 20 mins ago and still asleep (fingers crossed).

[hangoninthere]

are you breastfeeding? Does she have a good latch?