6 week old with a very sleep deprived Mama

[Growingatinyhumam]

First time Mum here, my little boy is a bit of a snuggle monster and will sleep anywhere as long as he's being cuddled. He will also sleep in his pram if it's moving and in the car seat. I'm exclusively breastfeeding and I love how close it makes me feel to him but I am finding this whole process bloody exhausting. I don't want to stop breastfeeding and I don't want to start co-sleeping either.

At the moment, he feeds every 1-3 hours with the occasional cluster feed which can last up to around 6 hours.

The issue comes at night when he does not seem to settle in his next to me crib. We had a terrible night last night which has led to him sleeping pretty much all day.

Im now trying to get him to settle in the next to me crib so I can sleep (ive had two naps today while he slept but still tired) and he does not want to stay down.

Ive been told it gets easier after 6 weeks but I am struggling to see the light here 🙈 I'm not sure if I'm after advice or reassurance but I need to know I'm not alone 😫xx

Have you tried letting him sleep on you and then transferring him once properly asleep (10 mins)?
My main suggestions are make sure he's warm enough, could be wanting your heat, and also is he completely burped? Contact will help them put up with wind so make sure its all out.

It sounds like your doing well to persevere though, some babies are just like this. It's a difficult phase.

You are not alone! I have a 3 week old. It gets easier child number 4 here so speaking from experience too! 😂

Have you tried a dummy?

I feel your pain as my 4 week old is the same. Unpopular opinion but we found a dummy was a game changer in terms of getting her to go down in the Next2me, at least it was until she hit another growth spurt so we’re back on sharing the night shift, but I live in hope knowing we managed at least a couple of days of DH and I being able to share a bed.

My son was like this! Get a dummy it will change your life. Also after finished feeding walk up and down the stairs a few times as it burps them for you. This helped me so much as he was a very colicky baby. Good luck xx

My daughter was like this and we started to swaddle her and it made so much difference! We got the Tommee Tippee swaddle bag but some babies prefer the Love To Dream swaddle to keep their arms up. Definitely worth a try, my daughter slept for a 5 hour stretch with no wake ups the first time we swaddled her

Have a 2 week old baby here and she is the same. Just doesn't want to be put in her crib. We tried increasing the room temperature thinking she might be feeling cold; it didn't work. From 1-4 AM every night, she just has to be in my arms! Luckily I have got a bit of manpower at home so we can take 3-4 hours shifts and everyone can get some sleep!

I also have a 6 week old, also breastfeeding. This is baby no 3 and what's worked for me with this baby and my last dc is a nappy change, swaddled in a thin blanket and then breastfeed...once they've fallen asleep on the boob I sit them up and pat their back to rouse them and put them back on the boob and do this until they're in such a tired state they no longer wake when I pat their back...then transfer into next to me. I have also got baby to sleep in the carrycot on the pram and then put that into the next to me, with the hood down and cover off...I have no doubt there will be nights that don't go to plan but it's gotten me a fair few decent nights sleep so far xx

12 week baby here EBF. We use a tommee tipee swaddle bag, white noise, and I feed her to sleep. No dummy (not against them we just never have used one). Night time next to me crib required persistence to get her down. Initially she’s sleep in there for 7 minutes (I kid you not - yes many tears from me) but after persistence she started to accept it. Keep going!!! Now she goes in fine. (We still have some yo-yo nights but 90% of the nights she is in her crib fine). We never co slept either.

Yes it was tiring and so very hard so you aren’t alone!! Obviously everyone’s experience is different but I’m so glad we stuck at it and BF at night is a doddle now. I just pluck her out of her next to me, pop her on the boob and pop her back down, then carry on kipping myself. Keep going you are doing absolutely great!!!

Day time we still contact nap. Yes… the house is a tip!!

Best of luck - the exhaustion does pass I promise.

I’m at 13 weeks with my second. Sleep is not perfect, not even good, but the brightness I feel vs 6 weeks is immeasurable. It will get better and she will get bigger and you will feel better too. Keep at it. X

I know you don’t want to co-sleep and I didn’t either. With my first child I stuck to that and was frankly beside myself is exhaustion. With my second I co-slept for around 4-5 months. I was so much better rested and now years on he is actually by far the better sleeper.

For your sanity, I’d encourage you to re-visit the idea.

Good suggestions above, other ideas are making sure you both get out in daylight in the morning may help them sleep better at night (something to do with melatonin in breast milk), and feeding to sleep lying down with them lying in the next to me so you can then edge away once they're asleep. Good luck hope you get some sleep.

My second baby is 6 weeks old and exclusively breastfeeding too. So far night times have been a journey but I’m no longer waiting for them with dread as he is sleeping much better. He’s in a sleep bag and after each feed I wake him to try other boob and seems to be then in deep sleep/had good feed and goes down really well.
the small baby stage is too quick - I’m trying to enjoy every moment and remember the sleep deprivation will pass!

Give a bottle of formula at night.
My daughter is bottle fed sleeps 5 hours straight from midnight.
It only a suggestion please don't be offended I don't have a clue as I've never lasted more than 24 hours with breast feeding I've heard of people breastfeeding say they have topping up with formula so they can get some sleep.

Hang in there. It feels relentless now but it gets easier. I’ve seen a huge difference since 6 weeks in my now 9 week old. She is fully breastfed and will do a 6/7 hour stretch after she finally falls asleep on her 6374883th boob in the evening. Or so it feels anyway. I take her up to bed at 7ish then she cluster feeds until 9ish then will pass out. She cluster feeds from about 5pm but I take her up at 7 for a nappy change and into her sleeping bag. When she’s passed out I’ll leave her asleep on me for 15 mins or so so I know she’s in a deep sleep then she will transfer to the next to me and will sleep until 3/4ish. Then she will have a half hearted feed and then go back to sleep until 6/7. Keep going you’re doing amazingly!!!!

Really bad advice.