Do I need help????

[CC's Mum]

Ladies, not sure if I need help or not.  My darling and much longed for daughter arrived 2.5 weeks ago.  She seems to us as though she is really good.  Generally through the day she goes for 3.5-4 hrs between feeds and when she does feed, takes somewhere between 80-120mls.  The problem (if there is one) is the nights.  She is wide awake come 9pm (just as she was when she was inside me!) and stays like that till midnight.  DH then feeds her and she promptly falls asleep.  However, she then wakes after about 2 hrs.  I can comfort her with a dummy for about 30-45 mins but then she has to be fed.  She only takes 60-80mls (pretty much as a DF), then back down again, then awake again after another 2-2.5 hrs.  This means not much sleep between 2-6 and by 5am this morning I was really frustrated.  DH took her downstairs, comforted her, put her back in her crib and then fed her at 7am.

AM I EXPECTING TOO MUCH?

p.s. having seen Tracey on TV and been totally addicted, DH has now gone out to get the book.  Somehow, I thing these message boards may become equally addictive.

pps - she is bottle fed.

[15milner]

Firstly congratulations and welcome to the boards.  I am sorry to tell you, but yes! you are right... these boards  ARE addictive but a great resource.

with regard to the night wakings then a couple of waking a night are to be expected.  At this age babies only have a tiny tummy and need to feed frequently (I breastfed and was feeding every 2 hours), so my initial thought is that feeding 3.5-4 hourly is too long a gap between feeds.  This could be a reason why she is unsettled - it could be hunger.  If she wakes during the night it is right that you feed her.

I would perhaps suggest that you ask a question to the experience mummies on the bottle feeding forum to ask about how much and how often to feed or for reassurance that what you are doing is just right.

also check out the EASY forum, there's a great sticky at the top with ideas on how to survive your first 3 months.

Alex

[Tori's Mom]

It sounds like your lo has her days and night confused.  It takes a while for the night owls to get their schedules down!
My suggestion is to start feeding her every 2 hours during the day and see if she extends the night wakings.  My dd was wide awake at that age until 9pm or later and now she goes to sleep at 6pm and slept a 10 hour stretch last night  .  So it does get better.   I would say that the first 3 months are very hard on all of you because there is so much for your dd to learn.  Hang in there, before you know it your dd will be 6 months old like mine!  :shock:

[Eden's Mum]

Just be a bit careful with the extra feeds though as you don't want to end up with colic. I had this and it is awful, but it has passed. DS2 finally got his days and nights sorted out by us ebing consistent. don't take him out and entertain him if it is a time when you would like him asleep. if he is screaming you di need to confrt him but if he is just fussing then accept he is awake and leave him.

hugs.

it will get better.

[CC's Mum]

Thanks ladies.  I hit an all time low last night - started sobbing my heart out and poor old hubby didn't know what had hit him.  Admitted that I just couldn't face going to bed.  Bless him - he made me go and sleep in the spare room all night where I had 8 hours solid sleep!!!  I also took a tip from this board - the Australian Swaddle.  Hubby swaddled her and she fed at 1.15am, 5.15am and I had to wake her at 9.15am!!!!  Not sure if it's him or the swaddling that has had the desired effect.

I will go and check the bottle feeding board - good idea.  But have pretty much decided (as most of you have suggested) to feed her when she asks rather than trying to insist she goes 3.5-4 hrs!!!!  The HV has just been and she has suggested the same.

Got to say - this lack of sleep thing is soooooooo hard (and I know that I have got it a lot easier than most).   I know already that you lot are going to keep me sane!!!