Help this new Mom---please!!!

L

leighanntx1

Cathlete
I have two questions for you brilliant Moms out there.

First, does anyone have or has anyone heard of a baby that hates to be in the car? Hagan is only 3 weeks old but he screams anytime he is in his car seat in the car. He will sleep in it once we get somewhere but unless he is asleep during the whole trip, he will just scream. And he does not ever cry besides then. Any ideas? I am getting ready to cancel the 3 hour trip to see the family at Christmas.

Second, when did your child start sleeping longer than 2 hours at a time at night? I am breastfeeding and am getting delirious because of no sleep. He wakes about every 2 to 2 1/2 hours all night long to eat. He sleeps more during the day. I try to wake him during the day to eat but there is no waking this kid. He loves to sleep. Just tell me there is an end to this:(

Hope I do not sound whiny. I love this little man more than anything in the world, I am just hoping these issues will pass or that someone will have some words of wisdom for an exhausted Mom!
 
As for the car the pacifer has helped us. I'm breastfeeding too and feel your sleep deprivation pain. My guy is 8 weeks old and is now doing a 5-6 hour stretch from start feed to start feed at night. It's been a gradual thing for us. The 1st month is the roughest. As far as formula helping them sleep longer I don't by it. Itdepends on the baby. With my 1st, he was going 8 hour stretches by 8 wweks on just breastmilk. I hope your little one starts sleepinging longer soon.
 
Ah, the pacifier. I have been reading lots of info that babies should be given pacifiers at nap time and bed time to fight SIDS but Hagan spits them out. I have tried every brand Babies 'r Us carries. Neither my husband nor I took them so maybe he will never want to either :(

I will not try formula just to get him to sleep either. His doc feels sure that I will have enough breast milk to never use formula and does not want me to intruduce cereal until he is 4 months old.

5-6 hours sounds great to me! I would take a 3 hour stretch right now and be happy :) Thanks for answering!
 
Time is your friend and your enemy now. Basically, he will gradually start sleeping longer, but how soon, is anyone's guess. I feel your pain though! Sleep deprivation is the worst. I remember yelling at my husband late at night when my 4 month old was only a few days old because I was so sleep deprived I was cranky and miserable. Hopefully he starts sleeping longer soon.

Oh, have you been nursing in bed at night? That might help if you haven't already been. At least you could try to snooze during the late night feedings.

Good luck! Let us know when he sleeps more and what worked for you.
 
One book that has helped our family is "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." I can't recommend this book enough. I got it as a pregnancy gift from 2 different people and it's great. At about 6 weeks of age, the baby will become less fussy (unless they have extreme colic) and days/nights start getting straight and the longer stretches of sleep will come at night. One of the biggest mistakes I was making was thinking that the later I kept her up the better she'd sleep-WRONG! Instead, she was overtired and sleeping less. A few days ago we just started putting her to bed at 8-9pm even if she doesn't "seem" tired. We have a regular routine of bath, feeding, and book (babies need routines) and she only gets up twice now compared to several times before. Soon the span between wakings will get longer as she grows and her stomach gets larger so she doesn't feel hunger as often.

Basically, what I'm saying is that the book is a must read. I know it's so hard to function when you can't get any decent sleep-I walked around like a zombie for the first 7 weeks!
 
Hi Leighann.

My son has always loved the car. He falls asleep like a charm once we are moving even if he's mad prior to that! ;)

When he was a newborn he would go 3-4 hours between feedings from the beginning which was wonderful! Even at that though, I was deleriously tired so I can't imagine how you must be feeling!:eek: He DID go through a phase though where he would cry A LOT at night. He didn't want to sleep after that last feeding before I would want to go to bed (10-11pm-ish). He would be up and cranky as anything!!!There were many a night that I couldn't catch any sleep until after his 2-3am feeding. It was tough. I cried alot from exhaustion by dinner time every night. You are not alone. Stay strong, catch those naps when you can and you will get through it!!!

Best of luck!:)
 
Hi,
I have no great words of wisdom except to say it will pass. newborns are hard because when awake they are helpless. 2 years ago, I remember posting saying how exhausted I was. My dd was up every 2 hours to nurse and up at least an hour. Last night this same child who is now 2 slept from 7pm-7am so hang in there. It does get easier.

Mom to Alexis born 9/12/03
Future mom to baby due 5/30/06
 
Thanks everyone! I know it will all pass, it is just so exhausting now. I am not tired during the day when I could be napping but right when it starts to get dark, I am so sleepy. Of course that is also when I need to be cooking dinner:-(

But again, he is so worth it and I know he will begin sleeping more soon and that someday I will wish he were this little again. I was just curious when it all might happen.

Thanks also for the book idea. I will definately check it out.
 
Oh, and as for nursing in bed, he only eats for about 10 minutes each time so I usually just feed him in his room in the chair. I am afraid to feed him in the bed (I am sleeping in the game room outside his room on a futon) because I am afraid of falling asleep and rolling over on him or something.

I guess I should just be happy that he eats so quickly and I am only up for about 30 minutes every 2 hours:)
 
Maybe there is something that is making him uncomfortable in the car seat...or the position of it...maybe he doesn't like being bundled up...when they are so little it's hard to tell. I would check to see what the ride is like for him. Maybe sit in the back seat when someone else is driving. Both my kids didn't (son, almost 3) and haven't (daughter, 5 months) really liked being bundled up. Since they were born they both want to see everything (in fact, they fight sleep if we are anywhere besides home...which makes it very hard to go anywhere.)

Sleep...ahhh, sweet wonderful sleep. I also wish I could get more. I exclusivly breast fed and my son who started sleeping through the night around 8 months, but before then he nursed several times during the night. (Again though, it was also in cycles that he would sleep through the night..any time he was on a growth sprut he would wake up ) I BF until 18 months or so. I brought him into bed with me and so it wasn't as hard. This time around I have a co-sleeper that is right next to the bed and my daughter is up every 4 hours. I think if I just let her fuss a little more she might just go back to sleep, but I just can't bear to let babies cry.

I've also read that book that was suggested and I think that it has some good advice. I believe the key to it is to put your child to bed early. My daughter goes to bed by 6 at night. She had the normal hard nights when she was younger...but putting her to bed early has helped.

Sorry, this got longer than I thought...hang in there...it will get easier I promise.

Lindzebird


ETA...sorry, just one more thing. You mentioned pacifiers...and SIDS. They did just recently come out with an article about using them in prevention, but I just have to say don't feel pressured to give them to your child because of this. I think it's important to remember that breastfed babies are already at a lot less risk.

I was terrified of SIDS with my first child. I would check his breathing any time I awoke or he slept longer than normal. I checked on him a lot. I also do this with my daughter...in fact, probably more than with my son due to the complications during her pregnancy. I think it's perfectly normal to have concerns.
 
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