End of my tether

[poochielove]

I am sat in here nearly in tears cos i just cant do this anymore (well thats what it feels like).

I feel like i am always awake and see almost every hour of the day. The nights are just so long and horrible and i really dread them.

Teddy seems to be having one continual growth spurt. I don't know how much i can buy this 'Oh he is just having a growth spurt' business as its happening even 4/5 days. He is MASSIVE and looks twice the bloody size as any other babies his age. He wakes up every 10 minutes and the only thing that can make him go to sleep is putting him on the boob and then 10 minutes later WAAA WAA. He slept for 2 hours earlier so thats all the kip i have had.

He goes through stages of 2 nights in a row he will sleep 5 hours (total bliss) then wont sleep for the next 6. he is almost 11 weeks old and is showing no signs of any form a decent sleeping pattern.

I want to put him on to formula as this is so draining that my panic attacks have returned with full force but he wont take it and practially spews before it hits his throat. I don't know how i am going to get him to change as he will take 1oz and then scream and scream and scream.

I have tried letting him cry and he just wont stop and gets worse and worse until he sounds like his lungs with burst.

What the hell is wrong with him? Do you think he is ill?

 

[ninjawomble]

Oh hun I feel like shit now coz Ive posted about having a good night

I completely understand..Isla is the same, but on formula not boobie. Last night was a complete fluke I feel, but I wish you could get one like it

We dont have a sleep pattern, but the last week Ive been putting her to bed for 7pm, whether tired or not, even if she hasnt fed, so she associates it with nightime. Yes she doesnt like it, but tough! Im trying to form some sort of pattern!

Ive had the old growth spurt excuse too, billix! I spoke to the HV and this is what she recommended. Oh and Ive also stopped giving her bath before bed too..as we have found out this actually wakes her up, so she has it in the morning instead!

My friend was having the same problem, and her bubs is 18 weeks, always wants boob, and has no routine, shes tried formula but her baby is acting the same as Teddy! She changed the teats and now is getting a much better response for her night feed. We had to try loads of teats before we found one that helped .Maybe Teddy has a strong suck like Isla and needs slower flow teats...fast flow made her vomit and cry! Ive got shed loads of Dr Brown bottles if you want them hun, no charge, maybe it will help? They dont work for Isla but they may work for you?

 

[Huddsgirl]

so sorry to hear your having a tough time poochielove
If you are concerned perhaps you should give your health visitor a call, especially as you feel quite low and your panic attacks have returned, then you can show her how teddy behaves and see what she suggests.
I had this problem with my 1st born and half of it i think is they pick up on your behaviour/atmosphere and it is a contributor ( in my case anyway).
Is it the taste of formula he doesnt like or is it the bottle he wont take?
i know this post hasnt been much help but i do feel for you so wanted to post. I dont like to see new mummys upset

 

[keli]

Sorry to hear your having such a hard time Not to sure if i've suggested this before to you but do you co-sleep? Co-sleeping saved my sanity in them early days. Cooper would wake i'd pop him on boob and then i'd all the way through the feed. I never worried if i'd roll on him or anything as i trusted my insticts and it just felt natural for him to be in bed with me. We still co-sleep now I know its not for everyone and as long as you don't drink/smoke or do drugs and watch out from over heating you'll be fine. If he's wanting to be fed so much in the night, and won't take a bottle, then i really would recommend it

 

[beanie]

Have you got a sling? I know I always put these forward as the answer to everyhting but they are fantastic. I never had one with Seren and she was just like Teddy, always unsettled and wanting feeding - it was so hard (though it did pass, and we never looked back once it did). However Cally never went through that, no colic, no fussing, she just slept. As long as she was close to me everyhting was fine and a sling meant my hands were free. I also agree with the co-sleeping, again I didn't start off co-sleeping with Seren but as soon as I did my sleep was so much better.

Just sending you loads of hugs

 

[poochielove]

so sorry to hear your having a tough time poochielove
If you are concerned perhaps you should give your health visitor a call, especially as you feel quite low and your panic attacks have returned, then you can show her how teddy behaves and see what she suggests.
I had this problem with my 1st born and half of it i think is they pick up on your behaviour/atmosphere and it is a contributor ( in my case anyway).
Is it the taste of formula he doesnt like or is it the bottle he wont take?
i know this post hasnt been much help but i do feel for you so wanted to post. I dont like to see new mummys upset

hi babe thanks for the reply.

Its the formula he wont take he is fine with breast milk in the bottles, but he wont take formula and it gives him bad tummy ache and makes him sick this is probly the reason we had such a shitty night as i tried to give him some formula as the first time he had it he slept for ages.

I wont go back to my HV as i have asked for her help and she has jsut tried to tell me i am over feeding him and gave me no advice (also told me he is overweight and just generally mad me feel bad) .

I cant go back on tablets for panic attacks as i am breast feeding and i cant stop cos he wont take formula its a vicious circle!

He did begin to settle into a routine of sleeping 11-3am and having a big feed then waking a couple more times for various reasons and then we would get up around 8am this suited me as it was the best he had been...but now this! This is worse than when he was a new born.

 

[poochielove]

Have you got a sling? I know I always put these forward as the answer to everyhting but they are fantastic. I never had one with Seren and she was just like Teddy, always unsettled and wanting feeding - it was so hard (though it did pass, and we never looked back once it did). However Cally never went through that, no colic, no fussing, she just slept. As long as she was close to me everyhting was fine and a sling meant my hands were free. I also agree with the co-sleeping, again I didn't start off co-sleeping with Seren but as soon as I did my sleep was so much better.

Just sending you loads of hugs

I have a sling and have only used it a few times as he grumbles in that aswell!!!!! I am coming to the conclusion he is just not a fan of sleeping

 

[poochielove]

Sorry to hear your having such a hard time Not to sure if i've suggested this before to you but do you co-sleep? Co-sleeping saved my sanity in them early days. Cooper would wake i'd pop him on boob and then i'd all the way through the feed. I never worried if i'd roll on him or anything as i trusted my insticts and it just felt natural for him to be in bed with me. We still co-sleep now I know its not for everyone and as long as you don't drink/smoke or do drugs and watch out from over heating you'll be fine. If he's wanting to be fed so much in the night, and won't take a bottle, then i really would recommend it

Hmmm i just dont feel i could do this, also my dogs sleep in the bedroom and i could never forgive myself if one of them jumped on the bed and hurt him. Also i go into a really deep sleep...

 

[Huddsgirl]

I cant believe your HV said your baby is overweight, its not enough that we are just getting used to breastfeeding and they have to worry you by saying that.
i have just recently done a post, paranoid about my baby's weight but like someone said 'you cant overfeed a breastfed baby.
When you put him down for the night (im sure you have tried most things) have you tried a nice warm bath then his bottle.
I breasrfeed mollie all through the day and i give her a bottle of formula at about 9 ish, but i make it really warm so she is sleepy with it and i think she knows now that when she has her warm bottle its bed timeshortly after. also perhaps try an eassy digest milk so its easier on his tummy.
hope little teddy gives you a break soon also a nice walk in the freshair might settle him in the day if hes restless. if mollie gets really upset in the day i switch on the hair dryer she loves it and goes straight off. OH keeps moanig cause our electric bill will be high lol......nevermind.
Feel free to PM me as teddy and mollie are almost the same age so it would be nice to swap tips or experiences and prove that we are not doing such a bad job and its just a phase at there age lol
xx

 

[poochielove]

Oh hun I feel like sh*t now coz Ive posted about having a good night

I completely understand..Isla is the same, but on formula not boobie. Last night was a complete fluke I feel, but I wish you could get one like it

We dont have a sleep pattern, but the last week Ive been putting her to bed for 7pm, whether tired or not, even if she hasnt fed, so she associates it with nightime. Yes she doesnt like it, but tough! Im trying to form some sort of pattern!

Ive had the old growth spurt excuse too, billix! I spoke to the HV and this is what she recommended. Oh and Ive also stopped giving her bath before bed too..as we have found out this actually wakes her up, so she has it in the morning instead!

My friend was having the same problem, and her bubs is 18 weeks, always wants boob, and has no routine, shes tried formula but her baby is acting the same as Teddy! She changed the teats and now is getting a much better response for her night feed. We had to try loads of teats before we found one that helped .Maybe Teddy has a strong suck like Isla and needs slower flow teats...fast flow made her vomit and cry! Ive got shed loads of Dr Brown bottles if you want them hun, no charge, maybe it will help? They dont work for Isla but they may work for you?

awww babe dont feel bad...enjoy it!!! I cant wait till i can get that much sleep

Its not the bottles its the bloody formula...i am going to be breast feeding forever ok, over exageration but you no what i mean.

I am going to use the bath idea as he does love splashing around and it wakes him right up sometimes.

Sounds selfish but i dont put him bed till i go bed otherwise i might miss out on the 2/3 hours he does actually sleep and then i wont get any kip!!!

 

[bobby1]

hun I can't imagine how tired you must be

have you maybe thought about moving the dogs to another room at night and letting Teddy sleep with you?
I am a really deep sleeper and used to swear I would never have Kai in bed with me but I find after his morning feed he won't settle and like Teddy just wants boobie. I pop him on and normally fall asleep with him, lo and behold to wake up about 8! those few extra hours sleep really do make the world of difference. maybe you don't have to co-sleep the whole night, but just the mornings?

do you have a baby rocker / swing thing? Kai always falls asleep in that, maybe you could put him in that and hope he has a nap so you can have 1 too??

 

[BabyMagic]

Sorry to hear that you are having hard time. Sleep deprivation is awful!

We also co-sleep and it may be worth a try, but don't do it if you feel uncomfortable.

Not sure if this is useful, but my LO loved (and still does) an older version of this http://www.mothercare.com/Winnie-Pooh-S ... 1&mcb=core .

Some nights it used to work better (and actually stop her from crying all together). It is voice activated.

Good luck - it WILL get better

 

[ninjawomble]

Not sure if this is useful, but my LO loved (and still does) an older version of this http://www.mothercare.com/Winnie-Pooh-S ... 1&mcb=core .

Some nights it used to work better (and actually stop her from crying all together). It is voice activated.

I agree on this! We have the exact same one, and it gets her to sleep..nothing else does!
Its like her "prompt" thats its bedtime. We then get roughly 3 hours, so its better than nothing!
It settles her really well, and plays again if she shouts!
Im using it everynight now.