Question:
2 weel old not enough sleep,HELP?!?
?
2007-03-03 10:59:42 UTC
I just had a baby girl,she's 2 weeks old and i haven't gotten at least an hour of sleep,i feed her her 4oz bottle but the crying just won't stop at times,what to do?I don't have time for myself no more and i feel depressed at times,i ask my husband for help with the baby in the middle of the night but he won't due it due to the fact that he works as a driver early in the morning and he says he "needs some sleep",but i need to rest to,what to do?!Please help me out here i'm a first time mom!!
25 answers:
Richa
2007-03-03 22:48:22 UTC
I really understand what you might be going through as even i had the same problem, with my daughter.. i couldnt disturb him as he was working,



try to take her to the doctor to ask if she has some problem, or try to give her half a tea spoon of ova water, if she is crying due to stomach pain than it might help her also after giving her a bath, cover her tightly with a cloth and give 1 teaspoon of gripe water, this is also gud for digestion in babies.. first try this..



Try to take a rest, with the baby, i mean when she sleep specially after giving her bath, even you try to rest or sleep.. that is the while when u can get a gud rest..



try taking help from your neighbour or call some of your relatives for some days just to help you...
2007-03-03 19:54:40 UTC
This will get better. Do you know why she's crying? Are you burping her well? It's very normal to have baby blues at this time your hormones are still all over the place. If you can sleep while baby sleeps this might help. When you husband gets home from work have him look after your daughter. Get our of the house, even if it's just a walk around the block, this will help. If you symptoms of depression don't go away you need to talk to your doctor. I got post-partum depressions with both my babies and it sucks, just know that there is help out there. If you have family in town don't be affraid to ask for help, being a new mom is hard work. Hang in there it gets much better trust me! When my first daughter was born I swore I would never have another child, but before she was even one I got pregnant with my second daughter. Things will improve, the first month or so is the worst.
Huliganjetta
2007-03-03 19:21:19 UTC
Everyone goes through this. It does get better though, trust me. I'm a first time mom also, and my son is 2 months old (born on Christmas Eve) and the first month I didn't get much sleep at all! Like you said an hour...that's about all I'd get in one night because my husband worked mornings. When your husband has a day off, or a little while before he goes to bed, have him watch the baby for a little while and take some time to yourself. Take a shower, sleep, or even go for a little drive if you feel up to it, just to get away. I had an 3rd degree cut (episiotomy) with my son, so I was in a lot of pain until about 3 weeks, and then it slowly got a lot better. So it was even harder for me to do anything, even sitting or standing hurt. I was also depressed too for a little while (postpartum depression.) What helped me was writing my thoughts down. If you are still depressed by your 6 week checkup tell your doctor, they can help you. By about that time, 6 weeks, your baby will start to get on a schedule. My son now sleeps like 5 hours straight at night, so I go to bed when he does. I also noticed my son sleeps better if I put him in his swing first, and then to bed. If you have a swing try that...for a while I even just let him sleep in it all night so I could get some sleep (he loves to be moving.)



Good luck and I hope I helped some. Congrats on the baby girl :)
Babygirl
2007-03-03 21:30:43 UTC
There are alot of things that you can do. First I would tell my husband that I didn't make this baby alone. He needs to do his part just like you. If the baby is two weeks she might not be getting full is the reason for all the crying. Maybe you could try a little more formula or maybe a little cereal mixed in the formula(only about a tablespoon full). What you really need to do is while that baby is sleeping I don't care what you're doing STOP and rest with her. Maybe you could get a friend or family member to come to your house and sit for a while so you can get some rest or just have piece of mind. My kids loved their swing. Do you have a swing or bouncy seat? You have to learn what makes your baby happy. It does get easier when the baby gets older. Just try to relax whenever you have the chance. Hell and if all else fails leave her in the room with her dad and you go relax on the couch and I guarantee he will get up with her once he sees you gone.Good luck to you!
Sunburned:(
2007-03-03 20:17:13 UTC
Have you tried to swaddle her? My baby really liked that for at least the first month. I had a special swaddling blanket but you can use a receiving blanket as well. Talk to your babies doctor, try to sleep when she sleeps, if you have relatives ask for help. I also agree that handing the baby to your husband after dinner while you go to bed is a good idea. Forget about cleaning etc other then the essentials while you rest. Maybe try a baby swing. You have to try any methods you can think of to see what your baby likes. My daughter cried for a few hours straight every day around dinner time, we never figured out why. We just did whatever she liked to help it stop. Eventually your baby will grow out of this and that might help keep you going know.
tech_girl
2007-03-03 19:57:46 UTC
First of all, whenever she sleeps, you sleep. Everything else will keep. Secondly, you need to calmly and clearly explain to your husband that your rest is just as important as his, since it is your job to take care of your baby. Work out a plan where he is caring for the baby when he is home, so you can rest. If this can't be in the middle of the night, work it out between the time he comes home and bedtime. Gently remind him that your daughter is both your responsibilities. Please find someone who can help you with your baby so you can rest. Is there a neighbor or friend or family member who can come over and take care of the baby, or some of the other things that need to be done? It takes time for your body to recover after having a child, and if you are not getting rest, it will be a much longer process, especially if you are breast feeding. If you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of your daughter. Talk to your doctor about the baby crying, as well as your depression. You may be experiencing some post-partum depression, which is very common and there is help for that. There is no shame in asking for help, both with the baby and for your self. Schedule a quick outing with friends when your husband will be home. This will give you some time to your self, and kind of force the bonding between father and child. When I went back to work after my son was born, I arranged to change my hours so my husband HAD to take our son to daycare. This caused my husband to quickly become more comfortable with the day to day routine, and my husband and son got much closer. I did have to learn to let go and realize the world wouldn't come to a screeching halt if everything didn't get done the way I would do it. Please ask for help, so you can get some rest. Good luck and God bless.
lilly j
2007-03-03 19:14:49 UTC
Unfortunately, your baby might have her days and nights mixed up. For now, just sleep when she does. I breastfeed my daughter and b/c she likes to eat in the middle of the night, I go to sleep after her midnight feeding, then just wake-up later. When she was 2wks old, I barely left the bedroom. I slept when she did, no matter what the hour. That's all you should worry about. The two of you eating and sleeping. Let the house get a little messy, and ask your husband to run the errands that you normally do. If he is working but you are not, then let him sleep at night and you sleep with the baby.
Jamie B
2007-03-03 20:41:06 UTC
I completely understand. My baby girl was born with a broken collar bone and had a severe milk allergy. I never got to sleep. My husband helped out, but we were both at the end of our ropes. I called my mom and my sister and told them, (actually I cried) I need some sleep, please may I have some help. They were more than happy to help. They had been waiting for me to ask because they didn't want to intrude. So just ask, you'll be surprised how many people will help. Tell your husband to get off his *** and help. He only has to work maybe 10 hours a day, you're a mom 24/7.
kasa
2007-03-06 07:34:10 UTC
i had gone through this phase.but i had my mother help me out for the first 2months.certain children take some time to adjust and the sleep pattern is irregular in their case.but u need to rest when the baby takes a nap.

your husband can take care of the when he is back from work,so that u can catch a few hours of sleep.it is tough to sleep during odd hours,but u have to -try to put a cold pack /wet kerchief on your eyes so that ur eyes relax and u will fall asleep soon.

depression is very common and there may be outbursts,but both of u should discuss about these things so that none of u hurts the other
claireag
2007-03-07 18:56:45 UTC
Hang in there. You sound like me when I had my first. My husband has never been a hands-on Dad, which has been annoying the heck out of me (to say the least) for 11 years now! Your baby will gradually sleep longer, and she will gradually begin to eat more in each feeding, hopefully increasing the time between feedings. I know it's hard. Sometimes I felt like leaving forever, but then I knew I'd miss my baby (my husband not so much). With regard to the crying, try holding her snugly over your shoulder (you know, where she can peek over), and do exaggerated dips. I learned this from my sister-in-law, and it really helped to soothe my babies when they had those stress-relieving (for them) crying jags. Good luck, and hang in there. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
junenorth
2007-03-03 20:00:42 UTC
If you breastfeed you can try and nurse on your side, and you'll both fall asleep together. that's the only way i got any sleep in the beginnning.



also try using a sling during the day.. she just spend 9 months in your belly.. a sling will keep her content and close to your body, she might sleep longer and cry less. Some people have success with a swing as well. Don't worry it will get easier - the first 6 weeks are like bootcamp! all the best.
2007-03-03 19:05:21 UTC
No matter what your husband's job is, I think, as your husband and your daughter's father, he should help out! Make him understand how you feel and that he's not the only one that needs sleep! If he doesn't understand how you feel, try leaving him with the baby for a couple of hours by himself and see how he feels.



Also, when he isn't there, I think you should get someone you trust (a family member like your mother, sister, aunt, etc...) to come over and help you out. But you have to make sure they understand it's only for that day or such, otherwise they will be intruding at all sorts of times, taking control of your child's care.
Julie B
2007-03-03 19:45:12 UTC
I would call the pediatrician ....there has to be a reason the baby is crying so much...could be stomach ache...are you feeding formula? nursing? could be dislocated shoulder or an ear infection also...babies don't normally cry that much at only 2 weeks old. OH and don't take a nothing answer from dr either....Your the mom and you KNOW when ur babies miserable. Breathe deep and get to the bottom for it..
x_lil_redangel_x
2007-03-03 19:26:12 UTC
First and foremost, you need to get yourself taken care of or you won't be able to take care of the baby. You have to sleep when she sleeps because really broken sleep is better than none. If your husband won't help during the night, then have him watch her for awhile after he comes home so you can go lay down and sleep for a bit. You also need to call some close friends or family members to see if anyone could help you out a little. Everything helps, somebody could come once every couple days to help you clean up, another every so often to watch her and let you sleep, or if anyone is willing to stay for awhile you could really catch up on sleep. I know how that situation can be, so if you husband still isn't willing to help or doesn't want somebody else staying just let him know you have got to get some help and if he won't then somebody may be staying over. You should also get something going with your husband that on his off days since he needs sleep in the week, he handles the baby during the night when he'll be off and you get to sleep late on his off days. Also, check with anyone willing to keep her for 4-5 hours or more every couple weeks at least so you can take a long bath, get your hair cut, go to lunch with girlfriends, and whatever else. All moms need time to relax and take care of themselves, and trust me on this because I didn't. It took me a long time to learn how important it is and I have a messed up lower back because I didn't push for time to take care of myself after my daughter was born.
2007-03-03 19:11:10 UTC
When your husband get's home from work have dinner ready. After he finishes eating, hand him the baby and go to bed. He can take care of the baby until his normal bedtime and never loose a wink of sleep.



Eventually he should get to the point where he wants to see you, and start to flex his schedule a bit more.



Also you should mention the crying at your doctor's appointment there may be a medical reason for the crying:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t081200.asp
mitval
2007-03-03 22:12:06 UTC
i just had a baby too. the first week i cry wen the baby cries but on the 2nd week, i learned how to handle him...breastfeeding can make things easier coz u can just let the baby pop beside u wyl u hold the baby and close ur eyes...but still u wont be able to sleep straight so better sleep wenevr the baby sleeps no matter if its daytime!!!
Pepper171
2007-03-03 19:10:34 UTC
Having a newborn can be challenging and rewarding. First, you need to take care of you and the baby. Contact your pediatrician and see what advice they can provide. Could be numerous things or just your baby adjusting to her new home. Second, seek help from friends, family or neighbors. You are going through a lot of changes - both physically and mentally. Your body has created a beautiful baby girl and seeking help is normal until you and your baby can create that lifetime bond of deeper love. Hang on - I am sure that you are doing great - it's not easy - but it will get better. Make sure that you eat healthy food (fruits and veggies) and lots of protein. One thing that I did was to place my twin boys in their car seats (fastened correctly) and place them in their cribs. The closeness that the car seats provided help to ease the adjustment of the closeness they had in my womb. (Of course - this is not recommended by professionals and you check with your doctor / pediatrician). Good luck - It will get better! I wish I was there to help!
Greeneyed
2007-03-03 19:07:34 UTC
get a friend or family member to help out for a couple weeks or just come over for a few hours a day so you can sleep or if you got some money hire someone to pop in a few hours a day

also see your doctor about your depression you can also ask your hubby to take a few weeks holiday if you can afford it so he can help too
JS
2007-03-03 19:11:48 UTC
Sleep when the baby sleeps...........I know it is very rough! The first 6 wks are the worst. It will get better. Never be afriad to ask other mothers for help. Most woman who are mothers are willing to help out other new mothers because we remember what it is like.
princess131
2007-03-03 19:29:11 UTC
i understand your problem. your husband should be supportive at this time. you badly need rest at this time. you either call your mom or someone close to you to take care of you and your child or you go to your house. for another 3 months, you will need someone to be with you all the time. so, be frank enough to ask for the help.
2007-03-06 15:43:16 UTC
Lack of sleep in children can cause serious

health problems.If parents follow some simple

techniques for making their children sleep,

it can be avoided. I found useful information

at http://nosleep.in/sleepchildren.html
cochic
2007-03-03 19:14:46 UTC
get Healthy Sleep Habits by Marc Weissbluth. it is an excellent resource for how much sleep kids need at different ages and stages of life and how to help them learn to fall asleep and stay asleep on their own. it was a lifesaver for us! check out the link. it is cheapest here and they have free shipping! good luck
cruizediamond
2007-03-04 07:42:44 UTC
go to the doctor, or ask ur mum for help!
anshuman p
2007-03-03 19:04:46 UTC
bechari...cldn't yu possibly call ur mom..or aun...or even ur neighbour
Megan
2007-03-03 19:02:58 UTC
I would be calling my mom. :)


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