3 week old hasn't slept in days! I'm going to lose my mind!!

Question

He is nursing even more often now. He stops every hour or so for about 10 minutes. I try to put him in his crib or bassinet and he starts screaming and then wants to nurse again for another hour or more!! I can't even eat! I don't know what to do! Please help!!

Answer 1

I'm no doctor, but it's possible that he's nursing only because of the comfort it provides. If your milk is sufficient and he's feeding for about 15-30 minutes each time, then he shouldn't really be hungry that often.

I know they say pacifiers are not good fro breastfeeding babies, but it looks like he will have no problem taking the nipple if all he wants is some comfort that comes from the sucking.

So, ask your doctor, but possible try a pacifier.  

Answer 2

You're really going through it!  Between issues with your mom, and the baby not sleeping-no wonder you're so stressed.  I know this might upset you, but I need to ask if you have enough milk.  Make sure you're drinking plenty of water and eating well.  , if it's needed, might be one solution.

Some babies need to be burped more than once after they've fed.  In other words, we often feed our baby, burp them and put them down, but if he still has wind, he'll cry and won't settle.  He doesn't know the difference between hunger and pain in his tummy.

Sometimes it helps to change the routine a little bit.  I found that one of the best patterns for my babies was to nurse them, burp, change their nappy and then keep them awake for awhile (laying in bouncer, giving a bath, whatever).  Then put the baby back down for a nap.  

Three week old babies need a lot of sleep and a consistent routine will help your wee boy now and in the future.

You've said that breast milk is best and you don't want to give formula.  You're right, breast is best, but it's most important that your baby is getting enough.  Please don't be offended, but it would be good to honestly assess whether you have enough milk.  Has there been weight gain? If not, consider one supplementary bottle a day before bed time so that you can get some sleep and your baby will be full.

I know how hard it is with a newborn.  You're doing a great job and the fact that you want help and answers is wonderful!

God bless you!

Answer 3

MAYBE YOUR NOT PRODUCING ENOUGH TO KEEP HIM FULL....MAYBE HE IS COLLICKY.....HE MIGHT NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TUMMY ACHE AND BEING HUNGRY

Answer 4

Nursing will never get the baby fool u might want to give him formula as well. I had the same problem with my baby.

Answer 5

Give him what he wants. It's ALL about him right now. (He really doesn't know anything else but that!)

Answer 6

you probably want to discuss this with your doctor. You may not be producing enough milk. However when a baby is little and you breastfeed continuously they will suck on anything you put in there mouth. So you may be under the wrong impression about everytime he cries trying to nurse him.

Answer 7

Try and take turns ....daddy takes the next 4 hours and so forth...if that any help

Answer 8

Call the hospital where he was born, or La Leche League or some other support organization and ask for advice.

You need sleep and although young babies need to nurse often, this does seem a little extreme.

Is he gaining weight - do you have plenty of milk?  Is he nursing constantly because he is hungry or just because he likes to suck?

If you think he is hungry, then give him one bottle and he how he goes on.

If it is just because he likes to suck all the time, have your hubby take the baby out for a walk around the block in the baby carriage and you take a nap!

Do you have friends or family who could come and take the baby for an hour while you sleep?

Good Luck!

Answer 9

He's probably going through a growth spurt. Three weeks is a big one... it'll end soon.  Get a sling or a wrap, so you can free your hands while he nurses, that way you can literally breastfeed on the go, and get your hands free to eat.

Good luck, it'll pass soon.

Oh, and go to http://www.kellymom.com for nursing positions you can use to sleep while he nurses. You'll be very aware of your baby, even in your sleep, and you won't roll on top of him...

Answer 10

I thought my baby was going through a growth spurt at 3 weeks as well and she wanted to eat every 1 hr to 1.5 hours. I thought I was going to go insane. Then....I wised up and realized that all she really wanted was her diaper changed and a pacifier and she was asleep again until an actual feeding approx 3 hours apart.

Be careful not to overfeed though because babies can become too full, which makes them gassy. Unfortunately, when they are gassy and their belly hurts, they want to eat more even though they don't need it. Go figure, its a catch 22.  

Answer 11

u might want to try a supplementer i had the very same problem with my baby it started around one month old for her n i didnt know what was wrong for a few weeks until i was told baby is gettin enough because i have a low milk supply so i started using the nurser supplement n it pretty much a bottle hanging upside down hooked to her shirt n a long tube from the bottle n u put the tube to ur nibble fill it up with formula ur baby will get full n stay full up to 2 or 3 maybe 4 hours n he will sleep as ur doing this stay away from caffine n wear a loose fitted bra allday it helps it allows cirulatsion in the breast to get the milk flowing cause it breast are being held up al day a sports bra helps too n after a few weeks ur milk should come in more i havent use the supplement in a weeks my baby is 4 months old now n i dont need the supplementer anymore but trust me it works heres a website    http://shop.littlebundles.ca/products/me...    i got mine from its only about 30 dollars for this give it a try or talk to ur doctor i hope this works for u