I am exhausted and dread the nights. My baby stays up ALL night. Is there anything I can do?

Question

My 2 week old daughter is awake all night every night. The only thing that keeps her happy is feeding. Is she REALLY that hungry or is she using my nipple as a pacifier? She is literally up the whole night and with a boob in her mouth to keep her calm. I don't know what to do. HELP!!

Answer 1

this is completely normal. All you can do is sleep when she sleeps to the best of your ability. She will naturally turn herself around and be up more in the day there is NOTHING you can do to switch her, she has to do it herself. Maybe there is a reason she sleeps better in the day? maybe the TV, Sounds, Lights?? try things like that, does she sleep in the same place in the day as at night? Also maybe she is doing "catch up" at night because your milk is not fully in, or breast feeding not completely established yet? just try different things and do your best and know in time it will change

Answer 2

I too an sleep deprived at the moment (though I stay up because I want some "me" time) so I will suggest a book instead of writing out all of the steps

All that I can say is read the Happiest Baby on the Block... apparently there is a DVD as well...but I read the book

We used all of the methods... and they worked like magic... I fell in love with having sleep... however now my son is 5 months old and just started going to daycare so he is waking more often through the night to eat/snuggle and I don't refuse.... so I am once again sleep deprived

Good luck!

Answer 3

Sounds like she has her days and nights mixed up. Can you check around for a pacifier shaped like a nipple.Call her pediatrician maybe she's not getting what she needs from your milk.

Answer 4

The little baby like that should be sleeping most of the time day and night.  Make sure she is not too hot or cold, also is she latching on correctly? Maybe she is not getting enough milk because of that. Mine used to eat for about 40 minutes when she was that small and I used to feed her every hour, so could be she is hungry - do you have enough milk? See if she is sticking her tongue out a lot, that means she is hungry. Mine was crying and staying up all night until I figured she was too hot - had long sleeves on. Otherwise feed her - and listen if she is swallowing milk or just sucking - you may not have milk or she is not latching on correctly and does not get enough.

Answer 5

at two weeks old it's totally normal for your baby to be up feeding at night. try to notice if she is actually getting any milk or if she just wants something in her mouth. if she's not feeding, then try to slip a pacifier in her mouth while taking the boob out lol. keep her more active during the day so she will learn that we sleep at night. also, try to nap when she naps if you can... that way you won't be so exhausted. in a few months it will get better.  

Answer 6

My baby had her days and nights confused when she was first born. It's very common for babies to have them confused.

Here is what worked for me to get her switched back around the right way. During the day I would open every blind and curtain in the house so the daylight streamed in. I would make sure something was in the background making noise (the TV, a CD, anything). I would try to extend her waking periods by stimulating her during the day as long as she would allow me to before she fell back to sleep.

Then at night, I would turn all of the lights off except for a night light. I would not stimulate her or make eye contact (eye contact is very stimulating to babies). No noise or very low noise...a TV on low is fine. Babies sometimes need to be shown that daytime is for being awake and nighttime is for sleeping.

It took her 4 days, but she got her days and nights switched back to normal and we have had no problems since.

Good luck and I hope that whatever you try works. It is so rough in the beginning when they are up all night.

Answer 7

If that's the case, you can try a pacifier and see if that relaxes her.  Another thing would be to swaddle her, so that she thinks you're holding her.

Other than that, I hope you're able to sleep during the day lol.  Luckily this usually lasts about the first 6 weeks so just keep your hopes up!

Best of luck!

Answer 8

That's probably what she's doing, using your breast as a pacifier.

They don't recommend pacifiers at 2 weeks if you're trying to establish breastfeeding.

Can you put her in your bed?  I fell asleep many times while nursing in those first couple of weeks and I never rolled over on my baby or anything.  That is so rare... I wouldn't worry about it.

Either that or you could try to introduce a pacifier and hope for the best.  If you choose one, try a gerber soft center because they're "nipple like."  I'd still keep her in bed with you so that she's more likely to sleep longer and you can nurse her without getting up out of bed.

Answer 9

You can expect total chaos for sleeping for the first couple months.

Sleep whenever you can.  And even though you are tired, work hard to try to help her gain a better sleeping pattern.

One problem you may have is that she doesn't yet know how to nurse well, so she isn't getting enough milk when she nurses.  Also, you may not yet know well how to feed her.  Either way, she may not be completely done feeding when you put her in her crib. Remember that feeding makes your daughters mouth tired, so she will suck, rest, suck rest, etc. during feeding.  Don't stop when she rests.  Let her continue.

Answer 10

Hey there a baby at 2 weeks is going through a growth spurt and alough it may be draining its quite normal for her to feed every hour or so.

Mybe as she was premi she likes to be close to you, I would wrap her up and give her a dummy / pacifier. my babies would feed wrapped up and therefore it was alot more secure for them and easier to put them down after asleep.  What also worked for me was get a used breast pad and put it in her bed near her head somewhere and then she can still smell / sense you so she thinks your still close by.  Also do not talk or pay much attention to her during the night and give her lots during the day and she will soon figure out night is boring and that it is infact sleep time not play time, I used to put the bassinet near the Tv during the day or switch the radio on in his room .

As you know they loose weight after born so at the check up tomorrow she should be back to her birth weight.

Good luck she just sounds like a normal little bub :)

Answer 11

When she seems like she's dozing off (after consistently feeding for at least 20 minutes), try gently slipping a infant pacifier (like the green soothies the hospital gives most of us) into her mouth.  At this age, sucking is really the only self-soothing that a baby knows how to do.

Has she seemed to gain weight (you've been to your 2-week checkup, right?)  If she's gaining appropriately, she's getting enough food.  

Is she getting enough sleep during the day?  It sounds contrary, but babies who don't nap enough won't sleep deeply during the night.

If worse comes to worst, start supplementing late night feedings with formula and a little rice cereal.  It may just be an early growth spurt and she is hungry frequently.

Good luck!  It WILL get better!