6 week old won’t be fed/rocked to sleep and won’t contact nap

[ptimhoff]

@angelonline Thanks for all the suggestions!!

 

[angelonline]

@ptimhoff You’re welcome!

 

[mualahartik]

@ptimhoff My girl was exactly like this. Newborns are weird. I promise you’re not alone. Do what you can to get them to sleep. There’s no bad habits this early I promise. My daughter slept in a carrier for the first 3 months of her life. I’d strap her on then bounce on my Swisse ball for every single nap. We sleep trained at 16 weeks and she’s slept through since, now almost one. Take the pressure off yourself. Feed them, change them, love them, and however they sleep, let them do it. Sending you love!

 

[jamesmontgomery]

@mualahartik I needed to read this tonight. Thank you. I've just been crying with my LO all evening.

 

[mualahartik]

@jamesmontgomery I was you one year ago. I honestly thought I’d made a mistake becoming a mum. I cried every night. I was angry every time she woke. I promise you it gets so much easier. You will have your life back, your evenings back, so so soon. Hang in there, minute by minute, day by day. Soon you’ll blink and you’ll be where I am

 

[ptimhoff]

@mualahartik Thank you!

 

[hored]

@ptimhoff My pediatrician told me to look up Happiest Baby on the Block on YouTube and implement some of those tricks when trying to get my LO to fall asleep. Hope it helps!!

 

[dpuller911]

@ptimhoff Super normal. Newborns are weird. Just ride it out by offering naps and don’t stress about it.

 

[paul500]

@ptimhoff He’s very likely overtired and fighting sleep. I would recommend bringing out all the tools to climb out of this sleep debt and from there be very mindful of wake windows.

If your baby will fall asleep in a car seat, buckle up, go on a walk outside with a carrier, bounce in a dark room with white noise, etc.

 

[ptimhoff]

@paul500 I can only be mindful of wake windows if he’ll actually fall asleep when he “should”. Which he won’t. Not on me. Not when feeding. Not in the stroller. Not until he’s good and ready which can be hours and hours

 

[paul500]

@ptimhoff Try starting the nap a smidge earlier. If the wake window is supposed to be an hour, start trying 50min in. Likely, you’re missing his optimal time for sleep. That is much more likely to be the case than your 6 week old naturally needing 3hr wake windows.

 

[ptimhoff]

@paul500 Oh i don’t think he needs 3 hour wake windows! I can try earlier. Thanks!

 

[twinmama]

@ptimhoff I just want to say our sons 6.5 weeks and he’s like that. He has 3+ hr wake windows. I say if he’s not eating or sleeping he’s whiny fussy and crying. It’s definitely peaked. I will spend an hour plus trying to get him to sleep. Some days it clicks and it’s smooth other times nope. My first wasn’t like this. Last night from 5-10:30pm he took one 10 min nap. No advice just we’re definitely in the thick of it

 

[tryharder]

@twinmama I’ve heard it’s the age. 6-8 weeks is the most difficult.

 

[hopeforme]

@tryharder This was the case for us with our first. Colicky and the reflux got rolling and he could go shockingly long stretches awake and screaming. It was exhausting in the extreme, but it did get better. He is a thriving 2-year-old now.

OP, I don’t really remember how we survived that stretch (I think my memories are blocked as a form of self-preservation) but just know that you can survive it. If anyone offers to help, accept the offer. Even an hour away can make so much difference. We were doing this during a Covid surge and felt very very alone.

 

[ptimhoff]

@twinmama Glad I’m no the only one!

 

[jamesmontgomery]

@ptimhoff Me too, OP..

 

[mrsbambij]

@ptimhoff Is he gaining weight well? Is it possible he’s hungry?

 

[ptimhoff]

@mrsbambij Good thought! He’s following his curve nicely although he is small. He gained an oz a day between 3-6 weeks which should be good.

 

[mrsbambij]

@ptimhoff Sounds good!

Will he fall asleep in the car? Not ideal, but if you are desperate it’s an option. I found 6-16 weeks especially difficult for sleep and fussiness and it will eventually get better!