6 weeks old, and I’m ready to crumple

@lizzieholly They definitely did. I think it was about 2-4 days later she started sleeping 3+ hours again and stayed that way till about 11/12 weeks when she had her first bout of teething.

Not long after that she started on her 4mo regression, but after her 6 week growth spurt we got really strict with a bedtime routine and I feel like that helped. During her regression she would go to bed at the same time every night after her bedtime routine, sleep for an hour, wake and not settle without being held for the next 1-2 hours, but by 10/11pm I could put her back down and she’d sleep for about 3-3.5 hours for the rest of the night
 
@griffin71 I remember 6 weeks was brutal. I spent my days and nights crying from exhaustion it was awful. LO is now 5 months, and we’ve definitely had some hard moments since then but nothing has been as challenging as then. It will get better, but it’s hard. Ask for help from others and take breaks when you can.
 
@griffin71 Just like everyone else is saying, week 6 was rough. I was up all night, I couldn’t get her to sleep at all. It was brutal. We broke into shifts, i basically tried until 4am to get her to sleep and then my partner would take over.
 
@griffin71 You need 4 hours of consecutive sleep in a 24 hour period to be a safe caregiver. Talk with your partner and figure out a way to take shifts. Your four hours does not need to be at night - it could be 6pm-10pm, or 10am-2pm - whatever you can make work.

I also pumped/had an oversupply, which made it tough to go longer stretches, but every once in a while, I’d pump right before I went to bed, put some nursing pads in my bra, then sleep until my boobs woke me up. (Made possible by my husband and my mom taking shifts with the baby!) It. Was. Magical. You feel like a new human. It’s so, so worth it.
 
@griffin71 It does get better. Do you have a partner helping you? Sit down and express your exhaustion and need for sleep—schedule some shifts where your partner can tap in so you both get sleep. 2 hours is not enough!

If not, do you have a friend you trust who can come help watch your daughter and give you some sleep?

I breastfed, but I pumped and my husband fed from a bottle so I could get 4-6 hours of sleep (waking once in the middle to pump)
 
@griffin71 You’re in it, for sure. And it’s not easy. Mine is 2 now, and I can tell you, yes. It’s a phase. This is one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learnt to keep the last of my sanity. Everything is a phase. It too shall pass.

We are also in a phase of difficulty with our 2 year old. I know it will end. But my god, it’s been a week. I’m running low on everything.

You will get through this. I promise. You will have more difficult times ahead, but they will also end. There is always an end to the phase.
 
@griffin71 That was me at 7 weeks old. Now headed to 9 weeks old and we are back to 3 and 4 hour stretches. You’re probably just days away from it getting better.
 
@griffin71 It is absolutely just a phase. Weeks 6, 7 and 8 were the worst for us. By month 3 it was getting better. Month 4 got bad again until I moved baby to own crib in their room beside ours (they were in bedside bassinet until then.) Month 5 was even better and now in month 6 I just had two nights in a row of sleeping through the night. However most nights it’s only 1 wake up to feed.

IT WILL END!! “This too shall pass” and until it does, ask for help. Seriously. (Don’t just think about asking and then not ask!!)
 
@griffin71 (I’m a dad) Had that same situation a few days ago and I was about to go crazy.
After having my worst night I decided to try other things.

After my baby had a full bottle at 2am, I changed her, swaddled her, put the white noise on, put her on the bed by my side. She wouldn’t stop crying, as always. So I started to sing, miraculously she fell asleep in 10 minutes. My mouth was dry because of the singing but it worked! Did that again tonight and it worked again. After 15 min I moved her to the bassinet and she slept for 3h straight
 
@griffin71 My LO turned two months on Christmas Day and honestly the first two months were the hardest. (So far)

I HATED when people said this to me but I promise that it is just a phase and eventually everything will be fine. 🤍 I remember being so miserable and tired, but now things are finally starting to get better. (Until she starts teething 😅)

The past three nights, my LO has been down from about like 11pm to 6:30 in the morning. She cries less often, unless she’s going through a leap. Now she has developed her social smile and seeing her smile all the time makes the crying a lot easier to deal with.

You’ve got this and just remind yourself that your new baby needs you right now. The world is a scary place for them, they’re still learning alongside you. You’re doing great. 🤍
 
@griffin71 I snapped around 9 weeks. My mom came over for the day and I just slept. If my partner hadn’t been home doing essentially everything for us leading up to a cross country move, I definitely would have broken at 6 weeks. Hire a baby sitter for the day, or get a competent friend or family member to come over, but give yourself a day off. You’re well past having earned it.
 
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