When does it get better

Ok so i knew babies were hard work and i "knew" what to expect but omg im shot...

Baby doesnt sleep anywhere but on me. Will take a 2 hr nap on me but 5 seconds in the pk and pl or bouncer and awake and screaming. Ive tried to hold out but the screams get worse. I actually get more done holding the sleeping baby than working through the cries. Night time is rough. After the 430 bf session which take s about 45 min due to baby falling asleep there is no real sleep after that. Im making it work now by using resources so i can shower or try and t to bed early but will be returning to work soon and need atleast a few hours sleep.

BF is ok until early evening and the. I feel like it dries up due to over working adding stress of hungry baby and feedings every hour.

They also cant amuse themselves when they are you g so tummy tome or activity mats are moot at this stage.

I guess my question is when does it get better? When can a baby be entertained by being read a story or laying on a mat or something. When does a sleep pattern start?

Thanks

Re: When does it get better

Hang in there
It takes time for them to be entertained but the sleeping/napping will hopefully get better soon.
Have you tried swaddling dc and using white noise? I found that helped dd sleep. The swaddle gives them the warm comfy feeling and the white noise can mimic your heartbeat that they are used to hearing.

Edit to add the one thing that dd enjoyed from week two and still enjoys now is her crib mobile - it's by tiny love (the one that matched her crib set she had no interest in).

Message edited 8/22/2013 12:00:31 AM.

Re: When does it get better

um for me it got better at 6 months... lol
hang in there.
I DEFINITELY agree with the swaddle and white noise. I stopped using the swaddle after 1 week bc my sister babysat and told me dd slept better unswaddled. I was like "what do I know?" so I listened and stopped swaddling. yeah, well she didn't sleep again until about 6 weeks old when my mom was like "she likes to be held so tight, why not try swaddling?" it made a WORLD of difference.
dd is 9.5 months and she STILL sleeps with a white noise machine turned on high. I don't know if she'd sleep without it but it drowns out background noise so I go with it but when she was an infant I learned quickly the sound of running water calmed her so I used to leave the sink running until I got a sound machine. best $20 I spent.
I got dd her playmat when she was about 1.5-2 months old. she liked it but it took her a while to get the hang of it and truly be entertained by it. I was also reading to her right from the beginning. every time I would change her diaper i'd just read books to her. never too young to start.

Re: When does it get better

hang in there!

its tough!

my son screamed all day every day

when they hit 4 months it got better

sleeping,this is just my opinion but i think it depends on the kid

everyone on fb has that kid that sttn but in reality some don't

Re: When does it get better

Re: When does it get better

This gives me some hope! Wow, is it hard having a baby and as much as you hear it, absolutely not prepared until you have your own and go through it yourself.

When does it get better

My ds cried 24/7. I went back to work at 8 weeks and was avg about 3-4 hrs of sleep. And that was only because my DH and I took shifts for the overnight.

At 8 months he STTN and then randomly after that. He wasn't a good sleeper until 6 months or later.

As for when they are entertained by a story....it depends on the kid. Mine went from 0-60. He was and infant and then started cruising and tryi to walk at 6 months. And hasn't stopped since. He will not be entertained by anything that he can't be moving while doing. So you trade on thing for another. I traded no sleep for no sitting down ever.

Re: When does it get better

It gets better. There is no hard and fast timeframe though for when because every baby is different. And the reality is, just when you think things are going good and you have them all figured out, they change it up on you.

I was fortunate in that both my kids were good sleepers from the get go so that made things a little easier. But I would say as far as being entertained and slightly more "independent" I noticed that at the 4 month mark is when they both started really playing. They would focus on their toys, try to figure them out, and actually be entertained by what they were playing with. I also found the 6 month mark to be great because my DD (my son isn't there yet ) was able to sit unassisted and that really changed things. I was able to set up a bunch of toys and she kept herself busy trying to figure them all out.

Those first few months are the hardest and most tiring, they need A LOT and can't do much but you'll be surprised at how each month gets better and better and they become so much more manageable and easily entertained. Hang in there.

ETA - I did the playmats and tummy time at just a few weeks old. They both liked looking at the toys and lights even though they weren't actively playing.

As for reading, I read to them both from the get go. My DS is too little to really say how he'll like it over time but my DD (now almost 5) LOOOOOVES books and has since she was a baby. We read every single night before bed and throughout the day as well. She chooses a book before toys a lot of the time. Personally, I think it's never too early to start reading with your kids. I truly believe my DD was an earlier talker because of all the books we read and her vocabulary is just insane for a kid her age. I attribute it all to books. So read, read, read.

Message edited 8/22/2013 8:12:53 AM.

When does it get better

Dd definitely slept better around 4 months. I agree with the white noise on high. I still do that now. And swaddled as long as u can do it. It sucks that we have to go back to work at 12 weeks and are still zombies. Your body adjusts quickly to no sleep lol.

Re: When does it get better

I want to offer you lots of because being a first time mommy is so hard! You are doing a great job so far. It does get easier and by 6 months, usually every baby is STTN and in some sort of a routine. I know that seems like FOREVER from now, but look how fast the last few weeks have flown! Just say to yourself, "This too shall pass." You can do it!!

When does it get better

I think I got lucky bc I thing things got easier between 4-6 weeks. The evenings were the roughest since DD would cluster feed every hour until bed. Just keep in mind that you're still establishing your supply and the cluster feeding is great for that. By about a month old, DD started to LOVE her playmat. She would play on that or go in the swing during dinner for a little bit. DD napped great in the swing which let me shower once DH went back to work and got us started with a routine. After she woke and nursed again, I'd try to go out for a little bit (Target, BRU, Carter's) and then she'd nap on the way home. In a few more weeks you'll find a loose routine that works for you and that will help. One thing to keep in mind, at this young age it's helpful to tend to them quickly when they cry. The more you help them feel secure that way, the better off they'll be in the long run when you want to put them down for a bit. Another idea is to try music when they're fussy. I would prop DD in the boppy and play up beat music. Lullabies did nothing but Call Me Maybe and Party Rock Anthem always got her attention and helped her pass out! Try different things and see what your LO likes. GL, it WILL get easier!

When does it get better

I know what you're going through and it does get better!! Dd used to scream all the time unless I was holding her, and a lot of times she was even screaming while I was holding her. I held her for naps to avoid the screaming when I would try to put her down. And she woke up all through the night to bf. To say I was exhausted was an understatement. But by around 4 months it started to get better. By then she was ok in her bouncy seat for a little while because she could amuse herself with her hanging toys or even cartoons on TV. She started sleeping better too. By about 8 months she was sleeping thru the night. Hang in there!

Re: When does it get better

Re: When does it get better

I posted pretty much the same thing when DD was 7 weeks! Everyone said hang in there it starts to get better around 8-10 weeks. And slowly it did. And she started to sleep longer and longer stretches throughout the night. I also used the swing to help calm her and that was great. And also an infant carrier may help you a bit for straightening up around the house.

When does it get better

Do you have a rock n play? Maybe your baby doesnt like to sleep flat? This is the only way my dd would sleep! Otherwise it was only on me whih was killing me! I highly recommend it

When does it get better

I have found every 3 months during the first year to be a major turning point.

When does it get better

It will get better!!!!

Also read up on Cluster Feeding--this is something that BF babies do that I never really knew about until I read. I thought I was doing something wrong but in reality there may be a time of day where all your infant does in nurse.

Re: When does it get better