Advice needed before I go round the bend from sleep deprivation!!!

[lylabellablueyes]

My 3 week old is getting up every 2 hours and drinking 4 and 5 ounce bottles.

She weighed 8.1 at birth so she wasn't too big. I'm so tired it's driving me mad. She won't sleep in her Moses basket or cot either. I'm not expecting her to sleep through, as she's so young, but this is just ridiculous if you ask me.

Any tips?

I've tried hungry baby milk, but this just gave her stomach ache.

I know it's feed on demand, but this is just so tiring. She won't settle in her swing either. She's only quiet when driving or when someone is holding her.

I have a 2 year old too, so this is really hard. :/(

I

[Smowball]

I am assuming that wen you say she wont sleep in moses basket etc then she screams till you pick her up??

[ojread2]

a 3 week old baby should not be doing anything other than eating, pooping and sleeping.

It will take at least 6 weeks to get baby into a regular routine of waking and sleeping and I would certainly not expect a baby of 3 weeks be adhering to draconian rule of every 4 hour feeding. They have an intrinsic need to feed little and often. A baby has a tiny tummy designed to take small amounts as and when they need and want it. Enjoy this time with your baby, you can sleep during the day when she does a bit of dust or ironing can wait

What is wrong with holding her? If that is what comforts her hold her

ctahfromsaron - you've given some silly replies in the past but seriously, that has to be the best one. Juice at 3 weeks old??!

[hannah40]

my daughter was the same my only consolation was that my hubby was home and did one feed and i did the next she only ever fed 2oz,s at a time .during the day i eeked her out an extra hour fobbing her off with a dummy i tried every dummy possible until i found one she sucked!!hope she sleeps more for you soon.

[nungate]

Have you asked your health visitor for help? Mine was such a great help, but my daughter is now 23 and things have probably changed such a lot since then. She might just be colicky, there is something you can buy in the pharmacy called Infacol which is very useful for a colicky baby. Maybe she just needs to suck a dummy or something. Though having said all that if she just wants to be held, you have to hold her, can you get one of those baby sling things that go across your body and hold the little one close to your body, sometimes your own heartbeat will help settle her.

[Nini74]

I haven't read all of the answers, so i'm sorry if someone has already said this, but might she be thirsty? try to give her water after she's had her bottle. Also, if she's finishing the bottles everytime, try to make a couple of extra ounces for the night feeds - even if you get an extra hours sleep its a bonus at this stage. you may just have a hungry girl! Hope she settles into a longer sleep routine for you soon, there feels like nothing worse at 4am trying to get a baby back to sleep when you know you'll be up again in 2 hours - you're not alone, no matter how much it feels like it at the time xxxxxxx