I feel like I am at the mercy of a five week old - mentally, physically, and now emotionally. I still can't get this sleep thing figured out. Honestly, I thought that we "had it". We were following a schedule/routine and I was starting to finally anticipate when she would sleep, eat, etc. It was great. All I was waiting for for the four hour stretches from when she fed to the next - would stretch to five or six (awe, that sounds like heaven!).
Then something happened. I don't know if it was the time change - which doesn't make much sense to me if it was since we stay on a four hour routine regardless. But, the stretches in the night are consistently getting shorter. The funny thing is is this has begun happening after I started a routine/schedule from a popular book. Yesterday I gave Ellie "tank up" feedings twice in the evening as well as a feeding when I went to bed. All of that made me honestly think her little tummy had to be full enough to sleep at least four hours. However, two hours later - she was screaming for food. I got up, made sure she got a really good feeding, and went back to bed thinking this time I would get more sleep. NOPE. Two hours later - screaming. She had a poopy diaper this time. I changed it and thought she could go longer without eating, but was immediately called back to the crib. At this point I am wondering if she is sick or something and decide to take her and myself to sleep in the guest bed so that I can tend to her without getting up all night and Justin can sleep so he can make it through his 12-hour work day. Ellie then proceeds to gulp down food for 30-minutes straight, acting like she had never been fed before. Does this mean she is going through a growth spurt? After finally going back to sleep (back in our respective beds), she slept for 3-hours before she beginning to fuss. At this point I brought her into bed with me, because I knew I would get better sleep if she was with me than fussing and screaming in the other room. She then went 5-6 hours without eating. (Why not in the MIDDLE of the night?!?!?)
Which brings up another point - is she getting used to sleeping with me in the morning? I don't want to build a habit, but that is the only way I can get sleep. She relaxes when she is with me and then we both sleep for a couple more hours.
I don't know... Perhaps she had a tummy ache, which is a strong possibility given her digestive pattern in the afternoon/evening. Or perhaps she did get messed up with the time change. I sure hope one of those options is the case, because I don't want to be retrogressing into a two-hour sleep pattern!!
To end - I do love being Ellie's mom. She is incredible and is doing more each day. I am just wanting to figure this out! :)
9 comments:
Ohh! :( I'm so sorry, but it sounds to me like you are doing everything any mother would to do "trouble shoot". Give yourself a break, Sarah! It really hasn't been that long - you aren't expected to be an expert. At least you know your daughter loves you; she can't get enough of you, you're like her hero and superstar, or something! :) I love you!
You ARE at her mercy. As for the night wakings, she is in a period of intense growth, remember we never will grow as much as we do in the first 2 years of life. She probably is hungry. Breast milk digests much quicker and easier than formula, so they need to eat more often. She has been in you for 9 months, so of course she wants to be near/next to you, you are her comfort, that's not a bad thing. Give the two of you time, and if you have to sleep in the guest room, then it won't hurt. What's your 4 hour routine?
I don't know if you're looking for advice, but here is what we do. When Becca was around 6 weeks we started a routine. I fed her every 3 hours during the day. At night after her last feeding we give her a bath, then cuddle her for a while, then put her to bed swaddled. (we have a wonderful swaddling blanket that we got at babies r' us) when we started that routine, she started sleeping 7 hours at a time. We have not changed the schedule, and she is now sleeping 11 hours at night. I know that Ellie is younger now than Becca was, but it may be worth a shot.
I let sophie sleep with me and i get alot of sleep that way she is only 5 weeks old you kind of have to be on her sechdule until she is at least 3 or 4 months old just relax and don't beat ur self up I hope it was ok that I added my 2 cents I just remember how frustraiting your first one can be
Hey girl, hang in there. I read all the comments and don't know if I should give extra advice. Just know that you will figure it out. Keep working towards what you want for your eventual schedule and life, but be flexible during these first months to go with the flow and know that your plans will not always work out. I'll be praying for you. Use those awake times at night to thank God for your little girl, someone told me that when my kids were infants and it helped sometimes. Truthfully it's just hard, but only for a little while.
I totally understand you're frustration about feeling like you've got it and then it all falls apart! It happened for us when the time changed, and 4 days later, I'm hoping today's the day I can get her back on track! She went from sleeping till 8am to sleeping till 5:30am, what the heck??? Anyway, I get ya!
oops! I can't believe I wrote you're instead of your, I hate it when people do that!
She's probably going through a growth spurt. Plus, I do think the time change somehow affects babies. I didn't think it would throw off Callie's nights, but for the first few days of the time change, she was waking up almost a whole hour earlier than before...strange...
I would aim to feed Ellie every three hours throughout the day. She might not be getting enough calories during the day for her to be content at night. But, like everyone else is saying--you'll get through it! We know you're doing a great job raising that little one!
Now is not the time to stress about schedule.. like the others said... she's still tiny, breastmilk digests quickly and all she needs right now is to be close to you... she's still well under three months so expecting a schedule will drive you crazy.. they change so fast and have short phases, so don't worry about future habits... focus on what you two need now...and you're right, the closer you are to her at night, with cuddling and nursing, the easier it might be listen to your heart over books and you'll do just fine. she's beautiful and I hear you on the tired... hang in there!
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