Nighttime and wide awake? And newborn feeding question too!

Hi Everyone!

My name is Gabrielle, and I'm a new mom to John (Jack). He's a great baby but I'm new to baby care and feeling very much like an amateur!

My little guy is just over 2 weeks old and so his sleep is pretty erratic, but the one thing that is consistent is that from about 9PM - 1AM he's really fussy. I wouldn't say he has colic, but he's not easy to placate during these hours. Unfortunately, I haven't been living by the "sleep when the baby sleeps" rule and my DH is back at work, leaving me feeling guilty if I don't take on more of the nighttime wakenings than he does, but also pretty wiped out by the evening.

Is there anything I can do? I try singing, rocking, quiet time, swaddling, etc. after I check to see if he wants to eat or needs to be changed. Has anyone else been through this? Is it just a phase?

Our ped recommended more frequent feedings during the day, but so far that hasn't changed anything.

Also, sometimes he wants to eat - a lot. He's 10 pounds, 4 ounces, and he has 4 ounces of formula at a time, but sometimes he'll wake up 2 hours later and want another 4 ounces. Is this too much?

TIA!

Re: Nighttime and wide awake? And newborn feeding question too!

The Happiest Baby on the Block

Get the DVD -- SO worth every penny and may just save your life.

Oh, and CONGRATS on your new little one!


Edit: I figure I should add more ... if he's anything like my DD, yes, it's just a phase - commonly known as the "witching hour(s)" around these parts. It's such a difficult time - I remember just DREADING the evening and could not WAIT till my DH came home to relieve me. Lean on your DH now -- you really need him!! I would even have my mom come over for even just an hour so she could hold DD. It was SO hard -- but it DOES pass!!

Message edited 12/1/2007 6:44:50 PM.

Re: Nighttime and wide awake? And newborn feeding question too!

MY DD will be six weeks old tomorrrow and I experienced the same thing. It does get better. Nothing I did helped - I just got used to it and it's a little easier to manage when you expect it. Everything i read said swaddle, use the baby bjorn, massage, etc and nothing worked. I found the best thing to do is to talk to the baby and sometimes putting her down next to meon the couch helped. We also bought a bouncy seat that vibrates and that helped too.

Re: Nighttime and wide awake? And newborn feeding question too!

Wow thanks! I think just expecting it and accepting it might help. I'm already dreading going back to work, which is silly b/c it's still about 6 weeks away. Thanks again.

Re: Nighttime and wide awake? And newborn feeding question too!

I read every book under the sun! For where you are right now - the Happiest Baby on the Block is a great read. You also may want to pick up Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child -- that will help you in a couple of weeks!

Does he like being swaddled? That was HUGE for us! We swaddled in the hospital blanket for the first three weeks - and then we got the Miracle Blanket -- which is just that - A MIRACLE!

Also - if he's eating - and not spitting up - then I would def. keep on feeding him!

Oh - and welcome - and congrats!

Re: Nighttime and wide awake? And newborn feeding question too!

I had a colic baby but what really helped after months of trial and error was white noise. Most newborns find the sound of the vacuum or bathroom fan soothing. We bought a sound machine that has about 8 different sounds on it and one of them is white noise. We still use it till this day when DD sleeps (only on low). We used to blast it...they say that's what the baby hears in the womb and it's not quiet in there. It's worth a shot.

Re: Nighttime and wide awake? And newborn feeding question too!

Agree with all of the above. We went through all of this too...DD's witching hour was 3am It was very tough those first few weeks, painful even! But I agree, Happiest Baby on the Block was a lifesaver (we didn't know about the DVD, my DH read it in one-day cramming session out of desparation!) And I agree with swaddling-- our DD still is swaddled at 5 months, although we're trying to break her of it now. And as for days/nights mixed up, for DD it was a magic switch went off finally that taught her days and nights. Still now, we turn the lights off for her last feeding of the night.

Good luck...it WILL get better, but it may still be tough for a while, but hang in there