Cooper doesn't sleep. We have taken him to the doctor three times already to try and determine what is wrong. He eats well, he is gaining weight, he doesn't cry a lot but he never fucking sleeps. Paul is taking him for me as much as he can but he got stuck working 12 hour days this week so there is only so much he can do. How long can a person go without sleep? Even when he does sleep it is only in my arms or Paul's arms and when we put him down he sleeps for 5 minutes and then wakes up pissed off. Suggestions? Help, please, I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown, I've had maybe 8 hours of sleep this entire week and that's probably a generous guess.
And do NOT tell me that this is normal newborn behaviour. It is not. Normal newborns average 16 hours of sleep per day, Cooper is averaging two.
5 comments:
Oh you poor thing, you have my sympathies mine was the same. it took me a while to work out that he would only sleep on my chest and the only way i was going to get any sleep was leaving him where he was happy. i gave up trying to put him down because he would instantly wake and as you say be very pissed off! i spent a long time getting no sleep and had no partner to help out and take the baby. falling asleep with him on my chest didn't feel right and it was very hard to get used to it as i just didn't feel he was safe but sheer bloody exhaustion eventually took over.
Have you tried swaddling him? I've heard that helps sometimes. Or putting him in a bouncy seat with a vibrating function? Those are my two suggestions besides just letting him sleep on you, which is what we did.
My brother was a colicky baby, and the solution for him was to take him on long stroller rides at night. He'd sleep while moving. That didn't get my parents any sleep obviously.
I wish to echo Cabol's three excellent suggestions.
If you can find a sling or some other type of babywearing contraption, I recommend that too. That way you can still do things but Cooper would have the comfort of your body and the snugness of the wrap (hopefully this induces sleep). His acid reflux (if that's what it is) might also be part of the problem. Best of luck darlin... This too shall pass.
Jennifer,
I'm glad that I caught you on your blog. You are right! It's not normal newborn behavior and I went through the same thing. Liam wasn't sleeping and would only sleep in my arms and the whole Pyloric Stenosis nightmare began exactly the same way you are describing Cooper's behavior. I was also told it was colic. The truth is, that the Pyloric valve starts to close off as soon as the baby is born and doesn't entirely close off until the 4-8 week after birth. Liam was showing the same early signs that Cooper is having at the 2-3 week mark too. You can read the whole saga I had with Liam at my main blog at:
http://justafitgirlsdailyrevelations.blogspot.com/2009/06/its-bad-sign-when-i-dont-blog.html
Liam is doing really well. The surgery is done by making three small cuts in the belly. The literally now look like scabs from mosquito bites. There is one done in the belly button, one on the right side, the other on the left. The procedure is called Laparoscopic surgery. They put Liam under anesthesia. The entire procedure was done in 15 minutes, but Liam took a good 4 hours to wake up from surgery. After surgery, they have you feed your baby 1oz. of pedialyte first, wait an hour, if he holds that down, they let you try breastfeeding or formula. The difference in the babies demeanor is night and day. Liam is sleeping like a newborn should. He eats and doesn't need to be held all the time anymore. I went through hell those weeks...I feel for you and hope that you and Cooper find rest and comfort soon. Oh yeah, be persistant with your doctor! I had to be and no matter how good your pediatrician, you're still the mom and know your baby better. Good luck and keep in touch. I hope Cooper gets relief and happiness soon. Happy baby, happy mommy.
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