Only sleeps in my arms!! I'm EXHAUSTED!

[BB78]

Don't think I can cry much more then I have today...:crying: from yet another night of my DD only sleeping in my arms while I walk around.. thats right I have to WALK around the house... she is like this DAY & NIGHT!
I have tried a swing ... doesn't work.. it has to be in MY ARMS!
As soon as I put her down she crys, put the dummy in.. crys...pick her up.. walk around.. she asleep.. put her down.. crys.. do it over again...

I have had zero sleep in 48hrs....

I wrap her, she unwraps herself... she isnt ill.. Dr says shes happy (glad someone is)

I take her for walks.. she sleeps in pram... get home, put her in bassinette.. she wakes up.. back in my arms...

the sling worked. but now she wont sleep in that around the house only when I am out :confused:

I am up & down all night & day with her... along with looking after a DS with behaviour problems, & doing the usual day to day house duties, and trying to lose weight & workout ... I am pure walking exhaustion.. I don't know what to do!?

[Mrs Nietzsche]

This is totally normal - have you tried a sling or carrier?

eta: sorry I just saw your line about not sleeping in the sling while you are at home... that really does make it difficult. What do you think is different about being out.. are you moving a lot more? Maybe she gets so over-stimulated when out that she shuts down into sleep (I've heard of that somewhere).

[MothersMilk]

I know how you feel :hugs: I have been through it with my DD.
I wish i had some useful advice but i don't - just thought it might help to remind you you are not alone. Can someone come help you out so you can get some rest?
I hope you get some sleep soon.

[misskittyfantastico]

Have you tried just leaving her in the pram after you come home from a walk? Instead of transferring her? Or even rocking her to sleep in the pram at home? Both my kids have spent lots of time sleeping in a pram in my bedroom! I found having constant background noise (While rocking) helpful - I use a fan, but music or the radio is good too. You have all my sympathy, it's just a hard time. Try and give yourself a break too! Your house doesn't need to be in order, you don't have to supermum - survival mode is sometimes very necessary. I hope you find something that works for you both soon:hugs:

[Susan Mac]

If it helps at all, my son hardly slept away from me for the first two months. Literally. An hour, then wake up, then the rest of the night with me. I found having him in the bed with me helped some times, and sleeping reclined on one of those armchair shaped cushions helped other times.

One day it suddenly clicked for him and his length of sleeping time increased gradually. He sleeps 11 hours straight now!

[melbryan]

Bev,
This is my DD ( she is a pretty good sleeper but she will not be held and sleep).If you lay your DD on her back does she cry cause I put my DD on her side very tightly wrapped ( that is the key) and put the dummy in while she is wrapped so it doesn't fall out. She may cry for a little while but sucking on the dummy she slowly goes out to sleep. I ahve her on thickened formula this make s a difference to her because she doesn't vomit. She sometimes wake in her block of sleep but will go back with a dummy unless she has some wind problems I can tell this if she has rapid breathing. I pick her up the burp comes adnd then straight back down. That's just our routine hope it helps,
Mel x

[Eboniesmum]

Have you asked the dr about colic, my son (3 weeks old) was like this for 3 days earlier in the week and i was going insane, he had all the symptoms of colic. We used infants friend which helped and also 1ml of Original Mylanta whenever he was in pain but probably no more then 3 times a day, since he has had those he has been much better. I also gave him panadol even though he is not 1 month old yet he is over 4kg. The poor bugger needed a good sleep and couldnt because of the pain. I also gave him a warm bath with bedtime bath in it at about 7pm every night and that also helped. Instead of putting Lucas in his bassinette to sleep i put him in his rocker so he could stay sitting upright.
Maybe have a read on the internet about colic. Lucas still has bad moments so we go back to using the infants friend and mylanta and he settles again

Good luck with everything, hope you get some rest soon

Oh also maybe try giving bub a shirt or something you have worn to lay with and see if that helps
xo

[wocket]

my little one was doing exactly the same thing when she was your babys age, it seems to be an extra clingly phase they go through coupled with the mum/dads reluctance to let them cry or get distressed. it's a horribly harrowing time. My lifeline was the book the no Cry Sleep Solution. It's wonderful and works wonders.

in the mean time rest assured that if you have her laying next to you, even if she's screaming her lungs out, she knows you're there and will settle down eventually. the same goes for being in her bassinette and you gently stroking her. it's not the same stress levels for her as being left alone to control cry. Give it a go. I bet that after about 20 mins she'll settle down.

PM me if you'd like my phone number for a chat.

[SecondTimeRound]

Wow...this is our story too! Our 6 week old is a shocking sleeper thus far and both DH and I are walking zombies. I just want 2 seconds to myself....but it's not happening for the time being.
I have a few suggestions:

* use a CD called "Sounds for Silence." It's great white noise and might be helpful. The secret is to play it really loud so as to distract bub out of crying. All the instructions are inside the case anyway.
* Try sleeping your bub on the tummy. Not a popular idea i know, but it's the only way our bub has ever gotten any independent sleep. it doesn't work every time, but at least a couple times he's gotten a decent nap out of it. As long as you check in now and then to make sure bub is safe, it's all good.
* There's a great wrap I bought recently called "Swaddle Me" and it's great for keeping bub nice and secure.
* We feed our bub a thicker formula for his last 2 feeds each night. it seems to stretch him till early morning and make him a bit more sleepy too.
* When getting bub off to sleep for a nap, I cover him (while in my arms) with a light cotton wrap so as to block out any light and stimulation. Once he;s sleepy enough I transfer him into his cradle where I keep patting him off to sleep.

All of these things are still hit and miss for us, but hope there might be something there to help.

All the best!

[Pax]

oh wow that brings back some recent memories..

my 5 month bub is like that. she is my velcro baby.

a lot better now mind you.

sometimes i would sleep sitting up in the recliner chair with pillows propped around my arms to hold her up.

my advice.. hang in there it gets better

and also treat her for reflux even if she shows no symptoms

get some reflux medicine and give her a dose and see if lying down on her own is better

[gotmilk]

ohhh
my baby was the same and it was hard as I did not sleep for 5 days in a row, hubby was helping as much as he could but my bub would sleep only if I hold her (daddy was not good enough) :laughing: and I had to move as well if I try to sit down she will start screaming...our doc told me that she was just missing the womb and was just scared and she looked scared…
was not much fun when I could hardly walk after I gave birth and I had to walk all that night and I was in so much pain
after a week she would keep on sleeping only if I put her very gently next to myself on my bed and make a shshsh noise if she starts moving.
However I was petrified of smattering her if I fall asleep and I would be just doing my best to stay awake and staring at her trying not to move...if I tried to get out of the bed she was wide awake…
nothing worked - prams, sling, rocking chair...nothing...only me holding her and moving around on my feet constantly
but she got used to her dad finally! and he was helping out so I could sleep while he walked around the house:yes:
Now she still needs me to carry her and sing to her:) and I had to move and not to sit down at any time till she is deeply asleep and after I put her into her cot so she can sleep there.
She is almost 6 month old and getting heavy every day but now she does not mind mummy or daddy...
At night time – no probs, she would settle herself and if she wakes up at night time we take her into our bed (I am not scared anymore) and she sleeps fine as long as I am in bed (I do not have any issues with that) :laughing:
p.s. also never knew that my shower time would be a luxury one day:D
so I know how it feels:hugs: and it did get better for us

[Littleboopsie]

try wrapping her in a tshirt /towell etc that you have worn for a few days so it has your scent, and make sure you have another ready so that you can alternate during washes.

Baby is comforted by your smell as its like you are still there with her. I hear this works for many who have to leave their baby with babysitters.

Good luck!

[Nanay]

Sounded like my DS1 when he was just a baby. He would sleep on me but as soon as I put him down he would immediately wake up and screaming. He would sleep only on me or co sleeping (which i did).
Finally at my wits end took him to the doctor and was told he had colic. Gave him Brauers Colic Relief and Infants Friend (IF worked better for him). I finally snapped and called my mum balling my eyes out she asked if he would sleep on his tummy and I said yes .. she then told me to leave him on his tummy (of course I argued sids and everything..this is my mum the middie btw). But she stressed that if i'm that paranoid about it I could stay in there with him and not leave his side at least i'm getting a sorta rest as well (I called DH before calling my mum). DH came home all worried and he found me slumped on the floor beside the cot. That's when I finally had a sleep on our bed while he said he would look after DS.

[bronny-jane]

get a hug a bub ..... :yes: