Three week old baby cries EVERYTIME I put her down

My little baby girl, Carys, cries everytime I put her down. I just don't know what to do! She can be in the deepest sleep while I'm holding her but is awake and crying as soon as i put her down. At night she sleeps in the co-sleeper/ bassinet attached to our bed, and she hates being in it, but stops crying if I lay her down next to me. She has reflux, so I try to keep her upright after feeds, etc. She's not crying or fussing when I hold her, but she fusses when DH holdsd her. The twins (age 3) are so loud theyare constantly waking her up whenever she finally passes out.

Hert's a little more info. She nurses every 1.5- 3 hours. It's 1:20 pm and She's been awake sionce 10:15, except when she dozes
off while nursing. She wants to nurse a lot in between feeds just for comfotr, and will fall asleep in seconds after latching on because she's over -tired. But, as soon as I put her down she wakes up all over again.

I've ordered a sling and I just bought thed Healthy Sleep Habits book But i just don't know what to do. It's just not practicle for me to hold ger all day long. So far today I havn't had breakfast or lunch because after I feed the twins ( through he baby crying), there's not enough time. I don't want her to have to cry for long periods of time- she's so little. Dinner/ bedtime for everyone else is insane because I need to cook, twins need help with pjs, story, tantrums, etc. DH works mostly night shifts, so I'm by myself, and I just can't get it all done.

Sorry so long and such a vent- I'm lost and need help! Thanks for listening and any advice about the constant crying.

Wanted to add that swings/ bouncy seats don't help.

 

Oh you poor mama, it's so hard at first! It's not unusualy to nurse very frequently, I know one of mine did like every 45 minutes for several hours of the day for a few weeks...i think you're right it is a comfort thing.

The sling sounds like a good idea. My other suggestions would be a swing...mine loved the swings...although they may be too small yet for that? Do you have bouncy seats? We used the Fisher Price papsan seats that didn't really bounce, you turned them on and they vibrated, which i think is very comforting when they're itty bitty.

Do they use binkies? I know since you're breastfeeding, you may be concerned about giving them, but I BF too (for several months), and they also had binkies from the very beggining in the NICU, and it did not cause any problems, and was soothing to them.

I hope maybe this helps a bit. Hang in there and congrats on your new little ones! Make sure somebody gives you a break even for just an hour to nap or eat. Take care of yourself.

Jennifer

OOPS, just reread where you said swings and bouncies don't help....sorry!

 

One of mine has reflux really bad and did/does the same thing.
Try the carseat and strap her in, it is what I do to get her to nap during the day. Its upright so nothing is backing up in her throat and strapping her in is comforting, its like being squished in the womb again. I rock her in the seat and within minutes she is asleep for over an hour!

Good luck.

 

I don't have much advice...just sympathy. My current dd is almost 3 weeks and I'm in the same exact spot. She sleeps great with me, on me, in my arms.... and wakes up every time I put her down. She hates her swing. My twins loved their swings! She will sleep in her car seat for short stretches, but that's about it. We're co-sleeping at night...go figure. I'm parinoid about it too...she doesn't always nurse great, sometimes falls asleep while nursing. My main concern is that she's getting enough b/c of previous low milk supply issues. The main concern is if your dd is doing this b/c she's always hungry and over tired???

 

:hug99: PPs had some good suggestions. None of that really helped when mine went through those phases, but I can tell you it is fairly normal at that age and it is also temporary! It WILL get better!

Also, some of the ideas from "Happiest Baby on the Block" sometimes (not always!) helped us, especially the swaddling and shushing.

 

Swings and bouncies did nothing for my twins at that age either. The slings we used were definetly lifesavers. We used the Infantino Slingriders, but I'm sure any sling would do. It would instantly calm my fussy baby and leave me with a free hand to get something done.

Miracle Blankets: I just can't say enough good things about them. They were worth every penny - hands down!

Finally, and this should help block out your noisy 3 year olds - white noise. The louder the better. At that age, I turned on the vacuum, the hair dryer, the bathroom fan, the microwave vent hood - whatever was closest and noisiest!! Even now, the twins sleep with a box fan on high in their room. It drowns out just about everything!!

Good Luck!
Suzi

 

Thanks for all of your replies and suggestions. It really helps to know that this is normal.

I didn't even think to try white noise to block out the twins! I'm so excited to try ANYTHING!! Thanks, agian!

 

My DS twin was like that - it gets better. Swaddling was absolutely key for him, sling helped, white noise. There were times - like the evening routines stuff you described - and he had to be put down for a bit, he didn't like it but would often fall asleep in 3-5 minutes. Now he is my better sleeper.
Hang in there!

 

Some good tips. I has a similar problem with my DD2. So I bought a sling and it worked great. The hammock style worked like she was actually in my womb still. Also white noise, tho I haven't tried it around my noisy 3 y/o. And swaddling works great too. I still swaddle for night time and to help them sleep for a nap. Good luck and yes, it does get better. Not too long ago I was on here asking for help for everything now they are 3 months old tomorrow and are sleeping a good 8 hours through the night.

 

just want to ditto the swaddling - my girls were swaddled for HOURS every day when they were little. Miracle blankets ARE a miracle - worth every penny (but check your local craigslist.org)

and - yes, sling or a moby wrap; that way you can get her right up against your chest/belly and have TWO hands free! Takes a little practice to get used to it but i loved mine (sadly could never really wear both girls at once, except for a few times), But - she's only one baby, so it will probably work! Also check craigslist for that; they're about thirty bucks new.

Good luck!