i have sleeping and feeding issues with my 4 week old girl?

Question

i have a 4 week old baby girl ....
i have some problems i wanted to discuss .... first she totally refused my breats from start, started crying like crazy whenever i tried and thus i didnt breast feed her and am giving her formula

from last 2 weeks she has started another habit that she doesnt feed while she is awake ... she is almos always fussy when she is awake ,

her sleep habits r ... she naps in afternoon from almost 3 -5,6 ... and feeds in b/w
then wakes up, cries, remains fussy ... takes short naps till around 1 ... i go throuh hrs of struggles to put her to sleep ... feeds every 2-3 hrs while sleeping .. gets up around 11-12 the next day

do u see any problem in all this or is it normal??
what can i do to make her take her feed while up and how can i get her to sleep earlier

Answer 1

Newborns sleep a lot — about 16 hours a day for the first few weeks and 14 to 15 hours a day by 3 months, though it can vary a lot from baby to baby. But they're almost never asleep for more than three to four hours at a time, day or night, during these first few weeks. Translation: You won't be getting much uninterrupted sleep, either. At night you'll need to get up to feed and change your baby; during the day, you'll play with him, too. And while some infants sleep through the night as early as 6 weeks, many babies don't reach that milestone until they're 5 or 6 months old. You can help your baby get there sooner by teaching him good sleep habits from the start.


Some infants are night owls (something you may have gotten a hint of during pregnancy) and will be wide awake just when you want to hit the hay. For the first few days you won't be able to do much about this. But once your baby is about 2 weeks old, you can start teaching him to distinguish night from day. When he's alert and awake during the day, play with him as much as you can, keep the house and his room light and bright, and don't worry about minimizing regular daytime noises like the phone, TV, or dishwasher. If he tends to sleep through feedings, wake him up. At night, don't play with him when he wakes for a feeding. Keep the lights and noise level low, and don't spend too much time talking to him. Before long he should begin to figure out that nighttime is for sleeping.


By the time he's 6 to 8 weeks old, start giving your baby a chance to fall asleep on his own. How? Put him down when he's sleepy but still awake.

While feeding, try walking around while offering the bottle. Using a baby sling can make this easier.
Experiment with different positions for bottle-feeding. Some babies appreciate a bottle-feeding experience that is in a familiar setting, the cradle hold, skin contact, lots of social interaction. Others see bottle- feeding as a completely different activity. They may, at first, prefer to be held upright on the caregiver's lap, even facing outward rather than looking at her.

Answer 2

To help her sort her days from nights, try making the two times totally different. During the day, turn on lights, noise, chatter at her, tickle her, kiss her, change her diaper before a feeding (some moms have said that stripping the baby to a diaper in a warm room will sometimes wake a baby up). We always changed diapers about halfway through all daytime feedings to wake them up for the rest of the bottle. At nighttime, keep things dim, quiet, and less active. Don't talk, whisper if you have to say something to the baby or someone else, and don't change diapers unless you have to (poops). It's very normal for babies to have their days and nights switched up... motion helps them to sleep, so maybe using a vibrating bouncy seat will help her sleep at night (but then eventually, you'll want to stop using the bouncy seat because of all the batteries you'll go through, LOL). We found that using a sling (www.goo-ga.com) helped our children settle into our routine and learn to sleep more at night, and will also help reduce the amount of crying and fussy periods she has. Be patient with her, she will eventually settle into your routine. Until then, you just gently guide her towards it, and try to get through the tough times. Believe me, it will pass! Oh, and try Gripe Water for her colic, and check out www.askdrsears.com for info on helping a baby sort night and day, colic and feeding issues.

Answer 3

It's too early to impose rules. Maybe in another month you can attempt but still rather early. Schedules can be made with a little discipline (gently) once they are 4-6 months.

Answer 4

All kids are different but I would try burping her more. She could be gassy which is causing her to be fussy. Remember one or two burps might not be enough for her. (My youngest was the same way. Plus she never slept.) Hope this helps.

Answer 5

its early for her.
but she is changing day with night.
during the day i would leave her to sleep in a bit of noise and light. that's what my mum always say.

Good luck

Answer 6

You are making way too much of this.
My kids have been on a schedule since day one at home.
Do formula and get over it. Start to enjoy your baby, she'll never be newborn again.