Is she just extra stubborn or is this normal?

Question but first:
So I adore my little 2 week old DD; Vanessa was born on Dec 14th... I was all prepared for her to be up and down 24 hours a day and for my sleep to be chaotic. But she's stubborn as hell. For the past few days once she wakes up during the day at some point she'll be up for like 3-4 hours straight. I can tell she's exhausted, her eyes close and jerk right back open and she gives me a look like 'how dare you let me sleep? You were trying to get away, weren't you?!'. By the end just before she goes to sleep she's crying and throwing a fit, pretty much just because she's so tired!. On the other hand she does sleep on occasion for long periods of time. She slept for SIX hours straight last night before I went ahead and fed her just to be safe.

Is it normal for newborns to be up for that long at a time? I thought they didn't start doing stuff like this until much later?

She's two weeks old, she's jerking herself awake from a normal reflex. Maybe try swaddling her? Also, the comfort of mum being removed is still a new thing for her, she spent 9 comfy months inside mum and now she's expected to be all on her own? WHat is this crazy smurf you speak??????!?!?!

Try starting up a routine with some gentle bathtime oils like lavender and a massage. Then try swaddling her. Then put her down after a feed and if she starts to wriggle, pat her tummy and say shhhhhhhhh. Or get some white noise making thing. Those are quite good.

Woh lol My 16 week old is just now staying up for 3-5 hours and fighting sleep. I pity you right now. She did go through a period of staying up 2-3 hours but that was about a month old and only lasted a week. Have you tried wearing her in a Moby or sling? That's my only way of getting things done and her asleep during the day. We've been doing it since she was 3 weeks old.

Oh and my two were up for anywhere to 3-7 hours when they were born. Nosey little buggers those two. Couldn't be asleep cos that means they miss out on discovering the world. Drove me mental.

Quoting LumpySpacePrincess:" She's two weeks old, she's jerking herself awake from a normal reflex. Maybe try swaddling her? Also, ... [snip!] ... and if she starts to wriggle, pat her tummy and say shhhhhhhhh. Or get some white noise making thing. Those are quite good."

We have a white noise thing, she likes it okay I suppose though some days she seems to sleep better without it. And we tried swaddling; both with blankets and with a sleep sack, she wants nothing to do with it. Typically within minutes of swaddling she's screaming because she can't get her arms where she wants them lol. We started putting her to sleep on her tummy too and that helped with the not sleeping for more than 10-30 minute intervals. And yeah lol, I know, she was with me 9 months but it just seems like she's getting frustrated with me while holding her because she's so ready to play and go but nothing holds her attention for very long. Mostly all we can do so far is just hold her and let her lift her head and look around as she has been. She seems content with that for a few minutes before she lays her head back on my chest and starts fussing. Wash, rinse and repeat.

Quoting LumpySpacePrincess:" Oh and my two were up for anywhere to 3-7 hours when they were born. Nosey little buggers those two. Couldn't be asleep cos that means they miss out on discovering the world. Drove me mental."

Lmao, okay, that sounds about like her. It just seemed weird that I hadn't heard of newborns being up for so long before. Everyone in my family is like 'are you pinching that baby and keeping her awake?!' -.-'

Quoting Meg Bloxham:" We have a white noise thing, she likes it okay I suppose though some days she seems to sleep better ... [snip!] ... content with that for a few minutes before she lays her head back on my chest and starts fussing. Wash, rinse and repeat. "

Have you tried a swaddler where the baby's arms are up around their face? My cousin got me one and OMG it helped so much. Babies naturally put their hands up to their face but this swaddler gives them the comfort of being swaddled but with their hands where they want them.

Quoting LumpySpacePrincess:" Have you tried a swaddler where the baby's arms are up around their face? My cousin got me one and OMG ... [snip!] ... hands up to their face but this swaddler gives them the comfort of being swaddled but with their hands where they want them."

Oh, I hadn't heard of that one! Thanks, I'll look for it!

Try swaddling her! She's use to being in your womb.. are you holding her throughout the day!?

She hates swaddling, had to cut that out at about 1.5 weeks because she was refusing to sleep at all when we wrapped her up.
And she was being held a lot at first but now we're trying to only hold her when she's awake or when we're rocking her to sleep.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Meg Bloxham:</b>" She hates swaddling, had to cut that out at about 1.5 weeks because she was refusing to sleep at all ... [snip!] ... she was being held a lot at first but now we're trying to only hold her when she's awake or when we're rocking her to sleep. "</blockquote>




Why are you trying that!? You do realize she's a new born!?

I'm aware of when I had my stomach cut open to get her out, so yes, i know she's a newborn. But we're trying it because we like to sleep too, and shower, and get the chores done around the house. I'm not saying the moment she goes to sleep we dump her in the bed and run away; I'm just not holding her 24 hours a day and from one feeding to the next. I want her to be comfortable in her bed, that way when she starts getting older maybe she wont fight sleep as much, she'll know when she's in the bed its sleep time. This is my first child, so maybe this is a little different from what other people do but I'd like to try it the same way I was handled as a newborn.

Quoting Meg Bloxham:" I'm aware of when I had my stomach cut open to get her out, so yes, i know she's a newborn. But we're ... [snip!] ... so maybe this is a little different from what other people do but I'd like to try it the same way I was handled as a newborn. "

Rather than making her self-soothe, which btw she is entirely too little for, try getting a Moby wrap or ring sling and wearing her throughout the day. She needs to feel close and comfort as she's a newborn who's been taken from her security for the past 9 months. I've had my daughter in a Moby since she was 3 weeks and I swear, it was a life saver (and a sanity-saver lol) and she's now 16 weeks and loves being worn. I wear her a TON when she is getting tired and fighting sleep, it knocks her out within minutes and we don't have to go through the screaming/crying/fighting sleep stage every time. By the way, I'm only giving this advice because this is our third and I never had someone telling me how to raise our first, I had to figure everything out on my (well, husband too) own. Two and three, I've became a pro hahah

<blockquote><b>Quoting Meg Bloxham:</b>" I'm aware of when I had my stomach cut open to get her out, so yes, i know she's a newborn. But we're ... [snip!] ... so maybe this is a little different from what other people do but I'd like to try it the same way I was handled as a newborn. "</blockquote>




Well when you have a newborn you're in their scedual, you sleep and shower when they sleep! She is way to little to self sooth, being a new mom sometimes you need advice, it's not criticism. She has been next to you front the time of conception, she'll become more independent with time and want to be left alone, but for now this is time she needs to be comforted.

OMG ! My son is the same exact way ! He doesn't like when I hold him that much though, he loves when his daddy holds him though. Lol. Hope she gets better for ya (: