Update in #8--HELP--My 9 week old is on a sleep strike!

[BDKmom]

My 9 week old DD has slept a grand total of 7.5 hours since midnight last night, and it is now 8:45 PM. She doesn't have any specific symptoms, is eating well, has periods of contentment where she smiles and coos at us, doesn't seem to be gassy, has had normal pees and poops, doesn't have a fever or any other obvious signs of distress. In fact, she only even fusses when we are trying to get her to sleep. She is EBF and will doze briefly when she is done nursing, but if I move, she wakes up and won't go back to sleep.

Over the weekend, she had back-to-back nights with 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Then Tuesday night, she slept for mostly only one hour stretches. And last night, no sleep at all from 8 PM to 3 AM. We have tried the rocking chair, the bouncy seat, the swing, walking her, our porch swing...nothing works. She will not take a pacifier.

Am I missing anything? Anything we should try or look for? Do you think this is OK/normal for her age? DS was a good sleeper from 8 weeks on, so no BTDT with him. I thought things were supposed start getting better after the 6 week point, but hasn't seemed to happen with her. Any insight is appreciated.

Mods--I know this should be in the sleep forum, but I am looking for traffic since night is quickly falling and I would like to get more than 2 hours of sleep tonight.

Sorry for the essay, but my sleep deprived brain can't edit very well right now...

[SnuggleBuggles]

Will she sleep in the car? If one of you I'd coherent enough to safely drive, can they just drive and drive? Sleep begets sleep sometimes.

Ouch!! And ((((((hugs))))))!!!!!

[Philly Mom]

Have you tried putting her in the car seat and then swinging the car seat around? For my DD, during the day that was the only way she would sleep until 5 months.

[marymoo86]

Will she tolerate a swing?? Sometimes motion was the only thing that got DD to nod off.

[geochick]

My oldest was like that from day 1. The only thing I could find that would work consistently was cosleeping. Are you opposed to that? To be extra safe, I had dh sleep in a separate bed for a while since he's a heavy sleeper.

My guess is a growth spurt/hunger/stage thing.

Hang in there.

[BDKmom]

She fell asleep on my shoulder for about 30 minutes around 9 PM. We may have to drive her around if we have a repeat of last night. She typically likes the swing, but for the past two days she starts wailing the minute we put her in it. Or she will fall asleep in it and wake up 10 minutes later.

I don't want to cosleep, mainly because I don't sleep well with her in the bed, but last night she wouldn't even sleep on me or in bed with me.

I think she gets overtired and then can't calm down enough t sleep after that.
Here's hoping that tonight goes a little better than last night.

[waitingforgrace]

I know this is rough, I've been through it with both of my girls. Unfortunately we're still going through it with DD2. The only way I get any sleep is to co-sleep with her. It's not my first choice but better than being up all night.

A few other suggestions - bounce on an exercise ball, walk around the block in the stroller, wear her in a baby carrier. Although none of this helps if once she's asleep you can't transfer her down, which is precisely the problem we have.

Hope you get some rest.

[BDKmom]

Hallelujah, she slept last night! Slept about 45 minutes on DH around 11:30, then I nursed her at 1 AM and she only lasted about 10 minutes before she crashed. Then slept to 7:45! That's almost as much as she had slept in the previous 24 hours. I really think she got so tired she couldn't sleep, if that makes sense. I'm just glad nothing was physically wrong with her.

Thanks, ladies, for the suggestions and support. DH and I were about at the end of our rope!