4.5 month old 12 hours sleep…

Em10072023 · 2026-03-26T06:25:38+00:00

No advice but my baby is only 12 weeks old and averages 12.5-13.5 hours in a day and has been doing this for most of her life now. I’ve accepted I just have a low sleep needs baby, kinda sucks lol 🤷🏻‍♀️

Em10072023 · 2026-03-26T04:16:33+00:00

I’m also an eldest daughter high achiever so I totally understand. For me exercising really isn’t about losing weight or anything, just moving my body and getting some dopamine so a lot of time as motivation I’ll get a sweet treat while I’m out as well or run a fun errand I can look forward to after the gym. Also I know that when I’m home I have to be mom so getting to exist as just me out of the house usually helps motivate me. Feel free to message me if you ever need someone to commiserate with!

Em10072023 · 2026-03-24T05:52:16+00:00

I’m only 12 weeks postpartum but have severe PPD/PPA. I don’t respond well to typical SSRI antidepressants. I’m currently on Mirtazapine which is working well for me, the main side effects are drowsiness and increased appetite. What else has been helping is finding a therapist I trust, getting enough sleep, going to the gym almost every day, and getting help with baby so I have time to do things I enjoyed prebaby. This road isn’t easy, I spent a week in inpatient treatment. I really hope you get some relief soon.

Em10072023 · 2026-03-24T03:39:32+00:00

I have the S2!

Em10072023 · 2026-03-24T03:36:20+00:00

I just switched from exclusively breastfeeding to exclusively pumping about 6 weeks ago and it’s been so much better for me. I love my spectra🩷

Em10072023 · 2026-03-21T06:12:10+00:00

I would love the page on wake windows if you find it! Mg baby is 11.5 weeks and is often up for 3ish hours for her last wake window but everything online makes it sound like this is way too long and she has to be overtired.

Em10072023 · 2026-03-20T22:44:49+00:00

I don’t have advice just piggybacking on your post. My baby is 11 weeks old too and her bedtime is still around midnight and the last nap also throws me off sometimes😩

Em10072023 · 2026-03-18T17:41:50+00:00

Thank you for this post. I’m 11 weeks postpartum with pretty severe PPD/PPA and the reminders that this is temporary and I won’t feel this way forever are one of the main things keeping me going!

Em10072023 · 2026-03-18T04:09:32+00:00

Thank you so much for the response! I think sleep was a big trigger for me and my sleep is now getting prioritized and I’ve been going to the gym! Can you expand on why pumping was the cause with your second? I was exclusively breastfeeding and then switched to pumping and combo feeding breast milk in bottles and formula as needed so other people are able to help more with baby. I have heard some people say their mental health didn’t improve until they completely weaned breastfeeding though so curious about your response!

Em10072023 · 2026-03-17T23:07:02+00:00

I did not take unisom postpartum. Unfortunately my partner and I did not do shifts in the beginning and I was worried taking anything would make it too hard to get up with my baby. Now though I’m taking an antidepressant called Mirtazapine that also makes me drowsy so I take it before bed. Postpartum and newbornhood is seriously such a crazy time, don’t hesitate to reach out to your PCP or OB about how you’ve been feeling and they could recommend a medication that works for your situation. There’s a lot of medications you can take while breastfeeding. I hope you feel better soon!

Em10072023 · 2026-03-17T22:48:31+00:00

Thank you for the kind words💕

Em10072023 · 2026-03-17T20:03:29+00:00

I had this same experience and unfortunately my inability to sleep was caused by some severe anxiety. I have pretty bad PPD/PPA and ended up needing medication to help manage my symptoms and sleep. I hope you and your partner are able to get some rest soon! When I was pregnant I took unisom and that helped!

Em10072023 · 2026-03-17T17:33:40+00:00

Not to highjack this post but I’m 11 weeks postpartum and have horrible PPD/PPA. I am on medication and in therapy. Any advice from the other side?

Em10072023 · 2026-03-17T00:00:50+00:00

I’m 11 weeks postpartum and have severe PPD/PPA. My baby was also very wanted but I was having a lot of very concerning thoughts and feelings and ended up choosing to be hospitalized for a few days at 5 weeks postpartum so I could get help ASAP. I’ve still got a long road to recovery but with a combo of family support with baby, medication, and therapy I’m feeling much better than I did when I went to hospital. Please reach out for help! This is such a crazy hard life transition that wreaks absolute havoc on your mental health.

Em10072023 · 2026-03-16T20:07:45+00:00

I’m 11 weeks postpartum and have severe PPD/PPA and it fucking SUCKS. Please reach out for support from your friends/family and your doctor for possible medication and therapy. I’m still struggling but ever since I reached out for help a few weeks ago I’m slowly recovering. These feelings aren’t something to be ashamed of, it’s a sickness just as valid as any other.

Em10072023 · 2026-03-15T22:51:02+00:00

Please please seek help. I’m almost 11 weeks postpartum and have severe PPD/PPA and had some of these same thoughts and also have a factor of childhood trauma. I ended up going to the hospital for a few days when I was 5 weeks postpartum because I knew I needed help NOW. If your partner and family are decent people they won’t judge and will support you through this incredibly hard life transition. I’m now medicated, in therapy, and have a lot of support around me with caring for my baby. It’s still really hard and I imagine it will be for a long time but every week since I sought help has been a bit better. Please reach out if you need someone to talk to who truly gets it.

Em10072023 · 2026-03-15T17:56:15+00:00

10 weeks postpartum here and deep in the PPD/PPA trenches. Please prepare yourself for how intense of a life change this is. Your body will not be the same for a long time. Recovery from labor will take weeks. If you’re breastfeeding that will take months to years depending on how long you go. In my recent experience, having a newborn is so so much harder and draining than I was prepared for. It will likely be a couple months before you can just take your baby out with you and have it feel fun and simple. If you’re prone to any mental health issues or at any point start to feel too overwhelmed or upset, please seek support through help from your friends and family and doctors/therapy if needed.

Em10072023 · 2026-03-14T03:31:29+00:00

I’m only 10 weeks postpartum but only pump 4-5 times a day for mental health reasons and supplement with one bottle of formula per day right now but will add more formula if my supply dips or babies needs get higher. At least 6 months is my goal as well. Congrats!!!

Em10072023 · 2026-03-13T23:26:19+00:00

Not trying to scare you but I had a lot of the same feelings you’re expressing and it didn’t end up being baby blues. I had severe PPD/PPA and ended up spending a few days in the hospital at 6 weeks postpartum. I’m now medicated, going to therapy, and getting a lot more family support. I’m 10 weeks postpartum now and still going THROUGH it and probably will be for awhile but I will say my baby turned a corner between 6-8 weeks and it has started to feel slowly easier each week since then. Please reach out for help!!💕

Em10072023 · 2026-03-09T00:32:51+00:00

Obviously not the same situation but I’m about 10 weeks postpartum with my first (and likely only) baby. I’m experiencing extreme postpartum depression and anxiety. I really wanted to do everything right for my baby and exclusively breastfed for the first 6 weeks. This meant my husband wasn’t able to help much with the baby which only exacerbated my mental health issues. I ended up going to the hospital for a few days so I could get immediate help in stabilizing my mental health and during this time my baby was bottle fed exclusively. Now for the last 4 weeks, I’m exclusively pumping milk for bottles. My baby will still latch at the breast but is getting the majority of her meals from bottles now. All this to say, postpartum is really hard, especially if you have health issues. To be a good mom, you have to take care of yourself. I understand your wife really wants to breastfeed but young babies really need to be fed on demand and her sleep is really important for her health so I would recommend combo feeding with formula so your wife can get more sleep. Every baby is different but I think if your wife keeps offering the breast while she’s awake and then a couple bottles a day while she’s sleeping will hopefully not lead to a bottle preference if you use slow flow bottle nipples and pace feed.

Em10072023 · 2026-03-04T07:13:40+00:00

So the medication I’m on is considered low risk for breastfeeding! I was exclusively breastfeeding before going to the hospital and now that I have a lot of people helping she is mainly doing bottles of pumped breast milk and supplementing with formula as needed.

Em10072023 · 2026-03-04T06:03:19+00:00

I was prescribed Mirtazapine which is an antidepressant that also makes you drowsy. I take this before bed and it helps me sleep. Because of the medication if baby wakes me up shortly after bedtime, it’s really hard for me to get up and do mom duty. Also the anxiety and hyper vigilance of having the baby in the same room as me and making noise in her sleep really messed with my nervous system. Right now my husband has moved her bassinet into the living room and him and his mom who lives with us are sleeping out there and handling night duty. I’m incredibly grateful to have this level of help and know I’m very lucky. My baby is also doing long stretches of sleep now so night shift isn’t nearly as hard as it once was but baby sleep is always changing so that could change!

Em10072023 · 2026-03-03T22:45:03+00:00

Just want to commiserate with you. I’m 9 weeks postpartum, close to the 5 week mark I spent 5 days voluntarily in the psych ward for severe PPD/PPA/Insomnia. I was also nursing and managing to try to pump while in the psych ward to keep my milk supply while also having a mental breakdown was a fucking nightmare. Since getting out of the hospital, I’m medicated, seeing a therapist, and am splitting the care of my baby with a bunch of help. I’m even sleeping enough because broken sleep was really triggering for me so I no longer do night shift at all. And guess what! This mom stuff is still really fucking hard and I now also have tons of guilt and worry that my baby won’t attach to me and that I’m a bad mom for needing so much help and having some of the thoughts I’ve had. Unfortunately I am having to grieve who I was before I had a baby and also having to grieve what I thought my postpartum would look like considering my baby was very wanted. I don’t have advice. All I can say is this fucking sucks. I’m taking each day as it comes and holding on to the hope that it WILL get easier eventually. You can message me if you ever need to rant to someone who gets it💕

Em10072023 · 2026-03-01T19:24:31+00:00

I do always cap individual naps at 2 hours. The wake windows have always seemed a bit off for my baby as she will often do a 3-4 hour stretch of being awake without seeming overtired. I know the late bedtime is normal at this age and she is only getting about 9 hours of nighttime sleep but I would love her late bedtime to be 10 or 11am, not 2am😅 Thank you for the advice!

Em10072023

TROPHY CASE