Newborn won’t sleep, screams nonstop—am I failing as a first-time dad?

SleepyScreamerDad

First‑time dad here, my little guy is turning two weeks tomorrow. Any advice on dealing with the frustration? He won’t sleep—just keeps screaming, and a bottle doesn’t even fix it. He’ll eat nonstop if you let him (we don’t, but even a full 2‑ounce bottle has him screaming between burp breaks). Comforting him doesn’t help. If we can get him to sleep, he’s up before the usual night feed, which should be every 4‑5 hours. We’re lucky if it’s only 2 hours before the next one. I can’t shake the feeling I’m not doing enough for him.

SgtLumos

You're not doing anything wrong, mate; this is just part of figuring it out. As mentioned, it could be colic, which is the most common cause. You might want a doctor to confirm it, to be safe with such a young child.

KevTheRev

Brother, that’s a newborn for you. Just pray, be patient, this too shall pass.

Stormsurviv

Our baby has woken up 4‑5 times a night since birth, and she’s just turned 1! We didn’t realize at first that she doesn’t take well to formula; once she switched to breast milk she became a lot less gassy at night, yet she still wakes up multiple times throughout the night.

Darkcipher

Four to five hours is a pretty long stretch between feeds for a newborn. Two to three hours is more like the right interval. It could be colic, or maybe he's just hungry and needs a bigger feed.

Zyriiixyndr3

From what I've seen, this is pretty normal. I’d suggest taking the baby to the doctor and having them check for colic it really can create a lot of challenges for newborns. I try to cling to whatever sanity I can hold onto. It does take time, but eventually it eases up. I remind myself not to rush toward the easier moments, because I know I’ll look back and miss these first months once I get through them.

FrostSparkle

I’ll tell you what most parents never admit. If you think you’re a great parent especially to an infant you’re probably not. If you think you’re not doing enough, you’re usually doing great. Hang in there, brother. I promise you’ll miss the first six months.

MetallicMuttMaster

You guys are doing great! Just keep your head on straight and take a deep breath. Try giving one more feeding when you’re at it. If he’s still fussy, give crape water a shot (I think that’s how it’s spelled). We never woke either kid up at night to feed we just let!them sleep until they woke up looking for something. It paid off for us, because now they usually crash for 8‑12 hours straight! That’s just our experience, though. If you’re using formula, maybe try one made for sensitive stomachs and digestion. Hope that helps.
Keep your stick on the ice.

SparkzByte

Be grateful that you have two hours. I only had twenty minutes each hour with my son, and I did it three hundred miles away from home, completely alone with just him and me for five months.

GuitarsInMars

I am a father of three. Remember: even if they cry, holding them and trying to console them is actually working. It may not seem like it, but it really does. Continue consoling, using comforting words, holding lovingly, and walking around. It may be overwhelming, but keep a blank mind and keep doing it. They will remember, and your bond will be all the more stronger in the future. It gets easier to console them each time you do. My five‑month‑old baby can now be consoled by rocking and singing “The Wheels on the Bus,” moving from out‑of‑control shrieking to laughing and falling asleep after nine to ten verses of the song. It may seem thankless or hopeless, but it’s building trust, love, safety, and comfort.

ToxicVandalizer

Get a bottle of colic calm (black liquid) worked great for my 2

JimblesHut35

You’re not doing anything wrong. Take turns with your partner and try some breathing exercises to calm yourself. It truly does get better trust me.

SparkMaster95

Dad of 4, youngest now 5 mo. A 2‑3‑hour stretch is VERY COMMON. She still wakes every night, roughly every 2‑3 hours. Like you said yourself, be careful not to overfeed it will upset their stomachs. Also, as others noted, consider a different milk if you want to try that route. Babies can be LACTOSE INTOLERANT or sensitive to certain formula types. We tried six different formulas with #3 before finding one that worked for her.

KazeFire88

Give gripe water a try.

He could also be gassy or constipated.

I tried several formulas until we found one that didn’t make her gassy.

GammerGuru88

Embrace the suck dude.
What will seem like tomorrow, you will miss this.

Also, gas drops and Gripe water.
Have the doctor check for a dairy intolerance.

fakingperil

Yo, this gripe water thing totally nerfed the gas and tummy issues on my newborns, and it finally let me catch some Z’s ’cause it totally soothed them.

NexiaCoreX

He may be allergic to formula when he uses it. They told us both kids must eat every 2–3 hours, yet my wife breastfeeds.

Pixiluxe28

Hi, and congratulations! A dad friend recommended the book Happiest Baby on the Block to me, and he was right. It has very useful tips, especially for getting them to sleep.

SilkPistil

Sounds like colic try Infacol or gripe water; if things don’t seem to get a little better in a week’s time, swing by your GP and ask about Gavascon for infants.

VaporBlaze88

Every 2–3 hours I’m with my 5‑week‑old, and if we let her nap she gets super hungry.