Dear ML,
I feel for you. My daughter was permanently attached. At six weeks, she was nursing, actually latched on, (I added it all up) 13 hrs a day! I couldn't do anything but sit in a chair and nurse. She would nurse for about 45 minutes, a time, with me constantly trying to keep her awake. I tickled her feet, played bicycle with her legs, rubbed her back, sat her up and down, and switched breasts. I had to eat over her head. Like you described, every time I would put her down, she would be screaming, within 5 minutes, wanting to nurse. I even tried using a heating pad to warm the bed for her. This way, she would sleep for 10 minutes before crying. I would finally get her to stay asleep, in her bed, around 4am and then she would sleep 4-6 hours. She wouldn't take a bottle, or binkie or let my husband hold her. Everyone just kept telling me it was all normal. If I would go out for an hour, she would cry the entire time. I tried to let her cry it out in her bed, she cried for 45 minutes and then passed out for 15 min and then was crying again. Nothing worked. Somehow, I was able to nurse her for a full year. My butt started to grow permanently into the chair but, we made it. My son was a little easier. He would nurse for 15-20 minutes and then I could take him off the breast when his sucking slowed to once in about every 4 or 5 seconds. Unlike my daughter, he could live with this. He would take a bottle, and binkie, and he let my husband hold him. Although, he still would not let me put him down for his long sleep until about 4 am. This didn't work for me because I had my daughter to take care of in the morning. My, then 2 year old, daughter would watch Blues Clues while I passed out next to her on the couch. I tried limiting my diet in every way possible (no spices, no garlic, no nuts, no tomatoes, no gassy foods). Finally at about 4 months, I switched to nutramigen formula. (We tried soy formulas but, this was the only one that worked) Finally, he would sleep. I wasn't able to give up dairy products in my diet and I wonder if this was the cause of the problem for both of my kids. Whatever it was, we lived. My daughter is now 7 and my son 5 and neither have any food allergies. At the time, I remember how awful it was and how exhausted I was. My heart goes out to you. Hang in there. Maybe, you could hire some help so you can get some sleep. Good Luck.
K.