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Getting tough

8 replies

suzi2 · 12/09/2007 22:21

DD is 7 months and an awful sleeper. It pains me to even write about it! She wakes a lot, feeds a lot, generally cries a lot in the night. Needs rocked in the hammock back to sleep all the time. Always unsettled. Never goes to sleep without a fight. Naps with a fight for 45 mins max a couple of times a day.

I've tried CC just once and it ended with us both in tears after a couple of hours and her hyperventilating and being sick. So never again.

DS was not dissimilar but more settled by this age and quite frankly I'm not coping anymore.

Has anyone had any success with cold turkey not going into them and sending their DHs? Or will that just antagonise her? DH probably won't cope with that mind you, but my mum might I suppose. Or has anyone used any sort of sleep 'consultant' and if so were they worth it?

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spiker · 12/09/2007 22:57

Gah, sounds awful. And familiar.

How old was she when you did the CC? I did CC with DS1 at 7 months but I had gone back to work and was absolutely desperate - it did work but it was quite young to do it. Try again when she's a little older if no better?

Sending in DH sounds good to me, especially if you are trying to stop BF during the night (babies don't need night feeds after 5 months apparently).

I would speak to your HV, she should be able to suggest alternative techniques and if no joy, can refer you to a sleep clinic.

I tried other techniques (pick-up put down, gradual withdrawal, other stuff) with DS2 who was an awful sleeper, but have to say that in the end only CC worked for him too.

Sorry to come over like a big CC apologist, it was terrible doing it, but it did only take a few nights both times.

I think there's lots of threads on alternative techniques on here, worth digging around. You have my keenly felt sympathies. Best of British.

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fingerwoman · 12/09/2007 23:00

has she always been a bad sleeper?
have you considered cranial osteopathy? or ordinary osteopathy? Perhaps just being in that position is uncomfortable for her- osteopathy has worked wonders for many babies I know and seems to calm them down a lot.

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PeachesMcLean · 12/09/2007 23:06

How does she sleep during the day? Does she go to sleep on her own then, and have regular naps? Can be very limiting for you but in my (admittedly limited) experience, trains them to learn to sleep, which doesn't always come naturally.

7 mths seems early for CC, but don't let that put you off in a few months time. DS was 10 months when we did it at night, very successfully, but he had a very strong daytime routine, so it just sort of fell into place for him I think.

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suzi2 · 13/09/2007 15:48

The CC was pretty recently when DH was away and I was at my wits end. I'm certainly not ready to try that again!

During the day she is just as bad. She'll take a couple of short naps but only when pushed in the buggy for miles or driven in tha car for ages. She has self settled a few times in the past, both for naps and at night, but we have no idea why!

DH is happy to try being the one to soothe her but suggested we wait until DS is at his grans for the weekend in a few weeks time to try.

She has had loads of cranial osteopathy, but only until about 3 months because my osteopath went on maternity leave and I haven't really found another. I was just aying to my mum today that perhaps another few sessions is worth a try.

Today has been better. She was up for a couple of hours during the night (we eventaully watched EE together and that bored her to sleep I think!) but she has taken a 90 min nap this morning in her pushchair and is napping again just now. Perhaps all I need to do is post about her being a crap sleeper and she'll start to prove me wrong?

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suzi2 · 13/09/2007 15:50

Oh, meant to say that my HV is willing to refer her to the sleep clinic but doesn't think it'll teach me anything I don't already know. But suggested it might be a good sounding board for my woes (in other words, stopping moaning at me, woman!).

And, not sure if it's related, but she sleeps better on 'poo days' which are every few days, getting more frequent with the weaning. So perhaps it's digestion troubles?

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spiker · 14/09/2007 00:39

What stage is her teething at? We all lost a lot of sleep over DS2's protracted teething (such a design flaw in humans I think).

DH made DS2 watch Dune with him one particularly bad night - worked in about 10 minutes apparently.

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Princesstandy · 14/09/2007 00:49

Sounds like the 'poo' trouble needs looking at.
I was as weak as could be and made a rod for my own back - He's still coming down every 15 minutes and he's 7 now. I wish I had been stronger when he was a baby but it's a great thing, hindsite!
I would go to the sleep clinic though there may be an answer.

SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW I SPELL CHECK

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suzi2 · 14/09/2007 22:20

Hmm, I've been wondering about the teething thing. No teeth yet and DS didn't get his first until about 10 months if that's anything to go by. Though he has struggled a lot with each new batch. I guess if she was sleeping well then I could blame that, but since she's never been great it can't be the entire cause. She can self settle (done it a few times) and can sleep well so we must be missing something.

So far tonight, DH has been in to her 7 times. I think it's time for medised...