...to wish it would get easier (the baby phase)

[Iwanttosleep]

Please reassure me that there is light at the end of the tunnel...

DS (4 months old today) is a joy and I love him to bits, but Oh Sweet Lord do I wish it would get easier. I don't think I ever imagined it would be this physically and emotionally exhausting. Or just how much BFing glues you to your baby. The night feeds (twice a night) and early wakings (5.30 this morning) are wearing me out. Yes I know someone will be along in a minute to tell me how their baby was still feeding eight times a night at this age yadda yadda (to which my only response is how the living does anyone do that and not go insane? ). And lately we've been really struggling to find the right time for him to go down at night. He's either not tired enough (massive screamfest) or over-tired (massive screamfest). I guess back when he was a colicy newborn permanently attached to my breast I fantasised about the four month mark as some wonderful point where it would all suddenly seem survivable. So tell me about the magical moment when you were no longer fighting the baby to sleep, grabbing something to eat, chewing your DH's head off over something stupidly trivial and then collapsing into bed at 8.30.

Please please don't mention the words 'four month sleep regression'. I am already living in terrified anticipation that one night he will just decide to Never Sleep Again and I will lose the will to live.

I look back with horror at my son's first year of life - he never took naps, fed every 2.5 hours (start to start) and screamed the house down day and night. Around 11 months everything clicked though. He started taking a long nap in the day, sleeping 12 hours at night, walking and being generally a total delight.

My only advice is to find some time for yourself - get a babysitter for a couple of hours in the day once or twice a week, or grab a few hours to yourself at the weekend.

On a happier note I have a daughter now, just shy of four months, who has been so easy. She sleeps 7pm to 11pm, has a bottle, then one feed at 5am then sleeps to 8:30am. She then has a couple of long naps in the day and almost never cries. You probably don't want to hear that but it goes to show you might luck out next time! I also mix feed this time, which IMO has made a huge difference.