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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think that the health visitor should have known what 4 month sleep regression is?

136 replies

acer12 · 04/09/2013 21:54

I didn't know what it even was but when I posted on MN about my DD2 not sleeping, it was suggested by some fabulous ladies and it was a bloody revelation, I literately had a tick list of symptoms. She was waking every 90 mins through night and only cap napping during day and I was hallucinating! Googled advice and fixed the problems. Learning self settling, more sleep, swaddling...ect and it worked!

Went to get baby weighed, my usual lovely HV wasn't there and the HV that I spoke to about it was really Hmm about it and lectured me on the dangers of swaddling.

No one else seems to know either?! Mil was trying to force calpol down her convinced it was teething (luckily DH fended her off) as she was cranky ALL the time but she was just shattered!

is this widely known???

OP posts:
YoniBottsBumgina · 04/09/2013 21:56

I think it's just a MN thing. I've never heard of it anywhere else either. It definitely seems to be a thing though! But IME there is loads of stuff about babies and young children which is widely known on MN but by nobody else who is supposed to be an expert on babies.

BettyandDon · 04/09/2013 22:01

I've only heard on MN and never experienced it with either of my children.

Mosschops30 · 04/09/2013 22:03

Am HV never heard of if

Original poster
acer12 · 04/09/2013 22:14

There is loads of links on google that explain it, lots of people think its teething, baby needs weaning, ear infections, colic. I actually cant believe the difference in her!

Also I think that a lot of people may have given the calpol, or started weaning ( as I got loads of pressure of MIL and DGM that she was hungry) when it was actually bog standard sleep issue and self settling.

OP posts:
KissMeHardy · 04/09/2013 22:14

Never heard of it in my day, and never heard of it in this day and age until I joined MN !!

Lifeisontheup · 04/09/2013 22:15

Never heard of it and never had it with any of my three.

Mosschops30 · 04/09/2013 22:17

Hmm links on google you say!!
All evidenced based then I presume Hmm

pointythings · 04/09/2013 22:19

Definitely had it with both of mine and the research is there to back it up too. here.

It isn't surprising really, if you think about the amount of brain development that goes on in the first 3 years of life. Parents need to know about it and to have coping strategies which will help them and their babies sleep. I can't believe this still isn't mainstream.

FourGates · 04/09/2013 22:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 04/09/2013 22:21

I hadn't heard of it until I came here.

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 04/09/2013 22:22

I didn't experience any regression of sleep at 4m with any of mine either.

IneedAsockamnesty · 04/09/2013 22:23

Its not just a mn thing and yes they should know stuff like that but I'm not surprised they don't

ceeveebee · 04/09/2013 22:24

I had never heard of it before MN and didn't have it with my two either

Mosschops30 · 04/09/2013 22:24

Why should HVs know stuff like that??

Original poster
acer12 · 04/09/2013 22:25

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/sleep/1841369-Help-Running-out-of-match-sticks-for-my-eyes

www.babysleepsite.com/how-we-sleep/4-month-old-sleep-regression/

there is plenty moss! are you my stand in HV I can hear the scorn in your message! Wink

either way its worked for me and made a remarkable change, got my sunny pleasant dd back now Grin

yes pointy it should be made main stream for the coping strategy's I was at my wits end and wondered what had happened to my dd!

OP posts:
JakeBullet · 04/09/2013 22:26

There is a risk to swaddling so the HV wasn't being silly in talking about this.

I am/was a HV and I HAVE heard of the four month sleep regression......mainly because my DS went through it.

Loads of stuff out there but little actual research (or never used to be). Haven't been working as a HV for the past two years though so it might have changed,

Mosschops30 · 04/09/2013 22:27

Oh dear Hmm

I give up

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 04/09/2013 22:27

Yabu because it's a lot of bollocks. SOME babies may have a regression at 4 months...that doesn't make it a "thing" like teething or weaning which all babies go through!

FondantNancy · 04/09/2013 22:27

Heard about it from my antenatal group - most of us went through it. A book called Wonder Weeks was frequently mentioned but I haven't read it.

pixwix · 04/09/2013 22:28

Must admit - never had it with my two - in fact - 4 months was a turning point in their sleep, when they both really got the hang of the whole night and day thing (after 4 months of night wakenings - although they had been stretching out the hours that they slept from about 6 weeks onwards)

They finally slept about 8 hours straight. Then they stretched it out to longer as their brains matured. Not saying it doesn't exist though..

CeliaLytton · 04/09/2013 22:28

Another who had never heard of it before mn and never experienced it, we'll no more than I experienced the 3 month sleep regression, the 5 month sleep regression and repeat ad infinitum. Thought it was one of those things people said to make you feel better like there was light at the end of the tunnel TBH.

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 04/09/2013 22:29

I think it's symbolic of this desperate need to understand and define everything as a 'thing' when it's just a baby being a baby, doing normal baby shit.

MrsBungle · 04/09/2013 22:30

I'd never heard of it til here either. Neither of my two had it.

nickelbabe · 04/09/2013 22:30

I've got an anglicized versionnof an american book thatmentions it. it does refer to it as a growth spurt type thing, which I suppose it is in a way - developmental.

and my friend who has 5 kids and hates mn also knows about it - in fact she told me

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 04/09/2013 22:31

20Quid Exactly! If I wrote a book tomorrow describing a "thing" which occurs in some babies at about X months...gave it a name and had a good publisher, it would be bandied about here as if it were gospel within 6 months.