To be absolutely raging at my 5mo

[Lammveg]

My DD is 5mo and is waking up hourly and has been for the last week or so. She's fed, clean, is lovely in the day time, super happy etc. Won't settle without boob, but also pinches my skin and bites my nipple when feeding overnight. Refuses bottles and dummies. I'm raging (somewhat light hearted...but also not really). I'm so tired. Tell me it gets better!!?

Six month old is sleeping shockingly in this heat and he’s already bad since the four-month regression. I know I got a couple of two-hour stretches last night but it’s been a month since the glory days of four-hour stretches to start the night, and 7am wake-ups.

The pinching and biting is a killer though as he has teeth and we’re going to work with a sleep consultant to fix the sleep then gradually switch to formula as I’m done in this time around, as older DD is a firecracker.

I cheered myself up last night looking back at DD’s sleep diaries – she got better around one and even when she woke in the evenings I was clearly more chill about it/used to less sleep as I was going out-out (until lockdown…).

She started sleeping long chunks around one, sleeping through occasionally at 16 months (not long to go, lads!), night weaned at 17 months, only wanted daddy at night at 19 months onwards (glory days!!!), sleeping through more often than not from two… but also waking at 4.30am. It’s a rollercoaster.

Ahh my LO is 3 months, this has been the case for 2 weeks so far 😅 i am beyond tired and trying not to get snappy. It's pretty much bang on every hour, by 3am I wake up and feel im going to be sick as im so tired. Even in the day she won't settle unless she's on me or in a sling. Can't get anything done.

Hah, snap! Completely the same situation here, down to being 9 weeks old. 3 hours every time. The longest he's gone is 4 hours a grand total of 3 times in his life.

Funnily enough I was pretty happy with that- it's still more than I thought newborns slept and at least it's predictable. But now the other NCT mums say theirs are sleeping 5 hours upwards (in one case 9 hours!!) I'm jealous 🤣

Morning! Got a three hour stretch just now so that's something!

So glad I have posted and I'm going to be coming back to this thread often when I'm up in the middle of the night to remind myself I'm not alone.

We've tried co sleeping but I can't sleep and she likes to actually be held rather than be next to me 🙄 we have black out blinds too and have the fan going as white noise.

It's weird because in the morning when she's smiling up at me from the crib I don't even feel that tired or angry but in the middle of the night when being repeatedly woken up I have to take a few deep breaths before tending to her.

I know this too shall pass and I'll miss the snuggles but oh my gosh is it hard right now. Sending good vibes to all of you today ✨️

She has got reflux though, on baby gaviscon, so that could be the culprit

That's exactly the same as me! I have a fan on, tried co sleeping but she hates it, if she's not being cuddled or held she prefers being alone in her cot. The only way I can get her to sleep initially is to stand rocking the cot for 30mins.

All those NCT babies will wake up too, don’t worry! DS was doing eight hour stretches at a few weeks old, it was lovely. Some nights now he’s up every 40 minutes.

If it makes you feel better my 16 week old still only does 2-3 hour stretches at night, my first baby was the same. They're all different!

It definitely gets better, it definitely does. One of the things that made things better for me was not speaking to the NCT group so much, hearing about their compliant babies and fun social lives was wretched.
Your babies behaviour sounds like a growth spurt, stick with it, a new super power will emerge shortly.
It's a tedious question, but have you been getting enough fluids? If it's warm where you are, you are going to be needing alot extra to drink to make the extra milk. Dehydration and sleep deprivation are a rage inducing combination.
Keep up the good work.

Also, I was trying to do baby sign language with mine, thinking we'd have these moments of connection and I'd be so in tune with him. It's sort of worked in that when he wants feeding he absolutely thumps me 🤣. This also goes for when he comes off the nipple or the flow is too slow. I can see him winding up his arm and I have to scramble to latch him before I get smacked 🤣🤣.

Everything passes quickly when they’re that little: the good and the bad! Hang on in there.

At that age it’s probably teething, explains the biting! It will get better!

What about using a sleep consultant? They cater all needs and there are some really affective gentle sleep training methods.

Sorry OP - my 17 year old has just finished his A levels and been driving for 6 months. He's gone to a party at a friend's house (we live rurally), and I was awake until 2am waiting for the key to turn in the door. Then had to get up at 6.30am to get the younger one to the station for school in time. Its going to be a long summer!!

Look up sleep routines - both of mine were sleeping 7-7 by 5 months with a dream feed at 10 but only because we followed a routine.

@Janefx40 I have a ‘good sleeper’ (appreciate that’s super annoying on this thread however I’m a terrible sleeper so I’m still awake all night so I feel the pain!) but no sleeping bag completely broke her! I got a 0.2 tog sleeping bag (Tommie tipee) that’s basically just a Muslin but it’s made a massive difference. Not sure if they do them for 4 weeks but might be worth a look. Good luck!

Wean the 5mo unless medical issues. Once on 3 meals a day stop offering milk between 10pm and 5 am

I still feed my toddler on demand. There's absolutely no need to restrict feeds just because a baby is on solids.

Topmog because you were posting a list, it could be thought that you meant a small glass of wine or a beer for the baby! 🤣

I had a friend who said all that and bragged about her first child

When the second same along she couldn't understand why what worked for the first child just did not for the second

Each child is different , you can try different things but it's not your fault at all if they just don't work. You just have to hang in there

I was you a few months ago. My second child (now 9 months) woke up every 1-2 hours in the night for a bf and I was completely knackered and frustrated so I can totally empathise. My first was a great sleeper so it was a shock to the system when the second wasn’t!!

All I can say is that for me it got much better once he moved into his own room at 7 months. He’s 9 months old now and mostly sleeps through the night. I feel like a normal person again and not a sleep deprived zombie.

Those sleepless nights really are awful and can really bring you down and make you angry with everything and everyone! But I promise it will get better!

It doesn't IME. Dc1 eventually slept through at 4 but until then was waking hourly.

It gets better!!

Heavily pregnant with my second. DS1 was a nightmare non sleeper until 6 months, improved, then regressed entirely between 12 and about 16 months. Now 22 months and it’s very rare for him not to sleep through - goes down at 7 no questions asked, up at 6:30ish, sometimes a bit earlier, sometimes a bit later. The heat is waking him a bit earlier I think but not before 6.

My lovely sleeping toddler is what is getting me through the dread of DS2 newborn baby sleep. It really really does get better. And toddlers are also so much more fun than babies!

Only if you want a few hours unbroken sleep, no physiological reason, no.

This is so normal! And it does get better! And then worse, and then better again!

There’s so much pressure around having a “good sleeper”, when it’s completely normal for babies and young children to need support to sleep. That said, my now 10 month old woke hourly at around the 5 month mark and it was SO hard.

It’s much better now, but he will wake anywhere between 1-3 times on a “good” night for a feed/ cuddle/ because he’s teething/ too hot/ has trapped wind.

You’re right, this too shall pass. Doesn’t make it any easier though! If you have instagram there’s some great accounts I follow that always make me feel better about having to support my baby at night:

nurtureneuroscienceparenting
heysleepybaby
happycosleeper
littlenestsleep

I also use an app called Wonder Weeks and it tracks where your baby is on their development journey in terms of what skills they learn and when and the science behind it all. It’s not for everyone but I find it really useful to understand what’s happening for my baby. When they’re learning it affects sleep and it helps me to find extra patience on the really hard nights!