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!!?

My youngest is three and a half. Not once has he slept longer than three hours. Usually 2 hourly. Not once. He's only not gone through the unopen window because I can sneak three extra hours alone in my bed where he normally also sleeps as his sleep is worse, oh yes worse if he sleeps in his own bed and as per my username getting in and out of bed isn't easy for me.

He too refuses anything silicone in his mouth so it's boob all the way this far!!!!!!

All I can think of is the heat or the 4 month sleep regression coming to get you a little later? Our 4 month regression was a killer but it did pass x

It gets better op!

I’m half a year behind you and I’m sending you all the love and strength. It’s so so hard. And no one cares any more at this age, they aren’t interested in your toddler not sleeping. Especially if you’re still feeding, they just blame you. You are not alone! I hope things change for you soon. Xx

Sorry, that message ^ was for @Disabledmomma

I definitely gets better! My eldest was like that and now he's nine he sleeps like a log and I can't get him out of bed for school in the morning. It did take longer than I hoped it would though and I am only saying this because I wish someone had told me that I should settle in for the long haul. 5-9 months was probably the worst, after that he woke about twice a night until he was eighteen months and then he would wake once a night and get up very early until he was about 5 years old. The early years are all about survival!

Thank you @NoUseForANamer . Good luck too. It has to end at some point......right?!?!?!?

My first didn't sleep until baby two arrived. Baby two has always slept well- anywhere. This one is a game changer and I'm too old and sore and old for this.

Too tired to see if this has already been said. Please check reflux. My baby hurt me while feeding clawing biting jerking hitting. It was so hard to feel relaxed and loving and knew it wasn’t intentional but still felt unnecessary. Reflux meds I’ve since heard would have saved it all. Good luck

Sleep deprivation is horrendous. It does get better x

My daughter is now 10 months and sleeps through, though to be fair she has always been a good sleeper. However this week she keeps waking, just too hot and uncomfortable. I've tried so hard to keep the room cool but it's almost impossible. I'm hoping she gets used to it soon! I imagine there are lots of little ones in the same boat so you are definitely not alone x

It does get better. You could be in for the long haul though. My little girls sleep didn’t start to improve til she was almost 2…
Good luck! X

I feel your pain and totally understand the rage when you feel touched out and fed up. Get her nails trimmed short, dose of Calpol and some teething gel. If she's full just try cuddling for a bit to give yourself a break.

As a single mum I've been like this many times and had no one to help. It will get better eventually but every breastfeeding journey has its ups and downs

Huge sleep regression or growth spurt at this age.

It will pass. Might take a while. Good luck OP!

babies Are all so different but 5 months is very young to expect to sleep the night we have 3 under 5 13 months old brilliant sleeper 2.5 yr old is shocking and 4.5 yr old amazing middle one gets up all the time during the night and wants to stay up

YABU if you have a 5 week old who is 'good' during the day!

I began co-sleeping at this age just so I could get some better sleep. It’s not for everyone but it has saved my sleep. My LG is 8 months old and I’m really enjoying the easy feeding and snuggles. I do sleep with a boob out for her to latch herself on.

I just want to say that it does get better. My first was an awful sleeper. Napped in 5 minute increments but only if I moved with her. Would on occasion sleep for hours in the day but never much at night. At one point I thought she had something very wrong with her because she just wouldn’t sleep. I even took her to gp about it.
I was absolutely desperate for any amount of sleep, my husband drove long distances for work so couldn’t help me with her during the night. We started a shift pattern where I went to bed at 8 and he would bring her up at 11. So I got 3 hours before the all night party. It also took years for her to learn to go to sleep at a decent time. She seemed to have a very wonky internal clock. (Turns out she has ADHD so not her fault she couldn’t fall asleep easily) When I had my 2nd they, thankfully, slept much better. As a toddler they never made it to the end of a bedtime story as we’re asleep almost instantly. But at 10 developed a sleep issue however they are now on melatonin so they sleep well again.
Oldest is now 16 and sleeps for England. Recently she slept from 10pm until 3pm the next day and she sleeps through everything.
At the time it felt like hell but I am now able to deal with lack of sleep and function well on little sleep.
It does get better and you will get through it.

Better! Wait till she’s a teenager … ewwk

I know you wrote it as 'lghthearted'
Reasonable to be upset, sad, annoyed but at the situation, not at the baby, she's not doing something deliberately. I write this as Ds 10m has been awake for last 2 hrs, its 4.30am. This has been going on for 2 weeks now and I'm flipping tired, but I'm not annoyed at him. He's just being a baby and it's either something is not right, actually he's a bit poorly, or he's just not a good sleeper. And he's just dozed off so I'm going back to bed.

Good luck.

@SixOClock she's 5mo but I know I should be grateful for the day time! She's honestly a happy giggly baby and I just love hanging around with her in the day.

Thank you to those offering support, reassurance and advice. To those picking up on the 'raging', of course I'm not actually raging at DD, it's the situation. Any other scenario where you're being woken up hourly and having your nipples bitten would be an acceptable situation to feel rage about. Moms are still humans too. She had a longer stretch last night (maybe because it was a bit cooler?). Has been sleeping latched on since 430am but what a difference it makes having a 3hr stretch of sleep!

First priority: stop listening to the NCT crowd! Either, half of them are lying or they’re extremely lucky. Comparing yourself/your baby with others is worse than pointless.
If your baby is contented in the day that’s fantastic. There will be parents reading this thread who’s babies are restless day and night!
Your DD won’t take the dummy while she’s close enough to you to smell milk and know you have something better to offer! Let someone else she's comfortable with encourage her with the dummy initially. When she’s familiar with it and contented to have it she’ll be ready to take the dummy from you. Also, babies are very particular about the dummy shape. Mine would only take a cherry shaped , another baby might insist on an orthodontic.
Last word: 90% of population is struggling to sleep in the current heat, so why should your baby be any different? It’s daylight at 5 am and she’s up snd ready for the day! If you don’t already have blackout blinds try to buy some or hang a dark coloured towel/blanket over your curtain
rail as a temporary solution.
Instead of enjoying your own Netflix show you could give in at 5am and accept the day has started. Put on CBeebies or Milkshske, supply some toys and (if she’s in a safe place)fetch yourself a drink and food to replenish your milk supply snd energy.
BTW, don’t be dragged down by self-doubt. No one is truly 100% sure they’ve got it ‘right’ and it’s natural to want to do the best for her, but it sounds like you’re doing a great job if she’s happy in the day.

@Lammveg mine also slept better last night. Yes maybe the cooler temp. Slept 1-4:30! Win. He's also been asleep on my lap since 5am which is better than in my arms. Weird when being awake since 4:30am feels like a win!!!

@Lammveg i think 5 months is a bit early but people try them at all ages - have you thought about a sleep consultant? I didn’t know they existed until a friend tried one for her two year old who had never slept for more than a 4 hour stretch (max) and with whom bedtime was a daily, hours long battle. The consultant said it was an extreme case although it sounds like lots of people on here are suffering not dissimilar situations! They resolved her sleep problems very quickly and she now sleeps through. Has transformed the whole family’s lives and happiness, they were all struggling. (And dad’s a pilot so HAS to have uninterrupted sleep or he isn’t allowed to fly - so so much was resting on mum alone, who also works FT).

I'm a bit shocked at older babies on here still waking up so much

Mine woke up ever 45 mins when he was little and took forever to resettle; I was a zombie. I was scared of night times, I cried with exhaustion.

At 4 months I sleep trained him and he's been sleeping 12 hours straight since 7 months, he's 1 y.o. now.

I cannot imagine still doing those torturous sleepless nights at his age now! Sleep train (as soon as you can) if you want to get some sleep.

Sleep time is such a beautiful time in our household now. I sometimes sleep in DS's room just to hear his cute breathing at night.
It doesn't have to be 'hell' at this age (11 months +).

Yanbu..my two were both nightmare babies who had no respect for my need for sleep. But they magically transformed into delightful toddlers/children who sleep solidly