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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be anoyed that other people think my baby should be sleeping through the night?

90 replies

Olive11 · 30/09/2009 14:00

ds is 17 weeks old and more and more frequently I am being asked whether he is sleeping through yet. The other day a very good friend of mine made the comment 'oh surely he is sleeping through by now!' When I say no I am then asked whether he is on solids yet - like this is the reason for him not sleeping through.

He is a very contented little boy who wakes once during the night for a feed because he is hungry! He then goes straight back to sleep. Is this not normal for a 17 week old? If it doesn't bother me then why should anyone else care?

Sorry for the rant but getting fed up with feeling like he is a bad baby and that everyone elses sleeps through from 12 weeks.

OP posts:
BustleInYourHedgerow · 30/09/2009 14:12

Tell them that he does. End of!
My lovely mother is always enquiring if 10 week old ds is sleeping through yet (he only woke once last night!Woo!....but think this was cos he cried all afternoon after getting evil 6-in-1)

One day cracked and said oh yes he does, it's wonderful!
No more annoying questions!

lolapoppins · 30/09/2009 14:12

YANBU

Just smile, say yes, and agree. Other people used to drive me potty when ds was a baby, everybody seems to have an opinion and no one seems to be happy unless they can say you are in the wrong.

I cannot honestly tell you when my ds started sleeping through - it was years ago and is not important, and I didn't really give a monkeys at the time anyway. I remember that other people did though, so I know where you are comming from!

Tell them he's too busy to sleep as he's just started on the Harry Potter books

tiredlady · 30/09/2009 14:13

He sounds like a perfectly normal 17 week old baby. He wakes for one feed then goes back to bed. Perfect! Mine were up waaaay more than that.
Don't worry about all the other mums. There is am awful lot of competition surrounding absolutely bloody everything.
Your child sounds fine. Enjoy him and ignore them

LisaD1 · 30/09/2009 14:14

Nope, yanbu!

Most people don't mean anything nasty by it though, it's just something to say!

All babies are different and will sleep through when the want to! My youngest slept through from 3 weeks (11-7 for couple of weeks and then 7-7) BUT I'm sure that was my reward for DD1, who didn't sleep through until she was over a year old and even then it was hit and miss! I raise them both the same with very different results!

Your DS will sleep when he's ready.

Original poster
Olive11 · 30/09/2009 14:15

Thanks, lol at Harry Potter books, I might try that one.

OP posts:
PrettyCandles · 30/09/2009 14:15

Yeah, it's a bit like "Is he a good baby?" and "Do you love your baby sister?"

(Where's a wet fish when you need one? Slap slap.)

Nothing you can do, but smile sweetly and say that he'll get there when he's ready, you think he's doing absolutely fine.

Which is the truth.

I have one who slept through at 9w, one at 6m, and one at 18m.

hullygully · 30/09/2009 14:15

Tell them all to fuck off.

flowerybeanbag · 30/09/2009 14:16

Sounds very normal to me. As it happens DS did sleep through from 12 weeks but I was very clear at the time that that was unusual and early. I don't have any friends/relatives with babies who slept through that early and I certainly have no expectations of the same with DS2 when he arrives!

Knickers0nmahead · 30/09/2009 14:16

That is great that he wakes once for a feed then goes back to sleep!

People are shocked when I say my 11mo isnt sleeping through yet.

Ineedmorechocolatenow · 30/09/2009 14:16

My 17 week old DD is the same. She woke twice last night for a 10 minute BF and then back off to sleep.

MIL (who is more than a little bit lovely, but doesn't 'get' BF - her words) insists she is ready to be weaned.

All very normal IME x

CatIsSleepy · 30/09/2009 14:16

ha! i daren't mention the fact that dd2 (28 weeks) is still waking at night to my mum-for weeks now she has been pronouncing that dd2 is old enough to sleep through...
well maybe she is but she sure doesn't want to and there's not a whole lot I can do about it...

if you're not bothered it's not a problem!

minimoonumbertwo · 30/09/2009 14:18

Oh SOOOOOOO annoying! Is the question guaranteed to make you feel like a failure! I totally agree - just lie

Original poster
Olive11 · 30/09/2009 14:19

ds1 and dd did both sleep through from about 12 weeks which was great but it used to take me ages to get them to sleep in the 1st place. ds2 goes to sleep really easily and I really don't mind the night feed.

They are all different but it's right what a lot of you have said about the competition, I will just ignore them and try not to get wound up about it from now on

OP posts:
123andaway · 30/09/2009 14:19

People are probably just making conversation. It's the sort of thing I would say to someone I didn't know very well with a young baby TBH. Just tell them he sleeps really well - which he does!

PrincessToadstool · 30/09/2009 14:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

southernbelle77 · 30/09/2009 14:20

YANBU!

Tell them he is and it will shut them up.

My 5 year old still wakes in the night (3 times last night but hoping that she was just cold!) so just hope yours does better than mine

Original poster
Olive11 · 30/09/2009 14:21

and yes I might just lie

OP posts:
katiestar · 30/09/2009 14:29

None of mine have slept through til at least 3 or 4. It's only something to say.

carocaro · 30/09/2009 14:32

It's because it's such a BIG SUBJECT, sleep and the lack of it.

I hated it too, but 17 weeks is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO early and only a teeny weeny % of babies sleep through at this age.

It used to really pee me off, I felt like I was some sort of failure because both my DS's did not sleep through until much much much later.

My sis in law has twins, one slept through from 8 weeks the other slept through at 2.5 years old - same parents same thing, just different children!

StealthPolarBear · 30/09/2009 14:33

Olive, have you tried giving him some baby rice in a bottle maybe?

StealthPolarBear · 30/09/2009 14:34

Anyone suggestible reading this, please ignore that!
My 2y4m old just started sleeping through a couple of months ago - a cough, ear infection and baby sister later and we're back to bad nights with him

Original poster
Olive11 · 30/09/2009 14:35

oh yes thats what I'm doing wrong! off to by some baby rice now

OP posts:
mawbroon · 30/09/2009 14:35

Yes, it is very annoying. YANBU

And mine still doesn't sleep through, and he is nearly 4yo!

BustleInYourHedgerow · 30/09/2009 14:36

Or dip his dummy in whiskey?works a dream!

Original poster
Olive11 · 30/09/2009 14:37

lol at whiskey I should have posted here much sooner, so many great suggestions!

OP posts: