Just wanting some support really..... exhausted.

[FlameBoo]

I love breastfeeding my little man so much, but the past 3 days....

He is teething, nothing seems to be helping it. The only time he seems to find relief is if he is feeding - I remember something about some sort of happy hormones/endorphins or some such thing being released when they feed, so I am assuming it is linked to that? But because of this, he is wanting to feed constantly. It is like a never ending growth spurt.

Normally you can see an end in sight - 24/48 hours of a growth spurt, and then back to a normal pattern, but I just don't see an end to this.

I have forgotten what it is like to sleep without a baby attached.

I am exhausted and drained.

I know a part of it is down to my shoddy diet the past week or so, but now he is feeding so much I am not getting the time to shop let alone cook anything decent.

DD is off the walls too for some reason - hardly any sleep, tantrums due to overtiredness.

I don't know what to do any more. Sat here in tears, Emrys is hollering in his cot because I just can't handle him for a few minutes, Bronwyn is yelling down the stairs that she wants me to play with her - Its 8pm!! She is meant to be asleep!!!

I am meant to be going out for the evening on Friday, and am worrying about leaving Emrys when he is this miserable with teeth, and how I am going to express any milk for him if he is feeding all the bloody time. I need this night out.

Now DD is crying because I have ignored her.

Much sympathy flame. How old is ds, and dd? Is ds still small enough to be put in a sling/baby carrier? Carrying him around might make him more contented and free you up a bit - and you could even feed in the sling (I've never tried, but many swear by it).

It's OK to put them down for a few minutes! I know it's awful to hear them cry, but every now and then there's an immediate danger to sanity if we don't have a quick 'break'...

Can you manage to express for a bit in the evenings and during his nap overthe next couple of days, so you have a nice 'stock' of milk for when you go out?
He won't be damaged by one night out - unless he's actually ill I would go. I had to leave ds for a couple of hours at a time several times a week to go and teach from when he was 5 months old. Sometimes he would cry when I was leaving (dh looked after him) and it broke my heart, and I would literally run home, scoop him up and feed him, but he's fine, really he is, IMO anyway he seems no less securely attached for it.

that is 'I would literally run home after my classes...'.

I never seem to think to use the sling in my house - although I spend all my time telling everyone how great it is . I think my brain is now complete mush!!!

He's 17 weeks, and DD is 3yrs.

I was never this worried about leaving DD - I feel quite mean really that I am more clingy towards him than I was with her . It could be that she was on bottles by now though, so it didn't seem so much of a wrench iyswim?

Typing all that out helped me calm enough to settle DD properly - sang her a song and calmed her hyped upness down a bit, and she snuggled down. In the time that took, DS cried himself to sleep, so things are a bit calmer now.

I'll put the pump in the steriliser now and try and get some expressed while he sleeps a while - luckily all this feeding means I have norks the size of watermelons, and milk production really isn't an issue

Phew - glad they're asleep.

Get stuck into a nice book or a good MN thread to pass the time while expressing - and a nice glass of wine afterwards?

Remember: it WILL pass!

Got season 5 ER to watch. I'm off to do some expressing and Er-ing now.

Thankyou. It helps to just offload at someone!

You poor love!
Where is your dh/p in all of this?

I spent/spend a lot of time alone with my children and at rough times like this,have got a regular babysitter to come and help out,even if I am home.

Strict bedtimes for dd a must if you areworn out.

I would get to bed early (very early!) tonight and don't on any account cancel your night out.
It will do you all good.

XXX

DH is out - he gets a whole 2 nights out every 3 weeks (the third week they all come round here so I get to play too). He doesn't go to the pub/play golf/smoke etc, he has one evening a week to play xbox with his other geeks (sorry Friends... we must call them his "computer friends" not "the geeks" ). Just so happened that the evening I choose to turn into a hysterical mess is the one when he is out .

He left the house saying "I've got my phone on me"... I'm not sure if that meant I was to phone him to ask what to do with DD after I'd finished dangling her out of the window by her foot!

I am sooo much calmer now (am on the chamomile tea). DD has school tomorrow afternoon. I will try and get an evening meal sorted in the morning, spend the afternoon with a bit more ER and the pump if DS sleeps, and then when DH comes in, I will hand him some children for an hour or so and take to bed/bath all by myself.

Really am getting off here now....

Thankyou again

xxxx

Oh God Flame. Are you me?
I could be writing this. Ds is teething, feeding, feeding,feeding. I can't seem to do anything else.
And I would rather have a full nights sleep than win the lottery I am sooo tired.
Dd is singing to herself upstairs. I know ds will be awake again in an hour
You have my upmost empathy x x x x
I'm right there with you.

Flame, sweetheart - much empathy from me.

I found the 17w growth spurt really hard this time round. Even I had fleeting thoughts of giving him steak and chips to munch on while I had some sleep

But it does pass. He had another feedathon day on Monday, where he wanted feeding loads (don't know how often, but I co-sleep and I woke up with him latched on on Tuesday morning - I think he'd been there most of the night!) - but today he was really settled, smiley and didn't feed nearly as much - and I think he slept all night last night (but I may have woken to feed him - it was for seconds if I did!).

So by Friday, he might be much more settled, especially if you feed him as much as he wants between now and then. Go to bed early tonight - try co-sleeping if you aren't averse to it maybe?

{{{{{jug hug}}}}}

Hunker - I don't have an aversion to co-sleeping. It's just I find that I become uncomfortable lying on my side all night, I would normally sleep on my front.
Ds will stay attached all night too.
Having said tha, I so tired........

Oooh - I'd been thinking it was just teething, but teething plus growth spurt makes much more sense.

I'm on co-sleeping too. We normally feed in bed until I wake up and shift him when he has fallen off, but every time I wake up he is still attached. Anyone else really impressed with the way they manage to attach themselves so young??

Got some expressed. Not settling much with ER. Drinking a couple of pints of water, then heading to bed.

lol Hunker @ the steak and chips. DD was eating everything in sight by this stage, and I keep looking at DS thinking "but he is just a baby - how could I have been feeding her???". She was a month late, and always a month further ahead of herself though iyswim.

Hugs to MrsD too

I am also a front-sleeper, which makes co-sleeping hard when he wants to feed all the time. But if I rouse myself enough when he's finished, I roll over and sleep on my front - if I don't rouse myself, I figure I can't be that uncomfy, or I'd wake up iyswim?

It's bloody hard though - I feel like I'm just about getting the hang of it - but I'm sure that this will all change again very soon. Probably tonight [resigned smile]

I'm another one with a little monster feeder and a toddler to deal with, both of mine have suddenly developed a sleep aversion, I had to deprive DD1 of her nap today so she would go to bed at 8 tonight, I'm utterly shattered and DD2 will be up at least twice to feed in the night (shes 23w now).

Don't have any practical advice just wanted to send you a virtual milky hug x

I'm another one with a little monster feeder and a toddler to deal with, both of mine have suddenly developed a sleep aversion, I had to deprive DD1 of her nap today so she would go to bed at 8 tonight, I'm utterly shattered and DD2 will be up at least twice to feed in the night (shes 23w now).

Don't have any practical advice just wanted to send you a virtual milky hug x

Much sympathy Flame
Would a dummy help if he needs something to chew on ? My ds 15wks is teething hate dummies and likes to chew his muslin while making strange droning munching noises.. seems to help!
Have occasionally used teething gels etc , the powder is handy and while who knows if it takes away the aching; they certainly spend the next 30mins licking it off their gums with a quizzical brow.

(would looovvve to co-sleep with ds like that but am scared i will squash him?)

Last night was pretty much the same, and am on matchsticks for my eyes today

MrsNoah - I am convinced that there is some built in instinct to stop you squishing your child.

Me too Flame. He came into our bed for a feed as we went to bed at 11pm and he was still there at 4am. I think it was a better night but I'm not sure.
He's in a great mood this morning.

I do worry though, how am I going to get him out of my bed?

Oh yeah, I love those strange droning noises. ds does that. I managed to make him chuckle yesterday.

You won't squash him. I think if you breast feed them you are always aware of them

HV thinks it is most likely growth spurt than settling the teething here. DS is much more settled today too, so maybe an end is sight???

With getting them out... DD suddenly decided one day that she just didn't like being in our bed anymore.

flame - big massive hugs honney (((((((hugs))))))) Joey's been the same for the last 2 weeks, only now am I seeing the light. (think room disruptions haven't helped either) recon it's prob the toothy pegs and the growth spurt as well.

some days it's horrid isn't it cos u feel like ur boobs are constantly on show.

co sleeping deffo helps Joey to sleep longer periods/feeds when he wants like u - it's good thou cos then u get sleep as well.

Flameboo.. 24 hours left til your BIG NIGHT OUT !
Am mighty jealous. Can I come too ?