Having one of those days...

[TrixieVix]

Anyone else just having one of those days? DS has been a total nightmare all day - he's 5 months old and still waking several times a night which is making my life a living hell - DH is working full time and I'm still on mat leave, so I do all of the night feeds

So lack of sleep, combined with a horrible screaming child ALL day has left me feeling desperate and like a terrible mother.

He won't take his bottle (Which I'm sure is why he's still waking in the night - he's never been able to take more than 6oz without bringing it all back up, so isn't getting all he needs during the day).

Today has just been the final straw - he screamed (not just cried - actually SCREAMED) all the way round Asda - que disgusted glances from fellow shoppers and even "why do people bring such noisy brats into supermarkets?") comments, I was just about coping. Brought him home and fed him - struggled to do so as he's really playing up with his bottles at mo.

Weather's nice, so decided to walk the half mile to the post office with him in his buggy - SCREAMING still. And to top it all off - saw a woman I cannot stand who had a baby at the same time as me - she walked passed with her serene child in full make up looking glam, whilst I'm there with my screaming, red faced baby, me looking especially fat, in scruffy clothes, with no make up on, sweating and with my hair plastered to my head.

Anyway, just come home and he's still screaming - I've totally lost my rag with him and literally shouted in his face with tears running down my face - to top it off, he thought I was playing at first and starting smiling, then I obviously really frightened him and he screamed even more. I've had to walk away from him because I'm scared I'll do something terrible.

I've never got this bad before and I feel lousy now - feel like a crap mum and am worried my son is going to be scared of me. Please help with reassuring stories.

ive not really got any advice(im also shattered!) but its ok to have 'one of those days'.you did right thing getting out house even if it didnt seem to help.stick your fingers up to those who glare in supermarket!could he be teething?how many children do you have?
i will think and come back ,i just didnt want you to be ignored.

You're not a crap mum, or you wouldn't have even noticed you had a problem.

Have you spoken to your health visitor about the feeding?

Have you tried changing the formula you use?

Is he still on a milk-only diet? How long has he been on formula - since the beginning?

Any change in the nappies he's producing recently?

Have you thought of going to the GP? The screaming could be about being in pain.

In the meantime, try lots of skin-to-skin contact; hold and cuddle your baby. If he's colicky, holding him upright against your shoulder is good, while you're walking about.

If you can, leave the baby with dh for a while this evening, even if it's just for a ten minute walk round the block, or a bath on your own while he takes ds out in the pram/buggy.

hugs to you TrixieVix,
i know how it feels.
taking some time out in another room is a good idea.
XXXX

It really will pass.

It's natural to have bad days. Ask any mother for her one horrible day story and she'll laugh at you and say "Only one?" because there were many of them. No one is saintly enough to survive motherhood without those days of utter dispair/embaressment and self doubt. We all have them and the good ones, like yourself, will learn from them. What we learn, is that those days will pass.

Thanks for your lovely replies.

DH came home from work and relieved me of Joe - had a bath, cleaned the house, made myself a salad and had a glass of wine.

Feel much better now - Joe and I are friends again!!

Am going to mention to Health Visitor about his eating - he's never been able to consume more than 6oz without bringing everything back up again - apparently all of DH's family have been like that - big babies, but not able to take vast amounts of liquid.

He's had more milk now and a rusk and is happily tucked up in bed now (DS not DH )and DH is rubbing my feet for me.

Think I got things out of perspective earlier, but am going to make an appointment with my GP just in case - and DH has agreed to do a night feed tonight!! Bliss

Lol at idea of dh crawling under the desk to massage your feet while you type Trixievix!

Then I thought maybe you have a laptop and are lying on the sofa.

we have all had days like that you are not alone!

i think it is ok to have a bit more help with the night feeds - i think it is harder being at home than at work (having done both twice) - noone screams at you at work, and you get lunch!

maybe have a couple of hours to yourself this weekend - sleep, read, go shopping etc

Lol Elasticgirl - yes, I'm on the laptop

I've said to DH on numerous occasions that being at work is easier than staying at home with the baby - he said to me last night at 7pm "this is the first time I've sat down tonight - I've not had any time to myself all day" and I thought - I'm still standing!! And he'd been sat down at work all day AND had an hour lunch break!! Men eh?!

Anyway, loaded DS up with solids last night, and he finally stopped chewing his fist, which I think meant I'd managed to fill him up! He went through from 8pm (with 4oz at 10.30pm) until I went through to find him awake but silent in his cot at 7am!!

Feel so much better for having had a full nights sleep and am going to be more positive today (or try to be as least )

Trust DS to go through for the first time the night DH had agreed to do a night feed lol.

Re ds going through the night first time for dh: maybe it takes more noise to wake dh up?
Sometimes when our dc were babies I used to leap out of bed at first yelp, only to find baby back to sleep by the time I reached the cot.

Then there was the time I checked all 3, and it turned out to be next door's dog howling!