Exhausted!

[forest]

I am feeling extremely tired at the moment and have no energy or motivation. I am losing concentration and becoming very forgetful. Dd is 10 months in a few days and has only slept through the night 4 times, I am still bf on demand, both of us have a cold and perhaps my periods are due.
I am trying to look after dd full time, run my own business, run dd's social life (she seems to get invited to all sorts), I am becoming involved in a HE group and I usually end up walking the dog (I also carry dd in a backpack) as dh is too tired.
I am finding it very hard to do any work as I am not focusing on what needs to be done and dd is extremely clingy. The house is a tip but I can't be bothered to clean it and there is washing mounting up but I don't care.
Everytime I try and mention to dh that I am tired he just responds with how tired he is (he works full time and is also trying to run our business) as if it is some sort of competition. All I want is a bit of TLC from him!
Basically I need a whinge about how tired I am and was hoping there might be others out there who are feeling as tired so I know I am not alone.
And if anyone has any suggestions for feeling more awake please let me know

Well, Sprout, I was exhausted quite a bit towards the end but nothing like that week before I knew I was pregnant. I did really enjoy being pregnant (apart from the sickness but trying hard to forget about that!) so I hope this time round is as enjoyable

Congratulations! I was wondering only this weekend how people who co-sleep conceive 2nd children!!!

Congratulations forest! Nice that you've got a good reason for being exhausted!

Thanks for your messages of congratulations. And yes, I am very happy and excited.

Congratulations Forest, how exciting ! Would love to know how 'night weaning' is going, as I have to tackle this soon !

Thanks Tomps. Nightweaning seems to be one step forward two steps back! I stopped the 2am feed again - I had to endure a bit of crying when I decided she didn't need it and I didn't want to give her a feed. I had her cuddled into me and stroked her head and said sshhh (as suggested in Pantleys book). It took about 20 minutes max for her to fall back into a deep sleep. I had to repeat this every night for a week and after the 2nd night there was no crying she just snuggled up into me and went straight back to sleep. Then bingo she slept through till 5am 2 nights in a row but just as I was beginning to congratulate myself 3 days later (ie last night) she woke again at 2am and wouldn't settle until i gave her a feed. So don't know if I am back to square one. I did try to cut out the 5am feed using the same method but she really wasn't happy with that so I am still giving her that feed although the past 2 days she has been waking at 6am.
I keep telling myself we will get there in the end and I don't want to do proper cc as it is just against my nature. I do think Pantleys book is good although I'm not sure about the naps - there has been no correlation between nighttime sleeping and her having better naps. In fact my dd seems to sleep best if she has 2 30 minute naps in the day and if she has a 2 hour nap (as Pantley seems to think she sould) then dd has her worst sleep. I have to admit that I haven't done any of the logs in the book but just read it a few times. I find it reassuring as she is a mother who doesn't believe in letting the babies CIO.
Good luck with the night weanings. IMO you have to feel you are both ready to do it and what works one night doesn't the next. Are you co-sleeping? I can't remember.

Forest - no not co-sleeping, but do often spend part of the night in her room on a single bed with her as she has started getting to sleep with me there. She'll still have her feed, but if she's not asleep when she's had enough, we get onto the bed and she flops about until she's asleep ! And she's only waking once in the night (previously twice or more) since about 10 days ago, so how lucky am I ! Will continue to leave it to dd and see if she stops of her own accord ... let us know how you're getting on too