March 2005 part 3 - Support for the sleep obsessed!

[bonym]

Which of course, we all are

it is an extreme version of typical....he wakes loads between 7 and 10pm then at least 3 times in the night
that is normal
i cant do wokr

Popsycal - that is really bad. I have been wondering how you cope normally, but with trying to work as well its madness.
What does he do when he wakes up? do you have to feed him or can you settle him again.. does he ever settle himself?

u try to just feed him once in the night if possible...he rarely settles himself...he is a whole different babty to ds1 who sleot thriugh at 4 aned a half months (and was bottke fed)

i have ind of just accepted it but saying it/ typing it out loud has made mme realise how NOT normal it is

my sister's baby was the same (so she says), I don't think its abnormal. Just totally exhausting and destroying. Have you tried just to leave him and see if he settles himself or does he start screaming? Have you tried sleeping him on his front? does he have something (dummy, teddybear, cloth) to help him settle again.

Don't know how it would work as Niklas is hopeless at settling himself unless one of us strokes his back or something. But once he is calm he usually cuddles a teddybear (chews its foot) and goes back to sleep.

Does your DH help you settle him so you can sleep more or is it all down to you?

What about you? Already thinking of having another one ! Hee hee!

Lauren has her two bottom front teeth. They broke through about 2 weeks back. Don't think it's teeth. Convinced it's bowel related, just not sure what the problem is. She does do poos, but I think they are very sore to pass. Maybe some prune juice will liquify them a bit!! Bought a cute little radio/cd player for her room. Didn't cost very much and it's nice to play cd's for her. She's just gone to sleep to Gregorian Chant, which I love - it's very mellow and soothing.
Do your baby monitors pick up lots of interference? I've got a Tomy Sound Around, which I'm not very impressed with. It suddenly gives a screech of static and has you thinking the sprog's awake, but no, she's not. Can't put it anywhere near electronic equipment as that really sets it off. I've never really trusted the thing, so am still going through to listen at Lauren's door even when the damm monitor's on. Stupid thing!

oh forgot to add..ds2 has a tooth now...

Jambot - My baby moinitor does exactly the same, it is always picking up loads of static. Also, if just the receiver part is on and not the part that is in Freya's room then we can pick up what is happening in the house next door! They must have the same monitor (and they have twin girls roughly the same age as Freya). Took me a while to work it out. I would hear a baby crying, go running upstairs so DS1 didn't wake up only to find Freya sleeping soundly . Finally, I worked it out after I heard their dog barking as well and voices!

Freya is definetely struggling with her teeth, seems to want feeding and then screams when the spoon goes anywhere near her mouth. She doesn't seem to have a great appetite at the best of times, and I have recently thrown away so much lovely baby puree I could cry! All that hard work.

Her sleep doesn't seem to be affected too much though, she is often a 7 til 7 girl, tho she threw in an early one this morning (6.15am) so that she could get daddy's attention before he went off to work!

Is anyone trying finger foods yet? Freya will suck on a rice cake or a piece of bread, but sometimes she takes too much and she sort of chokes and coughs a great load of food up. Prhaps it will be better when she gets some more teeth (we are now up to 2!)

bonym DS was born on the 21st Feb i'm a March lurker

Caleb still waking up to be fed 2-3 times in the night and has starting waking up at 5.30am, not feeling too bad as I usually manage to nap in the afternoon with him for a couple of hours. Still no teeth here but i'm giving him finger foods, he loves chunks of pear and farleys biscotti. Don't blend any of his food anymore he just has mashed and lumpy food. Calebs very clingy and screams if I leave the room, he's also started crying if strangers talk or fuss him which can be quite embaressing!

Sorry to hear about your previous son Cristina and hope popsycal gets some well earned rest.

Shall we have an update?

Harry is 7 months tomorrow......
My ds1 is just turned 3
ds2 is fully breastfed
Solids since 24-25 weeks
I went back to work properly at start of september
And he sleeps through the night

hahahahahahahahaha
no he doesnt sleep through
no where near
never

remind me of all your details

Hey MP, nice to see you back here again. Hope all is going well with Esther.

Popsy I'm so sorry Harry is giving you such a hard time. Harrison isn't quite that bad (but has been pretty close a few nights just recently) and I can only cope like Shalaa by going to bed for a couple of hours in the afternoon when he has his nap. How you manage with work I don't know.

Today, I went into work to see my boss about returning in February. Wanted to look my best and have a fresh(ish) brain to negotiate part time hours and working from home. So of course, Harrison woke up at 2.45, couldn't settle him so decided to feed him at 3.30. Hotted a bottle for him and when I came back into the room, he had shut his eyes to go back to sleep Woke him up (it seemed like the right thing to do at the time !!!) as I thought at least if I fed him, he'd sleep through until a reasonable hour and not the ungodly 5/5.30 he's been doing. Nooooooooo ... wide awake at 5.00 and even feeding him again didn't get him back to sleep until 6.15

When we eventually got up at 7.30, I'd burst a blood vessel in my eye during the night (arrrggghhh, my body's starting to crack under the strain of no sleep) so I went to meet my boss looking like I'd been on a week's boozing bender (I wish) Professional business woman look not achieved

LG glad your first day back went so well

Popsy,

Harrison is 6.5 months (birthday 18th March)
Bottlefed since six weeks, solids since 20 weeks
Sleeps fabulously during the day (45 mins am/2 hours lunchtime) and settles well for bed at 6.30/7.00pm
Was waking 2-3 times between then and 10.00 but hasn't done that for 3 nights
Waking 1-2 times a night and stays awake for hours
Returning to work February
DD aged 7 going on 17

Meant to add - can't sit up, can't crawl and cries whenever I leave the room

Lauren is 7 months on October 9th.
Bottlefed since about day 5. She's on anti-reflux formula.
Gone through without a night feed since 12 weeks.
Slept through 6:30 to 6:30/6:45 since about 14 weeks. Wakes occassionally - once or twice a week, but normally easy to settle.
On solids from 4 months.
She can't sit yet and is not a keen tummy baby. Loves to stand though.
She has her two bottom teeth.
She's called the "Poo Queen of the South", for obvious reasons.
Sorry to all those no-sleep mums regarding the above sleeping situation. Feel very guilty (ok, maybe a bit, but secretly thanking my lucky stars whilst sending sleep vibes in a big way)

serena, born 21st feb as was induced early due to gestional diabetes. weighed 7lb 14oz (i think lol) at birth, is now approx 15lb.
Breastfed, with occasioanly bottle of ormula, but mainly use EBM id i have to leave her for a period of time. on solids since around 22weeks old. sleeps through most nights now, cut 1st 2 teeth at 3months old.

Oh yes, we have two teeth as well

Jambot/Misdee

Not having such a good day today! Dh doesn't seem to understand that I have to leave home around 7 in the morning to be able to get home in time to pick up Niklas from the nursery.... looking after Niklas while he showers, shaves, cuts his toe nails, picks his nose, scratches his bum...... is NOT an going to work! He thinks its not possible to have a shower and look after Niklas at the same time. What does he think, that I haven't taken a shower for the past 7 1/2 months when he's not around!!!!!! !

Popsycal - I am in total admiration of you. I think I would have totally cracked up if I was you. I guess Harry is still having 100% breastmilk. No sleep and bfeeding is really tough on your body. Hope the bp improves and you feel better.

Its day 3 at work and I am really missing Niklas. I need to have some quality time with him. He's too tired in the evening and because of moving I hadn't given him much attention in the couple of weeks before. Looking forward to tomorrow !

Niklas born 23rd Feb (about 3 weeks early).
Mixed feeding since about 4 1/2 months.
On solids since 5 1/2 - 6 months.
Has mush and finger foods - he loves to chew on bits of apple, rice cakes etc.
2 bottom teeth arrived at 6 months and he's suffering at the moment waiting for the top ones.
He sits himself up, crawls and pulls himself into standing from anything he can get his hands onto.
He doesn't say anthing like mama, dada, gaga yet.
Sleeping is not too bad, but he is definitely not a 7 -7 sleeper.

Buzywizzy - I guess your boss didn't offer you the nice pay off that you were hoping for .

I want to go home !

Hi Leogaela,

I just wanted to say hang on in there - it gets easier. I have been back at work for one month now. Ther first coupld of weeks were hideous as I missed him dreadfully, I now find it easy to switch off form DS (8 months) but feel a little lost at work.

Leogaela - Oh dear - 3 posts in 11 minutes. Get some work done girl! It must be really hard being without your boy. Think it's going to take a lot of getting used to. Can sympathise with you regarding your DH. Mine is the biggest faffer on the planet. I am always ready to leave way before him. He can never understand what the big rush is! Drives me crazy. He's the worst when we are supposed to be going away for a holiday. I am packed and ready to go at the agreed on time, but we always leave about 2 hours later as DH must suddenly do 20 jobs he's suddenly remembered need urgent attention.!! We normally drive off not talking to each other as I've got so mad with him.
Gosh Niklas is so physical. Lauren is getting there, but she is such a laid back child (must get it from her father) that she isn't that bothered.
Feeding time is driving me mad at the moment as she's insisting on bringing the spoon to her mouth herself and makes a scene if I wrestle it from her. Of course the food is just flying everywhere. It's amazing how strong a baby's grip is, especially when they want something they're not supposed to be having! Can't wait till the weather's warmer and I can just strip her down to her nappy to feed her. Feel like I should just throw her in the pool afterwards for a clean. She'll float to the surface, won't she?

thanks Jambot and Dophus. I think it will get better once I have got my project going and have plenty to do. I feel very, very empty and lonely sitting here at the moment. Going to take a long lunch go swimming and see if I can get a little present to take home to Niklas !

Jambot - soounds as if our DHs are in competition for being faffers! DH never understands the urgency for anything or the need to get things done quickly.

Jambot - I don't remember if you are doing it, but giving Lauren bits of finger food could help with the spoon fight. Mess everywhere when our babies are eating is something we will have to get used to for the next few years though !

leogaela - dont fee; admiration lol,,,,it is stupidity on my part
yes he is still 100% in breast milk....i express at lunch time t work and when feed him at home too

he has only just got the hang on rolling, is still wobbly when sitting....but loves to stabd supported

LG - Hang on in there, I promise, promise, promise it does get easier - everything - getting ready in the morning, being away from your little one, feeling part of a working community again. Just give it time. Oh yes, and never rely on your DH to help. The sooner you learn that lesson the easier things get as well Mine is exactly the same and we've got 7 years of experience.

Took me a good few months with DD to really feel like I'd got it all together and from there on in it was plain sailing. You will always have times when it's gut wrenching to leave Niklaus (if he's a bit unwell, clingy, crying etc) but on the whole, it eventually all just becomes your normal way of life.

Did talk about redundancy with my boss ........ he sort of fished to see if I was interested so that was good. Doesn't really think it's what he wants to happen but he's going to have a think. So there is a very, very dim light at the end of the tunnel

Had a fab night with Harrison last night. Bed at 7, slept till 5.30, had a feed and went back to sleep until 7.45. I feel bionic today

Happy Thursday everyone

The hardest thing I find is trying to do the same job I did before, in fewer hours, with fewer brain cells, changed priorities, and in a permanent state of sleep deprivation.

the good things are that once you are settled back in it is great to switch off, the days go very fast (at wrok), you appreciate your time with your child even more (I am so exciting on the way to pick him up it's wonderful). IT is also great to meet with work colleagues and talk about something other than babies and have an identity as something other than a mother.

ps feel like a new person this week. DS has finally slept through the night for two nights running - first since returning to work. Long may it continue.