October 12 - 6 Months already?? Where has the time gone?

[Thechick]

Previous thread - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1683655-October-2012-PELVIC-FLOORS

Feeling your pain slightly - have not had more than 90mins sleep in a row for almost 2 weeks now - utterly exhausted caught sight of my face in dd's mirror on her play mat today I think I've aged 10 yrs!

wound it's a relief that I'm not alone still wishing you a good night tonight. I'm starting to get paranoid and wonder of something is wrong, not teeth or cold but like ADHD or similar god he's hard work at the min! If I could just get a few hours hahaha (hysterical laugh) haha

I'm with you! Have been wracking my brain to what I've done "wrong" am I drinking to much caffeine? Am I eating to many carbs? Is she over stimulated or understimulated! I was with a friend this week who's 4mth old dd sleeps 10pm til 7am without fail this magical child fell asleep on the floor while I was there (I nearly cried with jealously) - I'm irrationally angry at dh because he fell asleep on the bus on the way home from work I'd love to fall asleep on the bus!

slightly wound same here... thought it was because we were away etc, but home now and pretty much up every hour, + catnaping 20min max during the day, and even pram not working anymore, so she must be tired! Went for a walk with a friend today, her lo slept for 2h while babyCava chatted and the then screamed herself to sleep at the end of the walk as we approached home..I cannot function at all, nearly set the house on fire today as forgot I was cooking! wtf? I get so stressed in the evening I dread going to bed. I had a major meltdown last night and we decided to move her to her room at the weekend. not sure whether this will help but worth a try me thinks.. hope the sleep fairy will visit us all tonight..

My LO is sleeping badly too. Not sure if its the solids. He has a little cough and has had that for just over a week or it might be teeth. I mean he wasn't an amazing sleeper to begin with but we did get into a pattern of two or three wakes now its at the most every two hours. DH is trying to help but I'm still up a lot at the moment. Cava let us know how moving her to her room goes. We were supposed to do this Easter weekend but the wakings just got so bad. And yes, he fell asleep whilst eating. I didn't even think he was tired. You get extra points with ww because of bf but I think I might have been making the wrong choices. Feel so much better now though. Just tired.

cava ds is in his own room now has been for about a month or did make a difference for all of us, now we're back into hell nights though but it's worth doing. We moved hom after dh and I had a spectacular fight and I realised we needed some "us time" and a place that we could both relax. It's helped our relationship no end

wound I know you rack your brain don't you! I think maybe I need to stop analysing and just accept that he's a baby and he's learning so he's bound to be grouchy, but my god it's hard work.

chick I'm glad your feeling better even if a bit tired. I hope we all turn a corner and this eternal winter ends soon a bit of sunshine and outside time in warm weather would be lovely.

Over and out.

Hi everyone

celestia great news that your ok, must be a huge relief.

We re having sleeping problems here too slightly and he a being a complete pain in the arse in the daytime too, he seems to get bored so quickly and although I m trying different things with him it's hard work, he s so grumpy! Think it must be teething.

How's weaning going for everyone? It's ok here although most food seems to end up on him or the floor!

Supposed to be warmish this weekend, I ve bought Daniel some bright yellow shorts for the beach. Hope it's warm enough to try them out. Mmh maybe I m being a little too optimistic but you never know... !

Just want to wish everyone a good night tonight! Last night was a mare for us so hoping for better tonight.
It's very reassuring that we all seem to be in the same boat - the advice re sleep always seems extremely one way or the other either "when my dc was 5wks I put him in a bucket in the garden and let him cry until he slept you have to show them whose boss" or "i go to bed at 7 with my dc and we cuddle all night and he sleeps lovely" it's nice to know other people are trundling along like we are at a loss to what more than 2 hours sleep feels like!!
We put dd in her own room at 4mths she was getting disturbed by dh snoring we have a very small house so i wasn't to worries didn't make her sleep any better
Good luck tonight everyone!

haha wound the bucket scenario so tempting right now! Just to report that babyCava had pretty quiet day with two 2h naps at home (8-10 & 2.30-4.30) which has never happened, nothing I have done differently....I managed 45min snooze this pm amaaazing! Pretty sure one off though as she is now in her cot with no sign of settling.
Wishing all a good night as well!

Hello All. Friday is my last day in Oz. We leave tonight. It is 6am here. DD2 stirred an hour ago but resettled with a dummy. I was tired last night so went to bed early and as a result I am now wide awake when everyone else is sleeping.

I can sympathise with all of you struggling with sleep but I have no solution. DD1 was a terrible sleeper as a baby. She did not consistently sleep through until she was 2. I often had to resettle her 5 times in a night and when teething + reflux were bad it could 10 times per night. One day I went into work and burst into tears talking to my manager cos I was so tired.

However there is light at the end of the (sleepless) tunnel. DD1 still employs every delaying tactic going around bedtime but she sleeps really well. Before DD2, I was often getting lie-ins until 8.30 or 9 am at weekends. Many of DD1's friends who were better sleepers as babies still come bouncing into their parent's room at 6 or earlier at the weekend.

It is hell being sleep deprived (the UN list it as a form of torture) but you may end up with a really good sleeper. DD1 is also clever, funny, has lots of friends, good fun to be with.

DD2 is a much better sleeper and I cannot say why. I don't think I have done anything differently. Does this mean she has some new hell lined up for me in years to come?

I hope the UK weather really does improve from this weekend, for my own purely selfish reasons! DD1 was crying yesterday saying she didn't want to go home and get cold. Hmmm, perhaps when singing her praises above, I should have also mentioned that she is a drama queen...

Hope you all get a better night of sleep than the last one.

Running - with dd1 do you wish you'd done anything differently or did she just start sleeping well on her own? I ask because I got myself all in a mess for months that we couldn't get dd to go to bed at a reasonable hour (7) so we tried really pushing her for a few days and the 3 of us ended up miserable! Then a month or so later she just did it on her own and we decided to stop worrying about eating/sleeping etc and just let her do things in her own time without us intervening! So with her currently waking every 90mins / 2hrs a night I just feed her & put her back down and I hope that one day she will just sleep longer (she's never been great but has managed 4/5 hours before). I don't know if I'm being foolish and setting myself up for many years of sleep deprivation or if just letting her do things in her own time is the best course of action?
Ps have a safe trip home!

Woundbobbin DD1 just gradually started sleeping better. Her reflux improved and she was so active at nursery which helped. Also, she went down to one daytime nap that was a good long one.

The only thing that used to annoy me was the dummy. I was putting the bloody thing back in DD1's mouth so many times. However I think it helped with her reflux and eventually she learnt to put it in herself. I got her to give it up when she was nearly 3 with the bribery of stickers.

DD2 also has a dummy. She was starting to suck her thumb and I wanted to discourage that because you can always throw dummies away.

Hello and happy Friday. we had a better night but still three hours sleep for me as I am too tired to fall asleep after the 2am feed (she woke up at 6 for the day so not too bad). My two pennies worth: with ds and dd1 (both bf intil 4m then topping io with formula intil 6m) I had a very strict routine from the very beginning and ds slept 9pm-6am since 4mo, dd1 from 6 weeks. Both happy babies and todlers with 12h sleep until hit teenage and then cannot get them out of bed for love nor money. With dd2 decided to do feeding on demand (partially as it was easier while recovering from elcs) and go with her timing, she used to do chunks of 3-4-3h sleep a night until a month ago and then gradually got worse. Pediatrician advised (during 3m check up) to strech feeds (4h between), stop feeding at night and start weaning at 17 weeks but I felt is too early. So I am not sure whether babyCava's sleep is a result of the no routine route or it is just the baby she is, they are all different. However, the sleep deprivation is getting to me, it affects our relationship and I feel I am not coping, I suffered from (reactive) depression in the past and sometimes when overtired can feel it creeping on me. So for the sake of my sanity I decided to start introducing a feeding routine to coinside with the weaning (as they need more time to digest anyway) and I think she is at the right age, I can see her learning very fast presently so fingers cross..
Sorry long post, rambling brain tired
running hope you had a safe and easy journey home

Hello happy weekend all.
Interesting to hear your experiences. Running we've never used a dummy not because I've anything against them I tried in the early weeks (when dd would literally cry all night ) but she just spat it out so I stopped trying although a friend more recently told me you have to push & push to get them to take it.
Cava - it's funny with routine I tried initially with dd but gave up when I realised she was much happier doing everything on demand - but I'm also really suffering with the sleep deprivation now - feel like I'm always grumpy with dh am worried it will affect our relationship -
I did read that baby's who don't sleep are often highly intelligent am sure this is rubbish but am currently getting through the nights imagining dd curing cancer or picking up the Nobel peace prize or having a million pound idea that will mean I can retire early!
Have a good weekend all

good evening all, hope you had a nice weekend, what a lovely Sunday we had- apparently the warmest day since October!
Moving babyCava to her room postponed as dp will be away for the best of next two weeks and I am not doing it on my own!
How are you getting on with weaning?
We are making progress, last few days she has been having lunch and tea and really enjoying it. Most popular seems to be pair pear and avocado with baby rice. Not too keen on mango or papaya, which is disappointing (as mummy gets to finish the leftover but no excuse to buy anynlonger..) Will try dry apricots as they are reach in iron and calcium. I am a bit worried though whether she is getting enough milk, I have not dropped feeds (and she is still feeding during the night despite best but not very successful efforts to stretch it).
woundbobbing may be they will cure cancer!
BabyCava now sound asleep since 7.30. I am planning a dreamfeed at 11ish (if she can make it that far) and see what happens.
Have a good night all

Oh the joys of jet lag! DD2 has been awake for the past 2 hours. Just got her back to sleep. She did the same on Saturday night and then woke again at 4am. I went to bed at 8pm, straight after getting DD1 to sleep. It is times like this I really miss having DH here to help. 6 more weeks until he is home.

So pleased the weather was good on Sunday. Getting outside in the sun should help the jet lag.

Hello everyone, welcome home running.

Just a quick one, ds still not fab sleeping. He tricked us going from 7pm till 3am without a peep on friday night fab fab fab, but sat and last night back to every couple of hrs, makes it all the more frustrating as I know he can do it! Argh pass the vino!

cava weaning going ok, still feel bit daunted by portion size and is he getting the right nutrients?? The sure start said to give him some vitamin drops which I have.

Quick question for formula feeders, have you/are you switching to follow on milk? Do you wean from one to another?

Very quiet again on here....must try to post more often :)

Hello everyone.
Glad your home ok running sorry re the jet lag.
We are still in a sleepless hell! Took dd to my parents last night so dh could get a full nights sleep - I slept in a double bed at mum & dads with dd it was amazing she went from 10pm to 7am only waking at 3.30 for a half hour feed. Back home tonight and feeling as she has been screaming for ages and we can't get her to go down and I no I'm in for a long night and I'm dreading it!
Weaning is a bit hit and miss sometimes she eat everything in front of her other times it all goes on the floor. Yoghurt is definately her favourite she would eat her own weight in yoghurt. She has got shocking diarrhoea though and her skin is so sore (not helping with the sleeping) poor little thing don't no if its the food or teeth causing it just hope it sorts out soon.
Sorry for the super moany post

Just to counter my very moany post I have now got dd to sleep by repetitively humming old macdonald to her. Song is now stuck in my head for all eternity! Am humming away like a modern day child catcher!

Wound when DD1 was about 6 months I started giving her cheese and yogurt and she developed eczema in the creases of her arms and legs and around her neck. At 7 months we started giving her cereal with ordinary cows milk and she had horrendous diarrhoea. She was dairy intolerant. It took about 5 days of no dairy for the diarrhoea to stop.

Weaning was going really well with DD2. In Oz she was eating plenty but clearly prefers sweet things. Now we are home, eating has also been affected by jet lag, I think. Most meals she only has 3 or 4 spoons of purée. So she has gone back to wanting milk in the middle of the night.

I will be going back to work from May so DD2 will be going to nursery. She will have some settling in sessions over the next 2 weeks. I have no idea how they are going to go. DD2 is usually happy to be held by others and was even ok with my 9 year old niece giving her a bottle. However I am the only one who has put her down to sleep recently and obviously I provide all comforting when there are tears. She will be going to the same nursery that DD1 went to and I thought they were great with her but it is still going to hard to hand DD2 over to them.

marking place

helloo lovelies, hope you are enjoying the warm weather.
running welcome home, hope jetlag gets better, I pretty much feel jetlagged all the time due to sleep deprivation.. it is lovely you have a nice nursery lined up, I am sure your dd will be fine, babies learn so fast!
wound hope sleep gets better, it is quite normal she sleeps well when bed sharing, it is the same here but I am trying to discourage it.. I would chech with GP re: skin and tummy upsed as it does sound like dairy intolerance- could be right pita as only way to know as rinning said is exclude completely from diet and it is a big food group. I think most grow out of it, and often goat milk and sheep milk are ok.
slightly we are bf but I read you can just move to follow on milk, although some mums dispute the necessity/ think it marketing etc (is it more expensive?). I use Hip organic first milk to mix her baby rice because I bought a box ages ago and might as well use it (too much faff to express..)
rant allert
read on one of the weaning websites that bf babies still wake up for night feeds after 6 months but is wrong to wean them so they can sleep at night as depriving them of milk etc. On the other hand official advice to bf until 6 months. them what?? so wtf is one supposed to do?? it is ok for mums to suffer from sleep deprivation? dp told me to stop reading as it only causes more stress, he might be right..I stopped bf ds&dd1 when they were 5months old and they had formula. Did not do them any harm.
sorry had to get it off my chest.
Getting harder to put babyCava to bed as still daylight at 7.30.. am contemplating getting a blackout blind, do you have one? what is best place to get it?

Hi everyone
Cava I expect your dh is right to say stop reading - as was pointed out down the thread sleep deprivation is a form of torture - i would do whatever works (I bought a Winnie the Pooh light projector off amazon today on the basis that 5 reviews said their babies slept with it - I'm desperate) I was thinking of seeing if I could get dd to take formula at 10pm to try and get more sleep - might put some whiskey in it to!
Running I do not envy you going back to work I'm not going till September and am already dreading it - I'm sure your dd will be more than fine (as will mine when I go back) .
Thanks for advice re ?food intolerance I rang the HV today she said I'm giving the wrong food and to cut out all wheat & dairy and just give fruit & veg. She made me feel a bit crap really - I wanted to say this is my 1st baby how the hell am I supposed to no how to wean everything I've given her is under the heading good 1st food in my books - who are you supposed to believe!!! Anyway I will do as she says but dd will be in a mood because she loves toast fingers & yoghurt.

wound try this one it has a good printable food diary (I am sad and should get a life) and diagram with suitable foods

www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/index.html
DP spent a fortune on Amazon on a mobile with light show and three types of sound, not sure it helps her sleep but keeps her entertained for 20min it also has a remote which is quite cool. I am hoping she will soon learn to operate it herself..
My friend also suggested I try formula but we have not done it yet, are you going to try s dream feed? BabyCava has never taken more than 80ml so not holding my breath but it is worth a try, + dp can do it while I snooze..
I am going back to work in Octob, no child care sorted yet am in denial

Thanks cava will have a good look at that!
I'm sure the light projector won't make the slightest difference but can't help imagining if it works how it will be the best £20 ever spent - sleep deprived people are def an easy target as soon as dd sleeps through I am going to set my mind to developing the perfect sleep inducer I will probably be in a nursing home by then so the millions I make will help fund my care - thinking of a glade type plug in infused with temazepam