November 2012 - Any tips for surviving the 18-month sleep regression?

[StuntNun]

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/2035882-November-2012-Are-the-LOs-old-enough-for-Mothers-Day-yet

Lots of poorly babies in the quiche.

J woke up screaming at 5:30 a.m. That's the fifth day in a row. He's desperate for a bottle but I don't know whether it's hunger or an association with milk for pain relief. I've made another GP appointment but they can't see him until next Friday.

Stunt that is not good enough. Phone again and ask for an emergency appointment as he is 17 months old, and mention going to A&E. Is there a baby clinic you can take him to? At ours we can see the Dr at baby clinic, and it is on twice a week.

Although saying that, he doesn't sound proper ill to me - he probably is hungry as he is a growing boy. Just give him breakfast when he wakes with a cup of milk alternative.

Aaaaaagghh. Why won't my body let me sleep? I need sleep ffs.

Is he on any reflux meds? Are you still breast feeding?

Oh PR, not another shit night surely?

J had a good night, albeit half in my bed. Woken to him beep beep beeping on my nose He want down like a dream - had his story in bed, laid down and rolled over, and that was it it seems total exclusion of all dairy and soya, including that sodding formula, plus max dose Omeprazole plus big boy bed is a winning combo. Hope it lasts.

hi guys, all round?

Stunt poor J.

VQ hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-5 for J's better night and all around being better. You so deserve that.

I was an avid reader pre-DC. DH has always worked on a Saturday. Pre-DC I would blitz the house and then settle down with a book and would often plough through it in one sitting!

Working mum shit to deal with today. I am, as per usual, fucking manic at work. I have 2 full days out of the office this week plus the bank hol and I am going to seriously pay for those days out so have got to work like a machine when I am in with a planned v late night. But DH is ill. Bedridden, sore throat ill. I'm leaving him at home with the DC despite this. I got up at 5 and pre-prepared breakfasts, lunches and dinner tonight to try and help. PIL can't look after DC for a whole day on their own to give DH a proper rest (and are 40mins away ) and DPs are several hours away. My DM will come though if we need her to but that is a bit if an expedition for her to organise so it won't be today , so DH is just going to have to cope. But I'm too busy with shit no one else can do and which I have to do by a deadline to not go to work on this occasion because someone is ill. DC will be fine but I feel a bit shit that I can't relieve DH because when the situation has been reversed he has dropped everything for me. But that's our situation, it's sometimes shit but it is what it is.

Morning.

pr I am sorry youare still having sleeping probs and, I am going to be your mummy here so feel free to ignore (I usually ignored my mummy) have you tried a night where you don't go on your phone etc for maybe the whole evening, no drink of alcohol, enjoy watching something on TV not doing something else iyswim. Have some clean sheets ready on The bed and a real paper book to read when you get there. And snuggle down.

Still having a brilliant time witn the girls. I get to take them to the dentist today, which I love! Then maybe the park.

Zamboni big big big hugs. That is utterly shit and I know to some extent what it feels like. It is so hard being a working mum sometimes.

Big hugs zamboni sometimes, quite a lot of the time, you have to work as team. Is a hard few days for both of you and in different ways you both put yourself out. When you pop out the other side you can relax with a and say a collective "phew" . Till the next time.

Oo two girls are coming in for a snuggle.

Ugh. Dh just left for work. Been up for an hour with J. Feeling awful, my throat and left ear are so sore. E at nursery at 9am but nursery making me keep J off one of the easter weeks so he's off this week. Thankfully mum has said I can go there straight from dd drop off. She even said I can go to bed.

for zamboni and fluency and anyone else who fancies smuggling in with a

r slept till 5:30 i changed his nappy which was dry and refilled his water cup. woke at 7 to a happy chatty baby in a sodden nappy and i was allowed to sleep a straight 7 hours yay!!

wanda thank you. I need a mum right now. Since the insomnia started about a year ago I have been reading so much about it. I have almost cut caffeine out of my diet, apart from the occasional early morning red bull if I'm tooo tired. I hardly drink, and never anything other than wine (no sugary spirits). I eat two hours before I go to bed. This is why I often go to bed late, as DH and I often eat late. I am active during the day, except when I am so tired I can't move off the sofa. I get plenty of fresh air. I'm doing everything right. And once I go to bed no more screens. Occasionally when I have been awake for ages I'll try and read to relax but I dislike reading screens in the dark. And can't switch on a light to read a book as DD1 instantly wakes.

As much as I hate to say it my main problem is cosleeping with DD1. I'm a light sleeper, and she wakes me up by kicking or turning in her sleep or stealing the duvet. And I wake up, annoyed.

I'm not having trouble getting to sleep. Once I go to bed I fall asleep fairly easily. The problem is getting back to sleep if woken up. The annoyance at being woken keps me up, then I start thinking of other things (and this week I have a lot on) and then I start stressing because I can't sleep and it gets worse. I have some great visualisation exercises which can be very effective but this week I have been getting so anxious I haven't been able to deep breathe enough to get them to work.

It's a fucking nightmare. I NEED DD1 to sleep in her bed but she just won't. I know that this would be the solution. Either that or leave her sleeping with daddy and go and sleep in the spare room, but I really don't want to allow myself to be forced out of my bed like that.

It's also the three year anniversary of my trip to ICU and all that scariness and 5-25 April will never be easy. I kind of go back over it in my head again and again, all the what ifs. I should probably be over it by now and I generally am, but it's on my mind a lot this few weeks.

VQ yey! Sounds as though he's another one as sensitive as my J to fecking traces. They will grow out of it thank goodness!

Stunt with it being the early hours I wonder if he has a sore throat from refluxing in his cot all night - he might need meds?

J has a refluxy cough at the mo' - I don't know if its tooth related, his meds dose needs upping or he robbed some food he shouldn't have at nursery . Still even a bad night is just two wakings now so its much better than he was.

Pidj sounds like he's turned a corner!

PR I too was going to suggest maybe a gadget fast for a few evenings - exposure to the LCD light of tablets / phones is v bad for sleep hygiene. But it sounds more like a bigger bed?

PR I think it's natural to be reflective on anniversaries. And as for the sleeping issoooes, tough one. You need sleep for you. I am all for calmer ping if it works, but if it doesn't it is better for everyone to change it even if there is some shirt term pain, IMVHO. If it were me I'd be tempted to have the big show down with DD1 and take a week or so of pain, or surrender to the paramount need for sleep and go into the spare room. But I like sleep and prefer to sleep alone. Your trip is v soon, non? Can you just come home from the trip to a new rule? DD1 sleeps here now. Matter if fact. She's old enough to understand. Reward for doing so? Stairgate on her room? Go to bed with her in her bed then leave her once asleep? I take it she isn't transferable once asleep?

Thanks VQ. It is tough sometimes. I'll take that and a bacon sarnie thanks PP . And yes wanda, we are a team and DH has not reproached me or anything - he knows what his role in the team is and never complains, to his credit. He'll be fine and my work will get done. It's good to vent though.

Flouncy hope you feel better soon, you have been unwell for a while.

Yes a bigger bed would do it but our room is too small. That was the doctor's suggestion too :o

I rarely use the gadgets in the dark. I stay up late and use them in the living room but in the dark it hurts my eyes.

I have sleeping pills - one which is very light and I prefer it - but it doesn't help if I wake up and get anxious. The other is much stronger and nothing will wake me for a 6-7 hour stretch. I only ever take them at weekends as it means DH has to do any night LO wakings. And even then I rarely take them because in case thread hasn't noticed I'm super careful with all medication and the superpower sleepers are my last resort.

Yes zamboni coming home from holiday is a good time to do it. We've got guests in May which will then disrupt things quite a bit.

Really bad night here. E had bad tummy pain and reflux. had to hold her upright for an hour or so, not had to do that for a long long time. And she vommed in bed too which she hasn't done for ages. I'm not sure what's going on but it must be the milk. She's having aptimil toddler milk but must have too high a trace of ciw milk in it. It's the only thing I can think of. Going to call the dietician and see what she suggests. I hope they give me a prescription for another milk.

pr that's a bit like me. I more often than not go to sleep fine but if woken up to takes me ages to get back to sleep and I just lie there getting angrier and angrier. it does sound like getting DD1 into a big bed is the answer. I don't have any words of wisdom on how to do that I'm afraid but it does sound like tackling when back from holiday will be a start.

I have a doctor's appointment for J in an hour so I have prepared a brief summary of what's been happening. If anyone has any input then it would be gratefully received as my record with the GPs hasn't been great.

^Egg allergy apparent at 7 months and he has been off egg since then.

Appears he also has a problem with dairy as on starting cow milk at bedtime in January his sleep went from bad to worse. Switched to formula which seemed to help for a week but then his sleep got bad again.

Saw GP. Advised to stop breastfeeding and all dairy. Given Pepti. Also stopped all dairy, lactose and soy.

Seemed to improve on Pepti but after a few days he started having pain at night again. Also his diarrhoea has if anything got worse. We stopped the Pepti and his sleep improved but he is now getting hungry at nighttime because he is t a great eater and he isn't getting milk any more.^

YW I always thought J's reflux was secondary to his egg, and now apparently dairy, intolerance as he was diagnosed relatively late (6 months). The gaviscon clearly helped as it stopped his vomming but we were never convinced the ranitidine was doing anything. Last time he saw the GP she did say his throat was a bit red so I can get them to check that again. He doesn't seem to be in pain first thing in the morning but he screams until he gets a bottle chucked down his neck. But I'm sure to him milk equals pain relief from having had reflux so it's difficult to pinpoint whether it's hunger or pain. It has been 5:30 almost like clockwork for five days and there's no obvious side for him to be awake such as light or the heating coming on.

Morning all! Nearly missed two threads you lot can talk and I am rubbish at keeping up

Got a day off today as childminder is on hols, work is super busy so nice to have a rest, although I don't know what I'll be going back to tomorrow.

M is a little chatter box, never stops chattering. I wrote a quick, off the top of my head, list of how many words/phrases/names she knows and uses. Got approx 75!! she's never going to shut up is she?

Her sleep pattern is still shot to shit, not really sure what to do with it. Some nights she sleeps through, but she doesn't go to be until 9pm and then wakes at 6:30am so I get no time in the evening.

Breast feeders and ex-BFers, can I ask how/when you weaned off boob? I think I'm swaying towards wanting to finish but not sure.

Will try catch up on last couple of pages after we've been for a walk to see the horseys (and hopefully M will fall asleep)

Fatima we were down to two feeds a day. When I decided to stop I went 24 hours between feeds then waited 36 hours for the next feed, that was the last one. No problems with leaking or engorgement or anything. Afaik YW was the same, just stopped and no issues.