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

Fatima we made sure J understood the concept of "all gone" before we weaned which given M's language am sure she does. I then went to my sisters for 2 days / 2 nights and DH looked after him, keeping him v busy with lots of fun stuff and his cousins / friends so he wasn't mumping for me. He had a sippy cup with koko milk available at all times (on the first few days it was the strawberry or chocolate flavoured stuff to make sure he took to it), and got a new bedtime routine of stories and cuddles after his bath. As soon as I was gone he rejected any type of bedtime milk - he just doesn't want it so its not in his routine. He just has a sippy of water in his room in case he wakes thirsty (only happens 1-2 times a week). DH then sings him to sleep (5 mins). The trick initially was to make sure he was utterly shattered on the first couple of nights.

I returned after 2 days and every time he asked for boob he was told "boob all gone" - he didn't cry and stopped asking after a day. It took a week before he let me do bedtime and at night DH can still settle him better than me (no bad thing!).

Yes no boob issues for me at all. No engorgement or pain - I guess physiologically this is a natural time to wean.

alright shouts for joy 6.30 til 8.30

But has woken toasty hot with a temperature and snotty nose. Calpol administered and off to nursery, with a jolly little wave at me.

PR there is lots of evidence that ITU stays cause mental health problems, eg. anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, depression. Over here, certainly in my hospital, anyone who has been on ITU gets follow up from specialist nurses, with mental health input as needed. Soo, yes, entirely natural to be dwelling on things around the anniversary of it.

Stunt, good luck with the gp. If it were F with Js sleep pattern, I would think reflux - the early mornings are a sure sign of things brewing with her. And as you say, milk is a comfort, soothing the sore throat.

Zamboni

Fatima am at 75 words! We have, er, none!

Right, must get packing. When dh gets back from dropping the dog at the kennels, we're having a cooked breakfast and some strong

Really pig that's good to hear. People don't get how horrible it is in there and say I should be over it. I might find a new shrink and have some therapy based specifically on that. My GP is v unsympathetic when I bring it up.

Thanks for all the well wishes. I'm still feeling rather rubbish but am at mums now. She's taken J a walk in the pram I bought for our holiday and them to keep here. I'm going up to her bed for a lie down

stunt that summary sounds OK. Has all dairy even trace been stopped? Have you stopped bf?

fatima I think yw and stunts stopping BF experiences will be more relevant than mine as I stopped at 9 months. I suppose a lot depends on how often she feeds. As for words, J says mum. That's it! He understands lots. Like a few minutes ago I asked him to bring me his jacket. He looked around for it, walked over, grabbed it and brought it to me. He's clever.... Just lazy I think!

Fatima DD2 self weaned at 18 months or so. I would have fed her for ever She had cut down to just bedtime feeds, and got to the point she was just playing. She then point blank refused.

Stunt one way to see if it is hunger is to see if he will eat his breakfast. All mine have started the day at 5.30 at this age, as did me and my brothers. I bring J downstairs and he is not happy unless he has something in his gob, and Koko will not suffice.>

PR I think a wee bit of therapy around that specific trauma is a good idea. The fact it was so near to DD1s birth would exacerbate your fears as not only did you think you were dying, but you also thought you were leaving your newborn without a mummy. That is some serious shit, and I am not surprised it is still affecting you. I thought I was dying after DD1 was born, but that was just for a few minutes, and I was reassured I was in no real danger. It affected me, and mine is nothing compared to yours. Big big hugs

We're all going on a, summers holidaaaaay.

Well.

It is sunny. And I've sorted my claws toenails.

Happy holidays piggy :)

I noted dowm a shrink's name earlier when I was at the ob gyn, someone in the same building. I will give them a call when I get home from the Mother Ship.

pennie you are doing nothing wrong and I'd be surprised if speech therapy was necessary at 18 months. I've said it before but DD1 hardly said a word until 20mo, then started speaking more at 24mo, but has come on in leaps and bounds in the last 8 months and at 36mo never shuts the fuck up. Please don't feel bad about it. By all means go along to the therapy and play along but you have done nothing wrong.

I think Jonas is at about 50 words now but he only uses 20 regularly, I note on the calendar when he has a new one and it comes in surges and then is quiet for days. Some weeks he's learning 5-10 a week and then nothing for a week. They're so different. But he's HAD to learn words as he's such a late walker - Pennie your wee one was so early on her feet she's been able to go and get what she wants rather than having to learn the words. I'd not worry at 18 months.

I'd say O has fewer than 10 recognisable words.

r had 12-15 recognizable "words" at husband 1y check. classed as "noises i can interpret" rather than clear speech. i would say he's about that now with ones that are actual English and recognizable to others

u think he might be getting better he's eaten a veggie sausage half a bit of toast and a portion of root veggie mash already i was thinking he'd chuck the toast and eat barely half the rest!

and a digestive. and a portion of tapioca pudding with honey (am hoping well boiled milk better than forage frais!).

and now a mini rice cake.

the Very Hungry Rafapillar is back!!

hope i don't regret this in 10th minutes when i lay him down

Pennie MY DD has only 2 recognizable words ( Hiya and ball) and somedays I worry silly but after a chat with HV and PR I was reassured not to worry as she is really good at the old motor skills and mostly understands what I am saying to her

O has shit loads of words. In both languages. She can't stop talking really.

She's poorly, snot streaming out of her nose and she had temp all day. Also runny poos.

pr my insomnia is really bad at the moment too.I survive on 3-4 hours of sleep. I know that nothing helps, I tried no eletronics, etc and I refuse sleeping pills. It's definitely connected to my emotional wellbeing, Leo's birthday and death anniversary is in a month, we are off to Poland to see his resting place and family in 2 weeks time. Can you believe it's been almost 2 years? I just feel so so sad that he is not here to see O.

On a practical note, what's better, a kindle fire, iPad 4, iPad mini or iPad air? My mum will buy off my iPad 2 and I need to get a new one. I have to make a decision but I'm so confused. I have an old kindle too which I love.

As for reading, I am in and out of it. I have the time in the evening but not so the motivation. Sometimes chasing reminds me to read and than I get into it for a week or so, than stop reading for a month or two. Prior o, I was a real bookworm.

I'm going to enrol O to nursery tomorrow, starting in September. I saw a private one which I absolutely loved but unfortunately no chance for her to get in as it's a tiny one and all spaces are booked. Second choice is a state one, I don't like the garden but the nursery teachers were lovely.

I have an advanced word for sweary Wednesday. Cockwomble!

Cockwomble to you too!

Fucking fuckity fuck fuck. H hit A on the head with a toy. I tried to get there in time but failed he has a bruise on his head. Tried to ice it, but cranky baby was not impressed.
Earlier on today H toppled forward head first on to concrete floor.
They have matching wounds.

Our babies are hitting the violent stage. Sucks when there is a smaller baby around.

J has a powerful right hook at the moment. Little rotter.

Oh man, have I got this to look forward to next?

Jonas fights like a girl - hair pulling and slappy hands!

I think we have talkative babies lily

She's said another couple of words today that I'd forgotten she knew. Then when reading a book she said ribbet for frog and snake. I didn't even know she knew these things. She just amazes me, I don't know where she picks it up sometimes.

Thanks for the advice on BF weaning. I thought I'd just go down the self-weaning stage, especially if she's only feeding before bed. But she's regressed sleep wise the last couple of weeks, some nights she wakes and wants boobie loads. Some night she doesn't wake once she's asleep but to get her to sleep in the first place she'll feed like three times and ends up feeding to sleep. It exhausts me sometimes.

We're going camping both bank holidays in May so in not going to do anything before then, I figure if she wakes in the night it's easier to shut her up in a tent by sticking boob in her mouth
But then I'm going away in June for two nights, DH will have her on his own for the weekend for the first time. So I'm not sure if I should try wean her off boob before then?

Deffo violent stage, M likes to kick her feet if you're tryingn to change her and she doesn't like it, or slams her head back in to you. The other day I caught her trying to kick MILs dog as it was annoying her