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

Are your night shifts done for now? When do they start up again?

Interesting article in the Indie about why babies wake at night.

Night time BM is much richer and more calorie dense. Babies evolved to feed at night in the safety of the cave - it was much safer for all than feeding out on the savannah. The fertility suppression was likely another benefit.

J slept through again! He's cured! We haven't pinned down the source of his ishoos but going dairy-free has made a huge difference to his happiness. I was clinging to the hope that it was a temporary lactose intolerance from his tummy bug in February but in light of the fact that he's never slept well I'm going to assume it's the dairy.

Good news Stunt. Now please, NO challenges for at least two months to let his gut heal?

Pass, by scooping, I mean scooping him up into my ample bosom and loving him to sleep.

Had a chat with DH this morning, and he now says he had no intention of me doing RR whilst he was away. This is not want he had said. I have decided I need to take back control and follow my instinct. Rapid return is fine for bedtime, but if he wakes at night I will sooth him back to sleep, hopefully in his own bed. If that means me sleeping on his floor for a while then so be it. Last night was fucking horrid and will not be repeated. And if he needs to come into my bed when DH is away, then so be it.

Kyz hope the baby rat is doing ok today x

My bad, vitalite is ok. Phew. Cocoa pops however do not specify the source of their e number. No idea what else it might be in.

Just had a vair hot bubble bath with a book, feel marginally chirpier.

Glad you seem to have solved Js ishoos Stunt, such a relief for you all. And VQ, I would def go with your instinct - F will self settle for bed reliably (unless ill or refluxey) but we have no chance in the dead of night.

E471 info

Yep VQ his diarrhoea is still pretty bad, worse if anything, so he needs time to get himself sorted. I will have to try him without the lactase drops though, they're too expensive to keep using if they aren't doing anything. When we did CC with J VQ it was only for getting him to sleep at night and all night awakenings were dealt with as before. IMO if he gets used to getting himself to sleep at bedtime then the night awakenings may sort themselves out afterwards.

Books retrieved. Phew

AIBU. (Probably)

Amongst the cousins there is 4 boys and 1 girl. SIL, who has no children, is constantly buying stuff for DNeice and slapping it all over facebook. My boys love their Aunty but she outwardly favours DNeice. AIBU to be hurt by it on behalf of the boys, or is this natural?

Thanks for the info BP really good to know. Glad vitalite is ok - I just checked my tub and it def says soya free on the side so I was all confused! But good heads up on the cocopops - we don't have them here, but I had heard they were ok, so at least I will know for the future.

soph until the boys are old enough to notice I wouldn't worry. She might be showering the girl with girly gifts so that she doesn't feel on her own. You never know.

sophia its a shame that she does that, but I guess there isn't anything you can do. and as PR says I'm sure the boys won't notice yet.
I have to say I have always loved girly clothes etc so can see how it might be easily done, (I have a boy, so love buying clothes for my niece) but she is a grownup so should be able to see what she is doing and at least try to be more equal!

Great news on the books Soph! And YANBU! I'd be cross at that :( some folks go a bit nuts about baby girls buying them so much stuff. And then we wonder why so many young women are materialistic and in shit loads of debt when they try to surround themselves with the finery they're used to!

We've had a lovely morning out in the garden playing with a wee pal whilst the mummies nattered. The seesaw and water table are massive hits and it was like wacky races watching them chase each other on the wee car / trike. Jonas had a usual Thelma and Louise moment crashing his car and bashing his noggin - then did a full on somersault / tippletail out of the Wendy house window. he's such an adrenaline junkie .

Stunt I hear you about hoping its a tummy upset not real CMPI - a tiny stupid part of me still hopes that with enough probiotics Jonas will be 'fixed'!

Sophia that would be difficult for me too, although if the boys don't notice then at least they can't be affected.

YW nice that all your bargain toys are a big hit!

Stunt am so glad J is better and you've found something that seems to be working.

VQ in my best yoda impression trust your instincts... Always.

BP - glad DH is on board. Make sure he does what he has said. Your job is brutal and you need not to have everything at home too. Make him a list if you need to my DH is generally a bit shit at noticing anything other than the really bloody obvious on terms of what needs doing, but works through a list like a man possessed. Work with what you have, don't try and change the unchangeable!!

S properly loves Peppa Pig now. He "snorts" like Peppa and George by making a little breathing out noise, not snorting. Sort of sounds like Darth Vader doing a piggy noise. Hilarious. Rockets, monsters, dinosaurs, dragons and most other animals make similar noises. DD calls S "air-ius" (hilarious).

Pikz glad you're back to feeling like you.

S is playing chicken with the Hoover. He's petrified of it. So DH hoovers and S and I sit in the next room. But S keeps leaving me to go and see the Hoover. And comes back to me for a cuddle, sobbing his heart out, real tears and everything. The tears subside, he calms down, then what does he do?

Goes right back?

Bingo. Odd child!

It's sweet. He's testing his own limits safe in the knowledge that you are there. Toddler independence. They're growing up.

the fewer siblings one had, the more competition there would be for scarce resources, and the lower the risk of infectious disease spreading,

I think they mean les competition? (from PR's article)

I guess they do mean less.

It's an interesting idea re the 6 mo regression anyway.

Still waiting for an explanation on the 18mo regression.

Evening guys. Will be typing as quickly as I can and then trying for some shut eye once E has gone off and baby has her next feed (8pm). The partial amputation went well, and the other two girls with injuries are also fine which is fab :) Also this little one is with us still, which is more than I expected! She seemed to be feeding more from mum so I tried skipping a top up and it didn't work so well in that she didn't feed any extra from mum so definitely does need these top ups of milk every 1.5 hours, so it's a night of it again for me tonight. It's like having a newborn again but I have to give her a chance.

yay sophia 2 more sleeps isn't long at all :) you made me smile too

pr She will need feeding every 1.5 hours for the first two weeks, then 2 hourly at about 2 weeks. Rats start to eat solid food from around 3 weeks so at about 2.5 weeks I should be able to drop to just one feed at night (so a bit like babies doing 10-2-6 kind of routine) and then she will start to wean in the daytime too onto solids. It might take a bit longer because she might be developing a little slowly but she is getting markings through and that's right for her age. I can put a pic on fb if nobody minds?

good luck re job pass :)

shucks for the lovely comments, ditsy I will definitely be flagging I can tell you, but i'd feel forever guilty if I didn't try to help her

so pleased stunt

sophia it's such a shame they're treated differently :( but I don't think i'd worry just yet until the boys notice. Am I naive thinking that perhaps once the boys are old enough to notice, novelty will have worn off and she won't do it so much?

glad you're feeling better pikz

Have I missed anything? I bet I have!

GT how is A now, i'm sure you mentioned he had a temp?

Right, time to feed baby then get some shuteye, might pop on later when i'm up x

zamboni that sounds very sweet - if a tiny bit frustrating!

I am delighted that the wee rats are doing well kyz. You are a total superstar.

P and I have had a smashing day today. The weather has been lovely which really helps. Off to the park this morning then home for lunch followed by a 2.5 hour nap for me as well then playing in the garden while I made a bolognese.

Then off to the supermarket for new toothbrushes - p insisted on walking while dragging the shopping bag containing ikea pussy.

Then mucho playing and giggles and splashing and squealing and bouncing.

Then bed.

Now for dinner and for DH and I and unusually I don't feel teary eyed with tiredness. Hurrah!

I shall pass my lovely day dust on to vq and flouncy and bp I think. Lovely days due to them for sure

Oh, and I meant to say zamboni. How on earth do you fit in the gym when you work 5 more hours a day than you should? Do you have a hermione grainger type time shifter? You are an inspiration!

I'm in such a blah mood. Can't be bothered to cook. Or hook. Or drink. Or watch tv.

A has been up n down all day. Temp creeps up to 37 mark and he is miserable. Goes down. Then up again. Just calpol n nurofen him. So hopefully he will sleep well. I'm puttin him down straight into my bed to maximise his chance of staying asleep for a few hours. Hopefully a good sleep will sort him out.
Or a gp app tomorrow I think.

Great news tho.
Fh has book a trip to Istanbul ! No kids. He has split baby sitting over 2 nights with family.
In prep my mum wants to take A for a night this week so she can see how it goes. I will still have H. But I'll be able to sleep ALL night. I'm planning on drinking a couple glasses on vino and passing out.
Only side is what this will mean for bf. but I'm going to think about it another time...