August 2015 - Let the Sleepless Nights Commence

[nolongerwaitingfornumber2]

My DC2 was born on 5th August and I'm up in the wee hours feeding away. Anyone else with their August babies care to join me?

I still can't believe he's here and in my arms!

Hey hey.

Magrat that is so frustrating not being able to sleep when the baby is, glad your cat was ok though.

Love the pic Fatty, she looks like a right little artist!

Yep totally agree about missing OH. Things are not great here at the mo as I'm obsessed with DS's sleep (or a lack of) and OH is fed up with me obsessing. I'm feeling a bit crap to be honest, like I'm not really enjoying things because of this sleep issue. Really hope it's just temporary and I feel better soon.

Don't worry about a bit of TV when you're feeling rough Frolic, glad you're feeling better today - have fun with your friend.

Can't believe how much you got done in one day Lily. Let us know how the pics turn out. OH's cousin is a baby photographer so we're planning to get some nice shots done later this month.

Hope everyone has a good day, crap weather here again but made it out to BF support group this morning, was nice to be one of the people giving advice rather than asking for advice!

Hello ladies and babies! Long time no post! I've been quiet for ages, not having the app means I never come in here anymore, the website is hard to navigate in my phone, and I have zero time to go on the laptop!

Going to have a scroll back and see how everybody is doing, but hope you're all well and not too exhausted!

OMC you've prompted me to come out of the woodwork. Finally got round to sorting out my password after the whole hack thing. Glad to see that feeding has settled down for most of you. We also had a rocky start but we got there in the end! Now on to the next challenge... Which in our case is sleep or the lack thereof...

I am beyond at those of you who've had full night's sleep. To be honest I'm beyond at those who've had more than 4 hours at a stretch! Ds is still feeding every 3 hours day and night, and pretty much refusing to sleep after 6 am or in the day unless I'm pacing around with him in the sling, which of course puts the kybosh on the whole 'sleep when the baby sleeps thing'. One way of dealing with the daily cake intake I suppose! Poor baby has dark circles from not getting enough but he just seems to fight sleep so hard.

Solidarity with those of you with DH frustrations too. It seems to take many men a lot longer to realise that their lives have changed, or need to change, with the arrival of a new person who needs them. My DH is complaining how he doesn't have time to get involved or help out more, but yet he does seem to have time to go to the gym and stay up til midnight watching TV and dicking about on the Internet after we've gone to bed.

Oh Fanby- poor Molly getting so upset! Luca is yet to do one of those but I'm dreading it when he does! Did you make it to the cinema- was it a baby showing? I quite fancy trying one and my local cinema had them on Mondays which is one day I don't have anything to do! In case no one had figured it out I can't stand sitting in the house I end up climbing the walls plus Luca sleeps better when out so that helps!

Frolic- glad your feeling a bit better and well done LO for sleeping letting you rest! Luca can be a noisy sleeper- used to be all night- I ended up putting Moses at the foot of my bed rather than next to me so it wasn't as loud so I could sleep! He's got quieter as he's got older and only usually grunts/ does his baby goat impression after his 5.30/ 6am feed where he isn't properly sleeping! As for LO coming along and turning world upside down I can relate we've been the 2 of us for nearly 11 years- I hadn't thought of it that way! I didn't stay mad at him too long he actually apologised and we had a chat about how we don't really have a choice over lie ins any more and that DS dictates get ups for a few years! Had a lovely day out after that but I've eaten so much rubbish it's a good job I did some exercise yesterday! Hope you had a lovely time with your friend how lovely your LOs are such a similar age.

MaGrat- baby yoga sounds great! Well done you for going running I hadn't moved at all at 6 weeks so you're doing better than me really!

Hello OMC!!! Long time no chat! Lol!

The 'cost sit me up' I won on eBay arrived today finally- within 5 minutes of it being here DS is fast asleep snuggled in it on the couch next to me! Think it's a definately hit! Possibly the best £8 I've spent! The next 5 minutes will be the tell- will he nap over the 30 minute mark?!

Had my phone consultation for the coil- your right frolic it was explaining the risks and checking it was right for me. Booked for it fitting a week on Monday! One thing she said was do I mind my periods being irregular as they were pre conception- I said if it's between that and hormonal stuff to regulate them then no I'd rather stick as they were as I'm convinced hormonal contraception is what wrecked them in the first place! The phone was really crackly so I didn't ask but I'm guessing as it is non hormonal that if my periods were going to regulate without using any type of contraception (not that they have returned yet!) then they still will with the coil? As in it won't delay them returning any more will it?

Sorry mega post again, making the most of LO sleeping and having a few minutes to chill alone!

Hi everyone. I'm very tired and my back hurts. Other than that alls good here. DS2 is having tummy time while DD destroys the house plays and DS1 is doing homework.

Poor Molly fanby. I hope she's feeling better today and that all was ok when you were finally seen at the hospital.

I hope you managed to catch up with some sleep ag some point today magrat. Well done you for going for a run. I'm so sore from this infection that I'm not even taking the dog out for a few days. I think it's going to be a while before I can do anything other than a bit of a walk.

Sorry you are feeling crap clstow. No advice, but lots of virtual empathy and hugs for you

Welcome back OMC and effin.

That's exactly when ds gets noisy as well lily! He's not bad the first part of the night, but grunts like a pig after his morning feed.
The copper coil shouldn't affect your cycles at all as it has no hormones. It can make periods heavier I think, but that never happend to me.

I hope you've all had a good day. I had a lovely catch up with my friend and it was so nice thinking about things to do with the boys as they grow. Hopefully they will be great mates.
Ds is being a bit fussy feeding today. I'm thinking probably because of the antibiotics I'm taking. Have any of you who bf taken them? Should I expect any other affects? The gp didn't really explain much.

Frolic and fanby I hope you're feeling better!

And that MaGrat, you got some zzz's. And that Fatty, you have some eyeliner left

Lily - mini mzzzf is also an annoyingly loud fucker a musical sweetie pie after her early morning feed. I really struggle to sleep when she's grunting and groaning as I get paranoid that she's choking etc so rarely get a solid block of sleep for the second half of the night.

Those sit me up cosys look lovely! I was tempted to get one too but since she's decided she can roll I think I need more containment so I've gone for a fisher price sit me up seat as she's gone right off the bouncer as she wants to look around rather than just up. I feel ok about buying bits like this as we got all her nursery furniture and the majority of her clothes and toys etc as hand-me-downs from my DB. But my goodness how expensive are kids toys?! Still want to get a jumperoo later down the line though!

So the jabs were ok, DH held her as she was stabbed. Immediate crying but stopped pretty quickly when we put her bottle into her mouth. Since then we've been dosing her on paracetamol and the little monkey has been sparko most of the day. Bless her!

I'm already thinking I'm going to miss DH when he's back at work next week, I just really hope he doesn't go back into pita husband mode

Ohhh gawd I want a mille feuille now I see them on GBBO!!!

Oh just quickly did you guys give just two paracetamol doses? Or did you give an extra one to get through the night? I'm tempted to do just that to help dd snooze as every time she wakes she is all grumpy and achey...

We had our jabs this morning and were advised to give three doses of paracetamol, and a fourth if necessary. Ds was his normal sleep -refusing self fine for most of the afternoon, and my dreams of calpol induced long naps were dashed. But just as I go to put him to bed, he's got a fever of 39 poor thing and is screaming his head off. I've just given him his 3rd dose and giving him a feed to keep fluids up and for comfort. I've also heard skin to skin helps babies regulate their temperature but don't know if this applies to fever or I'll just make him hotter. Hoping he (and I) and will get some sleep though. Might have to put him in his summer gro bag or just a nightie he's so warm.

Calpol is non drowsy now. stupid calpol
I only gave one dose. He didn't need anymore he was just a bit fussy with feeding. But once his temp had come down with the first dose it never rose again and he didn't seem in pain. He was happy so I didn't see the point in dosing him up.

But that's just me. If you feel like they may need it then go for it.

Dd has been right snooze last night and today. Possibly from injections. Who knows. Hopefully she'll still sleep tonight.

well done those of you attempting so much exercise. I'm just going walking and doing squats whilst holding dd to tone up and that's bad enough.
I'm similar to you lily and like to be out and about a lot but then when I'm out i get annoyed that I have so much to do in the house that I've not been able to get done because I've been out and about all day lol. I'd quite like a day in the house sorting stuff out. By the evening I have to feed dd most of the time so no time to get anything done.

Welcome back omc and effin.

Frolic antibiotics could affect ds. they never bothered piper when I had them but I know other babies who have been affected. And it prob depends what antibiotics you're on. Hope he's ok tonight.

Clstow sorry to hear you're feeling so down about the sleeping issues. I really hope things start to improve soon. Sleep deprivation is horrendous. I'm lucky in that dd is now giving me linger stretches of sleep but before that I felt awful and as much as I loved her, I didn't know how much longer i could continue on no sleep, without knowing when u will ever be able to catch up again.

Fanby glad u enjoyed the cinema. Poor molly being upset though the other night. I've yet to experience something like that with Piper. She has always settled by being fed so I've not had a moment when I don't know whats wrong with her. Must be so horrible. Hearing them crying for any length of time is bad enough.

My dentist is on holiday so he's been no use to me but receptionist has given me appointment for Monday which is better than in a couple of weeks time. I've been needing a filling for ages. It's the same tooth but filling keeps falling out. It doesn't usually hurt so that's why I wasn't in a rush to get it fixed but for some unknown reason it woke me up in the night. Got some of that disgusting clove oil to use for back up tonight if it starts up again.

My sore throat has now developed into the usual cold and cough that it always does but thankfully it's not horrendous and I feel ok. It's just annoying more than anything.

Let's hope dd sleeps through tonight and that i don't get woken up by anything else this time. Good luck to the rest of you on the dreaded night shifts.

This is crap. Utter, wanking crap!
Been trying to settle dd to sleep since 11pm. She's not having it. No more than 10-20mins will pass before she crying again and I have to pick her up. Try to settle her in my arms and try again but not I'm almost at feed time so it all seems hopeless. And of course DH is sleeping peacefully in bed next to me, oblivious to all. I want to cry!! I just want to lay down but I guess it's not going to happen tonight. Might just give up and decamp downstairs so I can try some upright sofa sitting sleep....fucking great

Fussy night here, too. High pitched crying when he needs a wee, every nappy change has had three stages (wet nappy, wee in second nappy while I wash hands, poop while I wash hands again, often another wee in my face in the process) and poor little chap getting so overwrought that he wakes up and grunts and fidgets as soon as I put him down. Ugh.
We're off to a baby friendly screening of The Martian today at 11 with my friend, so I'm currently weighing up whether I should try for another hour or two of sleep after this feed or just get straight up and get washed and dressed while I get a chance.

Did you get to sleep Mzzf? It's such a awful feeling of helplessness when they just won't sleep. And rage. Helplessness and rage. I find the stretchy wrap OK to sleep in for sitting up on the sofa sleeps. I don't get those waking with a start thinking I've dropped the baby moments if I use the sling.

Antibiotics gave dd2 an explosive bottom.

Lots of people I know had great success with the pick up put down method for sleepless babies. It didn't work for us though and I'm not sure when you can use it from. Might be worth looking into if you're desperate. Other things are white noise (you get apps and CDs) or the swaddle up baby gro which is expensive but seemingly fantastic. If not all I can say is that they will all sleep eventually even if you never buy a single sleep training book or follow a method or have a special cd/toy/baby gro. It feels so endless and relentless and hopeless when you're going through it but they do all eventually learn to sleep.

For restless babies, my 3 have all loved the hairdryer. Just lay them down, turn hairdryer on. Baby sleep. (Doesnt always work, but it keeps them quiet for a few minutes even if they do wake up once you switch it off)

Mzzf and Siani there must have been something in the air last night as we had an unsettled night here too!! DS took ages to get to sleep although he was laughing and thrashing around in his Moses rather than crying at least! When he finally didhe woke up at totally random times to normal for feeds, half taking some and then taking ages to go back down! Meaning the usual 5.30/6am feed that DH had said he'd do and then promised to get up with him if he did his grunting thing at that time so I could get an hours sleep before I had to get up for the day had shifted to 4am so when it came to 5am and he still hadnt settled properly DH obviously took a moment id actually fallen asleep to sneak into bed leaving me to glance ground notice he'd got in bed and have to do it myself! Not explained that properly I can't even manage to I'm so angry but seems yesterday's convo has gone out the window and be made a promise to get the easier option over night then hasn't fulfilled it! Basically I've have 3 and a half hours sleep max whilst he's probably had 7 and is still asleep now! Can't wait for his excuse today- he'll probably pretend he didn't remember the convo at 6am as he was 'asleep'

Sorry will reply to the rest of thread later when I come down off the ceiling!!!!

Oh no sorry to hear you've all had bad nights :(
Joskar I've fallen asleep with baby in sling. I thought it seemed a safe thing to do but I wasn't sure so I'm glad I'm not the only one to do it.

Sorry for the crap nights. Mzzzf did you get any sleep in the end? I know the desperate feeling when you've had no sleep and you just don't have the energy to try to get them to sleep. We've had a rare lie in til 8 am (last feed at 0445 and then took an hour to go back to sleep). He was grunting so much I wasn't sure he slept at all. I wonder if it's because I don't burp him well enough, I never seem to manage to get a good burp out and he lies there flailing arms and legs and head around while grunting for ages.

We've tried all sorts of products - white noise, blackout blinds, etc. I think it makes a bit of difference, at least hopefully ds will start to associate them with sleep time eventually.

We're continuing with project nap today, basically putting ds down to sleep an hour after he wakes up. I'm going to have to try getting him to sleep in his crib as I washed the sling last night - it stank where he'd spat up on it - and it's not dry yet. Regretting that now

lily how frustrating of your DH. Think I'd be tempted to wake him up to make the point!

siani I know that dilemma well! sometimes it seems better just to admit it's daytime than battle on with coaxing more sleep not getting anywhere.

Hope everyone has a better day than night!

Now ds has fallen asleep on me. Do I wake him and continue with plan or just take advantage of extra sleep

Just doing my fourth feed of the night... Aargh,

Sorry to hear you're raging a crap one MzzF, hope you managed some sleep in the end.

Welcome back OMC and Effin. I'm having all the same sleep troubles as you Effin, and the same DP troubles. If he tttt

Ha sorry for half post, started writing it in the night but lost the energy! Will read back and write a proper response later but and for all those with babies who won't sleep. Hate to say it but I'm kind of glad I'm not the only one.

DS had a massive long lie in this morning on the day we are going north on the train so I had to bloody wake him. Never waking a sleeping baby, especially one that never blood sleeps. Arregggg motherhood has some frustrating twists at times.

Magrat I had your problems last night. Got DS back over fairly quickly and then couldn't sleep myself. Grrrr.

On the plus side DS is loving the train. Could I fork out £100 everyday and just ride back and forth on East Coast line?

Anyone done the NHS post natal course? Just been invited to one and wondering about going. Can't decide if the effort of being somewhere on time once a week is too much. And not sure they could tell me anything I haven't googled to death already. But on the other hand I am also a big believer in Getting Out The House.

Lots of love to people who had terrible nights. And love to people with husbands. I asked DH yesterday if there is ever a fire alarm at night would he like me to wake him or let him sleep through. Think he got my point.....

Meant husband/partner frustrations. Not just husbands. Although if this thread is anything to go by one equals the other.

I tagged in DH at 7am. Whilst dd managed to sleep on me downstairs I was desperate to lay down. To his credit DH got up immediately and took over BUT instead of going through the usual morning routine he cut his own detail to he point that when I came down 2.5hrs later she was screaming for food! Cannot win!

It seems the shit sleep club had a nationwide event last night then - just wish I'd had an invite prior to the event so I could have known!! I don't want another no-sleep disco tonight!!!! I feel your pain other ladies who attended and who have clueless DH's. How can such a proactive, professions, intelligent working man like my DH not 'get it' - and they say women are hard to work out!!!!

Hopefully though she's over her grizzy-ness from her jabs. Her temp was down again this morning and she's taken an extra feed so fingers crossed!

Ok have just caught up properly, sorry for weird post earlier - I accidentally hit post on what I started writing during the fourth feed of the night but couldn't finish it as I was so bloody tired! In the end the only way DS would go down and stay down was on his front - so then I was stressing and had to check he was breathing every 5 mins. He then managed a 3 hour stretch though!

How is the nap training going Effin? I am going to try something similar next week so am very interested in how you get on.

Great news about the train Kbro, maybe you could just sit on the circle line all day - cheaper than East Coast

Good to hear mini-M is feeling better today MzzzF, how's your DS Effin?

Hope you feel better today Dozy and Fatty.

What did you think of the Martian Siani? And how was baby cinema? I keep meaning to try it, imagine I'll end up pacing up and down with DS in the sling but at least it'll be a new venue for me to do the pacing in!

Hope everyone is having a v relaxing day after so many crap nights. I'm on the sofa with DS having one of his rare afternoon naps now. Earlier went for a walk with a friend who has a 18 week old who is going through the 4 month sleep regression. I know a lot can change in 2 months but at the moment I can't imagine DS's sleep regressing much further!

Oh god mzzf, sorry you both had such a shitty night. I'm sure the jabs are to blame and she'll be back to normal in no time. I hope you have a good day today and that you have plenty of coffee and biscuits in supply. I do find that stripping us both off for skin to skin is the only way to calm ds when he is overtired/ grumpy / screaming. Apologies if you've already tried.
The sit me up seat looks great. I know what you mean about stuff being so expensive. We were also lucky to be given all of the big stuff, so I don't mind buying bits, but I find it hard to believe the price on a few bits of material or plastic.

I hope project nap is going well today effin. I discovered today that the Hoover sends ds to sleep. I also made the mistake of telling dh - he might expect me to do more housework now

I hope your tooth and cold are better today dozy. Thanks for the advice re: antibiotics. He seems his normal self today, so I'm hoping they're not affecting him.

I hope you enjoyed the film siani.

We've had some very loud farts, but no explosive bottoms so far jockstar. Thank you for the warning - I'm taking extra care to change nappies very quickly just in case.

I'd be furious with dh lily. I hope you gave him what for. Sorry you had a bad night .

Sorry you had a tough one as well clstow. I just read up about the 4 month sleep regression as I'd never heard of it - not something to look forward to.

I think you should just stay on the train forever kbro!!
No idea about the post natal course sorry, but totally agree about getting out of the house.

I hope you're all having better days after such crap nights.
We've stayed in today and I've given the living room a good clean in between naps and feeds. It was desperately needed. Now we are going to walk to the post office - it's all rock 'n roll here!
Ds is 6 weeks old today - is this the magic date when things start getting better?