Worried about not getting any sleep

[Stefka]

I know new parents are sleep deprived and that it goes with the territory but I am worried because I already have sleep problems. I used to suffer with bad insomnia - it's more manageable now but it still takes me a long time to get to sleep. On top of that I have problems with my back which often keeps me up at night. I guess I am worried that once the baby is here I really won't get any sleep because I won't be able to get back to sleep after waking up with the baby. Anyone else dealt with this?

You're asking us ??? The ones who are up at 2am???

Good point! My back pain is keeping me up tonight, I just can't get to sleep when it has flared up.

Ibuprofen gel any good?

yup... and got the t-shirt. currently wearing the t shirt. my back is bloody aweful. between waking with dd and my back, the last 2 weeks i've had on average 2 hours sleep tops...

but, as for not getting back to sleep once woken with your baby, you will! i was SO tired i would fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I didnt know tiredness like it in the bginning. but i got used to it.

In the first few months, at the least, you really will be able to get up, feed, go back to sleep

Have you thought about doing the continum method ( shown on bringing up baby) ? I wish i'd known about it before i had Dd.( now 9 months )

the sling would have saved alot of my back ache, ironically as it hold the baby so close and your back is really supported. Also, the not having to get up and down, would have helped things a lot too... as my back would have had far more rest over night. I now sleep with her for this reason, and wish we'd done it sooner as i get ,and so does she, alot more sleep. She happily sleeps on her own in her cot in the daytime.

maybe you could look into it abit more before you have your baby?

failing that... you always have MN to entertain you in the small hours!

I did mean 2 hours sleep tops a night nt in the whole 2 weeks, though it does feel like that!

Don't forget raised surface for nappy changing and bathing - that saves your back.

Don't bend over holding baby - bend those knees.

really must get to bed, now - my 2 are 12 and 14 and have been tucked up for 5 hours, so can't use them as an excuse!

I normally take ibuprofen when not pregnant - I haven't tried the gel though so I will give that a go.

I think we are going to co-sleep. We have a crib that we borrowed from someone but we also got a snuggle nest that goes in the bed so I think we will use that. I also plan to baby wear a lot - my aunt has bought me a sling although with the strikes it hasn't arrived yet.

I really hate not being able to sleep. I am so tired but I just can't get comfy in bed with this horrible back of mine and then if I am awake too long my husband starts to snore which doesn't help.

Guess I will be on here a lot then!

I also managed to get Dh to buy me/ us a tempur mattress. REALLY expensive, but so so worth it. i stopped waking up in pain after the first night or two. It creeps up after an hour or so, but at least i can get up first thing relatively pain free most days. except at the moment when not even morphine will shift it.

hope it does get better or improve for you soon. I also didnt know about those snuggle nests until she was too big... but would have used one!

good luck with it all

sure well bump into you again in the night

in mean time... start saving for a tempur mattress

Just a quick reminder not to take ibuprofen or any non-steroidal anti-inflamatories tabs when pregnant, and especially not in the last trimester, as it can have an effect on baby.

Ibuprofen gel, although not as potent as the tabs, is not proven to be safe, and in fact can still be absorbed in high enough doses to be detrimental to the baby.

The problem with baby is that it can close a blood vessel in the babys heart called the ductus arteriosus, which can lead to high blood pressure in the lungs while in utero.

Sorry for getting anyone worried, but this is quite important.

Have you tried a body pillow - very large and long you put one end between your knees the middle bit under your bump and the other end under your head - it doubles as a BF pillow latter - make sure you get one with little beads in it. Also ear plugs for the snoring DH.

memory foam mattresses and pillows are really a life saver.
Tempur is great but there are cheaper versions.

Body pillow is great as advised.

Are you using a support belt? It might help you carry the weight and straighten your posture.
(promedics website)

As for sleep when baby here, just try and follow baby's rythm. Doesn't really matter if you get your sleep during day or night because you will only get 2 to 3 hour stretches anyway. So just crash when you need too.

If lying position really bad for your back then get yourself one of those confy sliding nursing chairs with stool and nap there. Best investement ever.

Having babies actually cured my insomnia - although it's coming back now that they are all getting past the baby stage. I know you've heard it before, but you will never know tiredness like it, which sounds horrendous, but - well, I guess you get used to it after a while. The point is, is that you will be so tired that you won't be able to keep awake. I co-slept and often would fall asleep involuntarily whilst feeding the baby. This stage only lasted a few weeks ( months?? ) though.

Anyhow, like me, you may find that when you can sleep, you won't have any problems, which was actually quite refreshing being a problem sleeper!

as celery just said, you might find your problem is staying awake through the feeds........
take care

I hope you are right. It's just that I have been hellish tired (probably not baby level tired I realise) and still completely unable to sleep. If I get woken up it take me a long time to get back to sleep again.

I haven't been taking ibuprofen while pregnant. I have sometimes taken paracetamol when things have been really bad.

What I really need is something done about my back. So far I have tried an osteopath, physiotherapy, a chiropractor and I have had an x-ray to see if there was anything there to be seen. Nothing so far has got rid of the pain.

the other tip is breastfeed if you possibly can

The b/f hormones help you both drift off to sleep again easily at the end of a feed (and often before!)

I cant wait to have my baby as I will probably only be woke once in the night! Sleeping in pregnacy is awful, backache hipache, heartburn, waking to turn cus your so large. Its a nightmare. You will probably sleep better when baby arrives.