Misery loves company: anyone want to join me on a support thread for those desperate and demoralised by their 8/9/10 mo sleep?

[Suchanamateur]

Bloody sleep regression. It's like 4 months all over again but worse because it felt (briefly) like we were getting somewhere. Feck. Anyone else want to share tales of woe or is it (a) just me or (b) way too depressing to post about..?

Oh yes - I hear tell that there's a nine month sleep regression? Please, say it ain't so!

I'm still here too and nope, DS isn't sleeping through (or anywhere near it) yet .
I'm going with cosleeping more as it seems to be the only way we get enough sleep to not feel too wretched in the morning. Plus I quite like having my cuddly little baby wedged into my armpit at night

I started reintroducing dairy as per my dr's advice (3 days of eating Parmesan. Bliss) but it still seems to have a bad effect on DS's tummy. He's waking up the same amount but is properly crying (even when I pick him up and cuddle him) and seems in real discomfort. I figure that if I give it up again and he has a bad tummy at least I know it's something he's eaten.
Over the last week or so we've had 2 or 3 one hour naps at lunchtime, so I'm hoping that's edging in the right direction.
I still veer between thinking I must take drastic action to improve his sleep, to thinking ah well, he'll grow out of it soon enough.
Would you all mind saying how old your dcs are? Mine is 7 months

DD is 8 months and 2 days. She cracked daytime sleeping long before nighttime. Or rather, I chucked her in her cot at 1pm sharp after lunch and left her to get on with it. She now does 2 hours minimum, bliss!

Worse. Than. Ever.

She now falls asleep really well (progress there) and the naps are amazing (progress there), but nighttime is torturous...

She just wakes up all the time; sometimes I think it must be morning already because there's no way she could've woken up so many times in such a short period of time.

On the bright side, mum is visiting from Lisbon for two whole months and it will be very helpful to have her support.

Anyone started thinking about first birthdays?

No news is definitely not good news.

Teething, ill with chesty thing, 12 month sleep regression coinciding with learning to walk and dd1 increasing frequency of nightmares.

Got her to fall asleep off the boob at bedtime tonight for the first time by sitting by her cot holding her hand. She had fallen asleep on the boob and I was just about to put her down when dd1 woke her up so didn't want to feed again, took half an hour, but we did it!

Stitch's first birthday is next week and we will be doing very little. They really haven't got a clue until 2 about birthdays so will probably just go to her cousins birthday (2 days after), then try to combine into one big party next year.

Sorry to hear of all the bad nights.

Hello all we're still struggling too. Dd waking up frequently wanting really long feeds and screaming the place down if I try and get her off, even after nearly an hour. I find I get really annoyed with her about it and then because I'm all tense and cross she gets wound up too then I feel bad for being so grumpy. I know I should stay nice and calm but it's hard when I'm so desperate for sleep. Need to break this vicious circle somehow. Anyway enough of my misery, am thinking of all you others too, here's hoping some of us get some sleep soon!! X

Currently got ds in with me too and soon as she stops screaming he starts up. Trying not to get wound up but may start screaming myself too if they don't both go to sleep soon!!!

Hello again! I'm still up, no sleep as yet. They have only just both gone to sleep. Will be up in a couple of hours no doubt. Think I'm going crazy hope all of the rest of you are faring better tonight

And we're up again! Fabulous!

Oh Dog, that doesn't sound like a good night. Hope you managed a bit of sleep and don't have too much of a hectic day today

Well, though I of course feel bad for you all that your nights are still crap I am also secretly glad it's not just me floating about the thread with a non-sleepy baby still. :o

Hope you got some sleep eventually dog

stitch did you just say 12 months sleep regression?! I don't think we ever got past the 4 month one

Had appointment with gp and she suggested stopping gluten for a week or so and seeing whether that helped. We are now on day two of gluten free. unfortunately its hard to tell if its helping as dd has some awful cold thing; runny nose, cough, high temperature, explosive poo...the lot. Oh the joy!

So all in all nights are so hideous I've given up counting the number of times she's waking up. Also my arms are aching from having to hold her upright half the night to let the snot out.

Thanks Lucy and roar and apologies for the flurry of posts last night, felt like I was losing my mind a bit so was helpful to vent! Got a couple of hours sleep in the end. Here's hoping for a calmer night tonight.
Roar sorry to hear about the cold thing sounds horrid. Snot at night is awful isn't it? Hope she gets it out of her system very soon

sssshhhhh. DS has been asleep since 7. He hasn't stayed asleep this long for aaaaaaages. Hardly know what to do with myself.

Ha, my smugpants have given me a wedgie - two horrible nights with DD. Have ended up feeding her just so that she will shut up and we can all get some kip! So far tonight is ok, but I daresay it will all go down the cludgie sometime after midnight.

Me! Me! I'm still here! This thread had fallen off my 'Threads I'm On' list Like Hear, I thought all you sods had magically sleeping babies. Obviously not

DS (9 months on Wednesday) is hit and miss...looking at the bigger picture, his sleep is better overall than it was two months ago. I've had quite a few nights of only three wake ups, with very little co sleeping required, but Thursday at work this week was Not Fun after five lengthy wake ups, nor was Friday when he decided 4:50 was up-and-at-'em o'clock. He, too, has snot-itis plus spiking temps so last night was a thrilling round of coughing, wake-ups, full nappy and sleepsuit changes and administration of Calpol to an infant who does NOT do medicinal syrups when he's wide awake and perky, much less when he's cranky, tired and feverish.

I seem to be coping at work (only two weeks in, mind). My mind isn't nearly as porridge-like as I expected and, to be honest, mat leave feels like it goes so quick, it's like you've never been away and you just drop back into the routine stuff. The new job is great, too. Lovely people, great environment, exciting opportunities and challenges. But...

I hate, hate, hate being a working mum I see DS awake for maybe 1.5 hours per day, and most of that is me trying to rush through chores while keeping him occupied. I get almost no undivided time with him during the week. I sobbed myself to sleep on Wednesday night, because I'd been held up at work and saw even less of him. He's napping on me right now, and much as I'd like to put him in his cot while I get my ironing out of the way, I think I'd rather make up for lost time with my little boy.

Anyone know the winning numbers for the next EuroMillions?

I must say I am glad I only work 3 days. The best of both worlds. Working full-time must be so hard. I've thought about going back full-time but I'm lucky we get flexible working where I work so I would work a 9 day fortnight so I got a day off every couple of weeks at least. Even then it seems so little time with dd, I'll only do it if financially we have to (which is looking like a possibility if we can't stay in our current budget). :(

Dd has eaten a bit better today, though still not up to her usual standards. But I am hoping it means we are at least over the worst.

I am currently making my first gluten free pizza! Fingers crossed it's reasonably edible :o

We are experiencing snotitis hear too, I spent a large part of last night in the bathroom with the shower running, jiggling Stitch over my shoulder as she couldn't stop coughing. Her temperature is lower today so we will see what tonight brings. My brother is popping over soon so fully expect him to hype both kids up just before bed, maybe then they will give me a lie in tomorrow.

Post away dog I wish I had a thread like this with dd1 when she was a baby, she was like Roar's dd. From birth to 20 months. You need to get it out somewhere, better here than fall to pieces on the kids.

Elphaba :( It is so hard when they are little and you have to leave them. Once they get a bit older they stay up a little later and you get more time.

Sounds good lucy, long may it continue.

fish just when you think you are getting somewhere they remind you whose boss don't they!

Thanks Stitch, it didn't last long. He woke up at 11 and we had quite a bad night after that (tummy/digestive problems I think) but I didn't care. I'd had an evening to myself and DH and it was great!

OK, officially fed up of these drenched sleep suits in the wee small hours. Does anyone have any idea why the hell side-sleeping (on DS's part) makes wee bypass his nappy?? He's on the right size of nappy - any bigger and we'd have to gaffer tape it onto him. It doesn't happen when he sleeps on his back, but he sleeps far better on his side so, naturally, fate has to intervene with something else to snatch what little sleep I have away from me.

Suggestions welcome.

What brand of nappy are you using elph? we use the boots superdry ones at night and they do a pretty good job (dd is also a side sleeper). The only other thing I can think off is making sure the frilly bit round the leg isn't tucked in. If I forget to do this then they always leak.

it's so nice when you get an evening isn't Lucy. glad you and your dh had some time together :)

Dd was def better last night and actually slept away from me so I got to wake up without a dead arm, which was nice. She did suddenly start coughing horribly at about 5am though and has been really clingy today so I am expecting her to be back sleeping on my arm again tonight.

Those of you who have had dc with coughs, was there anything that helped at all?

elph, I live and die by Pampers Babydry but neither of mine are side sleepers. I second hear's suggestion re the frilly bits. And is it possible to point your DS's todger to the side he isn't sleeping on (ie upwards, IYSWIM)? The only other thing I can think of is putting a washable nappy insert (you know, the absorbent paddedy bit that fits into the outer) into the disposable nappy.

Elphaba I have used tesco baby dry and active fit for both of mine, green pack better for nights, active fit for day.

Asda own brand good too as are Sainsbury's own new model (they have good cuffs round the leg), not the basics though as I haven't tried them.

I am trying out Just4Bums by the Happy Nappy Co. @ Kiddicare (free next day delivery if you spend over £30) £19.99 reduced for a month's supply (164) atm, they are good, but I wouldn't spend more than that on them when I can get own brand supermarket ones.

I also hear Aldi's are very good, but haven't tried them.

Boots ones didn't work for my girls, we had leaks and I tried Morrison's with dd1, but Tesco ones were better.

Fish's suggestion about pointing and extra insert sound sensible and the frilly bit has caught me out before. Stitch sleeps on her front so leaks up the front of hers, so I anticipate and change her after I have fed one side midway through the night, then feed the second side to settle her back to sleep after the change.

Hear The best thing for coughs I have found is steam inhalation, hence why I have spent large parts of the night in the bathroom with the shower running this week. When Stitch had bronchiolitis last year the nurse in Paed A&E told me steaming is recommended. I also put saline drops up their nose and then sucks some of the snot out as post-nasal dripping can cause coughing at night. Raising the bed head helps so if you co-sleep place a pillow under the mattress to raise it slightly.

We've been using the Pampers Active Fit day and night. I instructed DH to ensure frilly bits were out after his bath tonight (I always do this but DH never does) and asked him to 'dress right'. We'll see how that goes tonight then maybe try a different type of nappy for nighttime.

Hear the only thing that ended up working for DS's cough was time and/or a prescribed inhaler (still haven't decided which it was that did the trick). We tried pretty much every suggestion going so, a bit like getting a baby to sleep well , I know most of the advice without having had any if it work for me:

• like Stitch says, steam inhalation. When sitting DS in the bathroom with us while we had our showers didn't work, or leaving the shower running while he had his bath, we got a humidifier for his room. After several nights of 10-12 wake-ups, we removed the humidifier and suddenly eight wake ups seemed like a blessing (he obviously didn't like it, nor did it help his cough). You can get a similar effect by hanging wet towels directly on the radiator.
• saline drops up both nostrils before a bath followed by using one of those snot suckers afterwards then using the saline drops whenever she wakes up. In the end, I think DS had more saline than snot up his nose and he still sounded like an old consumptive.
• one of those Calpol plug-ins. I think there's a Karvol brand as well.
• Vicks or, even more highly recommended by many, Snufflebabe. The main application point recommended is the feet. Don't ask me why, but even the most cynical of sceptics say application of Vicks, but especially Snufflebabe, to a baby's feet knocks out a cough. Unless you're my DS. In which case it makes no sodding difference.
• Sleeping at an angle, but it sounds like you're already doing that with the wedge pillow. DS was practically sleeping standing up at one point. Cough didn't budge.

Hope something works for you

Nonono, Pampers Active Fit are a dead loss for nighttime IMO. Babydry every time. (Though I've had moderate success with a reusable one called Little Lamb - should have said that DD is in washables most of the daytime, unless we're out on a day trip. Only downside to the Little Lamb ones is that while they're very absorbent, they are mahoosive and bulky - poor old DD's arse ends up higher than her head, with her legs all dangling down-o.)

I think Little Lambs were top of DS's shit list when we did a cloth nappy trial. 0 to screaming with the tiniest hint of wee, unfortunately. And yes, bulky. He barely bent in the middle!

Am I the only environmental terrorist here using disposables exclusively?! I tried, I tell ya, I tried!

Right. Started the Tesco online shop during the 3am wake up last night and I've stuck on a small pack of the Baby Dry nappies. Thanks y'all!