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Sleep

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Original poster

why just why wont my baby sleep

18 replies

justalilmummy · 05/03/2014 23:59

Ds is 6 months and wakes up in the night so much
Hes always been bad but this is getting ridiculous hes woke up 4 times tonight already
He wakes up every hour for the last 2 weeks
I'm still trying to do my housework and am up most nights till 2am trying to do it
He only sleeps during the day for 30 mins and stays awake for 6/7 hours at a time
Been trying to get him off boob since December he just wont have it he will take a bottle in the day but only if I give it to him but refuses it overnight
Tried to go out last night for a few hours but had to come back he was crying so much
I'm just so tired and I have to go back to work in 3 weeks
What the fuck am I gonna do!!
I have a 4 year old im trying to look after in the middle of all this
...and rant over
Help!!!!!

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Original poster

justalilmummy · 06/03/2014 00:00

And ffs hes awake AGAIN!

OP posts:

Original poster

justalilmummy · 06/03/2014 00:27

Anyone? Someone help I'm getting desperate
I really dont agree with cc but starting to see it as my only option I cant keep this up anymore I'm so tired
I cant even eat he wont let me
Going crazy over here!!

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aufaniae · 06/03/2014 00:32

Have you tried cosleeping? DD wakes every half hour, or hour atm, until I go to bed, she sleeps with me and sleeps through till the morning.

What she wants when she wakes is to be close to me, simply. Do you think this might be the thing your DS wants too?

If you're not sure about cosleeping, how about a 3 sided.cot?

elvislives2012 · 06/03/2014 00:34

No advice but plenty of support. My DD is 16 months and has slept thru a handful of times. Have somehow found myself doing CC tonight and last night in desperation. Screaming is unbelievable!
Is he teething? In pain? I didn't want to do it before now as she seemed do young

aufaniae · 06/03/2014 00:37

I wonder why you're weaning him off the boob? Is it because of going back to work by any chance? If so, I wouldn't worry. I always thought you needed to express when you went back to work but you don't necessarily, I fed DS in the mornings before I went and when I returned in the evening and my milk supy adjusted just fine, no need to express.

BrianTheMole · 06/03/2014 00:40

Difficult one. Your ds is still quite young and I wouldn't expect him to sleep through yet, although I know some are luckier. If it makes you feel better, both mine woke every hour for the best part of 10 months. I finally got them sleeping through at 11 months, not by cc exactly, but I was careful not to go to them unless they were very distressed. And I was quite assertive about bedtime too. They had toys and books in their room, so when they woke I stayed put, heard them cry a little (very low level), they would play with the toys for a bit, and then silence. I think 6 months is a bit young to sleep through really, esp as they have normally only recently been weaned. But I can only talk from my own experience. You've set yourself a hard target going back to work so soon. Can you change that? Or if not, is there anyone to help with the nightshift so you can get some sleep?

BrianTheMole · 06/03/2014 00:41

I would second co sleeping btw.

Original poster

justalilmummy · 06/03/2014 00:51

Hi I cant change going back to work I'm on my own so need the income

Been wanting to stop simply because ive had enough, he wont take expressed milk only formula for some reason, I have tried co sleeping but he still wakes and ison the boob all night, I know hes not doing it for food its comfort but ive just had enough
He wont take a bottle off if anyone which is the main worry,as im so worried hes going to be really distressed while innate work and also was hoping to do a night shift once a week as its better pay as my income very low so the wanting boob all night long is going to make it impossible
Just finding it so hard my eldest was such an easy baby would take any bottle any dummy, would be put down very easily it's a bit of a shock!
Can never get anything done as he wants to be held all day, finding it very hard just to get basic housework done/ cook a decent meal for my older ds, feel very sorry for him, we used to do so much I cant even play a proper game with him without baby crying
Just so so tired so everything feels worse than it really is

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Original poster

justalilmummy · 06/03/2014 00:56

Brianthemole I dont mind the waking up I expect that before he was going from 10pm till 3am then 6am I coukd cope with that
Its the every hour I'm finding hard my brain cant function I'm so tired
Would just love a couple hours in the evening all to myself

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BrianTheMole · 06/03/2014 01:14

I know. The first year is desperately hard. More so if you have no support. Have you got any family that would help for a couple of hours in the evening?

Original poster

justalilmummy · 06/03/2014 01:18

I do but he wont even take a bottle of anyone else so I just feel a bit stuck
Although had mini breakthrough tonight I wouldnt give him boob weve had a few tears but hes lying in hes cit and I'm holding hes hand all is quiet....for now!

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Sunnysummer · 06/03/2014 02:17

Feeling for you. Our little non-sleeper was up every hour at that age and it was desperately hard even without another child. It's not much help, but we tried evetythjbg - so called baby whisperers, a sleep school, cutting out every freaking food group in a horrible elimination diet - and nothing made a difference. Cosleeping didn't make him sleep better but was lower effort for me, and holding the first night feed until after 10 helped. We also used the No Cry Sleep Solution also helped some slow change, but I can imagine that you would really like something quicker. At 11 months DS makes at least a few 2 hour stints, and we are starting to see the light.

In the meantime can you get help with the housework and some food? Even if you don't have cash, is there someone in the family who could help, or who could look after the DCs for a few hours while you get on top of things? Or failing that, are there some areas where you could let standards slip? (Am personally always terrified by the threads on here where it turns out that people wash towels / mop / clean fridge every day, but then I may be extra manky ). Hope you can pull through..

Original poster

justalilmummy · 06/03/2014 09:03

Well managed to get some sleep I cracked and bought him into my bed at 2am, where he slept till 4
Sunnysummer I cant let things slip anymore it's been a downward spiral I'm talking basic cleaning washing up/ironing/laundry etc!

Hes such a pickle hes having a nap now so I can finally eat breakfast yay!

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EmmaLL25 · 06/03/2014 19:18

How does he go to sleep? We also had a hour waker and it's only improved by getting him to go to sleep without boob in mouth/rocking/cuddling - although I'm still lying next to him.

It took tears the first time but now he'll usually go to sleep ok and he settles himself through sleep cycles - which he wasn't doing before. We're still on 2-3 wake ups but its much better than it was.

Also I've realised that his sleep is hugely better when not teething or ill (which some months has been hardly ever!). We had a spell when he was ill and vomiting lots and we couldn't always feed to sleep of he'd just been sick - he'd finally go with me lying next to him or rocking him - it was the first time I thought we could break some of the habits we have.

I was really worried about the bottle refusing thing too and posted on a different thread about it and lots of people have said that babies will adjust to being with cm or in nursery.

Lots of sympathy, it sounds a tough time. It will get better - it always has to doesnt it!

Original poster

justalilmummy · 06/03/2014 21:48

He has bottle to sleep at first but then boob but refuses bottle or dummy all night but he doesnt actually eat until 2/3am
I know half the problem is ive ran in at every whimper as older brothers in the same room so didnt want to disturb

Mini breakthrough again I put him in hes cot tonight and fed him hes bottle through the bars he had a protest and it took a while but he fell asleep! 45 mins later I heard a cry but went in and he was sleeping yay, fingers crossed this is the night of change, but I'm preparing for a bad night!

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Poshers · 07/03/2014 20:43

How did it go?

apermanentheadache · 08/03/2014 16:19

You poor thing. You sound pretty heroic to me. I have no useful advice except: ditch the ironing - you can live without it for a while. Also buy some ready-meals for you and DS. Sod the home cooking!

ClaraFox · 08/03/2014 16:29

It is hard and I was on my own some years ago with a newborn and an 8 year old.

It got to the point where I literally just HAD to ignore him sometimes. So, I'd ensure he was clean, comfortable, tired, fed etc and if he was still having a shout and I absolutely had to eat then he just had to have a shout for half an hour or so.

I've no advice really because you just have to muddle through it really. Mine is 7 now and came to no harm being left to have a moan from time to time. If you're on your own with another child you really cannot do it all and tend to every single waking every single hour. I'd second bringing him in with you if that settles him and at other times - say, during the day - when you want to eat or do some bits around the house, then pop him in his bouncy chair / cot/ whatever and just do what you have to do.

It's no help how but it'll pass as it always does

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