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Original poster

4 month sleep regression- oh.my.god.

955 replies

hazel88 · 19/06/2015 21:52

So my DD has just hit the 4 month sleep regression hard. It sucks. It really sucks. for a short while she had been doing 6 hour chunks for the first part of the night followed by 1 or 2 wakings after. On the rare occasion she would just wake up once for a feed then that was it. BLISS. She's now waking up more times than I can count and I'm wondering if she'll ever sleep better again. I know about the 4 month sleep regression inside-out but would really appreciate experiences from others who have either gone through it or are going through it. I need some sanity restored...please?!

OP posts:
zombiemeow · 09/07/2015 19:00

Thanks hazel!

Penguin ds has been utterly miserable with his teeth today I think Confused been drooling like mad, biting everything he possibly can, red cheeks and off his milk. Have just gave him some calpol, he's in his sleep bag and just finished a full bottle.

He does seem to have a slight rash on his stomach and arms too, hope it's not a virus or anything Confused

Penguin13 · 09/07/2015 19:10

Might be about to jinx myself but bedtime went well here. Ended up putting DD down 20 mins early tonight as she was obviously tired - eye rubbing etc which are actually her later tired signs. She took extra formula really well - so well in fact that I had a momentary worry that I had been starving the poor child giving her only my breast milk! In the end she only took 3 oz of formula as I didn't want to encourage her to take too much and overload her tummy.

I realised I sometimes give more input than I think I do at bedtime so put her down awake, gave her dummy and sleepy bunny, stroked her back a few times then left the room. She stirred and cried once so went back in and stroked her back a couple of times and she stopped crying so left again. From the monitor she looks calm and I think she is now asleep so fingers crossed she will stay that way!

Good luck for bedtimes everyone else. DH is away for the night so planning to indulge myself with a glass of wine Wine

Penguin13 · 09/07/2015 19:13

Cross post Zombie DD is dosed up on calpol too. Hope your DS has a better night. It's horrible when they're in pain isn't it? Hopefully the rash isn't bothering him too much.

Sycamore76 · 09/07/2015 19:16

Enjoy the wine penguin !
I didn't give dd her dummy tonight as she keeps losing it in the sleepyhead ( it gets stuck on her back ) so she has sucked her fingers to sleep with White noise . Is sucking fingers bad ? Went to read ds a bedtime story and to my surprise she was asleep ! I was expecting her to cry ( which usually happens ) so ds gets his story with her too ( which he hates ).

Sycamore76 · 09/07/2015 19:23

Spoke to soon ..... Pesky dummy ! She wants it back...

Penguin13 · 09/07/2015 19:23

Yay Sycamore I bloody wish DD would suck her fingers instead of a dummy! Some people say dummy can be taken away unlike fingers or a thumb but frankly there is no guarantee that a dummy won't be replaced by fingers when taken away anyway. At least you won't have to do the dummy run a billion times a night! So glad your DS gets a story and some one on one time with mummy tonight Smile sounds like you have properly cracked it!

zombiemeow · 09/07/2015 19:26

Penguin and sycamore, sounds like bedtimes are going well tonight (touch wood!!).

I have a bottle of wine too Grin

Sycamore, I can't see it being bad, but I'm no expert. Ds sometimes sucks his fingers.

Well.... Went to see dm, ds got crazy over tired so I was dreading coming back and getting him to sleep. When I got in I put his pajamas on, gave him calpol and he fell asleep whilst having his bottle! Put him straight in bed and he didn't even stirr like usual..... Let's see how long this lasts.

crack open the wine!

Original poster
hazel88 · 09/07/2015 19:30

Well done ladies, great to see some positive news!! Hope you all continue with the good nights.....and enjoy that wine Wink Wine god knows you bloody well deserve it!! Penguin that's so good, you did so well.

Hope all is well with mariloulou and RP after last night.

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mariloulou · 09/07/2015 19:55

Sounds like the night has started well for you all! So good to hear. The day started off utterly shite this morning, had a major argument with DH over his lack of help around the house and with the girls during the week, ( I think last night set me off as I was still steaming this morning ) so ive felt in a crap mood all day. DD has been the same as usual, rubbish naps, but had a bottle more than usual today. She drifted off with bottle but for some god unknown reason I gently woke her and put her in the cot, turned her on her side, hand on her back and she fell asleep with the bunny comforter im trying to introduce. That was approaching 30 mins ago so im expecting the usual wake up imminently!

mariloulou · 09/07/2015 19:56

I wish I had wine.....

Sycamore76 · 09/07/2015 20:03

Mariloulou - poor you. It's probably good you said something as you can't be expected to do everything . Sometimes men just don't show initiative but last night he should have realised how hungry and tired you would have been .
Glad bedtime went well , must be something in the air !
Poor babies cry because they can my get themselves back to sleep Wine

Sycamore76 · 09/07/2015 20:04

Mariloulou Cake

zombiemeow · 09/07/2015 20:11

Hmm So close to tears right now.

Just after I put that, he woke up. He's still awake now I can't get him to sleep. His eyes are rolling but he's just wriggling round his cot banging the bars. I have him a muslin cus he likes to hold something but then I worry about something being in the cot with him. I tried holding him, nothing works.

I just don't know what to do anymore Hmm

Original poster
hazel88 · 09/07/2015 20:13

Sorry you're feeling shit mariloulou. You definitely did the right thing in telling DH how you felt. And hopefully by delivering it in an argument he might take some time to reflect on what you said and realise how he's making you feel.

Sleep deprivation makes pretty much everything unbearable doesn't it? And unhelpful DHs not doing their share is enough to push you to the edge. Remember that sleep training is just around the corner for you, and while things may seem to get harder before they get better...They WILL get better Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
hazel88 · 09/07/2015 20:16

zombie, I never know what the right thing to do is when they're wide awake.

following the PUPDCD method, I will put her down and walk away until she cries then carry on with PUPD. I can't keep rocking my 18lb baby for an hour each night when she's wide awake.

Hang in there Thanks

OP posts:
Sycamore76 · 09/07/2015 20:19

Zombie , I do feel for you. Have you tried singing to him? Sometimes helps dd . Flowers

Sycamore76 · 09/07/2015 20:21

DD just woke up too . Had to give pesky dummy back ( it had got trapped behind her neck )

zombiemeow · 09/07/2015 20:26

I've tried singing too him more like screeching as I can't sing to save my life

Think I'm going to ring the dr tomorrow, doubt it will do any good at all, she'll either tell me 'it's a baby' or 'let's see how he goes for x amount of time'. Maybe she might be useful for once and refer me to a sleep person? If that even exists? Or am I being completely bonkers thinking they'll do that with a baby?

It's been almost 4 months of this now Hmm

zombiemeow · 09/07/2015 20:29

I took everything off him (dummy &muslin) and he's drifted off. Then I look at his little face and I feel bad for getting all wound up Confused

Sycamore76 · 09/07/2015 20:32

Zombie , have you had reflux and cows milk allergy ruled out ? My gp missed this and dd was really suffering

Sycamore76 · 09/07/2015 20:33

Don't get wound up. It's normal to feel like that. After a hard and tiring day it's so disappointing when they wake up !

zombiemeow · 09/07/2015 20:37

Sycamore he has cmpi Sad he's on nutramigen.

He woke up again Hmm

And h is being a dick

mariloulou · 09/07/2015 20:38

Ok so its been 1hr 15mins and no wake up... whats going on???

Sycamore76 · 09/07/2015 20:41

Mariloulou - it's looking good

Zombie , i hope he settles soon

mariloulou · 09/07/2015 20:44

Thanks everyone. Yeah im glad I said something. Im holding on for Monday, I hope it solves it once and for all.

sorry to hear you had a tough moment zombie, just read that he has gone back to sleep but if he wakes have you tried patting or just having a hand on him? ( sorry if ive missed you answer this before, this thread has gotten huge! ) some babies get more agitated by this but it might be worth a shot. Or lie next to him in his cot on the floor with your hand through the bars just resting on him. No eye contact or speaking, and preserve with that until he falls asleep? I think it would be good to resist picking them up all together, to try keep them in the cot unless feeding

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