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Original poster

Sleepless of Mumsnet - join us if your LO consistently laughs in the face of sleep!

999 replies

Purpleboa · 05/12/2015 13:53

Hi everyone. I thought I'd create this thread when I saw that there were quite a few of us lingering on the 4 month regression thread, with babies that clearly didn't get the memo about things getting better!

I've seen another thread for parents whose children are long term poor sleepers but I think it's been relegated to zombie status. So I hope nobody minds if I start another one! If your LO consistently struggles to sleep, whether it's down to diet, night terrors or just sheer bloody mindedness, please pull up an armchair and join in! I'll supply the espressos, hugs and chocolate, wine and tears served after 4pm.

I'll start: my DD is 25 weeks. She's gorgeous, adorable and the absolute light of my life. Unless it's between the hours of 7pm and 7am! She's struggled with sleep always. I thought things would improve following the 'fourth trimester' but she got a cold, reacted badly to her jabs...and before I knew it we'd cruised into the 4 month regression. Which she's either still in, or she's teething, or developing, or wonder weeking, or fck knows really!

The past two weeks have been particularly painful and I feel I'm reaching the limits of my endurance. I love being her mum, I love spending time with her...but not sleeping makes it oh so very hard.

I have found Mumsnet to be a wonderful source of support during those dark and lonely hours when you feel like you're the only person in the world going through this. So I wanted to give back and support others too.

I'll put the kettle on...

OP posts:
Original poster
Purpleboa · 17/12/2015 05:51

What a rubbish night! She cried on and off for 3 hours, slept from 130 till 445 but then awake for the day. Usually dh takes her so I can sleep. But because he was on night duty, it's my turn this morning. That is the last time we do it like that!

OP posts:
Pyjamaramadrama · 17/12/2015 07:09

How's she getting on with taking a bottle purple?

zombiemeow · 17/12/2015 08:49

Oh dear purple BrewCake will you persevere with it? Or was it too painful to think about trying again?

We had a good night again, four wake ups and awake at 4.30 but did end up snoozing on and off until 6.30 which is the latest he's slept in since I can remember.

I think his worse night are when we're doing the milk ladder, think I need to speak to the dietitian and see how I would go about stopping it. Bloody pain in the arse

Bugaboom · 17/12/2015 09:35

That sounds awful purple but maybe you should try a few nights? I know it's hard though i always revert back to feeding to sleep everytime I try something new. The health visitor told me wake ups get worse before they get better.
It was awful here both me and dd were unwell. I had a high temp so went up bed early and dh tried to manage her until midnight. By then she was so hot we thought we'd have to go to the out of hours. But we just stripped her off and she fed all night. It was awful because I wanted to cover up as felt shivery but she needed to keep cool! I've stayed in bed although I can hear my dh complaining how tired he is too. Normally I step in but fuck it I'm sick. Her temp has come down but I think we should take her to docs still. I'm feeling doubtful that my dh has booked an appointment.

starfish12 · 17/12/2015 14:17

lili your comment about the Christmas lights made me laugh as we are exactly the same. I thought no one else would be mad enough to take a toddler and a baby out in the dark in the buggy Wink

zombie being dairy free sucked at first but now I've figured out what treats I can have its ok. How far the the ladder have you managed to get? How old was you DS when you started?

purple well done for trying something new. If you can face it I think you should try for 2 more nights 'they' say it takes 3 nights to crack something. You haven't created a monster - you will look back at your breastfeeding days with rose tinted glasses and smile Grin

We had a good night only 2 wake ups. I stayed in the room when he initially went to sleep to see how he did it and the little buggar sucked his thumb! So he can do that when he wants!

starfish12 · 17/12/2015 14:18

Hope you feel better soon bug - as if there isn't enough to cope with already!!

zombiemeow · 17/12/2015 14:22

Starfish we started at 9 months after ds grabbed something (can't remember what it was) that had milk in and ate it, the dietitian told us to start, then his consultant told us to stop and dietitian told us to start etc so he's had a few breaks from it. He got up to pizza, but reacted so we went back down, tried pizza again the other day when he had his really bad night and I think it's because of that. May just have to hang around the Shepard pie level for a bit as he seemed OK up to then.

I hope that made sense, I'm so tired Grin

starfish12 · 17/12/2015 14:40

That's brilliant!! Obv not that he's still reacting but he's outgrowing it slowly x

Bugaboom · 17/12/2015 19:12

How's bedtime going? Not great here. Not sure if she's over tired or just a bit poorly but she's fighting sleep. Think dh might have to try in a minute. Good luck everyone

thinkfast · 17/12/2015 19:51

A couple of days too tired to post/read and it seems there's been about 100 posts. Still feeling crappy here. Dd has a nasty virus and keeps coughing herself awake last night. Just given her calpol and trying to settle her now.

Wishing everyone luck for tonight

thinkfast · 18/12/2015 09:22

No posts overnight. Hope that means you were all sleeping soundly!

My mum looked after dd overnight Smile not sure why I still feel so tired though - can't see straight!

Weaning not going well here. She's had dreadful constipation so I gave her prunes which has had too much of the opposite effect

Pyjamaramadrama · 18/12/2015 09:37

Hi thinkfast, is your dd still having night feeds? I've trying to cut them out now. I've been bringing a bottle of water to bed.

Ds isn't very interested in food, he refuses spoon but when I manage to sneak a bit in he does seem to quite like it.

zombiemeow · 18/12/2015 09:59

Think. Hope your dd is feeling better soon. I'm like that, when dm has ds I get so tired the next day!

Pyjamar how old is your ds now? Mine was awful with food until around 9 months, just not interested at all now he loves it Smile

We had a really good night Shock ds went to bed very overtired at 7.15, he had two wake ups before I went to bed but got himself back to sleep before I even got to him, then he woke up at 4. I gave him a non spill beaker of water which kept him quiet for about half an hour then it was time to get up. Although 4am is not an ideal wake up time it's such an improvement from waking up anything up to every 30/15 mins.

I'm not expecting much tonight, we've had 1yr injections this morning, and he has about 4/5 teeth ready to cut Shock although he didn't moan much about his first one.

Pyjamaramadrama · 18/12/2015 10:11

He's only 6 months and we've only been at it a couple of weeks so very early days I know. We just thought he'd take really well to it as he was practically grabbing food off our plates. He was really eager the first time but after that it was as though he changed his mind! Thought food is nothing special after all.

Zombie will your ds go back to sleep in your bed? I only ask as my ds seems to wake at 4-5 often and the only way he will go back off is snuggling right up to me in bed. We seem to be getting there bit at a time though and he's spending more and more time in his cot.

zombiemeow · 18/12/2015 10:44

I tried putting him in bed with me and it worked wonders, but after a few days, if I put him in my bed he decides it's time to play and goes crawling off all over the place. He doesnt usually stay still very long Grin

Original poster
Purpleboa · 18/12/2015 10:53

Hi everyone. Think, glad you got a night off. It's good you can do that - if I could do that I'd be trying to get at least a night a week to myself! Are you able to do it more often?

Zombie, that's a good night!

Bad night here. I took over again, and we had hourly wakings till 4 when dh rook over. Sigh. She's had one hour of sleep since then and won't nap now. You know some days are just worse than others? That's today for me.

Tbh I'm not really looking forward to Christmas. It used to be about enjoying myself and resting...but I'll be spending this year not sleeping, hating everyone and not able to drink much. Yeah I know it's baby's first Christmas, magical time and all that but I just can't get excited, sorry.

I just want to press the fast forward button to when my life will get better. I really hope it will!

OP posts:
FretYeNot · 18/12/2015 11:03

Haven't read the entire thread but saw it and wanted to give you all a collective hug. My younger two were shite sleepers. Dd2 was still waking every night when dd3 was born, and then she carried on the tradition. Neither were sleeping through regularly until they started nursery. I tried co-sleeping, controlled crying, even locking the three of us in the bedroom and letting them rampage around the room whilst I slept, knowing that their bedroom was child-safe and I could be woken if need be.

Then they both started nursery and school, and bit by bit it improved. Now they are 12 and 14 and still don't need much sleep. There was much rejoicing the first time they said "It's not bedtime, but I'm tired and I'm going to bed." Hang in there, it gets better xx

Pyjamaramadrama · 18/12/2015 11:05

I know what you mean Zombie and sometimes it's worse trying to battle with them rather than just give in and get up.

Purple are you still trying to get your dd to take a bottle?

Dh friends hired a sleep consultant recently, they did night weaning and controlled crying and apparently the baby sleeps through now. I know not everyone agrees with cc it would be a last resort for me.

zombiemeow · 18/12/2015 13:55

Purple Thanks what's the plan tonight? Carey on with what your doing?

Thanks fret, it's good to hear success stories.

Pyjamar, I'm hoping my sleep consultant doesn't say that, I'm not strong enough to do the cc, but it seems the only thing they will suggest.

Ds is so so over tired right now. Have been trying to get him to nap for the last hour so far but he's just fighting it as usual Sad I'm desperate for a wee.

zombiemeow · 18/12/2015 14:12

Gave up at 1hr 15 mins of trying to get him to nap as the dog was barking at the back door to go for a wee. Serving attempt now Sad he's so tired.

Pyjamaramadrama · 18/12/2015 14:47

Oh Sadbeen there, usually for a motorbike to go past or the neighbour slam the door and wake him up.

zombiemeow · 18/12/2015 14:57

That was meant to say second attempt Grin he's still not giving in. I'm getting closer as there's lots and lots of eye rolling. This is why I can never get that last nap in and I just don't know what to do about it Confused

Nope he's squealing and wriggling again now.

zombiemeow · 18/12/2015 15:32

It's taken well over 2 hours but I did it!!! Ds is taking a nap!!! takes a bow

Pyjamaramadrama · 18/12/2015 16:47

Glad you got him down in the end I hope he managed to get a good sleep and yes a nap schedule only works if they will actually go to sleep within half an hour.

Bugaboom · 18/12/2015 17:11

Applauds zombie Smile
Glad you got a night off think
pyjama my dd suddenly got it at 7 months. We were blw but switched to puree and she much preferred it. More happy with finger foods from about 8/9 months.
purple I hear where you're coming from. We're all poorly, I've had close to a year of no sleep AND my in laws are coming for Christmas. All I want to do is hideout in a hotel on my own. All. On. My. Own.
So poorly dd full of snot is barely eating and back to frequent breastfeeds in day as well as night. But this evening she ate 6 peas. That should see her through the night.Grin