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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:
starfish12 · 11/12/2015 18:27

You are definitely not a shit mum zombie, agree with what bugaboo said. When you are feeling crap it's so easy to swing back to 'everything is shit mode'. I bet you have some lovely moments during the day with your DS.... just hang on to those! Go and have wine ahead of the first wake up!! I'm itching to have one Grin

thinkfast · 11/12/2015 18:48

Zombie and purple sounds like we had similar nights. We are also around the 6 month mark

DD slept 7 til 1 last night which is unheard of - but I was put at a work do so got not benefit from it. But woke up at 1 and did not go back to sleep til 6am. Of course ds came in at 6.45 wanting breakfast.

Simply beyond tired here and in such a foul temper from being so tired

Wishing everyone luck for tonight!

zombiemeow · 11/12/2015 18:57

Starfish, the wine is chilling in the car Grintis colder than the fridge in there

Think, hope you have a better night tonight.

Good luck everyone!

Lilipot15 · 11/12/2015 19:07

I'll join in please. Since I recently had a thread about how to stop feeding to sleep and deciding that cosleeping was okay and working, DD2 (6 months) spent 3 hours last night thrashing about in bed next to me, biting me instead of sucking and generally being "hyper". Not the calm, drift off to feed situation we have had.
Wonder week I think. I'm so tired I'm grumpy with DH.
Separation anxiety also rearing its head so he can't help much as it's me she's presently most attached to.
If she could learn to sleep she'd be a really easy baby Grin

Bugaboom · 11/12/2015 19:17

So I decided tonight to try not to feed to sleep. But after 20 minutes of pacing, rocking and cuddling my back is killing and my ds (3) is downstairs being completely ignored. Probably silly to pick a night when dh isn't here but he's not here most nights for bedtime. Aargh. I'm just feeding her now. My wine is in fridge Smile

Original poster
Purpleboa · 11/12/2015 19:56

What everyone else said Zombie...you are so not a shit mum. In fact you're an amazing mum to deal with all this and still function!

I have thought about seeing the GP but I think it's down to wonder week and just a difficult age. Health visitor is coming out next week so will see what she thinks, if things are still bad.

Despite the bad night, I went ahead with my plans today and am so glad I did. It's a small thing, but it feels like giving two fingers up to the situation: I can still function and enjoy my life! Although I had to pull out of the work Christmas do, I made it along to the office pre do drinks, and had a really lovely time. Enjoyed catching up on the gossip and some prosecco. Had DD with me but she was on full charm offensive and seemed to enjoy it.

I.now feel a bit sick (although didn't have much, am just a lightweight!) but it was worth it! Feeding DD now, and wondering what kind of night we have ahead of us. Fingers crossed for good nights for us all!

OP posts:
Original poster
Purpleboa · 11/12/2015 19:58

Oh and my DD is 2 weeks shy of six months Bugaboo.

OP posts:
zombiemeow · 11/12/2015 20:05

Bugaboom hope she drifts off to sleep quickly for you!

Purple, I think it helps to go out, sounds like you had a good time.

Have cracked the wine open!!!

thinkfast · 11/12/2015 20:09

20 minutes the first wake up here!!! My dinner is cooling rapidly downstairs

So tempted to blow some of my savings on a sleep trainer except I feel sure it wouldn't work and she just needs to grow out of it

Taranta · 11/12/2015 20:23

Just been reading this thread (as I sit in the dark bfeeding DS2 hoping he'll go into deep sleep mode soon so I can effect a transfer to cot as I'm blimmin' starving and can smell the fish and chip takeaway DH has just brought home...).
It's brought back all the memories of DS1, now 4.5 yrs, who never bloody slept when he was younger. And he was/is CMPI - there is definitely a link there with tummy discomfort and poor sleep. Alas though DS1 is just a bad sleepe, or rather he doesn't need the sleep other children do! He slept through the night for the first time when he was 2, and still wakes at 5.30am every morning bright and breezy. Sorry that's probably not what you wanted to hear, but the time did pass and the sleep improved - and then we decided to have another one Confused...

starfish12 · 11/12/2015 20:27

Drinking Wine now Grin

zombiemeow · 11/12/2015 20:37

Thinkfast I kept thinking that. I was getting so stressed about it all family even offered to all chip in towards seeing someone in the hope that it helped but I just couldn't bear to spend all that money for it not to work or to be told to do cc. I was hoping for a miracle with this sleep consultant but from the sounds of it they will be a bit useless.

Taranta it's good to hear (almost) success stories. Enjoy your chippy! I keep moaning to dm that most babies sleep 7-7 at ds age, I guess some just don't.

Starfish wine] I shall join you! Definitely not on my second glass already

thinkfast · 11/12/2015 21:33

Turns out dd is constipated. We started weaning a few days ago and it's not agreeing with her tummy. She eventually managed to push out some v hard poos in the bath which I now have to clean and I've given her some water and she's gone to sleep. I very strongly believe cmpi has a role to play in this

Bugaboom · 11/12/2015 21:52

She did drift off zombie and I found ds fast asleep on sofa so just put him into his bed and grabbed a glass of wine. Now dd is on her first feed of the night. Sigh.
purple I agree that going ahead with plans is a good thing. If I have a quiet day at home after a bad night I often end up feeling quite low. Distraction definitely helps.

DixieNormas · 11/12/2015 22:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Purpleboa · 12/12/2015 01:17

...and we're on our second waking, although she's been that difficult to settle, she's spent more time awake than asleep! Waking up crying and moaning, it's so unlike her, I'm worried. Doubt she'll go down after this feed. I'm so tired.

OP posts:
Bugaboom · 12/12/2015 02:35

I'm feeling your pain purple. Third night feed here but it's been going on for 45 minutes. Not helped by three year old waking and complaining of feeling unwell. Throw in a pissed DH home from his work drinks who is passed out snoring! Currently in the small double with both children. Right back to googling "night weaning"...

zombiemeow · 12/12/2015 06:22

Well we had two night wake ups which is really good so maybe he is improving, but he woke up at 4.30, screamed until I got up wine was a bad idea. Now he's exhausted but really fighting sleep. He won't stop wriggling/kicking/pinching/shouting.

zombiemeow · 12/12/2015 06:23

Bugaboom ThanksWineCakeBrew

Lilipot15 · 12/12/2015 07:26

I lost count of the number of night wakings but the worst one last best part of four hours. She's seem to sleep then start crying, pinching, rolling, biting. Full of beans this morning. Me, not so much!

3sugarsplease · 12/12/2015 07:37

Pulling up a chair....

DS Is 21 weeks. Up every 30 mins last night.. I didn't know this level of exhaustion existed...

He's always been a terrible sleeper and has only just started napping during the day. He's exclusively breast fed, has reflux which my doctor refuses to help with apart from gaviscon Hmmhe kicks his legs continuously throughout the night. I've given up dairy for the last 2 weeks to see if it helps and so far it hasn't.

starfish12 · 12/12/2015 08:04

Usual night here of x4 wakeups - not too bad but would love more than a 2 hr stretch of sleep.

thinkfast - we are also cmpi and I thought the exact same thing re weaning. We had an awful night to start with where he was awake 2 hrs writhing in pain from his tummy, however 2 weeks in I honestly think he's doing better on food than just milk. I give water with every meal to help things move along! Think it's just their digestive system getting used to processing food. It's horrible though isn't it as you just get so paranoid about things flaring up their symptoms...

How was the rest of the night bugaboom?

I agree with Dixie - i think all we can do as mums is to encourage new habits and to recognise when they are receptive to trying them and when they aren't... and in the meantime try not to lose our marbles!

Am so excited for lunchtime as DH is going to have DS2 in the sling for his nap whilst DS1 sleeps meaning I can have 2 hrs to myself - wooooooo hoo!!!

Bugaboom · 12/12/2015 08:54

zombie those early starts are so hard. My ds got up at 5am for about 18 months.
I used to get to work for 9 and feel like it was lunch time.
My night was just ridiculous! Had to get dh up in the end to take ds. I have no idea what time we finally got back to sleep as I managed to drop my phone. My dd just treats me like an all night milk bar. I really want to wean when she's one but she's an addict!
Lilipot mine are also full of beans
3 sugars my ds improved a lot with solids. I didn't find gaviscon much help.
starfish enjoy your two hours Smile

3sugarsplease · 12/12/2015 09:08

Bugaboom DS treats me like a 24/7 buffet. He's nearly sitting up unaided so I reckon another 3/4 weeks we will start weaning. Fingers crossed it helps!

zombiemeow · 12/12/2015 10:22

3sugars I would demand something else from the Drs for reflux to see if that helps. How are his poos? There's a question I never thought I'd ask. Because when ds was put on gaviscon he became even worse at night, turns out it really bungs them up so he was more uncomfortable than he was in the first place.

Starfish enjoy your nap! Ds has just dropped off so I am going to attempt to put him in his cot and get a few mins kip myself!

Bugaboom how old is dd now?