'Sleep is for the Weak' for anyone with August/Sep 06 DC's

[justJAM]

GM, Cruise and anyone else with LO's born around August/September 06' - this is a support thread for when you have no clue as to why your LO is doing the exact opposite to what they were doing last week and when you are thinking WTF????
Post on here and we shall all compare notes and comfort each other!!

Cruise, that's really shit. Poor you. I'm sending you a virtual hug for what it's worth. Is there a chance your DH was also distressed and just dealing with it in the normal arms length way that men do? Just give DS a big kiss in the morning and try and get some sleep yourself. At least he didn't feel abandoned. He had someone with him the whole time. Feel for you I really do.

hi,new to this very long thread,not sure if and where to come in.for 4 years now I've had full nights of blissful sleep(my ds had eczema as a baby,so didnt sleep through til he was 2).had dd2 on 6th sept,so nights have been bit of a shock .She has a bottle at 8.30,then goes down to sleep soundly til 12ish.I find every night so different,some nights ,she can go til 5,others 1,2,3,4,.One things for certain though-wind.she has colossal amounts of wind.Its not bothering her so much now,but maybe it unsettles her?I'm b.f.ing her at night,and I'm being more strict with putting her back in her cot afterwards.,and in the evening,so she can settle herself now even if shes not asleep when I put her down,she will go to sleep.Helps to have that kind of structure from 4 months ,so its easier in the long run.
Having a bit of time in the evening helps too.She hardly sleeps in the day,which seems to exhaust me more!

ginger - well..... ds woke at 12 for bf and then again at 6:50am! I reallllyyyy hope that this is his turning point . He has gone for morning nap now (can't seem to last more than 90 mins in the morning). He seems so much happier today. I have given him sooooo many hugs and kisses. I, of course, woke at 4am and couldn't get back to sleep but I don't care as lo had a decent night. I think tonight, dh will comfort lo from teh cotside. It iwll be hard but there seems little sense in reverting back tonight??????????

Cruise - just catching up with your awful night! Its awful hearing them cry, when are you planning to give bottle at night rather than boob? I think this has kind of chilled my DD out a bit as she realises that she doesn't always need me for food iyswim! Still great news that he slept.

DD was v good last night. Went to bed at 7 after 4oz. She does fall asleep on it but doesn't seem to bother when I put her in cot (this could become a problem though). She woke about midnight, and as I said gave her just 3oz. She then woke at 7.30!!!. Obviously she can sleep through and isn't hungry in night think she has defo been comfort sucking on boob. She never even had that much during the day . She was hungry for her bottle this morning as a result so feel I have made progress. The trick now is to get her to repeat it....

Hope others had a good night too

I too have just had to put dd down for a nap. All that sleep has clearly worn her out

Just to add as well that my friend bf her baby who also woke several times in night. By about 7mths she was determined to stop night feeds as she was back at work. She used to put her ipod on when dd woke crying (to stop her hearing it), and if her dd got really upset her dh would go in. She reckons it was very difficult but after about 5 nights dd would then settle back to sleep without a feed and now sleeps through.

Think this would require nerves of steel and I for one couldn't do it but just thought I'd pass it it on for anyone that has got the nerve to try

Cruise and CC, really glad that your lo's are making progress. Perhaps you could ask them to have a word with mine! She's decided to go without sleep in the daytime. It's becoming a real battle ground and I'm not sure how much more I can take. DH is up there at the moment after we argued about letting her cry. Not sure what's worse tbh. Us shouting next to her cot or letting her cry. Either way, lack of sleep is making this household very touchy.

DD woke at 3pm for bf after waking at 11 for her last feed. Then unsettled 'til 6.30. I've just run out of ideas about what to do and I'm too f@cking knackered to do anything about it anyway. I'm sick of people coming round and cooing about how lovely it is to have a baby when I just want to tell them what a shot time I'm having. (obviously there are good times but they seem to be a lot fewer in number)

Shit? Obviously I mean shit but you knew that eh?

Shit? Obviously I was talking about shot meaning shit. Bonkers!

Ginger - no my dh wasn't distressed he had the fucking nerve to say that dealing with ds's crying was easier than the job he has to do every day and he would rather to this than his job. I commented that he must have a heart of stone then. . I also pionted out that when ds cries other times I have to deal with dd too. He was such a shit that I feel much angst against him today. . I really don't want a repeat of last night - I found it so disturbing but I feel also that if we don't see it through now we will end up doing all this again in a month or so . I do hope that you have a better night ginger. So hard dealing with exhaustion isn't it.

Wow Cruise I cannot BELIEVE your DH said that! At first I thought he might be feeling sorry for himself earlier as he was as stressed as you by the crying so that's why he didn't do something as simple as give you a hug when you asked ... but that theory's blown!!! That would REALLY tick me off. I don't think he has any excuse to use his "stressful" work against yours. Did you know that we're on a temporary move right now? The company located here is the s**t to supply for. DH's company - and so many others - put their people here only for 2-5 year periods, then yank them out (into a promotion) before they develop ulcers. DH is doing his share, so I think the "stressful job" excuse is unbelievably lame. Good outcome is DH handles DS1's rare tantrums like a pro - that's what he deals with every day from the people he's trying to supply.

Ginger, please don't worry. I got that feeling with our first as well ... Young babies are just hard, especially when they're not sleeping!!!

I know now, especially after having this second one, that I'm just not a baby person. Really enjoying DS1 though. The good moments vastly outweigh the bad with DS1, and have for a long time now. You'll see.

Isn't that the worst, when you're given a night to sleep and can't??? I stared to take an over-the-counter sleeping pill for those nights, happened to me once too often!!

DS2 no longer sick (finally, finally) so it's not an "unless he's sleeping, he's crying" scenario anymore ... but he's still not that much fun. He's in that larval stage, like a worm of a wood wasp in its tiny hexagonal cubicle being fed liquid sustenance by the adults. I know from prior experience it'll just get better and better from the time he can sit up on his own, so I'm just waiting it out. Was very relieved when DH reminded me that I didn't much like DS1, either, until he was about 6 months.

Two things that have helped DH & I keep humorous perspective - both times - are sometimes calling the baby a descriptive - not necessarily flattering - nickname, and making him "dance" to background music when it's on - moving his little arms in rapper mode ... try it; it's hilarious.

Still waking at 4:30 every morning for DS2, and really no reason why now, except maybe teething ... when given Tylenol he's back asleep within 10 minutes, but unsure what would happen if he weren't given it; would hate to be giving him meds for nothing.

Hey Cruise, sorry your DH was such a shit. Men are emotionless aren't they? DH was a w@nker today after 2 sleepless (ish) nights. I've had 5 months of it ffs. Sometimes I'd rather he didn't get involved then he's got no excuse to moan about being tired. We argue like mad when he's had to do anything because it winds me up like mad to see him yawning or acting like a wet weekend. I actually find weekends more stressful with him around sometimes because it's one thing coping with your own exhaustion but another to listen to someone, who has no idea what that word means, moan about being knackered.

Thank you so much for your responses to my anxiety over yelling at DS1. They really helped.

I'm going away to visit family for a couple of days so won't be posting. (Just in case you thought I'd finally topped myself after lack of sleep ) Sweet dreams everyone

marls- You ought to be proud of yourself for being so honest. tbh I love babies, always have. Wanted them from around the age of 20 (but waited till 32 and 40 respectively!) but, you are right, they are not much fun and a lot of hard work. my prob is more that I don't like exhaustion and sadly, motherhood comes with a fair dose of that. Also, ds was very whingey today adn that has to be the most aggravating noise known to man. The flip side is that the smile from your baby is hte most glorious, illumination vision you will ever see .
back to dh - he actually said, and I quote, "if you weren't so fucking obsessed with that bloody mumsnet perhaps you wouldn't be so neurotic". My retort was that it is the only place where I can get some real support ....
He can be a proper prick sometimes.
Ginger - feel so sad that you are so badly deprived of sleep. Maybe the time has come for tough love??.....

well we bit the bullet and moved lo into his own room last night : ( he's only 4 1/2 months but I figured he sleeps up there on his own till we go to bed anyway and he is likely to still come into our bed in the night due to exhaustion (mine), and ds1 went into his own room at 6 weeks so we've done well to get this far....ANYWAY he did sleep better, dh fed him bottle of ebm at 1am, took him a long time to get him back to sleep again (only took 1oz - prob wanted boob) but when he did he then slept till 4.45am!!!! he might have gone longer except I was awake from 4am not sleeping well (typical), got up to check on him and go to loo 4.30am. The good news is he took a good feed from me (engorged!) and went back down in cot no problem but woke again 6.45am but that is usual time the house wakes up anyway : ( Trying not to get my hopes up he'll be as good again tonight...

hasn't napped well today though as we haven't been out of house all day and he always sleeps best in buggy like most other los on here. wakes up v quick in cot despite being clearly still tired. got so frustrated I banged my head on the wall today and dh was so shocked : (

also sil has been doing my head in telling me to let him cio and how bfed babies don't need to feed more than 4 hourly ffs!!! as if she's an expert - she's never lasted more than a few days at bfeeding. have not spoken to her since thursday as still fuming!

hope you have good nights with you los and if you don't hope you cope ok...

Cruise - your dh what a sh*t. Hope you had a much better lasr night. Men are quite simply (well in my experience) crap when it comes to babies. My Dh has refrained from his usual idiotic comments/advice since our 4am barney.

Had a good night again just one wake up, gave her 3oz, and she slept through till 7. She is almost 6 mths now and I'm figuring it has more to do with her age than any ff. Plus for some weird reason she has started sleeping a lot better during the day.

Did anyone watch Trial & Retribution last night? I kept crying (baby died/killed) and must have checked on DD a million times. They are so VERY trying at times (especially unsociable times) but so beautiful & precious. Okay sentimental moment over. i hope you all had a better night than usual

cc21 glad you had a good night : )

we had a good night again - fed him 9.30pm (would not settle at 8pm bedtime - think he got some wind so finished his feed too soon and was still hungry). dh gave him 2oz ebm at 1am and he then slept till 4.30am again - yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!! was mega-engorged again but it was worth it and he drank it up at 4.30am and 8am. he has his jabs tomorrow though so hope that doesn't put a spanner in the works...

how was everyone else's night?

my nite was bad . ds settled well at 7:15 but woke 10, 12, 2 (till 3.30) and 6. wtf is going on?????

anyone around today?

I'm popping in and out

DD has just woke from a mammouth 1.5 hours sleep!! She has done this for past couple of days on her own. I just put her down when she looked tired and no crying just straight to sleep .

I'm convinced that as she approaches her 6 mth mark , she is just getting better on her own. It really has just been the past week or so I have noticed a general improvement.

Cruise - How's the weaning going??

Just feeling positive at the mo, and want all you mums with younger babies to see that maybe, just maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Having said this now she is clearly going to be awake tonight on the hour every hour

After 3 weeks of sleeping 11-6.30 (really thought we'd cracked it...) DD started waking earlier and earlier, until last night she was up from 2-3.30 - and I couldn't get back to sleep afterwards grr!

I think she's hungry. She's a big baby - 17lb at 4.5 months - but I don't want to give her solids yet cos she's not even five months let alone six.

Am trying to tank her up in the daytime but there's no way to get her to take a drop more than she fancies (any ideas?)! i have been spoiled these last few weeks but it looks like we're back to the old ways again, at least for a while!

Looks like I'll be joining you all a bit more frequently.

cc - so happy that your lo is settling down. ds is just 5 mths so there is hope for me yet . Glad that naps are good too. I must say that ds's naps are defo more reliable than they once were and usually exceed the previous 30 mins! Mostly 1.5hrs first thing and then another 1hr or so mid morning and then usually another 30 mins or so afternoon which suits my schedule anyway! Shame they are not in his cot but that's another thing......
Weanign is going great! ds loves his food and I have been steaming and pureeing for all I am worth! I didn't kid myself that weaning was going to alter his sleep habits but I was secretly hoping..... No such luck.. I hope for a better night tonight and continued good sleeps for you!

Fleecy - not a clue!!! DD still only eats/drinks exactly what she wants. I did start weaning early, around 5 mths. Not sure it has helped her sleep or not...

Maybe your lo is in middle of a groeth spurt . That used to be my answer to everything, however it doesn't ring true after about 6 weeks

fleecy - sorry to see you have to return but at least you wre able to leave us for a few blissfully restful weeks! Maybe dd is getting hungry? I knwo you want to wait until 6 months but you could try with a small bit of babyrice just to see. My ds is now being weaned at 5 months (21 weeks) and I msut say it would have been unfair of me to have waited (despite being certain I would) as he just loves his solids! He actually starts panting and kicking his chubby legs when his bowl gets near grin]. Hope you have better nights soon...