'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!!

tibsy - sounds like you had a successful night! my ds, after a disasterous beginning to our evening, slept from 9:15pm - 10pm and then woke at 5:35am!!! That's 7.5hrs straight!! . Didn't do anything different. Am praying he is getting the message

Tibsy - doesn't matter after all to me anyway; we're not going to use it for this purpose - presumably used to make babies sleep - Google it.

Another crap night for DH, following night before last which was equally bad "You'd have been miserable" said DH this morning. You'd have been up since 2" I have insomnia. Only takes him 2 minutes to fall back asleep; can take me 2 hours. That's why DH does nights.

This is unacceptable!!! He's 5 months frigging old, for Pete's sake!!!!! Hell. I'm pulling out the Ezzo again. We have a copy. It only covers up until 2 months old(that's how behind DS2 is on this) but Crap. I HAVE TO find something that will work here. This is not sustainable - there are no physical excuses for this. His stomach is more than big enough to last 10 hours at night!!!! Medically absolutely true!!! As he's getting older he'll only be harder and harder to train. AAAGGGH!!! It was NEVER like this with DS1.

From now we're going to be following Ezzo religiously. I have a highlighter & a tiny bit of extra time am not afraid to use it!!! May take up to 3 weeks (b/c DS2's so old now) to see results (if we're even going to see any). Will let y'all know how it goes. CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

marls - so so sorry things are dreadful . what is ezzo?

We had a bad night too. DD had third set of jabs on Monday and is still a bit off colour today - I'd read it could last up to 48hrs but she didn't react to the first two lots so I was a bit surprised.

She's been sleeping in her own room for months now but last night I did give up and took her into our bed. Dh slept soundly but I could only doze as i was very conscious of dd being beside me and didn't want to roll on top of her! Still, dozing beats being up for hours in her bedroom. Just hope it's not a slippery slope and we don't undo all the hard work we've done getting her to sleep in her own room!

Cruise - fingers crossed for another good night. 7.5 hours - wow!

I'm a bit more composed than I was earlier today.

Ezzo as in Gary Ezzo, author of "Becoming Babywise."

DH was the one who brought it up - thinks the only thing we can improve at this point is to put DS2 on a strict day schedule, a la "Babywise." So ... DS2 will feed at 5:30am (or when he wakes), 9:30am, 1:30pm, 5:30pm, and 9:30pm. He'd better take full feedings b/c those are the only times he'll be fed. When solids are introduced they'll be added only at those times of the day. He will take two strictly scheduled naps of no more than 2 hours each. Today is the first day of all this, so following the food schedule exactly, but letting the naps fall where they may (as he's so tired!!). Will wake him after an hour and a half nap this morning, then will let him go 2 hours somewhere I hope between 1:30 and 5:30 feedings rather than 5:30 & 9:30pm, but we'll see what he does. I'll have to tweak the naps over time to work for him.

That's it. Don't expect him to sleep through tonight necessarily, but after a week of this we should be seeing some improvement - I HOPE!!!!!

Ezzo's book is rife with implications of baby's not sleeping through the night at this age - it's about him, mostly, not about our sleep deprivation - higher IQ over time with good sleep, better self-esteem over time due to continuity, etc. etc. Sigh. Sigh. We'll just see if this works

marls - I wish you luck . How did your lo take to the scheduled feedings?

cruisemum1, congratulations!!!! lets hope its the start of something good have just put dd down (7.20pm)and she wasnt too happy, so will see what tonight brings
fleecy, sorry to hear your lo is feeling off colour, apparently they can also get a reaction 10 days afterwards, incubation period or something. dont know how true that is, cant say i've noticed anything with mine. just that it might be a reason if dd becomes a bit restless later on.
marls,wish i could get mine to nap for 2 hours, she only has 3 x 1/2 hour naps at the most!

evenin' ladies. I went to stay with my mother for a couple of days so haven't checked in and there are so many posts that I haven't the time to single any of them out but hello to newcomers and those rejoining.

For anyone that's read this thread through will be aware that my DD is a terrible sleeper. Well, the last couple of days at my mothers have been BRILLIANT. First night, she went to bed at 7 and woke for dummy a couple of times then for feed at 11pm. Back to sleep immediately 'til 4.30 (awake for a while here as did dirty nappy) but back to sleep without a fuss til 7. Last night. Bed at 6.30 and not a peep 'til 12! (WTF?) then quick feed and straight down 'til 4.45, awake for a little while again down to a dirty nappy but back down til 6.45. Now for the uninitiated that would sound terrible but believe me, I'm over the moon. Now it could have been that we were co sleeping in a single bed so she obviously had me close by but I don't care I got a bit of sleep. We've returned home today and she's already woken twice from being put down at 6.30 so who knows, probably back to square one tonight. Still, I was dancing a friggin' jig this morning. She can do it. Hope everyone's OK. Sleep tight tonight and wish me luck

This week has been awful,as dd seems to be getting in2 waking every night at 12,then being really unsettled all night,in bed,and on/off boob.Maybe its the weather,but I feel like a zombie,coz up until now,she hasn't been too bad.Maybe she's hungry,I just know that I can't function efficiently .wot to do,I don't know?!

This week has been awful,as dd seems to be getting in2 waking every night at 12,then being really unsettled all night,in bed,and on/off boob.Maybe its the weather,but I feel like a zombie,coz up until now,she hasn't been too bad.Maybe she's hungry,I just know that I can't function efficiently .wot to do,I don't know?!

tibsy,know how u feel,my lo only has 20-30 min naps in day to.Thats why my posts are so short!

hi everyone

well lo had his jabs yesterday and already had a cold so has been pretty miserable ever since however the upside is that he is sleeping for england at the moment - glad the poor fella is sleeping it off and even more glad for me - last night I left a bottle of ebm out for dh and went to bed and woke to lo crying at 3.30am and asked dh if he had had his bottle and he said no - he had slept through from 8pm to 3.30, thats 7.5 hours the longest he has ever gone ! he has been sleeping most of the day though so will see what tonight will bring...

btw has anyone tried putting baby to sleep on their side? I know you're not supposed to and can't remember if I've mentioned that on here on not but it was a revelation to me - lo went from not napping at all unless in car/buggy/swing to actually napping in cot. with a rolled up towel each side obviously to prevent him rolling onto his front. he won't sleep any other way, I have tried. but I figure he'll soon be mobile then he'll be able to sleep any way he wants. side and tummy positions are supposed to tune into their calming reflex and lying on their back can stimulate their falling reflex which is why some babies don't like it. just my two penneth...

marls - On the subject of Medised, I wouldn't give it unless you think your LO is in pain in some way. I think my night from hell on Monday night ( 1 hour uninterrupted sleep ) was due to DD getting a cold. She's in the throes of it now. The Medised helps clear the nasal passages and promotes restful sleep with a cold.
tibsy - no teeth here yet either! Just a gummy smile

We had a good night last night. She woke up at 12.30 and 5.30am and both times she took the dummy and went straight back to sleep. Strange to think that's my defn of a good night!

Wishing you and your babies a night of deep sleep..

MammyT
We can't get Medised in US. Tylenol Cold is the same thing though & we always only use it when he has a cold, never otherwise.

Kiera - That's good info. We may try it!

Ginger - Good luck!

Easy to get LO to wait 4 hrs between feedings today except for the 5:30 pm ... perhaps b/c he was at gym creche for 1:30 feed & they may not have fed him enough? Just took 10 oz at 5 (I couldn't wait).

Morning ladies. Hope you have all had a restful and sleep-plentiful night

I haven't posted fpr a few days because...my dd has slept through the past 3 nights I'm talking 7 till 7. Two of the nights she woke but I put her dummy in rather than feed her and then not a peep till the morning. She has shot herself in the foot now, as I know she isn't waking from hunger!

I'd love to know why this has happened and where I'd been going wrong all these weeks. I think it is a combination of her age (now 25 weeks, nearly a magical 6 mths), the fact we have started weaning and the fact that she is no longer b/f, therefore she isn't getting a comfort feed! Why would you want to wake to suck on plastic I truly hope I haven't spoken too soon

Anyway, I'm off now hoping I just need to just pop in to see how you are all doing. This thread is brill and has been sooo supportive {{{{{big hugs to all you wonderful mummies}}}}}

morning ladies!! looks like things are on the up?!
kiera funny that, always used to put dd on her side when she was a newborn and she loved it!! dont know why i stopped...
ginger, lets hope last night was as good as at your moms.
mammyt when will they appear? touch wood they dont seem to be bothering her at night.
cc21 there is hope!!
redbeki is your dd exclusively breast fed? does that make a difference?
our night was not too bad, bed at 7.20, woke briefly at 7.50 then down til 12.30 for quick feed, then again at 4.45, then up for the day at 6.50am. not too shabby!!!
hope everyone else was able to get a good night......

Hey guys, reasonable night here. Aoke and fed at 9.30, 1.30 and 5.50 and settled reasonably quickly (with exception of 1.30 when a nappy change and dummy were needed.) still, feels like progress.

Marls, are you bf or ff? Reason I ask is because I'm bf and DD probably feeds on average every 2-3 hours during the day and every 4 ish at night. Sometimes during the day she feeds for 5 mins, others 15. I know that the foremilk in breast milk is watery so is a thirst quencher but in formula this isn't he case. If you're ff, have you tried offering some water incase he's thirsty? I know I eat and drink more frequently than every 4 hours so maybe he genuinely needs to. Maybe I'm naive, I don't understand how to formula feed and am dreading progressing onto it because I haven't got a clue.

Anyway, I have to dash. We've got tons of snow and I need to go out. Typical.

for those having a rough time and who are seeing some improvement. cc. But you deserve it. Can you bottle it and send it to me please?

Hi Ginger - since BF contributed greatly to my depression with DS1, DS2 just got the colostrum and then we went straight to FF. It has been much easier for me to FF than to BF. Although I don't think it's thirst, we will go ahead next time he wakes & see what a bit of water does (will tell DH), just in case. Thanks for the suggestion.

First night after Babywise scheduling, DS2 slept from 9:30 feeding straight through until 5 am (not as good as yours, cc, but I'll take it!! ). DS2 (and DH) happy and smile-y this morning. Book says average to "sleep through," utilizing Babywise's day scheduling method, is 3 to 5 days. One night to me is not success. Watching and waiting.

I'd just written a long and wise thread and then lost it! Anyway, I was symapthising with your depression Marls. I sometimes have days where I feel really low, raincloud rather than the full blown storm tho. It must be awful, especially as you're expected to be happy and enjoying being a mummy when you've just had a baby. It just isn't always that easy is it? I found breast feeding so hard and was in absolute agony for about 6 weeks but guilt stopped me giving up. (I'm glad I didn't because now it's fine and it's so much easier than thinking about bottles, i'm just so lazy) I hate the way us women are made to feel like serial killers if we don't breastfeed though. Just at the time when you're your most vulnerable emotionally the pressure is piled on)

Anyway, my lo has gone to bed and so far, not a peep. Here's to a good long stretch of uninterupted sleep.

Where's Cruise? Don't tell me her DS has slept and she doesn't need us anymore

Just as things pick up for most on this thread, my DD is getting WORSE. For the first time EVER, we brought her into our bed in desperation. A few cuddles later and she was asleep. We can't do that again though.

She's really waking up screaming these nights and takes ages to settle. We're going away for the weekend to a hotel and really hope she behaves at least like she used to (waking up every 1.5 hrs for a dummy). I'd settle for that this weekend, believe it or not!

I hope it's the cold that is causing all our problems at the moment..

cc - you are one VERY lucky woman!!

re the medised - just to make clear I was not suggesting it as a way to get lo to sleep but just that the added benefit is that they sleep better if given when they have a cold. I wouldn't give it to my lo unless he had a cold. otherwise if poorly he gets calpol.

cc21 - fab news, you are giving us all hope lol!

ginger - ditto the feelings about bf, I gave up bfeeding ds1 on the advice of my GP (!!!) as was stressed out, was the worst thing I could have done and always felt guilt about it. this time I was really determined and after the initial 6-8 week chained-to-the-sofa-in-pain bit I am really enjoying it and am finding it much easier and more convenient than bottles. also a good excuse to eat chocolate lol!

well I am in a dilemma atm as dh has been giving first feed (bottle of ebm) around 12/1/2 (his first stretch of sleep is the longest) then I bfeed about 2 hours later when he wakes again. dh has suggested giving lo dream feed when we go to bed in the hope that he will go longer but judging by what I have read on these boards it's not always successful...

second dilemma is that lo has been draining all ebm dh is giving him at first feed - first it was 1/2 oz then 2oz then 3oz then 4oz, basically draining whatever is in bottle and still waking 2 hours later for bfeed. but I can't get more than 4oz out of my boobs before bed and don't have time to express in day (busy with lo and ds1). we could try giving him ff but feel a bit anxious about it as don't want it to affect my milk supply and am scared it could be the beginning of the end iyswim. although having said that i go back to work 1 day a week next week and if I can't express enough to satisfy lo then he will have to have formula no offence to those out there who are ffeeding.

thoughts anyone?

ginger - you made me feel so wanted by askineg where I was . ACtually, I have had a couple of good nights . last night ds was asleep at 8:15, woke for 10min suck at 11:35 and then nothing till 7:45am!!!
Night before he woke once at 10:45 and then nothing till 5:30am, fed and back to sleep till 7am
But....he has been a bugger this evening though. Did not settle and repeatedly had to offer boob between 7:15pm and 9:00pm which made dd feel very displaced and neglected.
Off to bed now as I am ont convinced that things will stay this good
Soooo glad that we are shapign up a little on this thread. Shall we start a new one with renewed hope?
marls - sending you loads of love and support for happy days. Really really do feel for you

btw - I have frequently checked in on you all and really found so much support and cyber-friendship on this thread. I couldn't bear to leave even if things were resolved!

That's fantastic Cruise. I'm delighted for you. 7.45? Did you manage to sleep or were you up every hour checking that he was still breathing?

My lo wasn't bad last night. She was fed at 10.30 and woke at 12.30 so I gave her her dummy and then nothing until 3.30. I tried to feed her but she didn't take much, was more interested in talking so I laid her back in her cot and she eventually went back to sleep until 6.45. I think things are looking up. I actually think she might have had a bit of a sore tummy too as both DH and I have and she's been restless all morning and decided she won't nap today so maybe things would have been even better!!

I agree, this thread has been a great support. If I've had a rough night and DH has been a shit I look forward to checking in and getting comfort in the fact that I'm not the only one feeling crap.

Kiera, with regards to dream feed, we would always wake DD at about 10.30 for her last feed if she hasn't already woken otherwise I'd probably be getting back up after an hour of going to bed. That was the theory and for the most part it works. Have you tried offering him more during the day too? I feel like I'm constantly offering DD boob during the day. I try and get her to feed frequently between 4 and when she goes to bed. If you're happy offering formula then go for it. If you'd rather continue exclusive bf then you might just have to ride it out. How about you feeding him for a couple of nights rather that expressing? You might find he can take more than you can express.

MammyT, if taking your lo into bed gets you some shut eye then do it. I do sometimes when I'm too tired to even pick her up and it's fine. There are some people on here that co-sleep with their lo's all the time and I'm sure they're not doing it when they're teenagers so I wouldn't worry about it becoming a habbit. Hope the weekend is good for you.

Marls, how did last night go?

hi everyone, cruisemum1, glad to hear that you've been having better nights ginger, yours sounded very good too
marls, hope you have a good day today, its horrid feeling low and knowing that you have to get on with daily life. after reading your post, re. scheduled feedings and not feeding through the night (did i get that right?), i decided to try something else when dd woke first last night. she had been on the boob ALL day, and had solids as well so i knew she must have had a fair amount of calories so when she woke at 11.20, i brought her into to bed with me and cuddled her back to sleep. she didnt wake then til 4.20am. so i thank you for that
i agree with you mammyt, i dont want to get into co sleeping again, but sometimes, its the best thing to do. i did it a lot initially out of sheer exhaustion, but i dont sleep too well with her in bed as she sleeps like a starfish!!!
big hugs for a good day and restful, sleep fulfilled night for all
i agree, although joining this post late, i have found a lot of advice and comfort from it, even just reading through your old messages xx