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Sleep

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Original poster

Leap 6 - sleep getting worse

11 replies

MrsBriteSide · 30/12/2017 09:56

I suppose I’m just looking for a hand hold or a magic cure.

DD is 8 months and since Leap 6 kicked in a week ago, sleep has been going downhill. She goes to sleep between 6pm and 7pm, wakes for a bottle around 10pm and then would sleep through til somewhere between 6.30am and 7.30am. Brilliant!

Now she wakes up whining twice a night and today after moaning on and off since 4.30am, was awake for the day at 5.45am. Writing this down it doesn’t seem that bad but after 2 months of glorious sleep, I’ve clearly become soft.

I’ve done my time of interrupted sleep! The first 5 months were pretty brutal and I thought we’d come out the other side. Making a bottle in the dark this morning I felt so low like I just can’t face doing this again.

OP posts:

crazycatlady5 · 30/12/2017 10:00

Will definitely offer a handhold as month 8 was rough!! There is the 8-10 month sleep regression which was really hard but hang in there it gets better! Without being soppy try to focus on all the fun things your baby is learning and the new things she is doing. It really won’t last for ever. Can you nap when she naps st all?

Original poster

MrsBriteSide · 30/12/2017 10:20

@crazycatlady5 thanks for the support. I can certainly nap when she does. I honed my nap skills during the newborn days. I’m a pro at leaping into bed fully clothed and getting some shut eye. I’m back at work 3 days a week soon so I’m worried about being able to focus when tired as obviously can’t nap at work. Hopefully this won’t last long...

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Original poster

MrsBriteSide · 30/12/2017 10:21

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BorahT · 30/12/2017 10:54

I hear ya! My baby’s sleep has been awful since six months reaching a peak of crappiness at 8 months, now he is 8.5 months and we’ve had a couple of better nights sleep, still waking 4-5 times a night but settling back into his cot much faster. It’s far from perfect and it’s only been a couple of nights so I’m hoping it’s not just a blip and it’s a sign of things to come! Hang in there!

Co sleeping has really helped, I’ve resorted to setting up the cot as a side car on our bed. Also get as much help as you can, I was feeling so rough before Xmas, so cross with my DS all the time I hated the Mum I was becoming ☹️ But as my DH was off work and my mum and sister visited I feel vaguely human as I’ve been able to pass DS to someone else for a few moments and I’ve been able to get some rest!

As Crazycatlady5 says your baby will learn lots of things, my wee man has started commando crawling, babbling dada dada and playing games like peekaboo, and this has only happened in the last 2 weeks, it’s great!

Original poster

MrsBriteSide · 30/12/2017 11:04

@boraht thanks for the solidarity!

Yes it’s amazing watching her learn. She’s babbling loads, doing pretty well with weaning and her pincer grip is coming on great.

Christmas has been good because there’s been loads of family to entertain her while I’ve had a nice sit down with a glass of wine. Then I feel bad for enjoying passing her off to people!

I can’t quite bear the thought of moving her back into our bedroom. I did a bit of co-sleeping when she was about 3 months as she’d breastfeed on and off from 4am and I couldn’t hack getting up and down. However, it did my back in and I couldn’t fully relax with her there so worked hard at getting her to sleep in her own bed.

I need to remember my own advice that every day is different and tonight she might sleep through! It’s just extra hard to be positive with the dark winter mornings.

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Original poster

MrsBriteSide · 31/12/2017 07:00

Ugh up for the day at 5.45am again today. She only drank 3oz of milk as well so it’s not like she’s waking up really hungry!

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Candyfloss1122 · 31/12/2017 07:15

My advice...stop looking at that bloody app, all tndoes is make everything feel and seem worse. Babies go in and out of phases all the time, if you have a good routine which it sounds like you do, then keep everything the same and roll with the punches, it'll soon go back to where it was.

My dd was down to waking once at 3amish by around 8 months, and then went back to 2 feeds, at 11 months we are averaging 1 again. If I looked at the app I'm sure I would be able to attribute it to a "leap"...but it wouldn't change anything.

Original poster

MrsBriteSide · 31/12/2017 09:18

@candyfloss1122 you might be on to something there. I find it interesting to read where she is at developmentally but the fussy phases of the leaps perhaps make me read too much into stuff. Despite the early start she slept pretty good last night. Asleep by 7pm, woke for bottle at 10pm and I had to pop her dummy in at 3.30am. Could be worse. Still would’ve liked a lie in though...

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Candyfloss1122 · 31/12/2017 09:32

@mrsbriteside...I stopped reading that stuff around the 4 month mark, it makes you anticipate more challenging behaviour, which is demotivating.

Just roll with the punches and repeat "it's just a phase"...as quickly as it started it will be back to normal.

Original poster

MrsBriteSide · 31/12/2017 09:52

@candyfloss1122 sound advice, thank you. I’m generally a roll with the punches kind of person but seem to have lost it just recently! I think the dark mornings have made it especially hard to stay positive.

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Candyfloss1122 · 31/12/2017 09:55

@mrsbriteside I think it's very easy to get caught up in that kind of stuff, so don't beat yourself up. I think you might find things easier if you just let go and realise that baby sleep has good week and bad weeks.

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