The great non-sleepers - the sequel

[Jellybean2017]

New thread!

@actino glad youve found the cause. I'd make sure you were expressing from that boob, even if you throw it away? Or did they say it was best to leave it to heal?

@NinaMarieP no I haven't, but agree you should self refer to physio. Don't mess about with things like your coccyx because it's bloody painful - but you know that. So that tomorrow so you're on the list!

@WhoAteAllthePercyPigs it's infuriating isn't it. They just don't get it. Dh sleeps on the sofa (at least I get a bed) but Tuesday night, for example) I had ds from 8pm up here so he could have slept 12 hours if he wanted to. I'm so annoyed I will have to talk to him in the morning. Ggrrrr.

Hi @user1489931797 welcome to the club. I see you qualify for entry, you poor thing. Do you use sleeping bags? I think they are great and saves the whole warming the bed thing.

Well it's feed #3 after a ONE HOUR sleep. Seriously. What did I do to the males in the house to deserve this torture. I'm sure they are in it together.

@user, I found that having options helped, as where Dd was willing to sleep changed nightly. She's in her co.sleeper cot now every night, but for a few weeks I had to trial and error these options: Moses basket, co sleeper cot, my chest, co sleeping in bed with me.

@user1489931797 it's a parent choice, but an informed one. No one will ever say that sleepyheads are completely safe because of the recent publicity of similar items, but the publicity was centred more around wedges and other stuff people out in the cotbed with the baby. Sleepyheads were included in the publicity but of everything, they are the safest as they have breathable fabric. So if baby slept with face up against it, s/he could still breathe effectively. That said, the advice will always be to have nothing in the cotbed with the baby as that is the safest.

I don't have a sleepyhead, I nearly got one but it was just as all this publicity came out so went off the idea. Actually, I probably would buy one now but Ds is a bit older so I think I'm probably past use. He sleeps ok in the Snüzpod.

Some parents swear by sleepyhead, others wouldn't go near it and some don't even know about it.

I'd say that whatever works. And if it stops you from getting hallucinations then that can't be a bad thing?! But it always has to be parents choice.

@actino it does seem trial and error for most things is the best way to go shame all babies are different when it comes to feeding and sleeping so far tried next to me cot, carry cot from pram and Moses basket and try these each night and for daytime naps for a few days -a week each to no avail

Have tried consleeping yet not sure how to do it the right way and it scares me any advice?

@HashtagTired hi!!!

No not tried the sleep bag this was one of the many things the midwives said to steer clear of don't understand why though any advice/ info on them I understand they have different thicknesses correct?

@hashtagtired, my hv recommended that I express and feed it to her if the nipple isn't bleeding and milk isn't discoloured, so that's what I'm doing. The only milk I've had to throw out is what I pumped while we were driving up the m6 earlier today (because pump and bottle hadn't been cleaned).

I'm currently wide awake listening to Dd sleep peacefully.

Thanks @HashtagTired I think that's more thread of thought on the use of them too I guess it's about weighing up orion's/info and then my feelings on it.
But I'm getting desperate!

Welcome @user, my ds is 7 weeks old so ours are close in age. I too am finding breastfeeding and sleep challenging!
@HashtagTired I bet you can't wait to get your new bed delivered. Sorry to hear your dp is being an arse.
@actino - that must have been so scary but glad your lo is okay.
I'm trying to think if ive forgotten anyone, I probably have- Sorry peeps my memory is shite..
Hv came today. I told her that I have been close to giving up on breastfeeding as ds feeds so often that I can hardly do anything but sit on the settee and feed him... first she put it down to grow spurt but then she saw him feeding and could see his shallow latch and he started squirming and fussing, pulling my nipple and spitting it out and she suggested that we have him checked for tongue tie. I mentioned that I had thought about expressing and give up breastfeeding but she recommended checking tongue tie first. She will phone on 2 weeks time to see how we're doing. Ds is now 4.5 kg (on 11 December he was 3.7kg) so I'm pleased with that.
Fell asleep on settee with ds from 12-1am and then got him in his cot and we slept until 3am. Still feeding him. He screamed the house down when I changed his nappy (he always does) - he had done another huge poo. Hoping he grows out of this..

Hi "user* my DS2 was the same at six weeks, we used a sleepyhead, tried co sleeping (too terrifying with my DH whole thrashes about) and using the carry cot from the pram. Eventually, after much perseverance he got it around 10 weeks. I would definitely say go for a sleeping bag, they are so much easier than blankets and the little blighters can't kick them off then get cold. Friends who swaddle also swear by it so could be worth a try

I've just done feed no.4 - just over one hour after the last one, I'm joining the club!. DS2 wouldn't settle after so have done anbesol and a bit more feeding but I can hear DS1 awake now so that's the night over for me

How was it for the rest of you?

Ugh,tired typing fail - hi user waves

Thanks @Catscatsandmorecats appreciate your thoughts/suggestions can't imagine thinks changing in 4weeks but need to power through and try and see light at the end of the tunnel

DS been sleeping and feeding alternately now since 2am still in my arms

Starting to lag my last coffee was 5hrs ago I try to have no more than 3 in 24hrs and stick to water but as each week passes getting more and more difficult!

Waiting for my mum to get up in about half an hour to sort a formula top up whilst I change him then finish by comfort suckling in the breast to fall asleep again then hopefully can hand him over at 7:30am and I can get a 2hr nap in ready to start the day

I've actually seen the physio at 3.5m post delivery!! I was there for a review after having an episiotomy AND a 3c tear and I mentioned my tailbone hurt but she didn't say anything about it.

I have a follow up appointment in mid February (I think) because I was still having some minor continence issues then. I had thought about cancelling because they've cleared up but maybe I should just keep it but try to make the appointment about my tailbone?

@user1489931797 we never had that big s problem at night but we couldn't put LO down to sleep during the day at first. Our health visitor suggested white noise and I also started swaddling (with thin cotton Velcro things that still allowed his knees to frog-leg out). It wasn't always a success but it did help a lot, getting him to sleep was far easier and we could generally put him down at least once or twice a day for 60-90 minutes.

I also started cosleeping at the roughest times. That was especially good during cluster feeds when I couldn't keep my eyes open and it wouldn't have been safe to air up and hold him.

Oh and I've never heard of sleeping bags being against the 'rules' except for babies under a certain weight. You need to make sure their head can't fit through the neck hole. We transitioned to sleeping bags when he outgrew his swaddles. (We we're squeezing him into 0-3m ones at 4.5m...)

@NinaMarieP yeah several midwives throughout the day on the ward after giving birth we're earning me on : use of sleeping bags, said not to swaddle and deterred me from using a dummy!

Can't believe I forgot the dummy! Dummies are fine once breastfeeding is established. I waited until he was 4.5 weeks and my health visitor gave me a huge thumbs up.

Well I've seen every hour tonight, probably had 20-30 mins blocks throughout the night if you include resettling and trying to fall asleep

@NinaMarieP yes same health visitor at 5weeks could see I was on my knees from constant Bf whether for food or comfort and said ok to do a night formula top up and use a dummy to help soothe.

Tried both formula doesn't give me respite as straight away after finishing it wants me again and isn't interested in the dummy at all!

@Nina you poor thing! How do you have an episiotomy and a 3rd degree tear as well? :(

DD slept like a log... only woke up 1 or twice and it was me that couldn't sleep!!! Sod's law

@ninamariep sounds like a great idea to use that appointment, having trouble sitting can be no fun.

@meepmoop that sounds an awful long night

DH took DS1 downstairs so I tried to get some more sleep, I nodded off for 5 mins, had a nightmare about us all being in a plane crash then DS2 woke himself doing a massive poo. So no break for me and I have both kids all day the iPad is already in use

@user1489931797 some might say that sleeping bags are safer than blankets because they can't kick or pull them over their faces. Not sure how they could be unsafe, unless they have concerns about over heating. Get a thermometer for your room then follow the grobag advice. We use mothercare ones because they are half the price of grobag. Having owned both, I can honestly say I can't tell the difference in quality.

welcome @user1489931797
I agree it's trial and error and every baby is different. for me I also found a sleeping bag to be helpful as it meant ds stayed warm and wasn't going back to a cold bed. I wonder if the advice against them was due to fit and overheating concerns ?? I did find ds too small at first for most generic sleeping bags but would highly recommend the grosnug from the gro company. it's made for newborns and also has the effect of a swaddle but is safe of the hips etc. gro also supply a thermometer and advice re dressing baby for each temp to ensure baby is at right temp.

ds would never take a dummy but many people also swear by them.

@Catscatsandmorecats good luck for today. You've just reminded me I need to charge the iPad ready for after school. She'll be wired after her first day back.

Dh is up with dd and I'll need to get up and dressed to walk her to school in 30 mins. Ds is fast asleep in bed next to me. I had to get a bottle as my boobs are a bit sore from him constantly feeding from 5am.

So, a bad night here.
Was rudely woken up for first feed at 23:30, then 2am, 3am (included nappy change), 4am. 5am was the first cosleeping feed, through to 7:30.

Dd has just come in to tell me it's time to get up. Shes right. Must move. Just 2 more minutes.

Foreceps delivery @AMagdalena. She cut me (diagonally to one side) before they went in to try to prevent a tear but I still tore straight back and into (thank fuck not through!!) my back passage. His head wasn't particularly big or anything but he was so close to being born anyway that one pull and his head was out so it was pretty quick.

So it was quite a recovery from that - an hour in theatre to stitched up, 24 hours with a a catheter in, another 24 hours in hospital until I could pee well enough to be discharged... a horrific time trying to do my first poo when I got home. Didn't really leave the house for the first three weeks or so because I was too sore. Funnily enough my tailbone wasn't bothering me then!

I just hope they're ok with me using the appointment for a different issue than the one I'm booked in for. Though they're both a result of giving birth so maybe that would be ok?

We had a decent night. First feed at 2, then one at 6 though he came in with me at 5 as he woke up crying. Must remember to wind him at night as I got out of the habit when he didn't seem to need it for a while. He went back to sleep beside me from 6.45-8.50. I even got to sleep then too!

WE'VE JUST HAD A JUMPERPOO!!! 😱💩

@Sakura03 Definitely check for tongue tie first - expressing exclusively is very hard work, you have to do it every couple of hours to keep your supply. Have you tried one of those stretchy baby wraps? Honestly it saved my sanity, I only wish I tried it sooner. You can breastfeed in it quite easily. Pop the baby in it and you have two free hands and can move about, leave the house, whatever you want while he nurses.

I've ordered a stretchy baby sling which arrived yesterday going to try it out today fingers crossed can put it on with ease my mum here at mo so can help me get to grips with it then will try on my own maybe not necessarily to breastfeed but as he won't sleep anywhere other than my arms