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Original poster

Non-sleepers unite...

999 replies

Jellybean2017 · 18/01/2018 22:40

New thread for night (and daytime!) chatter for those awake more than they'd like with a non sleeping baby/child 😊

My DS is five months. First baby likely to be only baby if I don't start getting more sleep He is a nap and sleep fighter but incredibly cute so I choose to forgive him 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
Jellybean2017 · 18/02/2018 21:21

Thanks all.

@AMagdalena I'm not sure. I'm sticking loosely to feeding him every three hours through the night if he wakes. That's how often he feeds in the day. Not sure if that's wrong but as you say, it's difficult to know if he's hungry. I can sometimes tell by the type of cry though... Also if he doesn't sound like he's settling I will always try a feed. Probably not 100% the correct method but hoping it will work anyway!

OP posts:
user1489931797 · 18/02/2018 21:38

Evening everyone hope you're all ok and have been making progress with you little ones and getting sleep?!

I've been a bit MIA as been crazy really between more visits to Drs telephone calls with Dr , constant visits from MIL and FIL and my mum along with drama at DH work to the point that he's been signed off for a month and on tablets time has just runaway from me!

This past week we have finally been getting a now 13week old DS to sleep in Moses sat inside the next2me crib at most for 3and half hrs max start of the next then rest of night until about 6am he wakes every2 hrs so broken sleep left right and centre but nice to have some normality being in bed with DH

Meepmoop · 18/02/2018 23:43

I give up, DS has napped perfectly today. Will he stay asleep longer than an hour? No no he will not. I know sleep isn't linear but how can he go from 4-6 hour blocks to hourly/20 min blocks.

cheshiremama89 · 19/02/2018 01:42

Hello again Confused

First time this has happened and feeling pretty nervous about it.

2 week old DS woke as per for a feed, took him into the nursery to feed him on the rocking chair - and I felt myself nod off several times.

Breastfeeding so woke to see latch wasn't great, but other than that all ok.

I ended up pinching myself really hard to try and wake myself up.

This no sleep lark is killing me

HashtagTired · 19/02/2018 01:46

Hang in in there @cheshiremama89
It's early days. Your body is so tired. I'm almost 6 months and I'm used to being awake at night time and sleeping for short intervals. It's surprising what your body gets used to!

If you're worried, it might be a little safer if you fed whilst still in bed? You could create a safe surrounding in case you did drop off. Kick out dp if you need to! (Mine still hasn't made it back to the bedroom, although we are planning his imminent return when ds goes into his own room soon (would be sooner but he's developed a hideous cough))

HashtagTired · 19/02/2018 01:51

The last couple of nights I have been feeding ds a bottle whilst he is still lying down, so not picking him up to bf. He generally drinks a little bit then comes off. Stays awake a little bit then drifts off. He has been sleeping in almost exactly 2 hour stints each time (hourly after 5am) but because of his cough and croup he's been having calpol and he's managed 3.5 hour stints. So I know he can do it, little bugger.

He's been napping in his cot bed in his room in the day. He'll be moving in there at night time as soon as his cough improves. I feel a bit sad about that!!!

HashtagTired · 19/02/2018 01:54

And I'm reading up on the Ferber method too!

cheshiremama89 · 19/02/2018 02:03

Thanks @HashtagTired

Visitors today stopped me from having any naps and definitely feel the difference x

lizzlebizzle33 · 19/02/2018 03:52

Oh god I can't wait for ds2 to kick this cold and get back in his cot, it seems like it's been forever!

I'm currently stuck in between snoring DH and clingy baby who every time I move to try and get more space just snuggles closer to me.

I'm hungry and thirsty! Need to train the cat to bring me snacks.

WhoAteAllthePercyPigs · 19/02/2018 07:37

Been awake since 4. Have had DD and DS in bed since 5, neither really slept. Up now and had breakfast. It's going to be a long long day!!

Sorry I've not responded to what everyone's up to, too exhausted but I will do so...

@Cheshiremama those first few weeks are bloody hard. As @@hashtag says, you do get used to it, it's amazing what you can adjust to! And there will be bad and good nights. Lots of support on here!

UtterlyConfused111 · 19/02/2018 07:51

@cheshiremama
What hashtag said... I am much more used to it than before but in the beginning i would just build up a fortress of pillows behind me prop me up when feeding in bed. And then I would sleep with the baby after removing pillows or use the next2me cot. I never coslept with dd1 - not even once! But still doing with DD2 on bad nights as she is not a good sleeper. It really helps to be able to do that if that’s the only way to get sleep. As well as feeding lying down.

UtterlyConfused111 · 19/02/2018 07:55

We had a terrible night; second in a row except last night I could see she was desperately trying to sleep but she would start crying when sleeping wake her self up; and fall asleep again... and then cry... she was very uncomfortable so I gave her calpol and she slept for 2 hours; and then woke up for a feed, poo etc and the day started gah
I really don’t know what’s going on. She was happy during the day yesterday and doesn’t seem distressed this morning - sitting in her bouncer while dd1 eats porridge.
I wonder if she is hungry? She is now ginormous at 7.5kg (16 pounds roughly). Any one have thoughts on this?

Meepmoop · 19/02/2018 08:09

Absolutely awful night here, we had 7 wake ups. Each time he woke up screaming and took a while to calm down. I'm so tired and can't be bothered today. I've got baby group this morning.

Lallypopstick · 19/02/2018 08:23

Sorry to hear that there were a few bad nights. I never seemed to notice a link between day sleep and night sleep - all that sleep begets sleep thing didn’t seem to apply. A good day didn’t mean a good night!

AMagdalena I decided that I’d feed if he woke up after 4 hours. In Ferber’s book he talks about how a 6 month old baby shouldn’t need food in the night so it reassured me that I didn’t need to offer boob immediately. I think the first night he woke up after 3.5 hours and I was prepared to get up and feed, but he settled with my partner going in.

I’ve been doing 1-2 night feeds for most of the last week but that’s because he has a cold and wakes up coughing. I want to make sure he gets all the antibodies from my milk to get better.

AMagdalena · 19/02/2018 08:42

Jellybean & Lallypopstick Thank you for your replies. It makes sense to apply a rule in this case.

cheshiremama Hang in there. The first few weeks are bloody awful. So grim.

So DD repeated her record from the night before and woke up with DH at 5.20am for the first time 🙈 I am pretty sure I owe this to the vigorous thumb sucking she does.
She is utterly obsessed.

yolkybokey · 19/02/2018 09:01

I started my own version of sleep training last night...more like eating training!

I'm trying to get DS to understand that night time is not his chance to eat every hour, so I'm imposing a 'no boob' rule from 3am -6.30am (ish) , then once he's used to that I'll increase the time.

Of course there was some crying last night and I had to get up with him at 5am, but he went back to sleep and didn't have any boob until 6.15, which is a result in my book!

I just hope I can maintain willpower to keep going

NinaMarieP · 19/02/2018 09:29

I really don't think we could drop the night feed here (6.5m).

It's my OH with him for the first half of the night and I only come through to feed when he can't settle him back to sleep again. He has a full feed as well, his longest of the day.

Would love to not be feeding in the night but can't see it stopping any time soon.

Meepmoop · 19/02/2018 10:00

DS is having a major meltdown as I won't let him have the remote. Soon as I give it to him he's all smiles.

I'm thinking of trying no night feeds. Last night he woke loads but only fed for a couple of minutes each time.

WhoAteAllthePercyPigs · 19/02/2018 11:36

Also @Cheshiremama I can second the safe bed sharing advice. DS sleeps in his next 2 me cot the first half of the night (on a very good night he can do till 3) but after that he has no interest in going back into it! I have a choice of either putting him back in and him only doing an hour at the very best (usually just 20 mins) or I set up a pillow nest and have him sleep on me. Of course it's far from ideal, I worry about the safety of it...but it's the only way to get some sleep. I sleep very lightly and feel like I'm attuned to his needs, and try to make it as safe as possible. It's also not good for my back, but it is what it is for now.

Meepmoop · 19/02/2018 19:29

How is everyone's evening going. DS has just fallen asleep and I'm waiting to do a cot transfer. I've then got fun jobs to do like hang the washing on the airers as I've been out all day.

DS had toast today for the first time and he absolutely inhaled it. No gagging or anything. I was very surprised.

AMagdalena · 19/02/2018 20:04

We're currently boobing.

AMagdalena · 19/02/2018 21:14

Already on 2nd wake-up. DH is handling this one.
We're in for a good one...

lizzlebizzle33 · 19/02/2018 21:15

Aww I love watching them have their first foods. Ds2 went in the jumperoo for the first time today, blew his tiny little mind 😂

He seems a lot better and ice just managed to get him in his cot, it took three tries but he's been down for 15 mins now so fingers crossed he will at least have a couple of hours, co sleeping with him is killing me, I live the snuggles but hate feeling trapped in the bed. Every time I try to wriggle away from him to get some space he somehow scooches back up to me.

@Meepmoop good luck with the cot transfer and good luck to everyone tonight, hope it's better than last night.

Stay strong ladies, you got this!x

Meepmoop · 19/02/2018 21:20

We're on wake up number one, I've resisted doing a feed and he's fallen back asleep after 5 minutes of crying in my arms. If he was hungry he wouldn't have settled would he?

lizzlebizzle33 · 19/02/2018 21:26

I think he probably just wanted a cuddle and to know you were there.
Hopefully he will sleep a bit longer for you now.x