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Feel like I’ve failed as a mum

358 replies

HidingUnderTheSofa · 22/07/2018 14:13

First time mum to a four month old baby, exclusively breastfed. Night time sleep was gradually getting better week by week until 11 weeks when he did a five hour stretch at the beginning of the night.

It was like a switch was flicked- he went from two wake ups/feeds on a good night to anything from four to eight. Longest stretch of the night is generally two to three hours and wake ups are anything from one to two hours for the rest of the night. Night feeds are generally ten to twenty minutes long.

Naps are also a disaster. He wakes up between 25 and 45 minutes after falling asleep. Will generally fall asleep without too much fuss in the pram but naps in the crib involve much more settling.

After six weeks of very broken sleep (and four months in total of poor sleep) I am exhausted and I feel like an utter failure as a parent. I am crying a lot out of both exhaustion and feelings of worthlessness because I feel I am failing so badly. I am surrounded by mum friends whose babies are sleeping much better than my son. I

I am feeling especially awful because my in laws are staying at the moment and of course all of their other grandchildren are/were champion sleepers as babies.

I have read so many sleep books and have tried to extend daytime naps with the hope of improving night time sleep- I can’t get him to settle back to sleep after the 45 minute wake up however hard I try but he’s clearly still tired when he wakes up.

I’ve had a bedtime routine since he was six weeks old and put him down to sleep when he’s sleepy but still awake...but it makes no difference. Last night he still woke up after two hours and four or five times after that.

I’m finding it increasingly hard to settle him down to sleep for naps or at night which is really upsetting too.

I am so, so sad. I feel like I’m failing my son.

OP posts:
actualpuffins · 03/09/2018 08:10

I would definitely suggest Infacol before every feed, I did this with both DDs.

DD2 (9lbs 2oz at birth) started on pureed veg at 4 months and could eat whole mini pots at a sitting, no point freezing ice cubed sized portions for her. I'd also started doing replacing one or two breast milk feeds with formula which seemed to satisfy her more, she was a very hungry baby. (She is now a very tall and skinny nine year old with a normal appetite!) I know the advice is ebf to six months but speak to your health visitor or GP if you wanted to go down that route.

Other things- try some baby massage after her bath.

Nelson's Teetha was used prodigiously in our house- you can give the sachets several times a day.

Is she in a cot in her own room? My DDs always slept better in the cot with a grobag. Make sure she isn't too hot or too cold and that the room is dark enough. Try reading quietly to her when you put her to bed as the sound of your voice, but not talking directly to her, may be soothing.

I know you are knackered but try and get her out and about in the daylight, particularly if it's nice and sunny, so she can start to react to the difference between daytime and night time. Does she nap well in the day time? Her day time naps need to be in a routine as much as her bedtime routine.

NameChangeCuddleBums · 03/09/2018 09:21

My baby is the same Age. Sleep has got less good. Take care of yourself so you can look after your baby.

Sipperskipper · 03/09/2018 13:18

Completely understand how important it is to you to continue bf hiding, and certainly nothing wrong with saying it is important for you, as well as DS!

Hope tonight is a better one. Xxx

Bubbagirl · 03/09/2018 15:58

Just wanted to post to say hang in there @HidingUnderTheSofa I feel your pain and have been following this thread for a little while as my own little support boost.
All the ladies on here have been so good offering support and advice it's really helped me feel better (even if little one not sleeping any better). I really hope it's helping you too despite your ds sleep not better.
If it helps at all my dd1 was a great sleeper until 4 months, terrible between 4-7months and then has been amazing since 7months (now 3!).
My Dd2 is following a similar pattern (although a little better at night a little worse in day) so I'm holding on to it will all click at 7 months again!...although sort of scared that it won't and I'll be devastated!😩
All I can say is you sound like an amazing mum, your worries are all totally normal and show just how much you love that little monkey!
I too have a dh who works long hours and so can't help much and no family nearby and that is super hard but I made it through with dd1 and now she's my little support buddy for dd2 😂
Sending you lots of hugs and wishing you and ds good sleep soon xx

HidingUnderTheSofa · 08/09/2018 17:28

Sorry, this is just a blatant ‘woe is me’ vent.
The shit sleep continues, and DS is still often hard to settle between wake ups so night wakings are sometimes well over an hour.

My husband has worked late every night this week and today so it’s just been...relentless. I am still going to bed at 7:30pm to try and get some sleep in at the beginning of the night but DS is often only doing 2.5 hours at the beginning of the night so I don’t even get a decent chunk of sleep that way. It also means I haven’t had an evening of any sort, even just watching the bloody tv, for months.

As soon as my husband got home about half an hour ago I just handed DS over and got in the bath and had a cry. I don’t know which I dread more- days or nights.

I am just living off sugar all day. Stuffing my face full of food to keep me going through the day and half the time I don’t even want it but I just have no willpower. I’m really struggling with the fact that I’m piling weight on because it’s a very visible reminder every day that I’m abusing my body; I’m sometimes eating a whole packet of chocolate biscuits in a day and then loads of chocolate on top. One day this week I’d eaten four penguin bars before 9am. I never used to have such a messed up relationship with food. I’m just so so tired, I’m making poor decisions and comfort eating like mad I guess. It’s making me feel really sad.

I’m lying on my bed crying and the whole night time horribleness will start again in less than an hour. I think DS must be teething because he’s grizzled or cried for most of the day.

Once I’ve finished this pathetic pity post I will re read all the lovely advice and words of wisdom on this thread. Thank you again to every single person who has posted. It has really helped me to feel less alone.

OP posts:
FortheloveofJames · 08/09/2018 17:37

Oh OP. I totally hear you. I lived off shit food for months. Food was the only pleasure in life I got at that stage. I told myself I was having such a horrible and difficult time I’d didn’t matter. If food made me happy then I’d stuff my face with whatever I wanted. I’ve put weight on and only now when DS 15 months have I felt able to finally do something about it. Be kind to yourself. Having a baby who doesn’t sleep is bloody awful and sleep deprivation I used as a form of torture for a reason. Just managing each day and looking after your baby is a massive achievement when you are stuck in the I’m-so-exhausted-I-might-die phase

I’m not going to lie it’s so hard. No body warns you that it might end up like it did for me. I don’t remember reading anything about this in the bloody ready steady baby book 😂 I promise you there will be better times ahead and it won’t be like this forever. I know it never helps to hear that, but now that I’m out the other side I can honestly say it’s does

If you need to each chocolate to get through the day, that’s okay, it’s nothing that can’t be worked on when your ready if you want to!

Sending hugs CakeFlowersWine

pumpkinspicetime · 08/09/2018 17:48

Oh OP, I promise it gets better in the end. Once I ate seven donuts in a day. My skin had a weird rash on my face and I had styes for the only time in my life. I did look terrible but that too passes, there will be time for you to take care of yourself. Is there a gym with a crèche you could use, even if you just had a super short swim and a long time in sauna just to give you some breathing space.

Bubbagirl · 08/09/2018 18:27

Oh @Hiding I just want to give you a big hug.
I totally know what you mean about the comfort eating I am doing that big time! Like you said, im not even hungry half the time so don't know why I'm eating it but it just seems to help get me through! (I guess I'll worry about the extra weight later!)
Could dh take some holiday from work to help out with ds for say a week or something? Maybe if he dealt with some of the night wakings during that week you could get some extra sleep and also it might help ds drop some of those wake ups as he's not getting the person he wants - you!
Have you also considered contacting a sleep consultant? I've just put a post out on another thread about sleep consultant recommendations as my dd is getting quite miserable with lack of sleep (her problem is more day time but that is starting to effect night too so can see it all slipping away soon!)
Im sure you've considered both of the above already so sorry not much help. I just want you to know you are not alone and it absolutely will get better

VerbenaGirl · 08/09/2018 18:49

You are totally and utterly NOT failing your child. Sleep is so difficult with some babies. My oldest was a nightmare. Didn’t sleep through until she was 6 years old, isn’t great at 14, but has learnt to manage it herself. Youngest was totally different - despite the same approach. Be kind to yourself and get sleep whenever you can, or at least flop on the sofa and rest / snooze, and remember this will pass.

Cottipus · 08/09/2018 19:43

I’m sorry you’re still struggling hiding. When is LO 6 months?

I only really started eating better a couple of months ago. Prior to that I just did what I could to survive. And if that meant eating a slab of chocolate before breakfast, so be it! Once the milk feeds reduced I found my cravings subsided so hopefully starting solids will help. And more weight came off- as though my body needed to hold more fat the more she fed.

Hoping tonight is better night for you. I echo what pp suggested about getting your DH to take some time off and deal with the resettling some nights to give you a break. I’ve always felt better after a night when DH has handled the wakings and I’ve just done feeds. It does make a lasting difference.

Cleo2628 · 08/09/2018 19:45

Co sleeping saved me. You are not failing! Babies are not designed to sleep through the night, especially so young & breastfed. This is totally normal baby behaviour x

BlueMoon33 · 09/09/2018 14:51

Just to let you know you’re not on your own OP xxx my baby woke up 7 times in 9 and a half hours last night. I ate 3 jam doughnuts for tea. I have an eye infection so can’t see to drive or go out anywhere. And I cried often yesterday with sheer exhaustion!
Hang on in there, it’s all gotta get better at some point!
If you can have gentle days then do, I am currently feet up in bed with a baby asleep on my chest and going to watch some trashy tv on my tablet, shut my eyes if I need to... and possibly only get up out of bed to get the rest of my doughnuts!

elledubya · 10/09/2018 04:56

Just reading through this thread in floods of tears at 4:45am. DD has recently decided that sleep just isn't for her, and the sleep deprivation has got to the point where I'm crying several times a day and regularly wish I could just get in the car and go. She's a happy, sweet, smiley baby a lot of the time, but DOES NOT SLEEP either in the day or at night and I don't understand it. She needs attention all the time, can't be left to play for more than 10 mins. She's EBF but will take a bottle, we've tried expressing so my husband can feed her but I find it just as stressful trying to find time to pump as I can't leave her to play alone and she never naps. Like OP, i find co-sleeping so uncomfortable that I've stopped trying. She has a swing chair she will sleep in but I feel like a total failure every time I give in and put her in it. She's in it now, DH is with her downstairs and I should sleeping but I'm too upset so I can't.

Our bf story is a long one, but basically she's allergic to cows milk protein and egg and i was already veggie (and not willing to eat meat) so I'm now vegan. Snacking on crap is very expensive when it has to be 'free from', but I never have time to prepare even a basic snack and I'm too skint to keep topping up the fridge with fresh fruit etc so a lot of the time I just don't eat until DH comes home. DD hasn't been gaining weight well for a while, HCPs tell me not to worry and to keep doing what I'm doing but I know it's my fault because I'm not eating right. My body is failing her.

I'm miserable. I'm an absolute failure, everyone around me can cope with lack of sleep and my daughter responds so much better to DH and MIL than she does to me. I feel like DD and DH deserve so much better than me. I'm a wreck, I hate being hungry all the time but I can't bear the idea of FF (no judgement on formula mums, I have literally no idea why I'm so against it but it tips me over the edge even thinking about it 🤷🏼‍♀️) and I don't understand why everyone else seems to manage and I just can't. I know I'm not cut out for all this and it's only going to be harder as she gets older - how will I handle a toddler if I can't handle this??

Anyway, I just came to rant and show some solidarity with OP and all you mums who are still struggling with this. I should probably try to sleep now I've got my feelings out a bit!!

Cantrememberthistime123 · 10/09/2018 13:55

Elle, that was me! I would put my lo in her swinging chair for naps, I couldn’t “nap when baby nappped” as I had to constantly check she was okay, for safe sleep guidelines.

Occasionally and only very occasionally, I managed to get her to nap with me on the bed (she was a little older at this point though). I’ll be honest in that a lot of the time she would just mess around, prod my face etc... but it might be worth trying? Snuggling in together, I couldn’t cosleep at night. We both didn’t enjoy it.

I also didn’t want to stop bf, maybe part of it was to do with it just being us a lot of the time, it was easier in many ways to bf. Partner worked so I was doing wake ups etc...

How old is your lo? It will get easier, it really will! I remember being on my knees, I was obsessed with sleep! It’s all I thought about, I was so exhausted.

Do you think she could be hungry? Sorry I really don’t mean for that to upset you or anything, genuine question. I don’t have experience of your situation but if she isn’t gaining weight, maybe you should look at alternatives? At the end of the day, the main thing is that you are both not hungry or depriving yourself of essentials. I’m not saying by switching to formula it will solve your sleep issues, just with you mentioning her weight.

My lo is almost 3 and she’s a great little sleeper. She has her moments which is to expected but I’ve found it easier as she’s gotten older.

Stay strong, you are not a failure!

elledubya · 10/09/2018 14:25

@Cantrememberthistime123 Thank you for this lovely response ❤️

I'm able to sleep when she's in the swing chair, but only because we have this massive, fancy monstrosity my DH got with a very generous donation from family so it seems really safe. It took me WEEKS to relax enough to leave her asleep in it, and I still take her out after 2 hours max! I'm so paranoid about everything related to sleep!

I do put her on my bed on the morning after DH leaves, and she does the same as yours - pokes my face, fish hooks my mouth (!), shouts at me til I get up... But it gets me maybe another 15/20 minutes horizontal so it feels worthwhile. Maybe it'll be easier when she gets bigger.

We're under the care of the dietitian, so I rang her last week. The HV who weighed her said to stick with BF if it still feels like the right thing for us, but that I should focus on self-care. She meant well but where am I meant to find the time?! The dietitian actually wasn't too worried about the slow gain. She said to increase feeds if I can, and we'll weigh her again next week and see how it's gone. I need to stop trying to force any kind of routine, it stresses me out so much when it doesn't work, but I really need to make sure I'm fitting in meals for me... I don't think DD is ready for weaning just yet, she shows no signs and the only formula she can have is prescription and it smells like death so I'm really against putting her on it.

Thanks again for the reassurance. I keep comparing myself to everyone I see, even random mums in the supermarket, which is messing me up even more. I constantly feel like I can't cope, and I know it'd be better if I had more sleep!!

Cantrememberthistime123 · 10/09/2018 15:04

I was the same! I just thought I had to have a routine, like that’s what I was supposed to do 🤷‍♀️

Continuing to bf seems like the way to go for now but try not to feel guilty if it doesn’t continue that way. We just want to do what’s best for our dc, I didn’t bf second time around for as long as I’d have liked but lo was and is, absolutely fine. Sometimes things happen.

When I had my second, I couldn’t stick to a set routine. It does take the pressure off a bit but it’s also nice to have that down time when they nap, I sometimes shut my eyes on the couch when they nap now.

With my youngest, I was so paranoid, even if dp offered to take over, I couldn’t switch off either. You should try though, even a cap nap or like you say, being horizontal, can help 😂

Hopefully the fact we went on to have another so close in age, and by choice, shows that it does get better. Whatever route you decide to take to do what’s best for you all, I wish you all the luck.

Sometimes it’s just nice knowing your not alone. I also felt like “that mum”, who’s baby didn’t sleep through, wouldn’t nap on the go or nap at all for that matter! She was the moany one if we went to playgrounds etc...

Now she such a bundle of love and fun, certainly has her moments and toddler tantrums but this seems a breeze compared to those long sleep deprived days.

HidingUnderTheSofa · 11/09/2018 07:50

@elledubya sorry to hear that you’re having such a hard time Flowers this stood out to me from your post: I'm an absolute failure, everyone around me can cope with lack of sleep and my daughter responds so much better to DH and MIL than she does to me

Not true about everyone else coping with lack of sleep better! This thread wouldn’t exist if that were the case Grin I am really, really reeeeeeeeally struggling. I spent most of the day sat in front of the tv waving different toys in front of DS (and feeling like a crap, lazy mum whilst doing so) because I was so tired. I sobbed my heart out in the bath at the weekend because I find the sleep deprivation so hard.

And remember that you are the sun, earth and moon...and more...to your DD. Honestly you are the centre of her world. I’m sure she gets excited to see her dad and her grandma, of course, but you are the centre of her little world.

OP posts:
HidingUnderTheSofa · 11/09/2018 08:14

@BlueMoon33 poor you with the eye infection. Talk about adding insult to injury Sad how old is your baby? Mmmm jam doughnuts. That is one comfort food I haven’t had lately.

This is so revolting I hardly dare admit it but yesterday I had FIFTEEN ferrero rocher, two penguin bars, five chocolate digestives (accidentally bought ‘light’ ones which are revolting), a twirl, two Lindt chocolate balls with the liquid centres and loads of dark chocolate mint crisp things. Oh I can’t quite believe I’ve just admitted to that BlushBlushBlush you see, when I said my sugar consumption was BAD I really wasn’t exaggerating.

@FortheloveofJames I bet you didn’t think i was talking about quite so much sugar and crap when I said I was eating badly!

@pumpkinspicetime good idea about the gym. Don’t think there is one within walking distance and I’ve stopped driving by choice whilst I’m so tired/my reaction times aren’t so good. Will double check though.

@Bubbagirl my husband’s job is unfortunately busier than ever so it’s really hard for him to take time off to give me a break. It’s difficult as he is around v little during the week. We are going down the sleep consultant route very soon. I can’t cope like this much longer; I just can’t. It’s grinding me down too much and I don’t have a local support system around me to help carry me through it til it naturally gets better.

@Cottipus two more weeks til we hit six months! How are things at your end at the moment? Is your DD coming up to 9 months? I have it in my head that she’s about three months older than my DS.

@VerbenaGirl I am blanking your post out of my mind. The thought of DS not sleeping through til six years old...mind...cannot...go...there Shock

@Cleo2628 we’ve tried co-sleeping before but DS doesn’t sleep any better and I don’t think he likes it (I guess he’s used to his own space). I didn’t used to like co-sleeping because I found it uncomfortable but now I would kill for DS to take to it as it would be so much easier than having to get out of bed a million times a night and then worry about waking him up as I creep back into bed. It’s no fun.

@Cantrememberthistime123 so nice to hear that you find the toddler years easier! I worry that I’m never going to find motherhood easier.

Last night...first wake up after forty minutes. Second wake up after another forty minutes. Urgh. Brutal. Why oh why does it keep getting worse??! Didn’t even get the two hours stretch at the beginning of the night that already felt like such a pathetically small chunk of sleep but now I wish I hadn’t been so dismissive of it!

OP posts:
BlueMoon33 · 11/09/2018 21:57

Haha Hiding, I can easily do a chocolate day like you and have done many a time. Today’s guilty pleasure was an entire box of French Fancies - pretty restrained for me.

My DS has just turned 4 months. I co-sleep with him in a sleepyhead which is next to me in bed. I can feed him while he’s laying down in there or it’s easy to plonk him in after a feed. It feels safe to me cause I don’t feel like I would roll onto him or him roll out to me. I got mine for a good price secondhand and it’s been one of my best buys! I’ve heard the purflow best is good too. Dunno if this is worth thinking about for you?

FortheloveofJames · 12/09/2018 11:51

Honestly I know you’re thinking that it sounds horrendous written down but we’ve all had days like that. Once throughout the course of a day I ate an entire box of those marks and spencers double chocolate mini rolls, 3 cookies, a family bag of crisps, half a block of dairy milk and then may or may not have had Pizza Hut for dinner. It remember It because at the end of the day I was like what has my life become?? 😂😂 you’re not alone. I’m sorry things are still bad. Tbh I would say that 5 months was the worst for us. We went for a night away to see an enchanted forest event. Booked a hotel. DS DID NOT SLEEP for more than 20 mins at a time. At 5.45 I got us all up and demanded we leave because I couldn’t take it anymore. We were on the road home at 6.15. The receptionist was thinking something was wrong but by this point I was so tired/fed up I think I may not have been very nice 😂. The hotel was 200 for the one night aswell 😂😂

Cottipus · 12/09/2018 16:31

@hidingunderthesofa she’s 8.5 months now. I’m actually going back to work next month 🤦‍♀️ although only for 3 half days a week. She starts nursery settling in sessions next week. I can’t believe it’s come around so quickly. On the one hand I’m dreading leaving her but also looking forward to having a bit of me time. She loves other little kids and babies so hopefully all will go well!

Sorry it’s still tough. I found things improved a bit from about 6.5 months onwards. Hope that’s the case for you. Still not sleeping through and really hard to settle at 3/4 am so I’ve started bringing her into bed with me then. Don’t worry about the sugar consumption, I ate disgusting amounts at the peak of breastfeeding where you are now, it’s not forever!

Well done on holding out with the EBF until 6 months, in hindsight it’s probably easier starting solids at 6m than earlier as they can eat a much wider variety of foods. It takes the pressure off BF a bit too knowing that they can get their nutrition elsewhere.

Good luck with the sleep consultant, it’s something I thought about but never got around to doing, I’d be interested to know if it helps.

Luxnuova · 14/09/2018 02:05

Hi there - so much sympathy. Another one suffering from the ongoing '4 month' sleep regression here. Our DS is 5.5 months, and I was totally unprepared for it, as my DD was an amazing sleeper, and (in the rosy-tinted fog of memory) am pretty sure she was sleeping thru pretty consistently by 6mo. Just wanted to add another voice to the affirmation that you are NOT failing as a mother. There is so much guilt and mother-judgement around sleep, but I did exactly same thing with both kids, and our experience is so different for each. DS has always had a really sensitive tummy (very cry-ey newborn, due to difficulty pooing, etc), and that has consistently affected his sleep too.

I was on my knees a few weeks ago, and the only thing that has helped me has been relentlessly collecting data. I knew something had to change and wanted to try some very gentle 'training' or just some other tactics really, as what I was doing (feeding to sleep every wake-up) wasn't working for me - and didn't seem to be helping him much either. I knew that he wasn't hungry, but was using the BF for comfort, and as a sleep association. I wrote down every wake-up and tried to see a pattern. What I came up with was that, following the bed-time feed (7pm) most of the subsequent wake-ups were due to wind. So, if he woke 8, 9pm, etc, I would try just to get the wind up, and re-settle without another feed. My goal was to feed at the dream-feed time (10.30/11pm) and then hold off until around 3am. So far, this is mostly working - and I have got my husband to do all the wake-ups between 10ish and 3ish. Picking him up at that point seems to make things worse, so we have managed to get him to a point where he will resettle simply with stroking head and tummy, and giving the dummy. Dummy is the magic bullet at that time - as he's such a comfort sucker. He had never taken it much before, and never during day sleep, but at night it seemed to replace the breast at those crucial wake-ups. I think when I was feeding him every 1.5/2 hours during the night, it was actually upsetting his tummy, and making him wake up more often. To be honest, he's still waking up far too much, but at least I'm not locked into feeding him as often. And, if your DH can settle him - there's the opportunity for a 4 or 5 hour stretch of sleep.

What has helped most with this regime is that even though it's far from ideal, it has become really predictable. I settle him myself up to 10.30ish, but ONLY ever feed him 10.30/11ish (or closest wake-up) and 3am (or closest wake-up). Of course, all of this is predicated on the ability to settle him, and I think we're possibly lucky on that front, in that he's taking the dummy. But, just wanted to share in case there's anything at all that might be of use in our approach.

Also - he was crap at day sleep right up until 4.5 months, then started doing longer sleeps. This was also when his night sleep packed in, so he's not like most I read about, where it all goes pearshaped at once. BUT, what I have taken from that is that - they do things when they're ready. I'd tried extending his day sleeps from their clockwork 45 minute duration for AGES. Did PUPD, etc, but nothing worked. Until, magically, he did it. I am hanging on to the possibility that this will work with the night too.

Anyway, apologies if any of the above is irrelevant or argh-inducing. Sometimes I hated other people so much if their baby was doing anything that seemed marginally easier or better. You will come out of the fog. I have insomnia too, so know how the pressure to sleep can be counterproductive (I often feel like my brain is my worst enemy). When you're in it, it feels like nothing will help. Try to be as kind to yourself as possible; and rant as much as you need. Sorry for the epic post. Thinking of you.

BlessedMango · 14/09/2018 21:29

Lots of sympathy and solidarity to all of you! I could have written some of these posts. I’m living mainly on chocolate hobnobs and panicking that I won’t be making properly nutritious breast milk, and today I had to hold on to the pram to keep myself standing up. My son is nearly four months and gets about ten hours sleep in 24, only ever in increments of two hours or less. Generally once I e got him back to sleep, as I drift off he wakes up again...

rubyroot · 14/09/2018 22:41

Hi- I too got to the end of my tether. Baby seemed to hit every regression and the tiredness was awful- 8 months has been the turning point for me, I hope your turning point comes soon.

Ekphrasis · 15/09/2018 07:10

Place marking.

Fucking 4 month thing.

Arrrrggghhh!

Suddenly thinks a dummy is poo and only mummy will do. And from 2 am onwards, only in mummy's arms. And I'm struggling to get his wind up (though minor break through there, if I sit him around my waist, knees high, as if in the sling and press his back it seems to mostly work.

Genuinely panicking as he had been doing a lovely regular 4/5 hours then only really two more brief wakes for milk before 7 am. He's also incredibly heavy, 98th centile and I have back issues.