Sleep is for the weak part four, we're officially hardcore.

[gingerninja]

Yes ladies we've got a shiny new thread to share our woes of chronic sleep deprivation, to hail all that is gloreous when something works and throw our arms in the air when it all goes wrong again.

One bad night doesn't impress us, we're awake more than we sleep cos we is 'ard I tell ya.

We had a better night last night - finally! - DS settled by himself in the cot (with me patting/tickling him) and wakings looked like this:

7:30 asleep
8:30 - woke, DH got back to sleep
12:15 - woke for feed, didn;t rally settle till 1
Woke for feeds 3, 5, and feeding on and off between 6 and 7 (in bed with us from 5)

May not sound that great but pretty good for us! I am knackered though as wasn't feeling well (think I may have picked up DS's tummy bug) so couldn't sleep.

Part of me thinks that I should have brought DS into bed at about 12 do he had a chance of sleeping longer, but I do want to try and get him in his cot for most of the night. Will see what tonight brings.

Bags: sorry for your bad night. DS has never taken to a dummy, so can't advise.

Tam: I think you're right in going with it for now. I think they just have really bad nights sometimes for no reason at all - doesn't mean it will be repeated.

Also, DS slept for 2.5 hours yesterday at the cms - how come she can get him to sleep in the day and I can't? Will prob drop him off on Thurs as I have the day off so may pick he brains

Tam: I loved Amber's links as well

hmm, they are lovely articles tamdin, i enjoyed reading them too (even though my ds flatly refuses to sleep with me!)

sorry for everyone's horrid nights i hope someone can join me in the good night stakes. i was convinced it was going to be bad for some reason, but he only woke at 12 and 6.30 for feeds, and then slept until 8.30 - totally unprecedented to sleep that late. dh and i were shocked. dh is now running late for work due to lack of child alarm clock!

lol at alarm clock amber. always the way isn't it. Just joined facebook and saw your pic on mumsnet group, you too EP. nice to have face for name. Will post pics on my profile later

Bags, ours was exactly the same at that age. If you ride it it will get better and in a little while she'll be able to do it herself.

Tam, big hugs to you. It sucks I know but all I can say is that you're doing a great job. It is a bit out of character for him isn't it to be so unsettled but I totally sypathise and ponder CC almost daily although can't bring myself to. Once you move it will be easier to put a plan into practice with a move to his own room etc. Sometimes I feel quite resentful towards DD because a) shes had me up all night and b)I don't have it in me to do CC. It WILL get better.

I had the spare room last night and DH took over. Apparently she was a bit of a nightmare so maybe it was something in the air. I didn't sleep either so feel just as knackered as normal. Wonder where DD gets her poor sleep habits from

Thanks ginger. Sometimes wish I had it in me too to try CC but don't so no point dwelling on it i guess.
Glad Dh took over last night. She's getting there. in a few weeks you'll be coming on here to say goodbye

Morning everyone. Tam and Bags for your nights. EP for yours.

Ginger sorry you didn't get much sleep. DH got less sleep than me last night, and he was on the sofa away from DS-related noise!

Bags I do use the dummy to settle DS for naps but take it out ust as he's falling asleep, then he has a chance to settle without it. Perhaps you could try this as the first step of dummy separation? At night I don't use it much now we're co-sleeping as a cuddle seems to do the trick. I do BF him to sleep first thing at night though, not sure what I'll do when that is no longer an option, but will cross that bridge when I come to it!

Well our night was good actually, fed at 10.30ish then woke at 12.30 and in with me, and after that I wasn't aware of any wakings til 6 when he fed and was restless for a while before going back to sleep til 7.30. So I feel pretty well-rested.

Amber it's funny that 8.30 seems like the biggest lie-in ever, isn't it?

Tibs and MrsTH hope you had good nights too.

meg for your night. Glad you finally got some rest

8.30 IS the biggest lie in. especially when you're comparing it to 5am or 6am or some such ridiculous hour.

morning girlies
thanks for that bags and sorry you had a crappola night

tam, you too whats going on? it is hard to remain optimistic sometimes i know (thank god for the siftw gang ), but it will get better. theyve got to learn to sleep at some point i too have considered cc (shock, horror ) but dismissed it as soon as thought of it...... as you know, i dont do crying we're giving them a great start in life, being loved, cherished and nurtured 24hrs a day albeit with gritted teeth on the SDD's!!!! you're doing a great job darling XX

EP for your improved night, you deserve it

Meg, yey for your good night!!!

ginger for dh taking over but sorry you didnt benefit from the break.

amber am very very very of your lie in!!!!!!...but pleased for ya too x hows lo now? hope hes better

Scuse my ignorance but what is a SDD?

'self doubt day' my lovely think it was tam's invention! how are you meg? hows lo's constipation now?

Thanks tibs
As described SDD is one of those days when you are riddled with self doubt and insecurity, you feel like you're doing a crap job and it's all your own fault that your lo doesn't sleep through the night!

Nothing like a mother's guilt is there!

Hi everyone,

Meg and Ginger - thanks for the moral support re the blasted dummy . I might just try your trick, Meg. Feeling reasonably positive today so perhaps I'll have the patience for trying tonight. Have moved a rocking chair and a CD player into DD's room to try and make sure I'm relaxed at her bedtime, even if she's not!

Went to view another nursery today. I think this will be the one. It's really hard to choose, as the ones I've seen have broadly similar bumpf and Ofsted reports. DD got lots of cuddles and tummy tickles at this one though, so I think that'll the deciding factor.

By the way, at each nursery I've rather shamefacedly admitted that DD still needs lots of rocking to sleep, to ensure they're comfortable with this. Each nursery has said they already have at least one child like this, so there must be plenty of us about!

bags i worked in kids unlimited for 2 years and 90% of the children in my unit (12-18m) had to be rocked in a buggy or cot to go to sleep. The cots all had wheels for this precise reason. Only 1 or 2 children could be put on a mat and go to sleep on their own and even they needed a little pat on the back for a minute. Would you believe I used to be able to get 10 children to sleep 1 by 1 in about 15 mins. Now i can't even get 1 to do it!

Ah thanks for the explanation. I've had plenty of those!

Tibs, LO finally did a giant poo after 5! days. It was quite something. Still, my friend who has a fully weaned 7mo DS says he is now doing 5/6 explosive poos a day so I've got all that to look forward to

Bags I am going to get a rocking chair too when we move and he has his own room. Although I'd be worried about rocking myself to sleep too!

I was wondering last night how on earth nurseries cope with every baby on a different nap schedule and needing different methods to go to sleep. Must be a logistical nightmare! Or do they just have magic sleep-inducing powers we don't know about?

bags, i like the sound of the cuddly, tummy tickling nursery too am sure you'll make the right decision

meg, 'it was quite something' lol!!!!!!! i can imagine

Tam - the same happened to my sister. She was a nanny and nursery nurse used to sending several little ones off to sleep at the drop of a hat. But could she get her ds to sleep through? Not before his first birthday!

ps i now have a picture of dd on my profile page, if anyone would like to take a peek [proud mum emoticon]!

Bags she is gorgeous! We have a Bumbo too...

DS has been asleep for an hour and a half now... yesterday he took a 90-minute morning nap, without needing resettling at all... what is going on?

bags she is gorgeous. we have a bumbo too but ds sat in it about twice because he has always been very mobile so even at 6 months he could twist out of it! no pinning this boy down!

bags, truly, truly scrumptious bubba....are we the only people sans bumbo?

meg, yey for the naps does make the world seem a rosier place hey?!!

tam - wanted to ask you, when did ds drop his naps to one?....or is he still having more than one? think dd may be attempting the 1 nap thang atm, or maybe shes just trying to keep me on my toes