SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK PART 5....... God have mercy!

[Tamdin]

Can't believe we're onto another new thread already!

[MegBusset]

Ginger so pleased for your good night. I am positive that the sleepsuit helped DS -- so positive that I am ordering a load more today! Not cheap but you can't put a price on a bit more sleep. I am hoping that it'll break the cycle of itching and scratching, and at least allow his hands and feet (the most itchy bits) to heal a little at night.

[callmeovercautious]

cupcake - that reminds me. The biggest link between DD sleeping well and not is where DP sleeps. If he is in our room DD wakes once or twice. (DD in the room next door and thin walls) If he sleeps in the spare room she goes longer/sleeps through. Snoring has to be the answer!
he is not sleeping in our room but I am getting some sleep!

We had considered the link before but as I snore as well we thought it was just co-incidence but I am sure now. We will see because MIL is visiting soon so he will have to sleep in our room again.

[Tamdin]

ginger so pleased for your contiuing success. hava feeling in anothre few weeks you'll def be coming to say goodbye

[EffiePerine]

Right, I'll be spiking DS's food with cumin from now on. We do eat a lot of it but hadn;t made any connections between cumin and sleep so far - will experiment and let you know!

Meg@ glad the sleepsuits helped.

Ginger: I make that about 8 hours!!!

[Amberjee]

i hope ginger publishes a best selling book then on her sleep methods

ds shovelled in a lot of roast chicken at lunch. that's ma boy!!

[gingerninja]

Crikey, I was just being flippant about the cumin seeds but maybe there is something in it after all. I'll be posting my curry recipe as a guaranteed sleep inducer. Perhaps we can trial it on mass.

[bagsundereyes]

[adds local Indian takeaway number to speed-dial]

[Shoobiedoo]

I'm not alone! Just found this thread...have 3 and a half month old DS who wakes every 2 hours during the night at the moment (he is BF) and now wakes up crying about 10mins after he's been settled to sleep both at nap time and night time.

He is over tired and has red eyed and is cranky and cries a lot at the moment, I am sooooooooooooooo tired and my house is a horrible pigsty and I am still in my blimmmin PJs at 2pm.

He drools so much, soaks bibs right through really quickly, I thought it could be teething but my HV pooh poohed that idea saying he was too young.

He is always looking about and bright eyed if you hold him and walk around, the crying starts when he is put down. He reminds me of Maggie Simpson on a caffeine high when Bart fed her the coffee ice cream.

Anyhoo, just thought I would pop in. (Yawns)

[gingerninja]

Have I indeed stumbled upon what could be our solution? I googled cumin and sleep and it seems pretty plausable that cumin could indeed have played a part in a superior sleep. In the early evening she was definately gasseous maximus and apparently cumin soothes a gassy tum and aids restful sleep. So? What do we think? Lets eat curry and sleep. I found this entry for those not on curry yet.

A teaspoon of fried cumin seeds (jeera) powder and pulp of ripe banana can be taken to induce sleep.

For those wanting the magic sleepy curry recipe. This is enough for two adult portions.
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 grated onion
1/4tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 - 1 chilli (excluded for baby ninja)
salt and pepper
1/2 tin chopped toms
1/2 tin coconut milk
Dry fry cumin seeds, add little oil, onion, chilli and rest of spices, S&P. Follow with toms and coc.milk and cook it up basically. We add fish to it when we've made the sauce which takes about 10 mins.

Tonight I'm trying something different and we'll see

[bagsundereyes]

Hi Shoobiedoo,

I could have written your post. My dd is 4.5 months, and I won't bore you with too many details. Suffice to say she is waking every 2-3hours nightly. As such, I am not exactly a mine of useful information when it comes to knowing what works!

Lots of the posters on here have older DCs, and have been through most of what you mention (with bells on!). They are a really good source of help and advice.

Is DS your first?

[gingerninja]

Shoobiedoo, Sorry it's so rotten at the mo. My DD was similar at that age and it's exhausting isn't it? HV also sniggered at my teething claims at that age but I really think that is the start of it. They have a long way to go before popping through the gum so makes sense that they could be in some pain. Also, is he windy? Mine was an appauling daytime sleeper but they do start to get better at it as they get older. The only thing that kept me sane at times was trying not to fight it too much. If they won't sleep, sling them or put them in the buggy and just get out for a walk. Not easy I know when all you want to do is sit down with a coffee but perhaps there is a nice coffee shop on route where you can find a sticky bun.

I know Amber had a lot of success with slings when her little fella was tiny. Maybe she can advise on them. I've certainly found them a godsend because it takes the stress away of having your hands tied up holding the baby.

[bagsundereyes]

ginger - dd is formula fed, but that recipe does sound rather scrummy, so I might have it tomorrow anyway.

[gingerninja]

Obviously by sling them I meant put them in a sling not litterally sling them [phew].

PS, stuff the house work if you get out you can't see it. Seriously, your standards do drop when you have a baby but you will get used to it especially now you've found us.

[Shoobiedoo]

Bags - yep he is my first, so I am busy making all my mistakes on him poor little sod (spoken as the firstborn myself).

Ginger - heh heh nice sticky bun that would be the ticket. If only they would open a Krispy Kreme franchise here...I have a Babybjorn and a Hugabub and would use either only DS gets really angry whenever I "sling" him and I have a bad back too. Buggy it is then. Maybe I will even lose some weight that way (so long as they don't open a Krispy Kreme franchise).

[tibsy]

hi girls!!
ginger am very very very very very very (you get the picture!!) pleased for you well done baby ninja!!!!

.....cumin is the new garlic bread then? its the future

welcome shoobiedoo (fab name btw!!) my dd had teething symptoms from about that age even tho none arrived for aaaages. its when they start to move around the gums that it starts to hurt them, so it could be that

[Amberjee]

thanks ginger, have copied that recipe, i might try it later in the week ...yum!

[EffiePerine]

Shoobiedoo: Ds was exactly the same, teethingn symptoms from about 10 weeks but no teeth till 6 months (sorry!). Ignore your HV. It's teeth. Try a bit of Calpol and see if it helps.

I was out constantly with the buggy at that age as DS would only sleep on the move (he's much better now btw at nearly 10 months). It is great for weight loss, even allowing for cakes and biscuits. Plus it does lift the mood if you've been up all night.

[Amberjee]

hey shoobie, pity your LO doesn't like the sling. it saved me AND enabled me to browse around shops though the frustrating thing was not being able to try things on - didn't stop me buying on a whim though. god bless returns policies.
i totally think he could be teething at 3.5 months. just because they take a long time to appear doesn't mean they aren't coming and causing pain in the process. i generally tend to ignore HVs anyway, the majority aren't that helpful.
i was trying to run a breastfeeding clinic yesterday and this HV came along to 'observe'. i wish she did just observe and shut up. she was telling people that their babies were starting to control them and wrap them around their little finger, and agreed with one woman that she might be running out of milk . so unhelpful when you're actually trying to give people reliable advice and help.
anyway, sorry got sidetracked (just need a little rant for the day). sorry things are so hard. time seems to improve most LOs, even if they don't sleep fantastically, they do become a bit easier.
also have a look at our blog www.sleepisfortheweak.wordpress.com where we've written even more about our experiences. you definitely aren't alone!

[Shoobiedoo]

Amber - OMG thanks be! What a fab website. Reading some of the posts there has made me feel LOADS better about myself. About the sling, how you manage with a heavier baby? I have a feeling I could get him used to it but it's the strain on my back - he is 17lb at 15 weeks.

Tibsy and Effie - I think it is teething too, and sod the HV. She told me he had colic on one of her visits when he was 4 weeks old in way that made me guilty for not realising, then described months of torture, crying etc. It turned out that he didn't have colic at all he was just having a bad afternoon. Oh yeah, and she stuck her finger (with flakey red nail polish on it) in his mouth to suck, and when I looked horrified she said quickly "Don't worry, I've washed my hands." Where? Not in my house she didn't. Needless to say I only go to the baby clinic when it is strictly necessary now.

[Tamdin]

welcome shoo. i would agree with everyone else that it's the start of teething. i'm sure ds was teething from that age too and was convinced he was going to get his teeth earlier than normal. he didn't!
we tried teetha or teething gels and calpol when he was really bad.
If nothing else you can come on here for a moan

[callmeovercautious]

Hi shoobidoo - anyone with such great HV tales is always welcome .

Amberjee - I think I would have told her to obsreve or p* off !

Just so you don't think everything is rosy in the sleep department chez overcautious - DD has had a total of 2 10min naps today needless to say Dinner was a nightmare and I now have beef casserole all over me. Obviously she will now wake up every hour to punish me for being a bad Mummy and not giving her enough to eat today

Will let you know how it goes.

[callmeovercautious]

Or even observe.

[Amberjee]

i really wanted to tell her to p* off, but didn't want to get offside, because would prefer her to refer people to us, so that they can get proper help iyswim. had to hold my breath a few times though!

that sounds like a MAD day CMO! Hope it doesn't impact on sleep tonight ... [fingers crossed]

[MegBusset]

Hi Shoobiedoo, my DS' sleep went wonky at much the same age as yours. Now he's 5 months and sorry to say the night-times are no better, but I put a lot of that down to his eczema. Naps are much improved though, if that is any consolation.

Can you co-sleep at night? I am doing this from about midnight and it makes a world of difference to how tired I feel.

Also DS never really took to the sling, but now I have him in a front-facing carrier and he loves it - might be worth a try?

[Amberjee]

hope the sleep fairies descend on everyone tonight