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

[Tamdin]

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

morning.
nothing much to report this end. bed at 7.30, in with us about 12, bottle at 3.45, up at 7 for the day. my ds is nothing if not predictable!!

Only concern is I tried to keep him in his cot last night and he was having none of it. Have created a monster me thinks! [oh oh and 'da..da..da' music]

Morning all,

Tam - he's a very cute little monster though

EP - sounds like a lovely day yesterday. Up from the enormous upchuck, obviously.

Meg and Ginger - hope the eczema improves soon. must be even harder for your poor LOs in this weather.

Meg - whereabouts in South London were you? Peckham has come up to the extent that I can't afford anything more than a 2- bed flat, but no so much that I don't have to worry about being "relieved" of my valuables when I'm walking back from the bus stop .

Amber - crawling sounds rather daunting. I can't imagine dd not being where I left her when I pop out of the room!

Shoobiedoo - wow! Sounds like quite an improvement. long may it continue.

Tibs of your lie-in yesterday.

Cupcake - glad to hear you survived those mozzies.

Another crap night here. Up loads. Not dealing with this at the moment as we are working on cutting one of the night feeds. I know 5 months is early but we are both certain she doesn't need it. Last week she only had it about half the time, and when she did, took only 1.5-2 oz (normally has 7oz). she's not been hungry on waking at 7am either. So the plan is not feeding from the midnight feed to 7am. obviously if she protests loads, we'll feed her, but last night was no different to those when she has fed.

bags - good luck on the cutting down on night feeding. my strategy (when i had one) was to only feed 4 hourly. that seemed to sort out the feeds where he would just suck a few mins and go back to sleep.i didn't feel too bad about only feeding 4 hourly, because i knew he did that (and more) in teh day, so he wouldn't be starving.

oh, and my LO NEVER eats when he wakes up for the day. i think it's more to do with being distracted than being not hungry, but it is soooo frustrating. i think 'well, if you can gowithout a morning feeding how about cutting out that night feed then sir!'

Morning all. Tam glad your one night feed plan is going well.

Bags I lived in Welling (eurgh) but hung out in Deptford, New Cross etc quite a lot. Are you from S London originally?

We also seem to be cutting down on night feeds not intentionally, but since co-sleeping he needs boob less, often just a cuddle and maybe the dummy will suffice. Last night he was unsettled with a blocked nose, though did sleep in til 7.45 though.

meg - i am a chatham girl
insert your own chav joke here

Ah - I was almost a Medway girl myself as my parents lived in Maidstone just before I was born!

Another bad night for us - woke at about 1 and would NOT go back to sleep but wanted to feed and feed. Finally dropped off about 2:30. Woke another few times for feeds (in bed with us). Awake and kicking about from about half five. Alarm went off at half six.

I hate growth spurts

Think I've jinxed myself
Have had two terrible nights, much worse than can remember in a loooong time.
Both nights bed at 7ish, crying out at 10 but settling again, full on crying at 12ish so have given bottle, settled for 45mins then constant wingeing until morning.
Tues night, tried teething powder, wouldn't take it, changed nappy, made no difference. Brought her in our bed, still wingeing and unsettled so put her back in cot. Quiet for 30 mins then started again. Brought her back in our bed at 4.30ish where she settled but left me hanging off edge of bed.
Weds night, tried teething powder, again wouldn't take it, changed nappy, again no difference. At 3 showed interest in empty bottle from 12 am feed so got more milk and put calpol in it-figured that way I'd at least know she was neither hungry nor in pain. Settled until 5 ish then started up again.
It's not proper crying just complaining, and both nights has been all over cot so am guessing she is uncomfortable in some way but can't find what it is. Normally if she is teething she will ask for the powder but has refused it both nights. Could cope better with getting up several times if could get any sleep in between but unfortunately the combination of her restlessness/wingeing, dh's snoring and my pregnancy has left me completely insomniac, even though I'm bloody knackered. Hoping for a better night tonight

Sorry CB - hope things improve for you

You too xx

for all those rubbish nights. Ours wasn't great either with wakings at 12.30, 1.30, 3.30 and 5 for the day. Luckily she went back reasonably quickly.

Meg, the humidifer did make her room into a tropical jungle and raised the temperature by about 1 degree. We also have to keep windows and doors closed because of cats. However she slept really well for the begining part of the night. We turned it off when we went to bed and look what happened to the night. Maybe we should have left it on. DH wasn't happy with it tho, said it was too powerful for her room so took it back today and ordered a different one off Amazon which is an ionizer one or something. I don't know how it works but hopefully it'll arrive tomorrow and I'll give you some feedback. We are still using coconut oil. Bought it from Holland and Barrett actually and a 500g tub was a tenner. I've ordered some from the sheabutter cottage (online) who do all sorts of natural oils and butters etc. DD's skin really was as thick as an elephants the other day and I was thinking that there was no way the oil would work because it doesn't penetrate the skin enough but it does seem to be having an effect. Now of course all this could be a coincidence. Her flare up may be on the downward spiral and it's coincided with using the oil but what really is encouraging me is that there is change (albeit slow) without using prescription creams. It has definately got worse before getting better tho. so if you go that route bear it in mind. It's really really hard watching them suffer tho and I've been so tempted to just dab some hydro on when it looks really bad but I want a long term solution for this so think it's worth pursuing this option even if it doesn't work in the end.

Anyway, I'm being a domestic goddess at the moment. Cleaned all the windows, of which there are many. And made a chilli for dinner. Wonder what effect that might have on DD's sleep

Where's the sunshine gone?

Sorry for all those crap nights.

Clairey - must be so hard for you when you can't drop back off to sleep.

EP and Ginger, I don't know where you get the energy for work, and domestic goddessry. I've only been able to drag my carcass round Tesco, and I didn't even bother with a shower .

Ah bags, that's only because she does now sleep during the day quite well. For the first 7 months I did nothing.

i am a domestic slob today sitting here eating cake
LO is sleeping in a weird position, like a little bug ready to crawl on his knees.

LOL - Here I am, no shower, just got back from Town and am now gulping a coffee and eating a shortcake whilst DD naps in the cot for the first afternoon in about 2 months

Although I am glad her night time sleep is now much better I wish she would do some more afternoons like this. Feel really extra lazy because MIL arrives tonight and I have the whole house to clean before she gets here! I have managed to make her a clean bed and polished the windows etc in the spare room (bang went this mornings nap hence no shower!). Must go and scrub the bathroom...................

Hi there! Been meaning to pop in and say thanks for such a warm welcome. Almost died LOL at the Jesus thread... and am also curious about Cumin as a sedative. Think I will cook curry tonight.. will report back any success!

Its been hard to find my usual time to get online as DD's naptime routine has gone to pot. She used to have 3 naps thru the day and now seems to be moving her morning nap later and later. I think she might be trying to consolidate them into one big nap, but cant quite manage it so ends up having a catnap just before bedtime throwing our bedtime routine out too! Never been much of a routine kind of gal though so am just trying to roll with it in the hopes that all will resolve itself sometime soon ?

On improvements, I did manage to get DD to nap in her cot for one whole hour - YAY! Last night after multiple wakings I got fed up and said "okay - now its time to go to sleep!" To my utter surprise DD turned her head to the side, closed her eyes and tried to sleep ... it lasted 10 minutes, but I was able to leave the room without her having the screaming abdabs!

DD is 11 months - almost 1 year old!!! seems to have gone in the blink of an eye and can hardly remember the first months where I didnt sleep for more than 2 hours at a time. Things do get better - relatively speaking!

Mummymajic - I like your approach of thinking about what they need to learn and then proceeding from there. CIO seems such a blunt instrument to me as a tool to teach a baby independent sleep!

Ginger - I was really interested that you managed to night wean your baby before giving up co-sleeping. It hadnt occured to me that might be possible. My DD roars when she wakes up demanding to be fed - but I havent tried settling her in other ways for some months because I am too bleary in the middle of the night to think of alternatives to what I know will work!

Been thinking that perhaps I am trying too much too soon and need to take 'baby steps'. So am going to just try and concentrate on getting her to spend more time in her own bed. Was wondering if you can recommend anything to read on GW/GR?

Sending sleepy vibes to all your babies - may you have peaceful nights all.

So has everyone had a bad night so far? Am I missing something on TV?

Evening CMOC! I am eating yoghurt and vaguely watching BB. DH has gone to the pub and DS has woken 3 times so far tonight (so nothing new there). Still, he did have a 2-hour lunchtime nap so that's good!

Thought I may have killed another thread Am Sky+ ing BB as I can never watch a whole tv programme anymore so just record what I want to see and do it in bits when madam is asleep or playing.

Watched CBB while I was PG and last summers one so I think she likes the theme tune!!

My DP is in the car on the way to the airport to collect MIL.....the invasion begins She is lovely really, I have a list as long as my arm of things to do while she is here. DD loves her and babbles away on the phone when she hears her voice. I suspect she will wake up when she arrives if she hears her talking.

for 3 wakings - I remember it well.

Actually I could use some help from you SIFTW girls... recently I have been (inspired by Ginger, Amber etc) saying "Sod you" to the books and just going with the flow re: DS' sleep (hence the co-sleeping). But I am considering buying the Millpond Sleep Clinic book and seeing if there's anything in there that might help LO sleep better (and preferably in his cot).

Am I a complete mug, having a moment of weakness, and should I bin this book from my Amazon shopping cart and just carry on with the co-sleeping? Or do you think there is anything useful in it?? (I have already tried every trick in the NCSS book, to no avail, so I'm not sure whether I'm just doing the wrong thing, or if DS' sleep will be bad whatever I do and I should just relax about it!)

Sorry, bit of a ramble - guess this is what you call a SDD!

Meg: I had a look at the Millpond book but really didn't like it. It might work for you, though. Could you have a look through a library copy and see if it has anything helpful?

DS just woken up but DH dealing...

What didn't you like about it, EP? I don't know that much about it tbh but feel like I need some fresh ideas! (that don't involve leaving him to cry)

Meg - at about 5 months I gave up with the books and went with the flow. I did do CC at 6m to help her learn to self settle and that made a big difference in that she would actually go to bed in the first place! I have never used it for night waking as I always felt she needed something if she woke again. You need to be in the right place in your own head to do CC of any description and read up on it before hand - on here and other sites, no need to buy another book You also need to know your los cries so you can tell the difference between a "i need to sleep" and a "i need milk/mummy/cuddles etc." LO also needs to be mentally aware enough to know you love them otherwise it is just mean

I am still bfing at 11m and she does still wake occasionally and her naps are poo! However she has learnt to settle herself if I give her a minute. I can tell now if I need to go to her straight away or if it is worth leaving her to grumble. That has only come with time and I could not have rushed it.

If you can crack the self settling thing you should find the night wakings improve on their own given time.

There is no quick fix IMO time is the only thing that will help.

Have also been wondering about the Millpond book as it came up when I googled GW/GR. Has anyone else found it useful, or not at all? Just found this article that has some ideas about how to night wean - has anyone tried this approach?

www.drjaygordon.com/development/ap/sleep.asp