SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK PART 6 - now with added caffeine*

[ImBarryScott]

• I wish.

Morning all,

Hope you find this!

for your rough night Amber.

After a few good ones, we had a crap one too. Up at 1.30, 3, 4.30, 5.30, 6.15........
I think she was a bit overtired last night. Hope we can get her napping better today .

So how were all your nights?

i really shouldn't complain, ds doesn't wake in the night, so still has a great stretch of sleep - but i know, and remember what it was like when he slept til 7/7.30! oh, the days!

much better thanks. dramatically better. she must have known i'd been on here complaining about her... bed at 8. woke at 4 for bf. then woke at 7.30am. bloody marvellous. even if she doesn't keep it up it means i feel slightly more human today. x

great news flumpity
skirmish that's technically through the night so get your coat!

hi ibs, i 2nd what EP said, very wise words and just wanted to add that you're a fantastic mummy and i'm sure you'll do whats best for your lovely lo

EP - on the emergence of another tooth and yey for your improved night

skirmish for your night.... sleeptastic!!

who hoo for yours too tam, you've worked really hard for that, so congrats for your perserverance (heres me thinking of giving up after 2 nights ) its not that she doesnt take the bottle, she does, its just......oh i dont know what its just!! will try for the rest of the week maybe unless she shows obvious signs of teething and see how we get on.

meggy, for your 2nd half and in answer to your Q, ds is in year 9 now (or year 3 to you fellow oldies!!) he is now officially a teenager, although all seems to be quiet on that front atm!!! ...and that lady was right, it goes so quickly.

IBS - fwiw, i'm not against CC, just find it VERY hard to take for myself. You know, there may be a day when i do it, when i've just had enough, but i'm trying to just keep muddling along for now, as i'm generally getting enough sleep to cope and function. if you don't feel like you and/or dp are functioning that well, then you never kjnow, maybe it's time to change. however, like ep says that 6 month time can be full of so many changes for little people. I know it seems like we are saying that for every 2nd week, sometimes we just need to say to ourselves that there's a reason for all these nighttime antics. sometimes when i feel like this i write down the reasons i want to do CC etc. Then I wait a week, read it, and see if I agree with it, or whether things have changed, or maybe whether I'm just seeing it from a new perspective.
i also think the moxie post that ep linked to is brilliant about releasing or building tension. it makes so much sense why crying works for some babies and not others.
anyway, whatever you decide to do will be the right thing love.

ep, i love moxie so much. she is such a beacon of sensible parenting. sometimes when i'm trying to make sense of things i just read her blog and it puts everything in perspective.

Hello all - haven't been able to get on mumsnet recently.
And dd managed to make my screen go all wrong (so laughed at your computer woes).

Anyway, I am off to my mum's today for some sitting down with a cuppa and a chat while she does some entertaining . As I am all PMTed and it's my birthday tomorrow and am doing nothing. Boo.

Trying to remember all your updates:

Ginger - def go with the relaxed thing. My mantra has always been (well, since 6mths or so)YOU CANNOT MAKE THEM SLEEP. You can encourage it, and make them stay in their bed and try but if they are not gonna sleep, get up and do something else and try again later. I also did naps with her for a long time. My dd now takes herself upstairs for her nap and sleeps for 1half hours ish usually about 4 hours after waking - but yesterday she tried but came downstairs. Then tried again 2 hours later and fell asleep.

Newbies - welcome - and hope you don't stay long !! this thread is fantastic for support and ideas. I think none of us are particular CC advocates (as far as I am concerned it sometimes just means the baby wakes as much but you ignore it rather than go to them - not long term imo).

Tam - I am a teacher of naughty, emotionally immature teenagers and am finding the techniques are v similar. I do lots of warnings what we are about to do - 'last one', 'we are going from the park in a minute', 'need to change your bum soon'.... and totally agree in not giving in in a positive but firm voice. Mind you, my dd is younger and pretty laidback in her nature I think. (Tibs's posts are scaring me - dd has always been so chilled and 'easy', really worried that the next one will be a nightmare...).

We had an ok night with medised. Can feel the teeth pretty much through now. So we might get a break til the next ones... But she seems to have decided that sleeping past 7.30 isn't for her anymore. I remember the days when she used to get up early then I'd bring her in to me and we'd sleep til 10...

Hi everyone,

Meg - Glad to hear your night improved a bit, how's it going with the eczema since your dairy ban?

EP - glad that tooth's worked its way through

MM - hope you enjoy your break today.

Tam - well done on the milk. Sounds like it's all coming good thanks to your efforts.

Flumpity - hurrah for feeling human!

Skirmish - glad your night was ok

Well, we've had a teary morning (me and DD both!). I was so upset, as she was so cranky and tired. She wouldn't be comforted at all.

So I resorted to going straight for the full swaddle and dummy for her nap. She's been sleeping for an hour. I think in some ways this has hardened my resolved towards CC, as the gradual methods aren't working, and neither is the status quo much of the time.

Thank-you all for your unqualified support. We've ordered some books from the library, and I've been researching the effects on t'internet. And EP, I am already a fan of the lovely Moxie .

IBS glad you're getting a break this morning and for the tears. It happens to us all.

MummyM thanks for your post. You always make me feel calm. maybe that's how you can handle unruly teenagers!

MM happy birthday for tomorrow!

Baz, the exclusion diet seems to be making f-all difference to the eczema -- it's been as bad as ever this week. Am gonna give it one more week then call the hospital and see what they suggest (they said there should be results in 2/3 weeks, it's been 2 so far).

MM happy birthday for tomorrow.... dont be scared, my friend has had two easy going babies and it wasnt until the 3rd that she got a more 'wilful' one theyre all different

IBS - sorry for the tears my lovely. its horrid when you feel like that. hope you perk up soon x

MEG- that the exclusion diet is not having any effect. fingers x'd for something to work soon

well, i'm going to bog off, been to M & Ts this a.m, lo pooped out, so am going to grab some lunch and watch some crappy tv whilst she's sleeping
catch you all later

tibs have been doing the same. ds asleep
so made myself pesto tortellini salad and have watched loose women. Off to make cup of tea and make most of last half hour of his sleep!

Love the new profile pics, Tam and Tibs! What a cute bunch .

I've just updated my profile pics too... have made them visible to only my Mumsnet Mates (that's you lot!) so let me know if you can't see 'em.

Bazza, sorry you're feeling so down. I've had plenty of days like that and felt so cross with DD for making me feel so terrible. I had days where I just wanted to be on my own but couldn't because I had this screaming baby that wouldn't be pacified at all. I know how hard it is, especially if you're tired. The CC it's entirely your choice and if it's what you and your DH want then you shouldn't feel guilty about it. We haven't done it because I would never stick at it and i think the inconsistency is worse. All I can say is you really need to be committed and if you're having doubts then it's not a good time to start as you need to be 100 percent. There are other things you could try first perhaps cuddling, patting, co-sleeping (can't rememeber if you're doing this) if you're not ready. The gradual retreat method basically but again you have to be consistent. All I will say is that IT WILL GET BETTER even if you do nothing. It may take some time but you will see improvements in the coming months. At 12 months we're so much better than we were at 9 months and that was better than 6 and so on. I found 6 months a VERY unsettled time. I had foolishly thought that the moment we started weaning it would instantly get better. It was quite the opposite. We also got first teeth at 6 months and she learned to sit on her own so there are lots of things going on. Is there anything you could try to substitute swaddling? Having never done it I don't know. The dummy thing does get better and by 8/9 months she'll be putting it back in herself.

Tam, excellent progress on the no milk. I don't think it will take long before he gets the message and then he'll have no reason to wake and you'll have lots of lovely sleepy nights

mummymagic, happy birthday for tomorrow

hello everyone else. Not ignoring you. no time on a work night.

hope everyone gets some sleep tonight. off to bed now to get some myself (hopefullY)

first up?

not too bad a night here. Has regressed slightly and is waking before we go into bed.

woke at 9.30 so I went in and got into bed with him (i was tired anyway) and he went straight back to sleep (little monkey!)

woke at 1.30 for milk
woke at 8 for the day

Morning all,

ginger - ta for the support!

Tam for your brief regression. Hope it's a blip.

Meg - can't see the piccies.

How odd, Baz -- you are definitely on my mates list. I have changed the preferences so anyone can see them for now. Sorry that your nights are horrid at the mo, I know how tough it is when it's night after night.

Ours was nothing to write home about, pretty settled in the evening (woke just once) then 11, 1.30, 3.30 and up for the day at 6.30. Still very tiring but manageable. Once his second tooth has come through, I might see if I can get through the 1.30 wake-up without feeding him (always an excuse to stick with the status quo!).

Hi Tam

We are not alone...

(Would just like to clarify that I'm not a Torygraph reader -- my mum sent me the link!)

morning meg (love the pics, so cute) and IBS for your crap night. they do seem to come in blocks that last a week or so and then things change again. It will pass i promise and as ginger says even if you don't do anything it will get better naturally as dd gets older.

off to pick up my mum (doesn't drive grr) and bring her down to our village for the day. (i usually go to hers)

have agood day everyone

Baz: sorry you had a bad night . Would echo Ginger that 6 months is a v tricky time. Lots going on. You need to do what feels right for you in your situation - and if it doesn't work, don't beat yourslef up about it and either leave it or try something different .

Tam: hope the early waking was a blip. DS also woke about 9 and I was too tired to wrestle him back into the cot, so just had a (very)early night! Feel better for it. He woke a few times but seems to have stopped the long shouty wake-ups so I'm not complaining. DH reports he was a horror this morning though, refusing to eat or get dressed so I think our CM is in for a busy day.

And I managed to flood our new laminate floor so it will prob buckle and generally be a nightmare . No excuse but rank stupidity. If you don't hear from me again DH has killed me and cunningly disposed of the body...

oh no sorry about the floor ep. hope it is okay.
glad tam and ep got early nights, even if it wasn't planned that way.
IBS sorry for your shite night. Hope it improves soon.
Hi Meg, thanks for hte link.
Our night was sh*te too. Actually ds managed to sleep until 1.30 with only a few murmurs, but then the period post 1.30 was horrid. doesn't bare going into. sigh. a week you say tam? oh i hope so. we've done 4 nights. 3 to go??

Meg - how adorable! Hope that tooth hurries up. Still gum-tastic here, and i'm not complaining!

EP - Glad you feel rested. The floor thing: I've flooded our laminate on countless occasions and it hasn't buckled yet...

Amber - sorry you were with us on Shite Nite!