SLEEP IS FOR THE WEEK part 7 -- prop your eyes open with matchsticks here

[MegBusset]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Dunnoo whats up Roro. Could be teeth, he does dribble and chew alot, but he's been like this for a long time. His sleep has been particularly bad since 12 weeks.

Yesterday wasn't too bad, but today he has been crying a lot! I thought by now things would be getting better.

Could very well be an early teether, my DS was...also you could try a belly massage to see if that sorts him out, if not, again could be the teeth; oh, and have a listen to his little gut, if there's a lot of gurgling, then it could be gas (that's how I tell the diff between teething pain and belly pain in my DS, as those are the only two things that make him unhappy--well, that and the fact that I won't let him eat the phone when I am talking to my mum ).

Lol Roro at the phone chewing.

Yes my other 2 teethed early (about 5 months) but we hardly noticed they were teething they took it so well. I think that probably there's a lot going on at the same time teeth, belly, developmental stage...etc

Bout its been hard for such a long time it's hard sometimes hard to remeber that this all will pass.

Also the other 2 were much easier by now and so I had expected to be finding life more bearable by now.

Last thread didn't make sense!!

should have read: But it's hard sometimes to remember that all this will pass.

arrrrgh, it's so cold! how are we meant to go and jump in autumn leaves in this kind of weather?

CM, totally understood what you meant, and what you mean...we all have the mummy-brain chip

Amber, know what you mean...no fun outside for us in the evening this week,

It's almost five o'clock, HOORAY! Boobs are exploding, it's my first day of going down to two pumping sessions instead of three can't wait to get home, and hope DS is HUUUUUNGRY!

oh you poor thing, i hate that exploding boobs feeling...

we are going to the shops now to stock up for dinner, and it's almost dark!

please help...

nightsleep is as shitty as ever, now naps are getting messed up too.

We used to have 3 regular naps - at 9 ish for 45 min noonish for 1 1/2-2hrs and 4 ish for 45 min. She goes on nap strike now -yeaterday slep 30 min during the day all day.

She only sleeps during the day if held, or if walked in the pram. So I am poncing about town for 2 frigging hours daily. Ladies, this is why i can fit my pre preg jeans after initially being 3stone heavier after the birth.

i am fast losing hope. She is 5 months old.

I have listened to a soundtrack of fairly non stop crying today my head is going to explode. She is knackered but will not let herself sleep - will rip not rub at her eyes until she feels more awake, her little face is all puffy. she can do this with scratch mits on.

today i hate being a mum, and I am finding her v v v hard work.

poor chibi, it's so hard when they do this isn't it, you just feel like giving in (with good cause). i'm hoping it might be something like teething/growth spurt/full moon kind of thing that might pass in a few days and she'll be back to her napworthy self. i don't know what else to suggest apart from go with it, do the best you can, get some help if you can and that you deffo deserve a large helping of chocolate cake with all the exercise you are doing.

will she sleep next to you for a nap cuddled up close? just a thought, that way you might be able to get a litle rest

i called crysis + they said let her cry, just shut her up in a room + leave her till she stops, this seems to go against every one of my instincts, but following my instincts led me to this point i guess.

i feel so down.

i'm sorry i haven't responded to anyone's elses posts, am being v self centered, will respond later.

Chilbi: Do not feel selfish. I know how it feels to be consumed by the needs of your child so that you can't think or talk about anything else. I am sure people here and in rl are bored by now of my constant wittering on about how ds2 won't sleep and cries all the time.

I haven't got much practical advice I'm afraid, but I just wanted you to know that I feel for you. I am in a very similar boat and today has been particularly sh*tty for me too (maybe there's something in the air?).

The one thing I can suggest is to try patting your lo until they sleep. It is not a solution imo because if they're like ds1 they then need that to go to sleep and it becomes a cause for waking in the night. However, it might work at nap time and if your lo is going to cry at least you feel your there with them and giving some comfort. My dd always had a little cry before she fell asleep, even in the car! But she did grow out of this. I never figured out why she did this because she was quite clearly tired, she just seemed to fight sleep!

I hope you get some rest tonight. It is tough, but hang in there because all things pass with time.

Ps I phoned crysis when I had DD. They told me to put her in the pram in the garden and only feed her every 3 hours. (Remind you of anyone?) Needless to say I ignored the advice!

Sorry keep thinking of more things to say. Apologies for wrong name spelling Chibi!

About instincts. Do not doubt your instincts as a mother about your child. Imo all these parenting experts and books have erroded our belief in ourselves. They certainly have mine. I can't get certain routines out of my head and deep down I'm still anxious that there is an answer out there which I don't know. You can drive yourself mad listening to advice and worrying about what your doing. Don't, you will get there and loving and responding to your baby is the most natural instinct in the world.

I wish i could listen to my own advice sometimes!

you're doing the right thing listening to your instincts chibi. you don't need to listen to anyone. imo cry-sis should be counsellors who listen and empathise but not offer advice as such. they can't think to tell parents what to do when there are so many parenting styles ....

chibi, hang tight love. this will pass.

ps. i think cry-sis may be right to say if you are at breaking point, put your LO in their cot where they are safe and do what you need to do to regain a little bit of sanity. don't leave them to cry because you feel you have to though and you'd rather not. do it if you need to do that for your own sanity iyswim. xx

go with your instincts chibi...and don't think you are being selfish for one minute!

we've all had days/nights/weeks where we have felt like you do and i can only agree with what everyone is saying. I think the crysis thing of put baby in cot is so that you get 5mins of breathing time but if you don't want to do it, then don't do it!

have you got any friends/family nearby that could take over and take dd for a walk so you get a moments rest?

Ah, Chibi, so that you are having such a hard time. IME 5 months was the absolute worst time for us, I too felt at breaking point and don't think I could have got through it without the support of my SIFTW sisters, so do come and lean on us whenever you need to.

Does she have or will she take a dummy? Might help restore your sanity if she's crying all day.

Also feel free to say you have tried this, but for me a big breakthrough came when LO started napping in his cot during the day (this happened around 5mo), so I had a bit of 'me' time, even if only 30 mins. To start with I would put him in his bouncy chair at naptime, give him the dummy and kind of jiggle the chair and shush until he dozed off. Then gradually I was able to transition this to the cot.

Oh, Chibi, I am so sorry to hear that you're feeling so low. Something my mum said once was, sometimes babies just cry. You are doing everything you can and you're a great mum for hanging in there and listening to your instincts. You'll still be a great mum if you instincts tell you to put her down to cry. You're her mum and you have to take care of you, too.

The best thing you can do is give yourself a break. Find some friends or family and hand DD over for a little while, take a deep breath, and plunge back in with renewed spirit.

Of course this is all theoretical since I am not there with you, but I hope it helps just to know that we're all thinking of you and sending don't cry little baby vibes to DD.

thank you all for your support, it means a lot.

We are putting her to sleep in her own room from tonight + trying to put her down awake so I hope this helps.

Chibi i know i'm a little late on this one, we had a v busy day y/day, but have you tried slings...ok so all who are sniggering out there know i'm an addiction attended SA meetings as we speak lol! but in all honesty, they are fab for walking round trying to get them off to sleep whilst you can get things done. once they're asleep you can rest to...they are fab i really would recommend one. I took LO to a huge fireworks display last night and he didn't cry once. he was on my front facing inwards w/out a dummy and he must've felt so secire,hence no crying or even a raised heart rate. was amazing.

our night was fab again last night, we got in at 9 and he went straight to bed, then up at 4 for a quick cuddle then up at 6! nice!

am feeling tired this moring though! and really bad period pains but i came off like 2weeks ago....maybe implantation pains?

morning all
thanks to all who enjoyed the pics am taking boobs off now!!!!
and amber, yes, it would be lovely to still have that freedom. ive noticed a real diference to how my body works recently

roro you have good taste then!!

EP and roro - a siftw campout would be fab

chibi as the others have said really and hang on in there lovely we're all here (albeit cyberly) for you whenever you want to offload. we've all done it, many, many times and no doubt will again. (((hugs)))

beal - sounds like a lovely evening and a good night for period pains tho, mine seem to have gotten worse since having dd and they hurt!

our night was good
bed at 7.15am
woke at 3.30am (cuddled back to sleep)
bf at 5.30am
up at 7am for day

hope there were some similarly good uns

Quick one as I am on my way to work [slurps coffee]

Chibi, I hope things went well for you last night. Hang in there!

Beal I know what you mean about the slings, they seem to work a treat at getting the little 'uns to sleep (and keeping them that way). But mine didn't like to be cooped up when he was tiny, and he still prefers the pram (now that he can sit up). Funny little bear! Are you ttc??

Tibs, and Beal, am so jealous of your nights...

Mine: in bed at 7:30, slept through Tesco fireworks in the park across the street for THREE HOURS, woke up when I got into bed, so bf at 10:30, then he rolled around, albeit sleeping, for three hours. I couldn't sleep at all. Considered going in the other room, but dozed off in the middle of the thought, probably around 1am again. Feed at 3am, changed nappy at 4:30, back to sleep after some rocking and cuddling, up at ten to six, DH took him, I got an hour of sleep, then played until ten to eight, then asleep (I dozed for ten minutes).

I am so tired, I mean, my ARMS feel sleepy, my LEGS feel sleepy, my HEAD is in a fog. I need some serious...something...to get through this day.

roro for your night. it made me tired reading it. hope work isn't too bad. hopefully he'll give you a better tonight.

Tibs for your night. the no bf until 5.30 seems to be working well

beal for another great night. I get mid cycle pains since having ds. thin it's ovulation but it never hurt before!

good night here
ds bed at 8
woke for water about 3
woke at 8 for day

RoRo: I'm knackered and slurping coffee too! Not that bad a night, but DS awake every couple of hours, plus I'd had too much coffee the day before so I was restless too. He had another 2 hr nap yesterday, so hoping things are settling down.

Chibi: DS only slept in the pushchair for ages as well - agree that it#s a good way to lose weight if nothing else. I had to take him for 2 long walks every day - I must have been walking at least 6 miles a day at that point. Does he feed to sleep during the day? I can sometimes cuddle up with DS in bed and feed him during the day and then we both drop off. A sling is worth a try as well if you haven't already. But it WON'T last for ever, really. And it isn't anything you've done wrong.

Yay for the good nights out there, esp Beal's

Tam, for your night, wow. I just peeked at your photos, and your little DS is such a cutie!

Effie, [tired emoticon]. That says it all.

Now I have to go talk to my boss and sound coherent. Yeah, right.