Sleep regression. Anyone else want to join!? Sleepless mums!

[pinkgin1]

Currently going through what I believe could be a four month sleep regression? For ages my son slept really well didn't wake up in the night and if he did it was for one bottle then slept. Most nights slept 9:30pm till about 8am next day.
Has alllllllllll gone out the window the past week 🤣 I always knew the good sleep wouldn't last long and I appreciated it when it did but it's kinda making me feel extremely tired now including my partner🥱
How long does it last?? Will it go on for months?? Will I ever have a 8-8 again? 😥😥🤣
The strange thing is if he wakes up. As soon as I place him onto my bed and pillow he sleeps. So if it was a sleep regression surely he would wake also in my bed?

@Mytigerhasstripyfeet Ahh sending you positivity today…and caffeine, lots of it. Although I’m still not sure how much I’m meant to have with breastfeeding, I daren’t have too much and add that into the mix when baby won’t sleep!

Thank you @LCF2021 I do need those positive vibes 🙂 yes I tend to stick to 1 coffee a day. Not sure how much is ok... maybe I can up this now he's bigger. I could do with it!

Anyone else bf found getting their baby to feed was tricker round the 4-5m mark? Mine seems to end every daytime feed after about 4mins by shouting and wriggling around. Wondering if I need to increase the time between feeds.

Hello @MintGreenLife 👋

After another rocky bedtime last night I managed to get DD down at 8:30... and she woke at 10:30. Them every hour after I put her down again until 3am when I told DH he would need to take over and I was going to the spare room... I've just woken up and peeked in and shes asleep in his arms. I feel better for having had a nice chunk of sleep but also pretty shit that we've regressed to the point of not even having a 3/4 hourly chunk at the start of the night anymore.

@Mytigerhasstripyfeet yes my DD is exactly like this. During the day she doesn't really want to BF at all at the moment, it's like she has FOMO or something and even it I get her to latch on for a few mins as soon as theres the slightest noise or movement in the room and whips her head round to look at it. I used to sit there and feed her for 30-45 mins every couple of hours and now I struggle to get 15 mins per session!

@StickyStickyStickStickSong I must say, even after a terrible night, I find it hard not to smile when I open my eyes and see him quietly staring at me. I decided I would be really strict about the side sleeping last night, but I think he only spent about 50% of the night on his back. I was reading up last night, and the dude sleeping thing is because of the danger of then rolling onto their front and breathing being restricted. Last night I had a look at his position, and because he is close to me he physically couldn’t roll onto his front, but I also angled him so he was leaning back a bit against my hand, so if he did roll it would be onto his back. I also positioned us into a ‘v’ shape, so his body was close to me, but a bit of space between his face and me. So glad you’re seeing an improvement. Poor thing having so much going on at once!

I’ve logged the last few nights on huckleberry (image attached). I felt hopeless last night. I was so uncomfortable and the longest he went without a feed was 2hrs, but mostly fed every hour, and was storing a lot too. I’m such a light sleeper that even heavy breathing wakes me up!

@Mytigerhasstripyfeet I’m already feeling really low and dreading the nights after just a week of this. Have attached a photo of last night’s tracking - I really struggled last night. It makes it feel even more painful knowing hubby is sleeping a solid undisturbed 8 hrs in the spare room too, but what’s the point in us both suffering 😢 we have the same - he stirs, but sometimes I can shush him and stroke him hair before he wakes up properly and wants feeding. I think I still fed 5 times last night though despite him being in bed with me from 11.30pm, after just an hour in his crib. I feel genuinely scared about how long this will go on for. I’m meant to be going back to work in January (part time and from home), but I can hardly function on this little sleep! Xx

@Mytigerhasstripyfeet Yep, BF is a nightmare around this age. I found the same first time round and ended up doing every feed in a dark room, but with another one it’s not possible this time. DD has also decided that rather than just come off when she’s finished that she’d rather twist her head round with my boob still in her mouth 😬😬 so painful

@JammyRedRooo thanks for inviting me! I’ve been struggling on by myself in the night and DH takes him at 7am until 9ish, or as long as he will last without a feed, but I’m finding the nights so long and painful. Maybe even if DH took him for an hour in the middle it might not feel so painful 😖 DS isn’t doing any more than an hour in his crib at the mo, and we’ve carried on trying at the start of the evening, but it’s starting to feel pointless tbh! X

I couldn't believe it last night!!! I kind of feel bad for saying this after you ladies were up hourly 🤭
But, I gave DS his last bottle at 8, then he went down at 9:30pm in my bed. After 10 mins I transferred him to his room. Then the first time I heard him moaning through the monitor it was.......... 7:30am!!!!!!! OMG 😲😁
I went in and he was completely horizontal in the cot 😊 awake but a little drowsy so I bought him into my bed where he fell asleep for another hour while I went down to make coffee and check the clocks a few more times for reassurance!
Gone from a slight improve to a major one! Either that or a big fat fluke 🤣🤣 hoping not the latter 🤞
I checked the cam and he had been awake for about 2 hours prior to 7:30 just lying there looking at his hands, playing with his little comforter and turning himself round 90degrees. So proud of him though either way 🥰

@MintGreenLife aww how lovely and yes it's amazing how their little faces next to ours in the morning makes us smile and instantly forgive the whole night shenanigans 😂 my DS is so happy and smiley in a morning too 💙

I wish I could have BF but I had to stop at 5 weeks, although most the babies who wake up hourly I find are BF I think it's more of a comfort and closeness thing isn't it really

@StickyStickyStickStickSong that’s amazing! What an improvement! You must feel like a different woman today. Fingers crossed it’s not a fluke.

Our normal at the moment seems to be feed her to sleep, then on a good night it’ll be an hour before she wakes - if it has been an hour she’s quite easy to get back down with a quick feed (if it’s less than an hour it can be trickier), then she’ll go down for a couple of hours. Then she’s awake every 1.5-2 hours throughout the night, might get a 3 hour stretch if things are really good. She goes back down really quick with a little feed, but I’m really starting to resent feeding all night when she’s obviously not hungry. Think sleep training to break this association is going to be really rough but hopefully afterwards she’ll wake less and my partner will be able to do bedtime sometimes too!

I feel terrible today. I’m really not coping on this little sleep. How do you all manage?! DS has been tricky. Won’t feed properly (keeps unlatching and crying) won’t sleep (only had a 30 min nap today), won’t settle when being rocked. I feel so guilty but I ended up crying and rocking at the same time. He is EBF and his dad has ended up taking him out in the car to pick up some formula, to give me a break. Since he was born (now 5.5mo) he’s only ever been away from me for an hour or so on two occasions, and I felt so guilty watching DH carry him away from the house to the car that it set me off crying again. As you can probably tell, I really don’t cope well on very little sleep 😭

@MintGreenLife I'm sorry you're having such a tough time, your partner sounds wonderful and helpful, I'm letting my husband do a bottle of formula a day as I am so fed up of pumping, my boy is 6 months now so feel like I've done my job as society expects 😐 and the mum guilt is real but see it as you getting some time back for self-care, you've been there for your baby 24/7, it's ok to have some time back for yourself xxx

Aww @MintGreenLife it does get easier 😊 I promise! And yes as @Sneezymcsneezy said make sure you get some time to yourself (if only I listened to my own advice 🤣)
My mum tends to have DS for me once a week for me for about 2-3 hours but "my time" is spent doing housework and ironing whilst she's entertaining him for me but I do still miss him!
I go back to work full time from Tuesday and I have to travel for my job sometimes 2hr drives away. Dreading it, but I have done a few keep in touch days to get me used to being away from him so hopefully I won't be crying all down the motorway 🤞😂

And as much as I loved the bond and connection of breastfeeding which I really miss!! Formula feeding is so much easier!

Ah @MintGreenLife don't feel guilty. I've sobbed and rocked mine too. They won't remember... they won't remember the next day let alone when they're 10. How are you doing now?

@MintGreenLife We've all done the sobs haven't we I remember him at 3 days old I thought wtf have I done I can't do this!?! It is very much sleep deprivation isn't it but he will get better for you and I suppose introducing a bottle of formula here and there will take the strain off you and may help settle him more too momma you're doing a great job keep ur chin up xx

Oh @MintGreenLife don't feel guilty you are doing a wonderful job but you can't pour from an empty cup.

Anyone else having an absolutely hellish night? DD has woken up after 2 45 minute intervals followed by a 20 minute one. I actually miss those 2 hourly wake ups. I could honestly cry. When will this end?

@MintGreenLife please don't feel guilty. You are doing an amazing job. It's so brutally relentless and tiring, especially when you are BFing, so it sounds like a good idea if your OH can take a bit of the load.

@JammyRedRooo We're having our worst night yet too. Been up and down all night in a blur of feeding/rocking/attempting to co-sleep. Hope things get better for you soon and hope you can get a little rest in the morning.

DS didn't have that late nap yesterday so he went down rather early last night 8pm as opposed to his usual 9:30-10:30..
he woke at 1am so had a great 5hr stint but then he was wide awake after that I put him in with me and he was kicking and laughing and touching my face I just tried my best to ignore him he must have eventually nodded off (I remember checking the clock at 2am he was still awake so it was after 2) then he had broken sleep pretty much til 8am.

I decided to stay up and have a bit of me time, started watching Squid Game til midnight. What a mistake that was I'm knackered today looks like I won't be seeing the new year through tonight 🤣😴

Sorry to hear that @Sleepymama285 - ours didnt get much better either unfortunately. Feel like I've got a permanent headache at the moment.

@StickyStickyStickStickSong ah the trade off between sleep and time alone!! I've given up trying to have an evening now and just go to bed when she does as that's when I know I'm most likely to get a good chunk of sleep. Usually this time of year I'm off work so up late with DH watching christmas telly and eating all the chocs

My lo didn't go to sleep until 12:40 and then when he did he was up alot 🤣

@Sneezymcsneezy thanks so much. I wanted to make it to 6 months ebf, but I’m due to start back at work part time in Jan (working from home with family helping with baby), so I need him to take a bottle of formula anyway for me to manage to get an more than an hour or two of work done at a time. He took a bottle fine yesterday, but no suck luck today. Will try again later.

@StickyStickyStickStickSong I must have sounded so melodramatic yesterday! I just wasn’t coping well. I think I haven’t quite adjusted yet to this new sleep routine and still felt in shock from hourly wakeups becoming the norm, whereas I feel a bit better today.

@JammyRedRooo sorry to hear you had a bad night last night 😭 DH took DS for 2 hours until 11.30pm last night, but then it took me an hour to get to sleep 🤦🏻‍♀️ He then did 50 mins in his crib, and then I coslept until 8am, with hourly wakeups for feeding, and a 4am hour long battle to get back to sleep. God I’m the same, I’d do anything for 2hr wakeups now! I can’t believe he once occasionally went 7hrs in one go 😅 how are you feeling today?

@Sleepymama285 thank you. It’s such a juggling act isn’t it - making sure baby is always happy, and DH isn’t pushed to his limits picking up the pieces when I’m having a meltdown, but then trying to not get to the point of a meltdown myself!

I feel like cosleeping was a bit better last night. I was still so uncomfortable, but I made a few adjustments and was a bit better. He was still awake every hour, and at one point at was up for an hour around 4am, but I feel like I drifted off a bit in between the wakeups!

Hello ladies, been MIA as we went away to in laws for the night. It was crazy and chaotic but we survived. DH spent the night in bed with my eldest as he’s never spent the night away from home before and I slept with DD. She woke up 3 times which wasn’t too bad but I fed immediately so as not to wake anyone up! Been battling a BF issue today…blocked ducts and a milk bleb…SO painful but I think I’ve fixed it although feeding is still pretty tender.
Just put her to bed (fed to sleep) as she skipped her 3rd nap today for the first time so she needed an earlier bed…let’s see how that goes!
Hope you all have a lovely nye. I’m in pjs already 🎉

@MintGreenLife You sound like you’re doing so well! I’m also due back at work end of Jan and my partner is taking over SPL, but currently struggling to get LO to take more than 30ml from a sippy cup (she never likes a bottle so rather than try again we decided to go straight for the cup). Desperately want to get sleep a bit better by the time I start back!

@LCF2021 glad the night at the in laws went well. I think the time at my mum’s LO actually slept better than she does at home!

Frustrated tonight - after an hour of feeding and bouncing I left her upstairs crying and my partner went and got her because I just felt so resentful and touched out. Brought her downatairs for a bit (just gave up basically) but she’s so tired she started screeching, so he’s upstairs again with her now trying to rock her to sleep. It probably won’t work and I’ll have to feed again. I hate how this is making me feel about breastfeeding!!

Urgh @BadgerBum that sounds rough! Hopefully she's asleep now?

I was wondering how long do everyone's babies stay awake between naps (wake windows) and how old are they? ... thinking about increasing LO's daytime awake periods, to push bedtime back an hour or so. Atm he's going to bed at 7.30ish and and is up at 5.30-6am. thinking we might get an extra hr in the morning if he goes down later. Having said that he woke up about 5 times between 8-midnight yesterday 🤷so thinking it might help is... optimistic.

We're also going to move him to his own room tomorrow at 5.5m. although chances are he'll end up in bed with me!

He's taken to waking up crying... Like there's no gradual wake up. Just one moment he's asleep and the next he's bawling. I can even be holding him when it happens. Anyone else's baby do this? Oh and also crying at the end of a feed even if it's 3am. Whyy!?

Well happy new year everyone and good luck tonight!

@Mytigerhasstripyfeet my DS is 9 months and his wake windows are now 4hrs sometimes he can go longer so he has 2 naps a day. Annoyingly he tends to fight the last one meaning he goes down later. Tonight for example he didn't go down for nap til 5:45-6:30 meaning he's literally just gone to sleep now.
But he doesn't wake in the morning til 8-8:30ish.
Really I need to push everything back a bit now i'm due to go back to work next week! Get him down on a night early and up in the morning earlier too. Mehhh dreading it 😩