Misguided Illusion Part II - Baby still not sleeping through by six months? Come and join us!

[MomOrMum]

Thought I would start a fresh thread as, sadly, we have almost filled the first one.

Feral, Kiwi, Chulita, et al...shouldn't we have graduated from this thread by now?!

Now welcoming a new crop of 6 months+ babies determined to help us reach new heights/depths of sleep deprivation.

Here is the original thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/sleep/713951-Support-thread-for-those-who-were-under-the-misguided-illusion

Having been around for a few days as my parents came for the weekend. This always means more sleep for me (yay!) as my Mum gets up at night and settles the babies when she can, brings them to me for feeding when she can't, plus takes them when they wake up and gives them breakfast - so I lay in until 8.30 both mornings. You do sleep better when you are not listening all the time don't you? We had a bad night on Friday because of colds with DT2 waking randomly at 3 and disturbing DT1. Mum & I were up for over an hour trying to settle them both and eventually gave up and fed them both even though it wasn't time for a feed. Last night DT1 back to waking every 4 hours but DT2 did 10 - 4 with only a dummy replacement at 12.30!

So I feel we are making progress although it's a little 1 step forward 2 steps back. If we can just get through the colds we might see some real improvement. IstitMe good point about being up at 3.30 rather than 5 - it might be worth feeding earlier so that the next feed is early enough for us all to go to sleep for a while after. When things have settled down with the colds I will give it a try.

1stMrsF that sounds like a lovely weekend - your mother sounds especially fantastic. Hope all the colds are better soon and we can all get some better sleep in.

Morning

IsItMe - I used calpol and nurofen together the night before last and it seemed to help. Poor little monkey. His temperature was normal yesterday though and still normal today so touch wood he's better.

Galena - wow! What a great sleep... how was she last night? Boo to colds though - is everyone on the mend now?

Hello 1stMrsF - your Mum sounds like a star. Last time I went to stay with my folks and O was up in the night my Mum put her earplugs in

DH and I have decided to try some of Elizabeth Pantley's techniques in the No Cry Sleep Solution. She emphasizes the need for consistency and patience so going to stick with it for at least a month. Will keep you posted on how we go...

Hello

Can I join your thread please? Have been lurking for a little while because I had a feeling that DD wouldn't be sleeping through by 6 months and, lo and behold, I appear to be psychic!

She turned 6 months last week and last night was fairly indicative of where we are: Bed at 7pm, awake at 10pm, awake again at 3am, 4.30am and 6am (at which point she was up for the day). Lovely.

Am drinking a very large coffee with extra caffeine...

Hi Pogger. Another early riser. I never drank caffeine until I had DS!

1stMrsF-Please can we borrow your mother??? My mum is lovely with DS but she thinks I am a bit of a whinger about the lack of sleep.

Bicnod-good idea to have a plan of action-a new chink of hope

Galena-fingers crossed another good couple of nights for you.

Well we have had a good few nights, but I don't want to jinx it. I'm not sure if it was anything to do with the airwrap , but something has happened. The cat is our current problem-arrrrgh. Does Gina Ford do a 'contented little cat book'??

Hi Pogger I hope us newbies can graduate from this thread quickly!

BB - yep, having a plan makes me feel like I have some control over the situation. Clearly I don't, but its nice to feel like I might! I've written out The Plan and stuck it to the fridge. We'll see.

On the upside, O has had a long post-lunch nap for the last few days

Welcome Pogger, here's hoping all of us are not around too long!

I should've kept quiet. Last night she woke at 12, at 4:30 for an hour and then at 6:30 for the day. ARGH!

She's still sounding very congested though so I guess she's not feeling great. She is also beginning to get frustrated with lying on her back and is thinking about rolling back-front (she's been rolling front-back for months cos she hates tummy time) so I guess the development may be messing with her sleep.

Ho hum.

BB - can sympathise with your cat-related angst. Ours seems to go through annoying phases of nocturnal activity.

Although very, very occasionally she seems to have come to express sympathy when DS is having a particularly miserable time. Mostly she's just underfoot though. (Poor thing!).

DS has all the teething symptoms again. Not sure which teeth are causing the problem though - hoping it won't last as long as the last lot -TWO WEEKS over Christmas, ouch!

I am now adding to my list of worries, concern that continued BFing at night is going to lead to tooth decay for IsItMeBaby. Sigh.

Morning ladies. Galena, absolutely, here's hoping everyone graduates quickly - didn't mean to banish the oldies on this thread to sleeplessness forever and ever

O started sleeping on his front once he could roll back to front and he sleeps much better like that. Especially when he has a cold - the snot kind of dribbles out of his nose and he doesn't get so congested

IsItMe - teething seems to be O's normal state of being. I can't actually remember a time when he wasn't blardy teething.

Well, I don't want to jinx anything and its very early days (we've only done 2 days of The Plan so far) but we seem to be moving in the right direction. Last night for about 50% of the times he needed to be settled we didn't actually have to pick O up out of the cot (which is unheard of). And I heard him settle himself a couple of times. Still not getting any more sleep but thinking long game...

How was everyone's night last night?

Our cat thankfully sleeps well! However, occasionally when DD is screaming he'll patrol outside her bedroom wanting to get in and sympathise. Also, when I feed her before bedtime, he'll often sit on the footstool of the glider/rocker I'm feeding in. (VERY funny watching him try to keep his balance if I'm rocking at the time!)

We've had another funny night. She slept from bedtime till 3, fed and went straight back down. Then woke at 5:30, fed and put back down, but wouldn't go back to sleep. At 6:05 DH brought her into bed but she wouldn't go back to sleep so we've been up since 7:00. Having said that she's back in bed now although I don't imagine that'll last longer than 45 minutes - never does in the day.

Poor IsItMeBaby. It's horrible that our little ones have to go through the pain of teething. As for the worry of tooth decay - ask your dentist if it's likely to be a problem?

Hello all

I too can relate to cat issues. I have two, who used to be my 'babies', but are now lucky if they get the occasional stroke, rather than a ' off out of my way, and shut the up'. Poor lambs.

Baby herb slept through last night! The occasional whimper, but he didn't wake up between his 11pm feed and 7.30 this morning! No idea why - the heating was accidentally left on, so maybe he likes being boiling hot. He had an extra nap yesterday, maybe that was it... I've been keeping a note of exactly when he eats/sleeps, so that when he does sleep through the night I can slavishly replicate exactly what I did that day! Sadly, I've already deviated from yesterday's routine. hmmm...

Glad to hear some of the rest of you are seeing progress, even if it's sporadic!

Morning all.

We had a good night here. He was wide awake at dream feed time so I was thinking eeek. However he fed and went down with no probs. I heard a squawk at 4ish but by the time I had got to his door all was quiet. I might see if I am brave enough to drop the dream feed next week (it may all fall apart by then).

IsItMeOr-I am sure I read on a breastfeeding thread that there had been research that showed no link between demand breastfeeding (including night feeds) and tooth decay. It had been cited by one the breastfeeding 'gurus', can't remember who.

Bicnod-Big whoops on the improvements!

Galena- how long is it before DD gets grizzly after waking at 5:30? Hope you are getting a brief sit down and cuppa.

Maddie the cat was much better behaved last night. She likes sitting with us whilst we feed. It does feel like perfect contentment when I have a DS feeding peacefully and the cat purring on my knee.

Yes, my Mum is amazing

Last night DT1 did 7pm - feed at 1am and then 1.30 - 5.30! No other wakings!

So, not together yet, but both capable of going 6 hours - a huge improvement.

herb my babies sleep best when the heating is on - we boil but it's worth it!

Bicnod good luck with the plan.

Glad to see some good news stories here in the last few days. Perhaps we are winning the war, just losing the battles (my dad suggested this metaphor this week - I like it; it describes coping with babies very well!!)

herb thanks for making me feel better about the treatment our first "baby" gets around here. DS is getting big now and moving with increasing speed and much enthusiasm. The cat is not thrilled. We think DS may have attempted his first word the other day - sounded worryingly like "meow", directed to the cat.

Our cat's still happy as DD's still stationary! Once she starts moving I have a feeling they'll start to view each other from opposite sides of the stair gate... Which reminds me - what happens with cats and stair gates? Ours can't get through the gate (we used it to keep him out of freshly painted bedrooms) but he likes to sleep upstairs but needs to get to the catflap in the kitchen. How're we going to manage that? Hmmm.

As for sleep - last night was a bit better - woke at 12:30 and 6 but was babbling at 6 rather than yelling, so left her to it for a while and went and fed her at 6:30 then brought her into bed until about 7. Far more civilised! BB, when she woke at 5:30 I'd get up, feed her and put her straight back down as if it were the middle of the night, and she'd start screaming straight away. I haven't had a hot cuppa for AGES! (Actually, that's a lie, I had one at a Special Needs baby group yesterday as the teachers were fighting over who got to cuddle DD while I drnk my coffee!)

Certainly we all seem to be making progress and if it weren't for teeth, colds, cats and so on, we'd all be sleeping like angels (not like babies - we all know how ridiculous that phrase 'sleeping like a baby' is!)

I always wanted a cat but DH didn't. I said cat or baby and then DS turned up

We are now starting day 4 of The Plan. Last night was a mixed bag - he went to bed at 18.30 amd then required settling at 19.00, 21.00 and 22.10, but he then slept until 04.40 He settled without being picked up but then 5 mins later had to go back in and pick him up. Then he beetled around his cot for an hour or so and did a huge poo at 06.00 so that was pretty much it.

Scuppered my dropping morning nap plans for the day (he just slept from 08.00-09.20) but hopefully he'll still do a long post-lunch sleep.

Baby steps. Long game. Baby steps. Long game.

Galena - that is amazing!!

Herb - O likes to boil as well. We don't leave the heating on but he sleeps in long-sleeved vest, sleepsuit, pj top, fleece sleepsuit, 3.5 tog sleeping bag + blanket over the top! If I dress him according to the sleeping bag instructions he freeeeeeeeeezes.

Sounds like ok (not great) nights all round.

Ours went like this; foolishly decided to do without dreamfeed. Down at 6:45, woken at midnight by drunk boyfriend coming in (also woke DS-grrrrr), woken by cat mewling to get into DS's room, DS wakes at 3:00-couldn't be arsed to mess around trying to settle him so gave him a boob, up at 7:00. My language was fruity to say the least (towards cat and DP)! DP says we should make a kennel for cat...

What does everyone else put their babies in for sleep? It sounds like I might be going a bit light on the clothing front.

Swimming today, so hopefully a bit of a dunking coupled with the return of the 10pm feed will get us back on track.

DD wears short sleeved vest, sleepsuit, 0.5tog sleeping bag, folded sheet, 2 folded blankets. It's kinda a hangover from SCBU when the room was really warm and she'd be in her cot with vest, sleepsuit, folded sheet and about 4 or 5 folded blankets! She doesn't feel overhot when I get her out, and in fact her hands are flippin' freezin' (And don't I know it when one finds its way into my armpit at silly o'clock and I'm feeding her!)!

Mine wear long sleeved vest, sleepsuit, 2.5tog bag and I keep the room at 19C with a heater, or if the heating is on, adjust their radiator to do the same. Anything under 18 and they wake up a lot. They seem to be able to wear that much in up to 21C temps to - so definitely much more warmly dressed than the sleeping bag company suggests.

DS wears what the grobag company suggests...and then I bung a folded sheet and folded blanket on for good measure. I came to the view that all the FSID guidelines work because your baby will never sleep that cold!

LOL @ IsItMe

Oh, we can laugh now MrsF...I had to cajole DH to let me put some more layers on to DS.

I love to be snuggled down into my duvet, so I can't get my head around just putting them in a grobag and leaving it at that. They look so naked somehow. They need tucking in. More snuggly.

Plus a midwife told me to do it, so it must be okay.

Well, we made it from 6:30pm to 4:00am, then from 4:30am till 7:15am last night. We only managed 2 short naps yesterday during the day, so I thought it'd be bad... It's funny - she varies so much for seemingly no reason!

IsIt Me-As long as it was a midwife not a HV
I am sure I read somewhere that babies who sleep through early are at greater risk of SIDS. Well we can all rest assured on that one!!!

I layered up last night, unfortunately the extra blanket just gave him a new distraction. He woke up at some point, having completely turned around to the other end of cot, blanket left redundant. Then woke at 6:00 grumpy and wouldn't go back to sleep until daddy had faffed his way out to work. Not a particularly bad night but I am pooped today.

hiya i am a newbie my son was sleeping through almost all night but since he had swine flu 2 weeks ago he wont sleep more then a few hours its not food he wants his dummy back but i end up getting up 10 - 15 times a night?
Any ideas about what to do would be great Thanks

P.s those talking about camomile tea that is how they do it in italy at three months we give them 1oz of camomile tea with 2oz of water in the night instead of milk after about three days they stop waking for milk this is what i did for my son