so how do you go back to work when LO not sleeping through?

[questions2008]

i'm beginning to wonder how i'll go back to work if ds isn't sleeping through the nights by then. He's 6mo and doesn't sleep for more than 3 or 4 hour stretches at night, usually waking every couple of hours after the first long stretch. i'm ok with being a zombie now as don't have to do anything during the day but how will i actually get any "work" done if i go back and he's still like this??? and how will i wake up at 7am?! i'm currently still in bed at 11am!

I would say "with difficulty" but of course that's not a helpful response so I'm just going to bump this for you. I went back to work (had to) when DS was 3 months old. He wanted to nurse every three to four hours, five if I was lucky. Fortunately we co-slept so I didn't have to get out of bed, only roll over and let him peck about and find "baba" (what he now calls boobie). But it was hard to be coherent the next day.

You just do - but then I never had a lie in till 11 after my first dc was born so was used to being up early. Not only was she not sleeping through when I went back to work but never had daytime naps so in some ways going back to work gave me a break!

And don't forget that if you go on to have more children you definitely won't have the luxury of staying in bed in the morning as you will have a toddler to deal with or older children to take to school!

I suppose what I am trying to say is you don't realise how easy you actually have it

I go to bed a bit earlier to catch up on sleep, so about 10pm...

Oh yes - I forgot that I ever went to bed later than 10pm as I had to change my ways once dcs arrived!

You just do.

btw i don't mean ds lets me lie in till 11am, oh he wakes up and wakes me up by continuously 'hitting' me (we co-sleep ) clever boy that he is, from about 7-8am ish, but i don't get up for the day then, im just too tired. so i change his nappy, and bring him back to bed, let him talk/play/continue to hit me for a while before i feed him to sleep again, and so on til about 11am. i guess that won't be happening then.

yes i should go to bed earlier, i tell myself this everyday, but it's so nice to spend some time on my own when he's asleep, i keep putting off going to bed.

and more kids?! hahahahaaaaa..ha

Co-sleep. Get yourself used to it by not napping during the day, waking up at 7 am. Your ds' sleep cycle will adjust accordingly, even if he continues to wake a few times at night.

My dcs were waking almost once an hour all through the night. They get better in time.

my dd is 15 months and not sleeping through, but have only had one hideous day of sleep deprivation (have been back since september) which i think was teeth or something - can't remember. i was coming down with something so it felt worse.

if you're co-sleeping you'll be alright i reckon - we are and i just try to go to bed around 10/10:30 to get at least a decent amount of time horizontal, even if i feed a few times in the night.

i am going to attempt night weaning over christmas but am not desperate, most nights i feel pretty well rested, but she seems ready and it would be nice to have a whole night of sleep!

also i feel much less of a zombie than at 6 months, pretty normal now even though she still feeds a fair bit, perhaps you just adjust.

good luck!

Co-sleep and go to bed early. I used to go to bed at 9pm when I first went back to work. My DS is nearly 3 and wakes up at least twice a night most nights so I'm still in bed at 10pm most nights

on the worst days of sleep deprivation i went to bed soon after DS. but most nights would be in bed and asleep by 9:30. sleep is far more important that adult time.

too tired to read the rest but I did it. consulted sleep clinic when ds 11 months old - situation improved but still, when I wnet back to work a month later I was still feeding him 5 times a night! I just managed somehow. I worked full time, but I guess I'm just good at coping iwth it. Used to sleep on the tube to work.

DH did controlled crying with DS1 at 9 months when I had gone back to work at DS 6 months. I had gone away for two nights on a work trip and when I came back it was all sorted.

Going to bed early is a good tip....

ds did not sleep through a single night until he was 5 - we had to co-sleep. I would sleep in our bed with him whilst dh slept in his bed! Most co-incidentally, dd was conceived on ds' 5th birthday . Seriously though, you have to push any kind of 'strict routine' attempts to one side if it isn't working - they will eventually get through it - he's 9 now and we have no problems at all. Dd is 4 and when it's happened with her, we do the same. No choice really.