Rant - Feeling so hopeless about sleep!

[bananaz]

Megan - I'm so glad things are finally starting to look up for you. It sounds like this was the right choice for your LO. Keep us posted on her progress!

 

[Noelle610]

I honestly think some kids - including my own - are just not that adaptable. I hope this doesn't scare you off of travel until she's 3! Give it a few days. I would just get Elsie on a strict nap schedule over the next week and make sure she gets a lot of stimulation between naps (really wear her out). I bet she sleeps better for you soon.

 

[Shadowy Lady]

Bananaz - hope the interview went well. You're srsly my hero for doing all this on your own and I wish you the best of luck

MrSPear - good luck tonight hun! I know for us any kinda sleep training always made things better.

I'm getting scared now of our trip (Feb 21st). We're gonna be in the Caribbean so Sofia can't sleep in her thick sleepsuite and she'll have to sleep under a mosquito net. Hope she doesn't get too thrown off. She's now back to only one wakeup per night or occasionally none at all for the past 2 weeks. Really hope this sticks.

 

[bananaz]

I honestly think some kids - including my own - are just not that adaptable. I hope this doesn't scare you off of travel until she's 3! Give it a few days. I would just get Elsie on a strict nap schedule over the next week and make sure she gets a lot of stimulation between naps (really wear her out). I bet she sleeps better for you soon.

I think you're right on all counts. I hope Charlotte gets over her tummy bug quickly, poor kid

 

[megangrohl]

Thanks everyone for such awesome, positive support! She did really well for her naps today. She whimpered about 30 minutes for her first nap and slept 45 minutes and her second nap she whimpered 15 minutes and slept 1 hour.

We put her in her crib at bedtime tonight and she cried for 5 minutes! That is all! I think we have some amazing progress. I know CIO is not for everyone but I definitely do think it is for us. We went and bought a video baby monitor and I see she is laying in her crib now playing with her cuddle blankie that has a stuffed animal head on top. (not sure what those are called? lol)

Consistency is definitely key. We don't go back in unless she is really bad in the middle of the night, and it is usually DF to give her back her soother, and a gentle pat on her chest. No words are spoken and no eye contact. She is doing well at self settling. I kiss and hug her all day long because she is just too precious and cute not to!

I will keep everyone posted on our progress!

 

[MrsPear]

Night one was a success! She went to bed at 6:30 and was asleep by about 7:15 with the ssshhing and patting (and singing, poor kid). I did a dreamfeed before I went to bed about 9:30 (rock and roll), then she was only up 3 times in the night!!

Each time, I fed her (don't know if she really needs feeding but she isn't putting weight on well and she's constipated since starting weaning so I'm happy to keep up with it) then put her back in her cot and she went back to sleep with only a few seconds of patting. In fact one time she was grizzling so I stopped patting for a second and she fell asleep, almost like, "Get off mum, I'm tired!"

We did have some cuddles before getting up and she slept about an hour in my arms before getting up- I'm happy to do this because if she was in her cot she'd wake up for the day an hour earlier but once she is in my arms and been fed she drifts back to sleep for a bit so it's nice to get a cuddle and a relax till 7:30.

SO, all in all a very good start! x

 

[Noelle610]

Great news MrsPear!

I'm really impressed with all of these consistent mommies on here I think when you're sleep deprived and desperate it's hard to make changes, especially if they mean a temporary increase in lack of sleep. You just want them to go to sleep, damn it!

For me, when I did the night weaning, I was terrified mostly because I was scared it wouldn't work. And what then? I give you all credit.

 

[megangrohl]

Thanks Noelle. Lastnight she cried for 5 minutes, then she sat playing with her cuddle toy/blankie for about 20 minutes and fell asleep by 7:00. She didn't wake up until 6:00 this morning! I am so freaking happy! I got 8 hours of sleep and I feel like a new woman! The first night was the hardest, hearing her like that but honestly it is so worth it. She is so much more happy and well rested. I love being a mom with this much sleep! I hope she keeps this up, she is getting really well at settling herself to sleep too.

 

[Noelle610]

Thanks Noelle. Lastnight she cried for 5 minutes, then she sat playing with her cuddle toy/blankie for about 20 minutes and fell asleep by 7:00. She didn't wake up until 6:00 this morning! I am so freaking happy! I got 8 hours of sleep and I feel like a new woman! The first night was the hardest, hearing her like that but honestly it is so worth it. She is so much more happy and well rested. I love being a mom with this much sleep! I hope she keeps this up, she is getting really well at settling herself to sleep too.

Say what?!!!!! Amazing! I bet Lilly is happier too getting such quality sleep. I am thrilled for you Megan. Just so happy!

I have read that sometimes the really bad sleepers often to take to sleep training very quickly. Seems to be the case for you and your girl!

 

[megangrohl]

I am glad too. I need this sleep, I start going back to school for chemistry tomorrow. I will be going Tues & Thurs nights 6-9 pm and it is a condensed course, so I will need to really have alot of time for reading chapters and studying because I want to pass, and I want to actually understand it. And since I SUCK at chemistry it will be hard but I need to do it to get into nursing school. So I am really hoping she sticks to it.

We will definitely still be consistent with the CIO by not going in and she has 100% shown us that she does have the ability to STTN so I am happy with our progress. I also wanted to let ppl having so much troubles sleeping at night know that CIO can and does work, but I do know that it is not for everyone as every baby is totally different. Some respond well and some don't. Ours responded well, and it was our last resort method, too.

 

[daneuse27]

My LO is doing a lot better too, all I had to do was cut dairy out of my diet completely. She finally stopped squirming and farting and started sleeping more and better! Then on Friday, I made these vegan cookies that were mostly made up of oats, and then her gas started to become a problem again, I think it was becuase of the oats ( I did eat quite a few of those cookies lol) so I stopped eating them and then she started sleeping better again! 10-12 stretches at night and naps are improving. I think I need to be better with developing a nap routine, it seems every day we do something different and her bedtime routine is always the same which I think has always helped her sleep so well at night.

 

[bananaz]

My LO is doing a lot better too, all I had to do was cut dairy out of my diet completely. She finally stopped squirming and farting and started sleeping more and better! Then on Friday, I made these vegan cookies that were mostly made up of oats, and then her gas started to become a problem again, I think it was becuase of the oats ( I did eat quite a few of those cookies lol) so I stopped eating them and then she started sleeping better again! 10-12 stretches at night and naps are improving. I think I need to be better with developing a nap routine, it seems every day we do something different and her bedtime routine is always the same which I think has always helped her sleep so well at night.

Wow, 10-12 hour stretches? That's amazing! I'm so glad cutting dairy has worked for you. I also found that my LO was sensitive to oats for a while, but she seems to have outgrown it now.

 

[Noelle610]

My LO is doing a lot better too, all I had to do was cut dairy out of my diet completely. She finally stopped squirming and farting and started sleeping more and better! Then on Friday, I made these vegan cookies that were mostly made up of oats, and then her gas started to become a problem again, I think it was becuase of the oats ( I did eat quite a few of those cookies lol) so I stopped eating them and then she started sleeping better again! 10-12 stretches at night and naps are improving. I think I need to be better with developing a nap routine, it seems every day we do something different and her bedtime routine is always the same which I think has always helped her sleep so well at night.

So glad things have improved for you!!

 

[aliss]

We had a great night, only 2 night feeds & then a resettling at 5:30am when OH woke up snorting with a nose bleed (urgh). Improved from 10-15x a night with teething (and, of course, no tooth to show for it).

 

[MrsPear]

My LO is doing a lot better too, all I had to do was cut dairy out of my diet completely. She finally stopped squirming and farting and started sleeping more and better! Then on Friday, I made these vegan cookies that were mostly made up of oats, and then her gas started to become a problem again, I think it was becuase of the oats ( I did eat quite a few of those cookies lol) so I stopped eating them and then she started sleeping better again! 10-12 stretches at night and naps are improving. I think I need to be better with developing a nap routine, it seems every day we do something different and her bedtime routine is always the same which I think has always helped her sleep so well at night.

Well done you for cutting it out completely, that is not easy at all when dairy is hidden in all sorts.
10-12 hours is amazing!!

 

[Noelle610]

We had a great night, only 2 night feeds & then a resettling at 5:30am when OH woke up snorting with a nose bleed (urgh). Improved from 10-15x a night with teething (and, of course, no tooth to show for it).

Wow, that is wonderful at 14 weeks old!

I feel you on the teething. I feel like Charlotte has been teething for weeks. I've been expecting those top teeth to pop through, but nothing! So frustrating.

 

[bananaz]

MrsPear - Yay, congrats on sticking to it, I'm glad it's continuing to work for you! It sounds like she's well on her way to self-settling.

Megan - That is so awesome, I hope your success continues. Enjoy your sleep, mama

aliss - Two feeds is fantastic for that age, it took my LO a lot longer to get to that point, haha. The teething thing is so frustrating, especially when there's nothing to show for it. There have been many times when I wanted to tell LO "You'd better wake up with all of your molars after a night like this!"


Elsie slept better last night, thank god. She went to bed on time without a fuss, stirred at 9pm but put herself back to sleep, and then woke for feeds at 2am and 4am before getting up for the day at 6:30am

 

[aliss]

Thanks girls, I know I know!!! Don't worry I'm not one of those who will bitch about 2x at 14 weeks! I appreciate every moment of it b/c I know better Still gearing up for the 4 month bitchfest but I'll relax until then

 

[MrsPear]

Aliss you are our font of all knowledge, we know you know all about sleeplessness and understand what is a good night and what is a bad night!! I'm glad Philippe is sleeping well so far!

So, I am getting ready for night two of ,shhhh-patting! I forgot to mention that last night I was so tired that everytime I closed my eyes whilst feeding Joni, it was going through my mind that I needed to put her in the fish tank when I was finished?!!

Note to self: Do not put the baby in the fish tank

xx

 

[daneuse27]

Im glad that so many of us are doing better now Hats off to the babies for figuring out that we want them to SLEEP and its better for all involved if they do!

Cutting out dairy has been extremely hard for me... lots of adjustments had to be made in my eating patterns. As a vegetarian, my list of foods I can eat without consequence is growing rather short. but if I have to choose between cheese or sleep/free time, I'll go with the ladder

Question - does anyone know how long should my daughter be awake for between naps at her age? I was thinking 2-3 hours? Shes been fussy lately, I think because of teething and not being able to crawl so its hard to tell when shes actually getting tired or if shes just grumpy.