Wonder week 19

[citrusfruit]

Hi everyone. Baby boy is 18 weeks old and we are in the midst of sleep hell. Waking every hour and will only settle for the breast and won't be out down in his cot. Night before last I tried to feed him no more than 3 hourly in the night and tried to keep him in his own crib (next to my bed). Had the night from hell. So last night I fed on demand (hourly pretty much!) and co-slept. Much easier on my part and I got some sleep.

So, my question is: am I going to regret this?? Should I persevere with option one even though it's so hard? Once the wonder week/developmental spurt is passed will he go back to his normal pattern?? Or will he still want feeding every hour??

He has just learnt to roll. I'm pretty sure development is to blame for the poor sleep. Anyone come out the other side?!

 

[Button#]

Do whatever is easiest at this stage, it's all about survival. I hope it passes soon for you. Once it does hopefully he'll go back to his normal pattern or an improved one. It will pass and he will stop with the hourly feeds but how long it will take depends on your baby.

 

[Beanonorder]

Sounds like you're hitting the 4 month sleep regression. Personally I'd do whatever allowed me the most sleep

 

[Laurans]

Hey Citrus fruit, my boy is 20 weeks and has always been a good sleeper...... Until this week! He always went 1030pm -530 Am then would Breastfeed and go back to sleep until 830 am! Last few nights (and days) he screams and cries and thrashes around when I try to get him to
Sleep! I co slept last night (hubby slept in spare room!) and he had me up every hour! Something is going on with his gums/teething because he is dribbling and shoving everything in his mouth. He's usually such a happy baby and just cries and whines all the time at the moment! Poor thing!
Not sure if it's sleep regression thing or teething or both! Arrggghhhh
Please let me know if u have found any solution!
People keep saying to me I need to get him into more of a routine but there's no way I could do that at the moment! Suddenly the idea of moving him into his own room in a few weeks is looking uncertain!!!

 

[citrusfruit]

Yeh my LO also doing the teething things. Have tried teething gel on him this evening but somehow don't think that's the whole story! So looking forward to (or should I say dreading) another broken night.
We have a bedtime routine which works a treat for getting him to sleep but he just wakes hourly. He wasn't a great sleeper before, but much better than this!

 

[SarahBear]

My first was affected by "wonder weeks" much more than my second. She would go through sleep phases that would resolve on their own.

 

[Ecoden]

I just posted about this and it is truly hell. It lasted 2 weeks and I think DD might be coming out of it. She's slept pretty well the last 3 nights. Survive is all you can do. We coslept through some of the days of it but I feel like those nights were worse because she was stirring every 30 min. Hang in there. You're not alone!

 

[tulip1975]

No advice - but I am right there with you. My LO is 19 weeks and hit a sleep regression exactly a week ago. Sleeps 3 hours max in one stretch. I've been sick with a cold, so the experience has been brutal.

 

[citrusfruit]

Hey tulip, how are you getting on? We had 3 hours in a row last night, twice! But then refusing sleep at 4.30am. Phew, this is tough. How's ur little ones development? I am seeing a new skill emerge almost daily! Today he rolled front to back and started shaking his rattle to make a noise. Gotta love him x

 

[Cattia]

My DD is 21 weeks and I can't honestly complain about her sleep. She has slept through since 7 weeks but has now started waking in the night to feed - only once a night though so I know we have it easy so far! However I notice that she is practicing moving and rolling in her cot a lot at night now and that's making her more unsettled. We have just been on holiday for a week and before we went she was sleeping fine in the moses basket. This evening I have had to pack the moses basket away and she's back in the travel cot in our room because she is now thrashing and moving around so much that I'm afraid she'll tip herself out! She also spends her whole time in the pram now lifting her head and craning her neck to see what's going on so I think it's time to sit her up a little bit in the pushchair instead of lying flat in the pram.

 

[tulip1975]

Hey tulip, how are you getting on? We had 3 hours in a row last night, twice! But then refusing sleep at 4.30am. Phew, this is tough. How's ur little ones development? I am seeing a new skill emerge almost daily! Today he rolled front to back and started shaking his rattle to make a noise. Gotta love him x

That's fun! I love seeing new skills develop.

We did ok last night. He was up at 11, 3:45, and 7. Every few days he'll just stay awake for 2 hours even though the house is dark and quiet. He's quite active during the day. He's much more deliberate handling his toys and likes to be on his tummy, pushing up and checking everything out.

 

[citrusfruit]

Well, it's 1.50am and I am just about ready to throw in the towel. He has been up twice so far, and this time he doesn't seem to want to go back to sleep. I've fed him, got him up and rocked him, tried to leave him to fuss (he cried), given teething gel and as a last resort changed him. Am now feeding him again. Just want to cry myself :'-(

 

[calm]

Well, it's 1.50am and I am just about ready to throw in the towel. He has been up twice so far, and this time he doesn't seem to want to go back to sleep. I've fed him, got him up and rocked him, tried to leave him to fuss (he cried), given teething gel and as a last resort changed him. Am now feeding him again. Just want to cry myself :'-(

Im not surprised, sleep deprivation is awful

 

[tulip1975]

Hang in there, Citrus. Mine woke up at 1 and again at 3:45. The first time he went right back to sleep after he ate. The second time he just wanted to stay up and hang out with me. He finally fell asleep on my arms at 5. I put him in his crib, and he woke me up at 6:15, just kicking and talking away.

 

[Laurans]

So we didn't sleep too badly last night but the last few days he is refusing to go down for naps! I used to be able to put him down awake with his dummy and white noise sheep but now he screams and thrashes around. He will wake up after 10-15 mins and refuse to go back to sleep!
These new sleep problems definitely coincide with newfound skills for us!
In the last few days he can now pull out and sometimes put back in his dummy (only if he doesn't drop it!) and can roll over!
Today the rolling is causing massive problems as he constantly rolls onto his front then screams! As he's grown out of the cocoonababy he's now rolling around in his cot putting his arms and legs through the bars! Eeeeeek what should I do? (I will post a separate thread for this!)

I absolutely love seeing the new skills but also feel sorry for his frustration and can't wait for this wonder week to be over!!!!

 

[citrusfruit]

Oh god I have the exact same problem with the rolling. He loves rolling back to front but has only been able to get back twice so far. So he just lies on his tummy and gets annoyed. So I flip him over and he instantly rolls again!! Man!!

Typing from another night where we have been up all night. Currently feeding him to sleep for what feels like the 50th time. I know I'm probably creating bad habits, but I don't know what else to do. I really didn't want to hit this point, but I'm beginning to think there's going to have to be some kind of 'sleep training' at the end of this. 2 days left of the leap, but not seeing any end in sight.

Tulip, your night sounds similar to mine. How did u get on last night?

 

[tulip1975]

Last night was much better. He slept from 9-1, then 1:30 to 5:45.

 

[Laurans]

Hey citrus, yep Luca is the same, he can't flip back over and obviously can't get anywhere so hence the crying! Last night I just put him back in the cocoonababy and strapped him in really tight! He's in arms reach so as soon as he started thrashing around at 4 am he came into bed with me! He woke me a few times to latch him back on but otherwise went until 730!
Your doing so well, I'm terrible on little sleep so I really feel bad for
You. All I can say is look how quickly they change and hopefully this phase will pass just as quick! As they say ' this too shall pass' ! Hang on in there and I'm sure it will get better, just do what you can to survive this phase!

It's been a bit cooler here in Switzerland last few days so been able to use a dream pod for napping today ... I watched him trying to roll for 20 mins then drifted off! Let's see for how long!
Good luck tonight x

 

[citrusfruit]

I've just got annoyed with him? Or maybe myself? Because he woke up at 11, so I fed him (he's breastfed) and he went back off straight away. But now he's woke again and no matter what I do, only a feed has calmed him. It's so frustrating, surely he's not hungry!! Argh! Another rubbish night :'-(

I know it will pass, but only because I know he won't be breastfeeding when he's 18! I can't see an end in the near future

 

[Beanonorder]

Citrus the four month sleep regression is tough! Lots of moms have felt the same as you - that it will never end. But it will! Maybe not as soon as you'd like, but it will end. And don't worry about bad habits before 6 months. If feeding him to sleep us working then do it! Get some sleep now, it's far more important!
Big hugs x