Ending the Cycle

[Skidoo]

Any clues? My little girl is five months old and until v. recently slept from around midnite until 7 or 8 and sometimes later. Now she's started waking up in the night and it's very hard to get her back to sleep in her cot. She'll nurse for a while and then fall asleep, but screams when I put her down. There's nothing wrong with her; she's not sicky or anything, but will not sleep.

In the daytime she barely sleeps at all and we keep getting into a cycle of having a five minute feed followed by a 10 minute nap every hour or so which is driving me bonkers!! I've tried extending the interval between feeds, but she just cries so pitifully I can't bear it. What can I do???

Is it time to start weaning her? I'm thinking that perhaps if she had a bit of solid food she might sleep longer?

Going insane here....

 

It does sound like she is deffinately ready to start weaning hun. Don;t expect to see results on the sleep side of things right away, but it will begin to improve things.

How are you doing hun? Haven't heard form you in a while, was thinking about you just yesterday xx

 

[Skidoo]

Hi Sami - How are you and little Damien doing? I'm going a bit mad at the moment. What with the not sleeping and virtually no time to myself and being angry at my partner most of the time and crying every day. Not so good. Alice is glorious. Demanding and tiring, but wonderful. My partner is just being crap at the moment.

I could write an essay here, but that's enough misery for one post ;o)

 

[melhoney]

hey skidoo!!!!!!!! glad to see you back!

Just like Sami, I was thinking yesterday that there were a few people who'd disappeared after they had their little ones...like Kerry, the doula as well!

Sorry to hear it's not great at the moment, It does sound like it's time for solids now.... I hope it gets better soon!
keep us posted

Take care,
Mel xx

 

Hi Sami - How are you and little Damien doing? I'm going a bit mad at the moment. What with the not sleeping and virtually no time to myself and being angry at my partner most of the time and crying every day. Not so good. Alice is glorious. Demanding and tiring, but wonderful. My partner is just being crap at the moment.

I could write an essay here, but that's enough misery for one post ;o)

I'm okie sweetie and Damien is okie at the moment after his little hospital stay on Sunday night. It is very tough with sleepless nights hun and the stress it brings on your relationship is unreal. Rest assured it is normal to sometimes think your OH is a monster after the birth of you LO and dealing with lack of sleep. It's toug but I promise it does get better. If you ever need to talk hun, you know where I am xxxx

 

[Rosieroo]

How are you getting on Skidoo?

I remember Ella went through a stage when she was around 20 weeks of just feeding on and off on and off all day, I was exhausted! So I really feel for you.

I tried her with some jarred solids at 21 weeks, which she seemed to like. But it actually made her sleeping worse, I couldn't believe it!! So I stopped giving them to her for a bit. For us her feeding all the time was because she was bored - every time she whinged I fed her as I thought that was what she wanted. But she'd only feed for a couple mins then whinge to get off. Once I got her baby walker out and also entertained her with more toys she started feeding less and the short little feeds stopped. I also think that she might have been having a growth spurt Taking her out for a walk helped me too

All babies are different though Have you tried her with solids since you posted?

 

[Skidoo]

Hi Guys - I've been giving Alice baby rice in the evenings since then and she does actually seem to be sleeping longer. She was getting me up at 4-5 o'clock and now it's more like 5-6 so a little better. She's getting to sleep earlier too.

Have also been through a lot of Big Talks with OH and things are starting to seem like they're back on track again. He's been a bit of an arse and I think realises it now, but he's got a lot on his mind at the moment. No excuse, but at least we know where we're at now.

And I think Alice's sleep probs, such as they were, were maybe related to us both being stressed (esp me!).

I've also been trying to entertain her more as you suggested Kina. I had been taking her out regularly and knew it was good for us both, but got into a cycle where she wasn't sleeping so I didn't get a chance for a shower and felt grotty so I didn't want to go out so she wasn't sleeping... Daft isn't it?

Right now she's sat on a beanbag next to me where I can keep her moderately entertained by passing her things to chew and throw away. Endless fun.

Cheers!

 

[Rosieroo]

but got into a cycle where she wasn't sleeping so I didn't get a chance for a shower and felt grotty so I didn't want to go out so she wasn't sleeping... Daft isn't it?

Not at all hon, I have days on end like that!! Today she went 4 hours between her feeds which she never does in the day, and it was because we were out. If you're anything like me then if you're feeling down you just don't feel like you can face the world!!


Glad she's sleeping better for you - and I love the name Alice, it's really pretty.