Sleeping and waking periods

[abcd1234]

Not sure whether it's a HELP i need or i should be grateful!!
Tally is a dream at night and seems to have a long sleep into the early hours then get up and have another long sleep until morning, friday night she was asleep at 12, up at 4 then asleep until 11.

The only problem is all this sleep at night means she doesnt sleep at all during the day!! We were up at 8 today, she slept through church and has been up since 11! I dont know what to do with her tbh, i try changing, feeding, just lying her down, and she seems to have started having big upseting cries about it all and getting wound up so she finds it harder to latch on. She wont take a dummy (thought she mite be sucking for comfort) and i tried going for a walk in her carrier and ended up in the staff room at wor BF to quieten her as she wouldnt settle!!!

I know the night time sleeping is wonderful but im getting quite worked up not being able to have any me time during the day, i dont necessarily want her asleep just settled and calm. I'm meant to be going around Dave's for food just to get out, and even though i know we'll be in his house and i can BF and change her easily i'm scared cos i know she can sense my frustration.

 

[kalia]

I think all babies sleep different amounts. It's great that you are able to get a full night's sleep so that you have the energy to play with her during the day. I remember when we first got a bouncer chair when DD was 3 or 4 weeks old - OH and I managed to eat together for the first time in ages! Just for 10 minutes or so but it was fantastic!

I think with babies you mostly only get me time if there is someone else with baby. As she sleeps in the morning have your me time then - time to have a bath or shower and relax a little before she wakes and the work begins.

 

[Sherlock]

Galen has been one of those awake all day babies since he was about 10 days old. And was on about 2 hourly feeds through the night till a few weeks ago and now is on about 3-4 hourly. And still awake for long periods in the day.

It drove me insane to start with. I was shattered and he needed constant attention. However, I persevered with things and he is a content baby to be left to his own devices for fairly long periods so I can potter about and do my own thing and not have to amuse him.

Things I did to settle him

Playmat/gym
Walking round talking to him and showing him all the pictures on the wall etc before putting him in his basket where he had something to look at.
Laying on the bed with me while I read. I read aloud so he could hear me and I put a cuddly toy near his face so he could look at something.
Mobiles! We have various musical ones round the house. One over his cot plays for 20 minutes and is bliss. He loves it. And the others are all a few minutes of music and he is very content.

I always give him 20 minutes at least before putting him down somewhere for his own quiet time. I never let him cry or scream when is left but if he grouses I do go back and either reset the music or whatever it is. I never speak then, or make eye contact. Just go wind the mobile up and then go away again. I found in the early days doing this, the moment I gave him attention then it went pear shaped. I stuck with it and now he is used to seeing me walk over, wind the mobile up and walk away again and he never fusses.

He is a really happy smiley baby but when people spend time with us/him they do say he is hard work and see he needs pretty much constant stimulation. His quiet times are now my free times so to speak and I stick with them. Every morning around 9am for an hour, then every afternoon for an hour. Anything else, if he is happy and not upset is a bonus. He really can amuse himself with mobiles and so on for a good hour at a time now

 

[keli]

Me time.. lol whats that!! Your lucky she sleeps all night! I'll prob only get 4 hrs in a row if i'm lucky. And he doesn't really sleep through the day maybe a nap here and there The only time i get a chance to do anything really is when daddy or my mum comes over for an hr or so. Cooper needs constant attention or else he screams! I call it my mummy magic.. when i pick him up he shuts up! If she's not settled maybe she's got wind? Are you burping her after a feed? Maybe she's still hungry? At first babies can be on the boob what seems like all the time.. Cooper feds every hr sometimes i think there's no way he's hungry cos he just fed but he always is! Its just trial and error at first. Congrats on your little girl btw sure your doing fab xx