Sooooooo tired

[minikins]

My lack of sleep during pregnancy and my time in hospital has prepared me for looking after my bundle, but I am finding lack of sleep hard at the moment.

My little Dominic is waking up about every 2 hours for a feed - yikes ! Anyone else got a thirsty newborn? I don't think this heat helps!

xx

 

[beanie]

I'm still waiting for my thirsty newborn to arrive but just wanted to see how things are going with you minikins? I was told that lack of sleep during pregnancy was to help prepare you, but every 2 hours, yikes!!! Hope you are both well though, your little one is such a cutie in his photo, I loved his hair. xxxx

 

[-Cat-]

Are you breast or bottle feeding?
Oh's dad said that when OH was a baby, he had a tendancy to not feed for very long at night, just wake up crying have a little then go back to sleep, which made him keep waking up every hour. so in the end they kept poking him to keep him awake to carry on drinking so he was properly full to go back to sleep. Breast feed babies do tend to need feeding a little more often and also as your little boy was born early he may well be having a little growth sprut at the mo to get his weight up. hopefully he will settle down to less frequent feeds soon! in the mean time, dont feel bad about sleeping during the day. I think when my bub is born I will just slend the first few weeks living in my nighty, sleeping at every given opportunity!

 

[minikins]

Yeah you are right Cat about the little and often thing. He is being breast fed at the mo but at night now I am getting to the 3 hours between feeds which is a lot better.

I do the poking and prodding during the day to keep him awake etc, but at night time as I am so tired I can be a bit lazy with that and when he goes to sleep I think yaay I can too, but really as you say he will wake up earlier than doing a fuller feed !!

Things are going well though and he is good fun!

I cut a lock of his hair off to have as a keep sake and it's still so long.

When i get more time (joke really as I am only posting now as he is napping) I am going to post more on the First Year With Baby forum as it's rather quiet.

xxx

 

[stephlw25]

hi all, im quite lucky as at the moment jamie only wakes up once during the night at 4ish. however i still hardly sleep and am going around like a zombie, i try to nap during the day when hes asllep but i just cant sleep in daylight!! i didnt sleep a wink the whole time i was in hospital (3 days)

how is everyone else finding it??

wouldnt change it for the world thou im loving being a mum. took jamie up to town today and realised how much arranging it takes!! also people seem to be so inconsiderate when your trying to get around the shop with a pram (got what a mission that is too!!!)

 

[-Cat-]

lol, my OH wants to put spikes on the front of our buggy to jab people in the ankles if they get in the way! he gets really arsey about people dawdling in front of him or cutting him up. its bad enough going food shoping with him pushing the trolly, as he tuts and mutters comments under his breath at people (soo embarrassing) I think I will be the one to push the buggy!

Steph, have you tried getting some black out curtains? I know what you mean about trying to sleep when there daylight coming through the window. these might help?!

 

[stephlw25]

Thanks cat, good idea! i do have an eye mask which blocks out some light but think the curtains would be more of a benefit! ta!

 

[emilia]

hi Minikins
My best advice would be to get the book "The new contented little baby book" by Gina Ford. Absolutely amazing and will help you sort things out! Some amazing info on breastfeeding and how it affects the baby's feeding patterns. Best buy ever!!!!!
Emilia xx

 

[Hypnorm]

my boy is just over two weeks old and is feeding every 3 -4 hours day and night thought if i manage to feed him at 11pm he usually wakes around 4am then again at 6-7am if i am lucky.
I am finding lack of sleep hard - plus i have mastitis at the mo and am on antibiotics so am feeling under the weather at the moment whoch doesnt help, plus running a temperature.
He doesn't like the humid waether and spent a couple of night crying between 5pm and 11pm whoch really wore me down and i ended up in tears. hubby was great and sent me off for a bath!
Its taken a while to get breast feeding mastered. but we are getting there slowly

 

[LouisecH]

Hi

Sorry to butt in here because I haven't even had my baby, but I was watching the Baby Whisper on Cable the other day (trying to get as much info drummed into my head as possible) and the woman suggested doing a 'dream feed'.

Apparently you pick the baby up at about 11pm and without waking him/her you give them a feed. All you have to do is lift them out very gently and pull gently on their chin so that the tongue goes down and when they've finished put them back without them waking up at all.

It worked on TV but I don't know how easy it is to lift a sleeping baby without waking them - guess I'll find out in a few months

 

[minikins]

hi Minikins
My best advice would be to get the book "The new contented little baby book" by Gina Ford. Absolutely amazing and will help you sort things out! Some amazing info on breastfeeding and how it affects the baby's feeding patterns. Best buy ever!!!!!
Emilia xx

Bless thanks Emilia, although I got that book bought for me and it suggests putting a 1 week old baby in a routine and other bad advice, although some of it is useful. You have to be flexible with a new born and that book made me feel like I was a bad mum as the routines were not going to plan.

I am now taking each day as it comes and feeling more relaxed, i will do the whole routine thing later on, but not too late

xx

 

[Sarahe]

Hi Sorry to butt in as well,

I can kind of relate to Minikins, My sister brought that book and started off with trying to go by the book she gave it up after 3 weeks as both her and baby were both tired, both confused on eating patterns and alike which were advised in the book.

I think the only thing that they both got into a routine, was playtime (just 2 hrs) (keeping him awake to play and be made aware of what is around him)

He is now four months and she has her own routine but he still wakes for his playtime, awareness time. though frustratling enough for her everyone knows of this time and someone always visits at that time for cuddles.

I am however sure that the book does work for those people who are mindful and stick to the routines suggested in the book. I know I wouldnt be able to I find it hard to stick to my own routine sometime

Minikins I hope everything is going well with Dominic he is one gorgous baby

xx

 

[emilia]

Ouch nevermind - I'll let you know in January 06 if it did me any good. Great in theory - something else in practical.
Hugs xx

 

[Sarah W Baby Belly]

I have heard conflicting things about these baby books. I heard quite a while ago that one book will tell you one thing and another book will insist on a completely different thing.

I have since realised that the 'taking each day as it comes' thing that mimikins mentioned is a better way to go round it, but use the books for reference if you run into any major problems.

I have bought the contented little baby book and will read it to get ideas but I am not going to use it as some kind of bible and give myself even more pressure.

 

[minikins]

With the old books thing it's best to just take what you think you can use and what makes sense to you and trust your mother instincts as mother knows best

Poor little Dom had colic last night, so it was a bad night, ah he is just waking from his afternoon nap, off I go

xx