MSE Parents Club Part 3

feelinggood_2

Toby has a routine, not me! Feed, nap, feed, play and repeat! The at bedtime its feed, sleep, feed, sleep etc. Aslong as he is fed every 90 minutes or so during the day, he is happy.

Oh, how often should babies see family, so they don't forget them? Toby remembered my Mum (she did A LOT of holding him when he was little) but didn't seem happy with in-laws. I'd like to visit enough so he is happy with everyone.

Krystaltips

Rmac, if you keep nursing her in the night then you will keep making milk in the night

MFD, Aimee only had her dummy for sleeping... I took it away when she was about 17m (before she was old enough to ask for it) 'i just removed it from the cot one night... She cried a bit the first night... A bit less the next night... By the third night she'd just accepted it...

I've just tried Caitlyn with the dummy again funnily enough, She's been screaming pretty much since we got back from school... I think she's tired and I know she'd settle really easily if I took her upstairs and lay on the bed with her... But I can't because it's not fair on Aimee,... Although I don't know that listening to hours of screaming is fair on her either

Least she's asleep now... slightly unsettled if I stop patting her bottom though...

MrsTinks

Nursing to sleep - this is usually what I do at 3/4am when Roo wakes up it's the only way I don't end up so tired I collapse... I don't sleep whilst she's nursing but I can at least rest and it is better for my back then trying to sit up and nurse her in bed...

DH has had a cold so hasn't been getting up to do nappies etc last week, but I figured he had enough on his plate with a cold and sore throat and still having to go to work... He feels really guilty about it though But as I said - it's not like he caught a cold on purpose And no doubt he'll make it up to me in time... At least I can express milk and he can do the feeds so when he's better I can hopefully let him do a full night allowing me 8 hours of blissful sleep!
Have you thought about expressing so that your OH can take on some of the feeds?

r.mac_2

My_Fathers_Daughter wrote: »

I

Please take this in the right way - I am by no means saying that WE have got this sleeping lark cracked...I just know that the minute I stopped panicking about having a routine and getting Benjamin to sleep how I thought he should sleep, he seemed to sort himself out


I would be fascinated to see how your responses related to mine :cool:

see I told you that you are a wise woman!:rotfl: I had several similar responses to you. I particularly related to the dummy snob comment.

feelinggood wrote: »

Not to everyones taste, but would cosleeping be an option? DS feeds 2-4 times a night, and having him in bed makes it so easy. I pretty much doze during feeding him, and we both fall back to sleep very quickly.

Can I ask what makes you think you have supply problems? Are you doing anything to improve supply?

supply is a long story - but I have got to a steady level which means I have enough to nurse to sleep and to do a full feed during the night (although not always needed) but have to bottle feed the rest of the time. I'm happy with the effort i've made so far, but can't sustain it and decided to let it dwindle when my body makes that decision... Co-sleeping happens on the nights where I can't drag myself out of bed and into the feeding chair as i'm so tired! It makes for an uncomfortable nights sleep for teh adults, although baby does seem to benefit.

Millie's_Mum wrote: »

RMac How much sleep does she get through the day? It sounds ridiculous but I find that babies sleep much better at night if they have had enough sleep during the day and are not overtired when you put them down at night. It might just be something to look at?

Are you keeping a sleep diary so you can identify any patterns, you say she is capable of sleeping but doesn't often, if you keep a sleep diary it might help you identify why she sleeps well some nights.

Big hugs in the meantime, sleep problems are really hard to deal with, try not to be too hard on your OH, its not his fault (that he's a man and is incapable of knowing the right thing to do/say).

I really agree with your first point MM - She fights sleep and would stay awake all day if she could, but would be a grumpy little madame TBH I'm exactyly the same:rotfl: We will start keeping a diary - that's a good idea. thank you.

Oh and how much did my OH have to pay you to say that :rotfl::T

Sami_Bee

Tine Edgar does the full on non stop scream every night :rolleyes: i just have to keep moving until he tires out, i cope well i think as Chris was worse- little monkeys x

Krystaltips

Spoke to soon... <sigh> anyone want my baby? I think the off switch is broken...

r.mac_2

Fritha wrote: »

The more you nurse her the more milk you'll have, so it may help with the milk supply problems? (in theory!) But I do see where you're coming from, our routine is that she wakes up, Himself goes to get her, I give her milk while watching videos on his iPod (I can't nurse lying down, oh hang on, could you do that? Then at least you're resting?) then he pops her back in bed once she's asleep. If she wakes early in the morning he gets up and he sees to her if she doesn't want milk and just gives her to me to get her to sleep. It took us months to find what worked for us!

I had a point, oh yes, if you start with nursing her to sleep (possibly lying down so you can rest) then you can use some of Elizabeth Pantley's techniques to wean her off nursing to sleep, hopefully if you're all feeling more chilled it'll be easier to do?

that sounds a good way forward - thanks for the tips

r.mac_2

Just wanted to say a big thanks to everyone - you've all been great

I'm feeling more positive and a bit more chilled out now. We'll see what happens tonight and go with the flow... then I'll chat with DH and see what our game plan is going to be (if we decide to change anything that is).

the hugs were appreciated. thanks again x

r.mac_2

Oh and knowing i'm not the only one helps immensely - thought sorry to all those with screaming non sleeping babies!

My_Fathers_Daughter

feelinggood wrote: »

Toby has a routine, not me! Feed, nap, feed, play and repeat! The at bedtime its feed, sleep, feed, sleep etc. Aslong as he is fed every 90 minutes or so during the day, he is happy.

Oh, how often should babies see family, so they don't forget them? Toby remembered my Mum (she did A LOT of holding him when he was little) but didn't seem happy with in-laws. I'd like to visit enough so he is happy with everyone.

They get better at recognising people as they get older...we have been asking everyone in the family to take head-on photos of just them, I am going to print off a couple of each and laminate them in credit card sized pouches (snaffled from work ) so we can play games like Snap and Pairs...and maybe even Happy Families

r.mac wrote: »

see I told you that you are a wise woman!:rotfl: I had several similar responses to you. I particularly related to the dummy snob comment.


I really agree with your first point MM - She fights sleep and would stay awake all day if she could, but would be a grumpy little madame TBH I'm exactyly the same:rotfl: We will start keeping a diary - that's a good idea. thank you.

Oh and how much did my OH have to pay you to say that :rotfl::T

LOL - I'm glad you are not offended (at least I hope you are not ) I know I could have come across as a big know-it-all and I don't feel like I know much at all!!

It was the sleep diary that killed off my routine and most importantly those hours that I spent during the day trying desperately to get Benjamin to sleep - I was getting obsessed. Now he sleeps during the day when he wants to. Last resort if he gets too tired is an hour or two in bed for both of us mid-afternoon....oh the hardship!!!