First day on my own with a toddler and newborn

Triangle

Hi MV, just want to say you are not alone!

DS1 is 15 months and DS2 is 7 weeks - I don't think I have ever been more tired in my life! DS2 has a lot of trouble with griping pains, often takes ages to burp too. Gripe water is helping.

I seem to just be surviving in the day (trying to get out of the house every morning helps) but nights are the major issue. DS2 sleeps from about 11pm until 3am, then 4am until 7amish. That would be fine - but DS1 has started waking up at 4am for the day! Started a week or so ago of teething and now he seems stuck in it. Average amount of sleep per night for me - 2 hours. Feel like I'm cracking up

Things have to get better right?!

Metranil_Vavin

wow triangle, that's a small age gap! That sounds very challenging.

My DS who is 2.8 years old has started waking up early too And the sound of the baby crying really disturbs him.

Do you find the gripe water helps? It seems to make DD burp, but that doesn't seem to stop her squirming about in discomfort Going to try some massage I think as I did that with DS and he seemed to really like it.

Things WILL get better..I keep needing assurance from other people, but in fact I remember from when DS was a baby, things do improve..it just doesn't feel like they ever will at the time!

dizziblonde

11 months between my two and the first couple of days home I was like "oh heck what have I done" - the little one screamed and squirmed and writhed for a good 2 hours and the elder one hit a massive sleep regression... it was hell.

Got easier very very quickly - the squirming and screaming, subsequently added to with a horrific skin rash, turned out to be a combination of reflux and milk allergy though. Happiest little girlie on the block now - just goos at everyone and grins her way through the day.

TwinnyD

Metranil_Vavin wrote: »

DD is so grunty at night too! I remember the noises from DS, but they are so loud it's hard to sleep.

One of mine grunted too as she had mild reflux, had infant gaviscon prescribed and found that along with keeping her upright after her feed for a while even at night helped. It is hard to give the gaviscon whilst breast feeding though, used to make it up and add to a small amount of formula in a bottle and give it half way through the feed. Hope things improve soon.

DigForVictory

One baby in my NCT group had wicked colic. Which was soothed by the sound of the Hoover.

Please do not ask me how or why it worked, but it did.

The parents taped the Hoover & played it on loop after a grandfather pointed out that Hoovers are not built for five hours straight running. Now I suppose some mp3 file could be sorted, but how you then run an MP3 player to a cot I do not know.

Keep on hanging in there - "this too will pass". All the very best!

dizziblonde

:rotfl:

DigForVictory wrote: »

One baby in my NCT group had wicked colic. Which was soothed by the sound of the Hoover.

Please do not ask me how or why it worked, but it did.

The parents taped the Hoover & played it on loop after a grandfather pointed out that Hoovers are not built for five hours straight running. Now I suppose some mp3 file could be sorted, but how you then run an MP3 player to a cot I do not know.

Keep on hanging in there - "this too will pass". All the very best!

There's an app for that. I have one, forget the name of, on my phone that does a range of white noise sounds, including the hoover.

Metranil_Vavin

Thanks for the tips! I have also heard that 'white noise' such as hoovers, hairdryers etc can be soothing to a baby. Recording the washing machine is a good idea..will try that!

Last night was a teeny bit better. I made an effort to get her on her playmat a bit more often and to sleep a wee bit less. I think part of the problem is she sleeps so soundly during the day, come 6pm she's PING awake!

I also gave her some gripe water after her 2am feed, and used DS's old lullaby light show to help sooth her, and she did eventually drop off. I'll give the infant Gaviscon a go too.

DigForVictory

Hi MV! Still vertical? And Mademoiselle?!

Metranil_Vavin

Madammoiselle is currently napping in her moses basket, although this is normally her bonkers time of night so no doubt the minute OH sit down to tryand eat dinner, her eyes will ping open!

I tried to do a bit of baby massage on her after her bath but it just send her off screaming, so gave up! It didn't work out like the lady on You Tube said it would! :rotfl:

She may be a bit too young to appreciate baby massage at the moment. We used to do it with DS and he seemed to like it.

DigForVictory

Ah yes, bonkers o'clock - that triggers memories! And a huge whuff of relief that we all survived - As Will You. (If in doubt, try Dr. Peter Marshall's Now I Know Why Tigers Eat Their Young - it's all about surviving teens, and puts Mam'selle into a very reassuring perspective. It was on the library shelf alongside tomes on weaning & I liked the title...)

Grunting while asleep, eh? So long as she sleeps through it, allow yourself to recognise the sound & Go Back To Sleep. (My lot snored. I'd get the baby down & lie there listening to each person's snore - husband, eldest, middle 'un, baby and by the time I'd tracked them round a couple of times, I'd drift off myself. Took a few nights to learn how, but we got there.)

All the very best!