So I took a little break from posting about all my baby problems, but after reading a few other blogs today I realized that I am definately NOT alone. The big issue: James just doesn't sleep long. It's not that he doesn't sleep - he just doesn't stay asleep for long periods of time. The longest he'll sleep now at night is about 4 hours. That's not too bad - but that is the LONGEST, and it doesn't happen every night. I feel like I am at my wits end, but I just can't let him cry it out. I've tried that, and his whining escalates and escalates until he is totally wailing and then he is nearly impossible to get back to sleep in reasonable time. It's much easier on all of us to just feed him (if it's been at least 4 hours since previous bottle), or rock him (if it is less than 4 hours since previous bottle). At least if we do that we get to sleep for those precious few hours in between. I thought that once he was on solids he would do better, but that isn't the issue. He seems to be waking up with gas. We give him Ovol at each nighttime feeding, and that doesn't seem to be helping. We also try to burp him, but sometimes he is so sleepy that he just falls asleep - and doesn't burp. I guess we could try a different formula, but I wouldn't know where to begin with that. I have also been told to try different bottles (we are using Avent ones now), but it would be SO expensive to switch. I don't know what to do, I just know that I really don't enjoy being up so much at night. My hubby helps out, which is SO wonderful - but even when he goes in to take care of James, I am still awake - just in case I'm needed. I just keep thinking, when will I have that glorious moment of waking up to find that it's morning?! Otherwise, James is a great baby. He has been napping pretty well, especially since I started using Hyland's Teething Tablets. He naps 1 1/2 - 2 hours in the morning, and then again in the afternoon. Sometimes the naps are shorter, but that is the usual. However, if I even lay down for a second while he napping he will wake up within 5 minutes. I'm NOT kidding. That kid can sense when I am taking a break! I am literally afraid to lay down when he is napping, because it will cut his nap short. Isn't that weird? So I can't even nap when he is napping. Anyway, I just thought I'd blog about this so that some of you other moms would know that I'm in the same sleepless boat as you are!
Thursday, May 24
Time to Vent
So I took a little break from posting about all my baby problems, but after reading a few other blogs today I realized that I am definately NOT alone. The big issue: James just doesn't sleep long. It's not that he doesn't sleep - he just doesn't stay asleep for long periods of time. The longest he'll sleep now at night is about 4 hours. That's not too bad - but that is the LONGEST, and it doesn't happen every night. I feel like I am at my wits end, but I just can't let him cry it out. I've tried that, and his whining escalates and escalates until he is totally wailing and then he is nearly impossible to get back to sleep in reasonable time. It's much easier on all of us to just feed him (if it's been at least 4 hours since previous bottle), or rock him (if it is less than 4 hours since previous bottle). At least if we do that we get to sleep for those precious few hours in between. I thought that once he was on solids he would do better, but that isn't the issue. He seems to be waking up with gas. We give him Ovol at each nighttime feeding, and that doesn't seem to be helping. We also try to burp him, but sometimes he is so sleepy that he just falls asleep - and doesn't burp. I guess we could try a different formula, but I wouldn't know where to begin with that. I have also been told to try different bottles (we are using Avent ones now), but it would be SO expensive to switch. I don't know what to do, I just know that I really don't enjoy being up so much at night. My hubby helps out, which is SO wonderful - but even when he goes in to take care of James, I am still awake - just in case I'm needed. I just keep thinking, when will I have that glorious moment of waking up to find that it's morning?! Otherwise, James is a great baby. He has been napping pretty well, especially since I started using Hyland's Teething Tablets. He naps 1 1/2 - 2 hours in the morning, and then again in the afternoon. Sometimes the naps are shorter, but that is the usual. However, if I even lay down for a second while he napping he will wake up within 5 minutes. I'm NOT kidding. That kid can sense when I am taking a break! I am literally afraid to lay down when he is napping, because it will cut his nap short. Isn't that weird? So I can't even nap when he is napping. Anyway, I just thought I'd blog about this so that some of you other moms would know that I'm in the same sleepless boat as you are!
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13 comments :
oh heather i am so sorry. that sucks. i don't want to give you unwanted advice because every baby is so different. but believe me i know how you feel... and i hated hearing this but it does change.. it really does. off the top of my head.. herbs..if you want details email me it changed our lives...
oh and the avent bottles really do come so quickly and are hard on little tummies.. we switched and it seemed to help. i have some playtex ventaire that i don't use anymore. you are welcome to try them.. you could just buy new nipples. let me know.
Hi Heather. In the same boat. Nights are off and on... some are good, some are bad. I am really struggling with daytime naps, though. He's started to teethe too. I've heard of teethign tablets but didn't know the brand, so thanks for that! Already looked up where I can find them here! Oh, and I swear my son does the EXACT same thing... wakes up as soon as my head hits the pillow. So I've given up napping for the most part too... its too frustrating to JUST fall asleep, then be woken up! Well, good luck!
Hi again Heather. Thought I'd mention that I use the playtex bottles w/ the collapsable liners. Because you can push the air out, I find Brendan's not too gassy. But, I've never used another kind so I don't know how they compare. Other thing is, I have to use the "slow" nipples even though they say 0-3 months, b/c the "fast" ones, he drinks WAY too fast and does get gas, and just a tummy ache!
Wish I could hit the "Easy" botton and fix his night time wakings.. that is so hard!
I hope it gets better...
Have you asked your Dr. about it?
They say a baby 5 months old and up should sleep atleast 8 hours straight... but seems like a lot of babies dont do that.. so who knows.
I would try switching formulas. Why not. It may help.
Caleb did bad on similac advanced, he spit up a lot. We switched him to cheap WALMART brand stuff "parents choice" and he did 100% better. No more spit ups.
The Dr. said the similac had to much IRON.
Taite on the other hand does great w/ any food.. each babies different. HANG IN THERE!
Heather...I have been reading your blog for a while, and, as a mom of 3 kids, I thought maybe I would suggest a book that changed my life...Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth. Literally at about the time my daughter was 6 months I was at my wits end with her nighttime fussiness...By the end of month 7 she was sleeping through the night. It just explains why they don't sleep routinely before 6 months...Just the immaturity of their systems and stuff. I KNOW your frusteration, I have been there...I feel for you, and I REALLY hope that this book will be able to help you!
I can remember being sooo frustrated at this stage too. Rowan wasn't sleeping through the night either, and he needed to be rocked. I was so tired! One day he refused to fall asleep while I rocked him, so I just put him down out of pure frustration and exhaustion. He cried for 10 minutes, and then fell asleep!! I know that it was probably just him, but man did that save me!! Shortly after that, like within a week or two, he started sleeping through the night! He must have learned how to calm himself or something. About the bottles too... I know it's a pain, but I only used two bottles for Rowan. While you use one, make sure the other one is clean and ready. Then you don't need to spend a lot of money. And take people up on their offers if they say they have some bottles you could try! Rowan wouldn't drink anything out of a playtex bottle, but did great with the Avent. It all depends on the baby.
That's so frustrating! I feel for you and I do hope that it gets better. James won't sleep like this forever, but that doesn't really help when there's no end in sight. I would agree with the previous poster that James may just need to learn to self-soothe himself back to sleep. But, it's just my opinion - you can take it or leave it :)
I'll be praying that the Lord will give you strength and patience with this phase, and that he'll also give you wisdom to know what to do! (((hugs)))
i'm sure everything will work out for you. Just be patient with James and he will be to his self. Just hang in there.
Thank you! I NEED to know that other mom's are having the same issues. Thank you for posting on my blog and for encouraging me...Somedays around 5 pm I will start to get anxious about my night with Annika. I start to dread getting her ready for bed because I know she's going to be up several times at night...I don't feel like I can relax at bedtime. I'm totally in the same boat. WHEN is it going to LAND!? From one exhausted mom to another, I will be praying for you. You're a good mom, Heather! Thanks for reminding me that I am too...
lots of hugs!
i know it's expensive, but we switched to Dr. Brown's bottles and it made a world of difference! i will never use avent again!
I think sleep issue's are one of the main problems we face as parents. You are totally not alone! We tried everything with our daughter and nothing worked except time(and she's almost 3 now and still wakes up sometimes and climbs in bed with us!), but every child is different. Hang in there!
I agree with what Stacey said about the bottles. We only use two, so it wasn't expensive at all to switch bottles when we stopped using the platex bagged ones.
Hang in there....I can't imagine how frustrating this must be. Blessings.
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