Breaking Point Mamas Unite - Page 8

[jewelsJZ]

penstamon, it just might get better. Our almost 1 y.o. horrible sleeper is starting to get better. He still wakes up but not a million times per night. He's now been down to two times per night for about a week and a half. Really hoping I am not jinxing myself by saying that.

Also wanted to comment to all the mommas on this thread who are considering not having any more children due to their sleep challenged LO's. Take a survey of all the moms you know who have sleep challenged children. How many of their kids had these troubles? I myself have never met anyone who had more than one child who had these issues. Not saying it isn't possible, but I bet it's a pretty low percentage. For me, my first two were great sleepers. It is only our third who thinks sleep is for other people, not him. Had he been our first, I would've hesitated myself to have more, but am so glad I had the size family I wanted.

Another glimmer of hope: My best friend's first baby was a horrible sleeper. She tried everything. But he is almost 6 years old now and he is a great sleeper.

[Louisep]

Originally Posted by jewelsJZ

penstamon, it just might get better. Our almost 1 y.o. horrible sleeper is starting to get better. He still wakes up but not a million times per night. He's now been down to two times per night for about a week and a half. Really hoping I am not jinxing myself by saying that.

Also wanted to comment to all the mommas on this thread who are considering not having any more children due to their sleep challenged LO's. Take a survey of all the moms you know who have sleep challenged children. How many of their kids had these troubles? I myself have never met anyone who had more than one child who had these issues. Not saying it isn't possible, but I bet it's a pretty low percentage. For me, my first two were great sleepers. It is only our third who thinks sleep is for other people, not him. Had he been our first, I would've hesitated myself to have more, but am so glad I had the size family I wanted.

Another glimmer of hope: My best friend's first baby was a horrible sleeper. She tried everything. But he is almost 6 years old now and he is a great sleeper.

Thanks for the encouragement. We've had no improvement in 6 months. I thought walking would be the key, but it hasn't been. I wake every morning saying "something has got to change"! Right now, we're working on DS getting used to DH comforting him in preparation for night weaning at 12 months. My hope is we will then be able to trade off nights with each other.

[beingmommy]

Originally Posted by jewelsJZ

Also wanted to comment to all the mommas on this thread who are considering not having any more children due to their sleep challenged LO's. Take a survey of all the moms you know who have sleep challenged children. How many of their kids had these troubles? I myself have never met anyone who had more than one child who had these issues. Not saying it isn't possible, but I bet it's a pretty low percentage. For me, my first two were great sleepers. It is only our third who thinks sleep is for other people, not him. Had he been our first, I would've hesitated myself to have more, but am so glad I had the size family I wanted.

Another glimmer of hope: My best friend's first baby was a horrible sleeper. She tried everything. But he is almost 6 years old now and he is a great sleeper.

Thanks for this. I really do want one more child. I want my DS to have a sibling. I am just so sleep deprived I just don't know when it will get better enough for me to even consider getting pregnant.

[LeoneLover13]

I'm done

It is currently 2am and my 13.5 month DD is wide awake running around the house as happy as can be.


Everytime my DH switches from days to nights, every 3 months, she has followed him and switched her schedule too. She just did it again, this morning will be DH's first day back at work on days..he is currently getting ready to go. I was so happy she had switched, I don't force it, I let her go by her own rhythm and it happened just like I knew it would. She has been ready for bed around 8pm the past 3 nights now, but has been waking every 10 mins for hours and then every hour outside of that. Tonight she went down again at 815pm, took me 10 mins to get her to sleep. She woke 45 mins later which she has done every night this week, I nursed her back down again.
I managed to get a whole hour with DH watching The Office online.
We went to bed at 1030pm, the second I got in the bed she woke up, I nursed her both sides but she was awake. She was clearly uncomfortable, kept throwing herself all over the bed, whimpering and popping on and off my completely empty boobs. I tried to get her back to sleep for the next 2.5 hours and finally gave up at 1am when I was so far past my breaking point I wanted to put my hand through a wall, scream at the top of my lungs and throw DD across the room...I am SO exhausted from the past few weeks, this was beyond my ability to handle. It feels like torture, as I have described before, because my body is so drained and exhausted it keeps trying to fall asleep but my mind won't let me because she is still awake so there is a constant battle all night long between me and myself, and it's so exhausting.
She is still up now, I don't know why, but she is FINE. She had a big poop 30 mins ago so I'm assuming that has something to do with it, but now I'm going to have to wake us both up early tomorrow just so that she will stay on a day schedule.

Freaking shoot me...I can't do this, everytime I get my hopes up it's coming to an end, it gets worse...it's just bull. I'm SOOOO done..I don't care what I have to do, I can't go through this anymore, I'm becoming a monster.

[LeoneLover13]

I am dooone!!!

It is currently 2am and my 13.5 month DD is wide awake running around the house as happy as can be.


Everytime my DH switches from days to nights, every 3 months, she has followed him and switched her schedule too. She just did it again, this morning will be DH's first day back at work on days..he is currently getting ready to go. I was so happy she had switched, I don't force it, I let her go by her own rhythm and it happened just like I knew it would. She has been ready for bed around 8pm the past 3 nights now, but has been waking every 10 mins for hours and then every hour outside of that. Tonight she went down again at 815pm, took me 10 mins to get her to sleep. She woke 45 mins later which she has done every night this week, I nursed her back down again.
I managed to get a whole hour with DH watching The Office online.
We went to bed at 1030pm, the second I got in the bed she woke up, I nursed her both sides but she was awake. She was clearly uncomfortable, kept throwing herself all over the bed, whimpering and popping on and off my completely empty boobs. I tried to get her back to sleep for the next 2.5 hours and finally gave up at 1am when I was so far past my breaking point I wanted to put my hand through a wall, scream at the top of my lungs and throw DD across the room...I am SO exhausted from the past few weeks, this was beyond my ability to handle. It feels like torture, as I have described before, because my body is so drained and exhausted it keeps trying to fall asleep but my mind won't let me because she is still awake so there is a constant battle all night long between me and myself, and it's so exhausting.
She is still up now, I don't know why, but she is FINE. She had a big poop 30 mins ago so I'm assuming that has something to do with it, but now I'm going to have to wake us both up early tomorrow just so that she will stay on a day schedule.

Freaking shoot me...I can't do this, everytime I get my hopes up it's coming to an end, it gets worse...it's just bull. I'm SOOOO done..I don't care what I have to do, I can't go through this anymore, I'm becoming a monster.

[Louisep]

LL13, hang in there! From your PPs it sounds like your LO goes through these phases, so just remember, you'll come out the other side. I know how you're feeling though, it's so tough. Lots of hugs.

[tigermiep]

ll13, how are you feeling today? did things go any better? were you able to rest when she finally crashed?

i think we might be getting ready to go to bed, finally! it's 1 am, and boyo woke up at 9:30 after almost 2 hours. and then he was UP. up up up. he seems to really be needing the ibuprofin to help him sleep these days -- i think there must be some molars on their way in. we had 2 nights with good long stretches in a row, when I remembered to dose him up, so I gave in and gave him some a little bit ago. he just dropped off after our 4th nursing session, so I'm running up to bed while I can!

[tigermiep]

hi. would someone please explain to my son that it is time to SLEEP? and that when he is asleep, mommy should be able to put him into his bed and have him stay asleep?

and that his bedtime is NOT 11 pm! *My* bedtime is before that!

grrr. last night was not so nice, either. he woke up again at 2, and then he did sleep for a good stretch, but by then it was too late. he woke up at 5 and we got up at 7:30 for the day. I'm worried that he isn;t getting the sleep he needs.

[heavensearth]

Oh man, last night/this morning was torture... im freaking out! I go back to work in two weeks!!! I dont know how im going to be able to work like this
DS woke up every 1.5-2 hours screaming at the top of his lungs he's been teething for what seems like months now, but the last couple of weeks have been bag. We did give him some Motrin instead of Tylenol to see if that would help with them pain, but he was still waking up. I would nurse him and DH would rock him back to sleep and then 1.5-2 hours later he's up again. I pray that this is a one time occurance. Last night was honestly the hardest night we have ever had with him, he's 11 months old now, I thought it would get better soon..

[tigermiep]

heavensearth, it has to be a stage. My 11 month old is doing the same thing a couple of nights a week. is he getting his molars, do you think? will he sleep on you or sitting up in a chair with you or DH?

DS is sleeping right now. we are getting 1 good stretch a night again now, but I'm still only getting 4 - 6 hours of broken sleep a night.

[heavensearth]

Originally Posted by tigermiep

heavensearth, it has to be a stage. My 11 month old is doing the same thing a couple of nights a week. is he getting his molars, do you think? will he sleep on you or sitting up in a chair with you or DH?

DS is sleeping right now. we are getting 1 good stretch a night again now, but I'm still only getting 4 - 6 hours of broken sleep a night.

I am so relieved to hear that someone else is going through this! his gums are extremely swollen, never seen them like this before.

He still hasnt slept much, maybe two hours today...

We're going to try to alternate between Tylenol and Motrin and see if he can get some relief. Its so not like us to use drugs on him like this but I feel like we have no other option the teething tabs and homeopathic meds aren't working at all.

DS will sleep in our arms for a bit, its just getting him to that point.. normally he would have no problem sleeping in our arms for hours!

Im glad to hear that you are getting some rest though

[LeoneLover13]

Hello ladies..
Sorry I haven't checked in for a while, I've been having a really hard time
The lack of decent sleep and constant non-eating-nursing took it's toll on me and I got mastitis yesterday I'm feeling much, much better today since taking Grapefruit Seed Extract though

heavensearth and tigermiep I have been going through that same stage for what seems like 2 months now, waking every 1-2 hours, every night and nursing back down doesn't work every time either. DD is almost 14 months now and has been pushing 4 molars through these past 2 months, I am PRAYING AND HOPING that this will lighten up again once they are through, it did last time at least for a week or 2.

Tylenol and Motrin don't work for DD either. I gave up on it, even if it does stop most of the pain she still wakes every 2 hours uncomfortable and whimpering. I've been giving her a lot of camomile tea which she loves to help the pain and soothe her sleep better, and lately I've been burning lavender EO around bedtime.

My MIL sent me an amber necklace for her. I think jewelry for babies is a dumb idea but I've heard it can really help so I'm almost tempted to try it.

SLEEP VIBES for all!

[crabbyowl]

LeoneLover13, mine is almost 14 months too and I'm going through the same thing. For the past week or so she's either been waking up constantly, or sleeping for longer periods but also being up for long periods (at least an hour, sometimes closer to 2) with every waking. For the past 2 nights she's combined the two, plus she's started getting up at 6 AM, about 1.5 hours earlier than usual.

I've noticed that her gums are enormously swollen, so hopefully those pesky teeth will come through soon and give both of us a break.

[Louisep]

Yep, I've been silently "suffering" too. It's worse than it's ever been and I'm still sick. Thankfully the pneumonia has gone but I have a chronic sore throat. The doc is treating it with more antibiotics. UGH. I hate antibiotics, but I have to get better.

DS's gums aren't really sore but I swear he's working on his molars. He had 3 days in a row where he woke up screaming and then last night, no crying. Between 9:30 and 11:30pm he was awake, but we both just lay there until he fell asleep. Then, I THINK we slept until 3am, but I can't be sure since I often forget the wakings. He hasn't had a period of sleep that long since 5 months. I think I'm going to try this approach more - just keep laying him back down until he falls asleep by himself. I tried nursing first and it didn't work. We've been going long periods of time without nursing at night - kind of partially child-led, partially mama-led. I was massively engorged this morning so I probably should read up on partial night weaning. I'm not pushing it, just taking advantage of his "whatever" attitude when it comes to nursing.

[tigermiep]

BLARGH!!! worst night in a while. 1-2 hour stretches, with 30 to 45 min awakenings in between, plus, except for one stretch of 1 hour around 8:30 pm, and from 11 to 1 am, HE WOULD ONLY SLEEP ON ME. we don't usually bedshare any more -- he slept in a sidecar until 7 months, but we moved him out as he sleeps better not in our room... most of the time.

and now he's wide awake and happily banging on a dvd box.

maybe we should just be a community of non-sleeping moms. a new tribe of the Sleep? Who needs sleep? variety. only, I need sleep. I feel like I should just quit my job, as I can't do it very well on so little sleep, but then I'm the main income earner in our family, so that's not really an option.

DS screams when I try to put him in his bed. :P

[Louisep]

Ugh, sorry tigermiep. Just a quick reply to say we had an "okay" night. Of course, he woke about 6 times but that's better than 10 right?! Anyway, I wondered if it was because I put his amber teething necklace back on him? Worth a try if you haven't got one!

[tigermiep]

Louisep -- we're borrowing one from a friend, but he tends to try to chew on it, and that's not a good idea.

[lizzylou]

I just found this thread. My 15 mo. son isn't the worst sleeper out there, but he's challenging and I am definitely at my breaking point! In a perfect world, all I want is for him to sleep until 7am and I want consistent naptime. I won't even ask for STTN - he's up usually only twice a night which I realize is not too bad. I don't mind night nursing as long as he goes back to sleep (sometimes he doesn't.... and that really pushes me to the brink).

I realize that our sleep issues are not that terrible relatively speaking. I might be able to handle them better except that he can be really challenging the rest of the time, too.

When we have a difficult day (like today) I feel so disconnected from him. And I really feel like I am doing both of us a huge disservice by not helping him get the sleep he needs. I question everything I do.

I wonder if it would help to have a very consistent schedule (we only have a fairly consistent bedtime) but I just feel overwhelmed by that.

I want another baby but I am terrified by the possibility that DS will still be having issues a year from now.

[heavensearth]

Its been a few weeks since I last posted and we may have a breakthrough! Sebastian is getting much easier to put to sleep now, sometimes he just falls asleep in our arms and we're able to put him in his crib. He's sleeping longer too, some nights five hours straight! we're not 'cured' (last night he played from 12 - 3am) but we're doing much better thankfully as I went back to work two weeks ago.

Hugs for all the other sleep deprived mama's!