Desperately need help with nightwakings - Page 2

[Louisep]

Originally Posted by blimbrick

How would I do that, just take off the sliding rail?

No, it's a bit more involved than that and you need to rig it so it's exactly flush with your mattress (actually, for awhile I had the crib mattress a little lower and it worked out too). There are lots of posts online about how to do it, here's one I looked at and found useful:

http://www.freewebs.com/sidecarcrib/index.htm

[rzberrymom]

Originally Posted by CalBearMama

Just one suggestion that no one has mentioned - take off his diaper and let him pee in a potty / toilet / bowl / bottle. My older son woke up constantly until I learned about EC when he was about 10 months old. Pottying him when he was restless and uncomfortable was the one thing that finally allowed him to fall back to sleep and STAY asleep for several hours, rather than waking every 30-60 minutes.

Doing EC with my second baby has made me wonder how much of my first baby waking up every 60 minutes at night had to do with needing to pee. Might be worth a try!

[Altair]

I feel you-- my son is 12 months and from 0-6 months he was a dream sleeper, and from 6-12 months he has been just downright awful sleeping! I work full time in a very active job and it's been killing me! My partner never used to want to CIO, but he's at his wits end also and has been mentioning it (he watches baby FT during the day then works when I get home to take over baby care, so we're both tired and overworked!). He does some of the nightwakings now that I've partially nightweaned. (We nurse at 12 and 5 now, about to drop the midnight one in a week).

We co-sleep (side-carred crib, but just built the 4th side to see if it helped, it didn't) and I've always thought it was reverse cycling and missing me. I was happy to reverse cycle to help keep my pumping supply up, but now I have a freezer full of milk and I'm not so worried about how many bottles I pump anymore since he's eating so many foods.

He does sleep a little better for Dad, I may end up sleeping every night in the living room while he's nightweaning. But it's going to be really frustrating for Dad so I don't know.

But wow, are we miserable at night.

[Louisep]

Originally Posted by Altair

.

He does sleep a little better for Dad, I may end up sleeping every night in the living room while he's nightweaning. But it's going to be really frustrating for Dad so I don't know.

But wow, are we miserable at night.

getting dh involved helped us. We even had a few nights when I slept in another room and ds with dh and he only woke once! Worth a try anyway. At least now either of us can (mostly) settle ds in the night.

It was right around the 12 month mark when things improved for us. How many naps does he take? We dropped to one and I think it really helped.

[Altair]

We've been at one nap only for about 4 months now because he sleeps about 14 hours at night (with wake-ups). So there just isn't time for 2 naps!

His Dad does the longer wake ups now, if he just stirs and falls back to sleep I do it, but if it's taking longer I pass him over to Dad, and sometimes go out to the LR if it's taking too long and then the little sucker goes right to sleep!

[Picard]

I'm sorry to say that at 23 months DS is getting worse rather than better with night waking. Last night was particularly bad. I too second the night time potty-ing. It settles him down quite a bit, and I potty him when I can haul myself and DS out of bed. I'm often too tired to do so.

We have gone over everything too to see if it had to do with his environment (bedding, clothing, eating, etc.), but there seems to be no consistency other than that he sleeps particularly lousy after we eat pasta and meat/tomato sauce for dinner.

I too am finally beginning to accept that it is DS's temperament rather than anything else. Sometimes, I have to dig deep in my positive emotional stores to keep being sweet mama during night wakings. I still nurse when he wakes and sometimes he nurses all night. When it gets bad, I tell myself that I'm still resting. DH is not part of the night time parenting, because he needs his sleep to function at work. He sleeps in a different room. Anyhow, you're not alone, and who knows, for you and your family it might just be a short phase.

[clairelamar]

Ditto to so much people here are saying: this is just like my DD, who is 9months old and a terrible sleeper and napper. She still wakes every 45 min, and usually has 1-2 times a night for over an hour, doesn't want to nurse, too wiggly to get back to sleep. We co-sleep full time.

I'm thinking of letter papa take her into the other room for the first 4 hours she wakes (especially since she doesn't want to nurse anyway) so I can try to get sleep during that time and then wake with her after that.

It seems like there are endless things a parent could try with their baby but it's just personality. I wish it were easier to feel like it's not your fault! I sometimes get frantic that I should be trying more things, but every time I try something it doesn't work, DD is just a poor sleeper and I can't change that.

I think there's something to say for sticking it out but I also want to add that it's ok to listen to yourself if you feel you are on the verge of total burnout. Self care is super important, and your baby will benefit from a more refreshed mama and from a role model for self care. My DD might cry with papa but she is not alone and I will be a much more kind, present mom the next day (if it works :P).

Good luck and keep us updated!