Sleep! How much are YOU getting? - Page 7 « Back to Group Discussions

[SoonToBe]

I'm right there with all of you.  Elliott hasn't even been doing 3 hrs at the start of the night when he used to do at least 4.  I am woken up usually 6-11 times these days and I'm completely exhausted.  Plus he isn't taking good naps.  He definitely isn't getting enough sleep (nap and night sleep combined).  Gas is a factor for sure and I'm still trying very hard to help that, but no real progress with it.  Sigh.

So at night he doesn't seem to be all that hungry, but I usually end up feeding him several times, but he only sucks for two seconds and then he's back out again.  From 3 or 4am on, he is usually up every 30-60 minutes and I want to kill myself.  He gets us soaked.  I also worry about contributing to the gas problem.  We have figured out that his gas is improved when I do block feeding and make sure he gets hindmilk.  Too much foremilk and he gets more tooty.  When he only drinks for a few seconds to a few minutes, he gets more gassy.  Sigh. 

Elliott will stir and wiggle like crazy, but not open his eyes or cry.  If I don't do anything he will usually end up crying.  If I change his position (sit him up, put him on my chest, or put him next to me if he was already on me), he settles back down.  I feel like this means he isn't hungry.  If he roots around, I feed him.  Am I denying him if I try to get him back to sleep without feeding him?  I just don't want to add to his gas and I think he's just getting in the habit.  If it's been hours I would expect he's hungry, but if it's been 30 minutes, it's not that.  Short suck feedings just make him more gassy which make him wake up more.  I was thinking about cuddling him and patting his back to see if that makes him still and only try nursing as a first try if he is upset or if it's been a few hours.  Is that still meeting his needs?  I have it in my head that I want to do anything and everything for him and never deny him of his needs.  If he needs to eat 17 times a night, I will feed him 17 times a night.  I just know he doesn't need to eat 17 times a night for hunger and I don't think for comfort either because he will settle with a cuddle or with 30 seconds of a boob.

What do you think? 

[Baby_Cakes]

Bree, when Finn does that I paci him instead of giving boob -- especially if it's within the hour of last feeding.  Did you try that yet?

[SoonToBe]

He doesn't like paci's.  Sigh.  I still really think it's the gas thing because it's always worse in the morning (3/4am on) and when he toots, he gets super still again.  If I change his position, I think it changes the gas bubbles and then he's still again.  I don't expect he will be sleeping through the night or anything and I'm happy to feed him whenever he needs it, but 6-11 times a night is killing me.  Plus when he has the gas, he is so freaking rough with my nipples.  I have scabs on both of my nips right now from his roughness and I have to be careful because I get paranoid about mastitis.  Ugh.  I'm thinking of trying anti-gas drops, but I hate giving him anything unnatural.  I am trying probiotics again.  I've done elimination diets of dairy, eggs, and gluten.  No real change.  Just the foremilk/hindmilk thing has helped some.  He no longer cries from gas like he did before sometimes. 

Thanks for listening. I don't know how you take care of Nora and Finn on so little sleep.  I can't imagine being up enough for a toddler.  You and all the other moms with older kids deserve a medal!!!

[Beckily]

Bree - I've noticed a similar thing. When he does the short nurses, he seems like he's just filling up on gas and is much gassier.

Other thoughts: Charlie really likes to suck - on anything, not just a boob - when pooping or farting, especially if it's a bit of a rough one. He might be doing that.

I think that trying something other than nursing is a good idea, especially if it just exacerbates the problem. Back patting is good - Charlie often settles if I do that and we don't even have to change position, I just blindly pat at him. Sometimes pulling him to lay on your belly when you're on your back puts them in a good position to pass gas, so snuggling like that briefly has been helpful to us in the past.

The need is to sleep comfortably, so finding better ways to manage that is in fact meeting his need even better than offering a boob which he will barely suck and add to his issue.

Tamera (I think) offered some ideas about massage and such, have you tried those to any effect?

[nald1]

Originally Posted by Beckily 

I tend to watch shows with him on me at night and he nurses to sleep. We keep it vaguely quiet, but he's a good sleeper. So he'll have a "nap" from about 8 or 9 to whenever I'm ready to go to bed - or if he wakes up and is really cranky - around 11 or 12 or 1. And then he usually wakes up and is happy and I change his diaper and crawl in bed with him and he is cute and happy for awhile and then snugs over to nurse back to sleep and we sleep.

I think that's pretty darn similar to what you do. And since it's what I do, too, we're obviously both doing it PERFECTLY.

If it's late and we don't eat at the table, I often give Dusty Charlie while I cook then put his plate near him, leave him with the baby and eat my food before taking him back. Totally reasonable.

LOL- we are perfect mummas, right?

[SoonToBe]

Originally Posted by Beckily 

Bree - I've noticed a similar thing. When he does the short nurses, he seems like he's just filling up on gas and is much gassier.

Other thoughts: Charlie really likes to suck - on anything, not just a boob - when pooping or farting, especially if it's a bit of a rough one. He might be doing that.

I think that trying something other than nursing is a good idea, especially if it just exacerbates the problem. Back patting is good - Charlie often settles if I do that and we don't even have to change position, I just blindly pat at him. Sometimes pulling him to lay on your belly when you're on your back puts them in a good position to pass gas, so snuggling like that briefly has been helpful to us in the past.

The need is to sleep comfortably, so finding better ways to manage that is in fact meeting his need even better than offering a boob which he will barely suck and add to his issue.

Tamera (I think) offered some ideas about massage and such, have you tried those to any effect?

Thanks Becky.  I really like how you put "The need to sleep comfortably..." comment.  That's what my hubby said.  He said at this point it's more important to get more sleep since I'm a zombie and I feel like I'm not as good a mommy during the day.

Last night was ever so slightly better.  Not great, but better.  He woke at 9:30, 11:45, 1:20, 4:00, 6:00 and 7:15.  He didn't seem as gassy.  I guess I just need to know that this will pass, but I am trying to help him get better at tooting and prevent the gas. 

Thanks again.

[cat13]

Sorry to all of you who are hurting so much from lack of sleep. I'm having a hard time here too, and at work my brain is foggier than when I was pregnant. One tip that someone posted here once that is super helpful for me is to cover the alarm clock. Now I just stop looking or counting the wake ups. The only thing I try to keep track of is switching the baby to the other boob, otherwise I wake up with one that is full and painful!

[Beckily]

Originally Posted by SoonToBe 

Thanks Becky.  I really like how you put "The need to sleep comfortably..." comment.  That's what my hubby said.  He said at this point it's more important to get more sleep since I'm a zombie and I feel like I'm not as good a mommy during the day.

Last night was ever so slightly better.  Not great, but better.  He woke at 9:30, 11:45, 1:20, 4:00, 6:00 and 7:15.  He didn't seem as gassy.  I guess I just need to know that this will pass, but I am trying to help him get better at tooting and prevent the gas. 

Thanks again.

Of course :)

It's so very easy to think you're screwing up when they're distressed.

I felt like Charlie's digestive system was putting itself through the paces recently - he was very gurgly and seemed intent on producing enough "natural gas" to run the house hold. It's settled, though, and I didn't change my diet (well, not for the better, I've been moving so it's been awful).

I think we had a month or so? I don't track time well - of bad sleep. He's settled. He doesn't seem to be teething or growing or anything and is sleeping well.

It'll pass. And then start again. And the only thing you could ever be accused of is trying too hard. Have that husband of yours give you a big hug from us :D

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by Beckily 

 And the only thing you could ever be accused of is trying too hard. Have that husband of yours give you a big hug from us :D

Maybe for a few nights (not forever) but for a few nights turn the clock around.  Just focus on sleeping.  If you're nursing him sitting up, close your eyes, don't look at your phone, watch, anything.  Just plow through.  You might feel more rested.

The clock tends to really aggravate me.  I hate when we wake for the first time at like 1230.  I need to see at least a 3 in the beginning before I feel like the end is in sight, lol.

[Tamera]

Augustus is sick and teething, so he hasn't been sleeping very well. I think the congestion is causing pressure when he is laying down. I'm hoping that we can switch from having him in the bed with us to cosleeping next to the bed. I'd like to be able to sleep more deeply without worrying about him falling out of the bed. I haven't really been in a deep enough sleep since early 2009 and it's really becoming a problem.

[SoonToBe]

Originally Posted by Baby_Cakes 

Maybe for a few nights (not forever) but for a few nights turn the clock around.  Just focus on sleeping.  If you're nursing him sitting up, close your eyes, don't look at your phone, watch, anything.  Just plow through.  You might feel more rested.

The clock tends to really aggravate me.  I hate when we wake for the first time at like 1230.  I need to see at least a 3 in the beginning before I feel like the end is in sight, lol.

I think I will try that.  I don't have any plans tomorrow so I don't need to know what time it is.  I will give it a shot. 
 

[Tamera]

Originally Posted by SoonToBe 

I think I will try that.  I don't have any plans tomorrow so I don't need to know what time it is.  I will give it a shot. 
 

That's great advice that Carrie gave. Sometimes if Augustus wakes up a lot, I will just get out of bed and go upstairs to one of our recliners. I'm a lot more comfortable in the fully reclined chair than I am sitting up in bed. Staying in the bed just frustrates me because I'm not comfortable.

[Beckily]

Yes on the clock! I feel so much better in general when I don't look at it during the night!