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coping mechanisms?  

post #1 of 6
Thread Starter 
someone please lend some advice, some words of wisdom, something. i feel like i am losing it...

dh is working out of town (again), dd hasn't slept well in a week (after previously sleeping through the night), is unbelievably fussy and constantly hungry from this growth spurt. i am beyond exhausted. she never sleeps for more than a half hour in the afternoon without being in motion and normally that's okay... but i am just too tired to keep walking, slinging, rocking, bouncing.

anyone have any slice of wisdom that gets them through moments like these?
post #2 of 6
It's not wisdom, but on the bad days I just chant to myself - some days are better than others, some days are better than others.

Sleep deprivation sucks. Will your dd sleep in a swing for motion?
post #3 of 6
btdt momma, and I know it is rough! It sounds like you are doing a great job coping already!

With ds I made up a nonsense song that I sang to him when I was just ready to fall over, something about how much I loved him. I needed to hear myself say how much I loved him, and that helped me get past the rough patches.

Have you tried driving her in the car? Will she stay sleeping even after the car stops moving? I often ended up driving ds around, then keeping the car running while parked in the driveway with me reading/dozing in the front seat. You take sleep where you can get it some days ...

We also took lots of long walks outside, walking him down to sleep. Some days I had the energy to sling him all day, some days I walked him in the stroller until he slept and just wheeled him into the house and parked him in the bedroom to finish his nap.

Have you tried putting her to sleep on her stomach. (gasp!!! I know, I know.) dd2 sleeps SO well on her tummy, but put her on her back and she starts to fuss right away. I wish now that I had tried putting ds to sleep on his stomach, but I was too nervous to give it a try.

Can you just lay down and nurse her to sleep and stay with her in bed for several hours at some point during the day? Even if you don't sleep you'd get some rest, maybe some cat naps, and being close to you and able to nurse at will would probably keep her in a sleepy/snuggly mood.

Baths are also great for soothing babe, and all that bathing also seems to tire out babies and get them ready for sleep.

ds also really liked to go to La Leche League meetings. Really! I'd take him to a meeting and he'd immediately fall asleep for the whole time. No one would beleive me when I'd tell them it was the only time he had slept in a day or two. I've never really understood it, but you can bet I became a regular. So I always recommend LLL for fussy babies!

This may sound silly, but making sure you get a shower every day, are wearing clean clothes and eating decent food is so important! It makes you feel like a human being even with only two hours of sleep. Haning out in the bathroom while you take a shower might be interesting for your babe, as well -- all that warm steam blowing around, interesting water noise.

The advantage to your dh being out of town is that you don't need to accomodate anyone else's schedule but baby's. If she fusses during the night, so what? You can get up with her then, not bothering anybody, and catch up on sleep with her during the day later. At least, that what I tell myself when my dh is out of town. (Which he is now, by the way, so I really feel your pain, lol.)

It *won't* last forever, it really really won't! {{{HUGS}}}
post #4 of 6
Oops I just saw your post on the crib wrapping thread about belly sleeping, so I guess you're already trying that.
post #5 of 6
subbing. dh is working 7 am until midnight 5 days a week for the foreseeable future. its just me, a newborn and a 2 year old pretty much all the time. dh never was good at that help with the baby thing......i MUST take a shower every morning (wakes me up), I TRY to get both kids to nap at least one hour at the same time once a day, and I HOPE that when i try to go out shopping/errands dd doesn't scream her head off. as you can see nothing is set in stone!!

my dd also was waking up every 20 during the day since she was a few weeks old until about a week ago. i pulled out my baby whisperer book and realized that my new daughter is a touchy/spirited baby. VERY sensitive to sounds, light, moods and changes. i set up her OWN room that i rock her (only rock to keep down the stimulation) to sleep every single time. i don't let her yawn more than 3 times before getting her swaddled for a nap/sleep, and i TRY to get her happy during the day so that those feelings persist. i was thinking she was going to be like her brother and she is the total opposite so these things helped her sleep at least 45 min at a time during the day and about 5 hours at night when it WAS 20 min during the day and 2-3 hours at night.
hope something works for you!

i will try to post the "quiz" from my baby whisperer book with the "explanations" of the baby personality tomorrow. maybe that will help a few mommas out....to tired to do it right now.
post #6 of 6
Quote:
Originally Posted by dhinderliter View Post

my dd also was waking up every 20 during the day since she was a few weeks old until about a week ago. i pulled out my baby whisperer book and realized that my new daughter is a touchy/spirited baby. VERY sensitive to sounds, light, moods and changes. i set up her OWN room that i rock her (only rock to keep down the stimulation) to sleep every single time. i don't let her yawn more than 3 times before getting her swaddled for a nap/sleep, and i TRY to get her happy during the day so that those feelings persist. i was thinking she was going to be like her brother and she is the total opposite so these things helped her sleep at least 45 min at a time during the day and about 5 hours at night when it WAS 20 min during the day and 2-3 hours at night.
hope something works for you!

i will try to post the "quiz" from my baby whisperer book with the "explanations" of the baby personality tomorrow. maybe that will help a few mommas out....to tired to do it right now.
Sounds like my dd! She will fall asleep during the day and wake up 10-15 minutes later...ugh! I would love to see what your book says. Please post that quiz when you get a chance

blair: We are going through the same thing here, although dh is home with me most days working, but dd won't go to him She rarely sleeps and has to be constantly in motion to avoid fussing...it makes for one tired mama: Just know that you are not alone
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