[galadriel]

My 14 month old is nursing a lot at night, often 7 or 8 times, but that's not really the problem-- she nurses for a couple minutes, pops off, and that's that. I'm not ready to nightwean or anything. The problem is that she is getting more restless and hogging the bed-- and I can't sleep. Every time I start to drift off, she turns over and smacks me in the head, or sticks her foot into my gut, or whatever, I am wide awake and tense and lie there all night going insane. I think we're waking each other up. I just can't sleep with her anymore.

It has been this way for weeks, and I do not feel safe driving (too sleepy) and do not have the energy to live a healthy life (walk, clean house, do the things that need doing). Parenting is so much harder when you're not rested. I need suggestions! I can't sleep in another room, because I miss dd and dh too much, and I could try a toddler bed, but not sure how to handle all the nursing? We have a king size bed now, and it isn't big enough anymore! Seems like it should be? I haven't slept in days and can't think straight. Ideas, please?

 

[ggma]

My heart is with you - first of all is there any way for you to have someone over during the day so that you can get a few good naps in? My ds went through a few periods of thrashing around and I found that getting naps in helped clear my mind so that I could think - and maybe even have the energy at night to try something different instead of being in a complete fog.

I'm not sure this will help you at all - but ds and I are on and off again chair sleepers and when he would begin the thrashing I would eventually move out of bed into the recliner and off he would go to dreamland... I started a thread about this around then - wondering about whether or not I was waking him in bed. What I notice now - and we are finally in bed all nights and for almost all of them - is that he starts to thrash more in the am and if I get up - just scoot out of range - he will sometimes settle himself and them I will crawl back in to the opposite side and for some reason this works! OH- are you burping babe after night nursing? We would just drift off together and sometimes still do... but if he wakes me soon after or is extra active there is usually a burp in there somewhere. (or gas the other way which is another reason he gets restless in the am)

Good Luck! There are all kinds of cycles - keep on being the great mom that you are and do what you need to to support ALL of you... peace, ggma.