So it's that time of year again for me. Exams start on Tuesday and go on for 6 weeks. *sigh* I'm tired. I was tired last year at exam time as I was nearly 7 months pregnant which, for me, means fat, frumpy, swollen, sore, grumpy, over emotional and unable to sleep. (have I mentioned that I have my 2 kids and now this factory is CLOSED?)
This year my son is 8 months old and doesn't sleep. Well he does sleep but not in a manner that allows much sleep for me. In the morning he sleeps at around 9am, for about 30 mins. At 1ish pm he sleeps for about an hour. He has a crazy 4pm sleep which he can't cope without (otherwise he falls asleep, unable to go on, at 5:30 and then he wakes up at about 6:30 and won't go back to sleep) and goes to bed at 6:45. He then wakes up anything from 3 to 7 times before 5:30am when he is up and rearing to go for the day. Why? *sigh*
So when he wakes up he feeds. I know that this may be a habit but he really feeds. A proper full feed. Not just that suck to get back to sleep thing; as if I haven't fed him for a week. He self soothes at nap time and at bed time. He is put in his cot and he goes to sleep. So why doesn't he soothe himself back to sleep in the night? My tether is getting very short.
The other problem, which may be related, is his eating habits. For a little boy who is gaining weight in the 97th percentile, he sure doesn't eat very well. Sometimes he will wolf down his food but at other times (more often) I can get barely a table spoon into his mouth the whole day. Then I resort to Marie biscuits since he always eats those. Yet he never goes off the milk. So it's not like he's not hungry. Bear with me: *sigh*
I feel like a first time Mum on this one. I don't know what to do. Shannon ate fairly well (not so any more but that is a whole other post) and, though she didn't sleep through til she was nearly 2 and a half, she only woke once or twice in the night for feeds until about 13 months and then just for a cuddle or to get in our bed for about a year after that. I easily conditioned to that. I think. Perhaps I have forgotten.
I am really tired this morning. Perhaps I shouldn't be posting at all, I am exposing my vulnerability. It is a mind set, right. Pick yourself up and keep going, it won't last forever. And those exams. Let's hope the work done over the year pays off; revision is a little difficult when my brain keeps falling asleep.
*sigh* I guess this is why mothers are blessed with the ability to love their children unconditionally! Good thing he so adorable eh?
Mother of two
15 years ago
Posts
6 comments:
Having been where you are I have no solutions to offer.....except time... but really you know that. I promise he will sleep through the night by the time he's 18! My (premie) eldest sucked back 10-14 8 oz bottles/day (he refused the breast-who ever heard of that!) Each and every bottle was greeted with such zeal you would have thought he'd never been fed. Kept that up for almost 2 years. Turned two and lived on air for about another two. He's 14 now; healthy, strong and could now sleep for England (if we lived there). Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for I guess.
Thanks for that Helen! I often think of all the teenagers I know who sleep until all hours! I have worked out that it is separation anxiety causing the sleep problems so at least I have something to work with now... and I must learn to trust my instinct!
Ah separation anxiety.......that's why they 'invented' The Family Bed -- another great idea my son would have no part of! If there was one thing my eldest taught me it was to let go of all my preconceived notions and high fallutin' ideals. It's amazing I ever went on to have Hair Two really. Don't get me wrong-- Hair One is an awesome kid-- but he was then and is now somewhat umm intense yup that's the word intense.
Hey - look, this may not be right for you but we had EXACTLY the same problem with the spud. He woke a lot in the night, starving hungry and then didn't eat well in the day. Someone pointed out that if we didn't feed him at night, he'd eat better in the day and if he ate better in the day, he'd sleep at night. So, we started mixing water into his milk at night - first a quarter water and by the end of the week it was 7/8 water... then we cut the volume down over the next week It took a week or two and some tears, but he did start eating better during the day and sleeping better at night. Not sure if this will work for you but it did for us.
Thanks Sparx, I have heard that that is a good idea - only problem is he is breastfed, so I can't water down his milk! One of the down sides to breastfeeding I suppose! Now that he is sleeping in our bed he only wakes up once so things are looking up!
Hiya - sorry for not checking back until now, am starting a new job and struggling to get online. I totally understand, I breastfed for 14 months and during that time it was impossible to monitor or regulate feedings...
We're now having an issue where the spud wants to come into our bed at night and once he's woken up it's the only thing that will get him down again... sounds very similar, he's just happier to be with us.
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