I just want to cry....

[Willow]

Aw babe, I totally understand where you're coming from. I did a post about it last night.

It's hard when you see so many babies sleeping through and can't work out where you went wrong.

I was also spoiled with my first - by 8-9 months she was doing 12-13 hours solid, uninterrupted sleep - and the crazy thing is I didn't think she as a good sleeper!!!

I know better now!!

[shorty]

Hi LoriRae,
Just thought i would let you know i was in your situation for the last 16months. Seemed as though everyone else had 'sleepers' and i ended up with the one who wouldn't. Logan would only sleep for an hour then i would continuously be up all night trying to put him back to sleep. It was soo hard! Nothing i did worked.

But... looks like someone wanted to give me a break as he now sleeps through!!! Only wakes once a night and can put himself back to sleep. He was always breastfed to sleep but then i started giving him some water throughout the night dont really know if this helped but he has just started to sleep through by himself. Been doing it for the last month!

I know your son is still young but i just wanted to let you know that there is light! You will get through this!

*Hugs*

Simone

[Liz]

Oh Willow - had to giggle. Why did you think she was a bad sleeper?? LOL. You don't know what you got til it's gone huh. I guess i should be grateful that neither of mine have slept through. It's a bit like once you've flown first class, you can't go back to economy. So I'm none the wiser... have had economy all the way LOL.

[Marlene]

it could be much worse. I work with kids who have chronic illnesses and I'm sure there parents would say that they wouldn't mind them waking up every hour at night if they were healthy and happy.

Thankyou LoriRae...I have been feeling really down and not getting much sleep either, but it really is great to get some perspective isn't it?
One of our friends DD's is only 5 years old and terminally ill, they will probably not have her much longer, and as hard as sleep deprivation is I consider myself the luckiest mother on the planet to have a happy, healthy baby. Jack is waking every couple of hours at the moment and just wants to laugh and play all night, I am so lucky to have him.

[Smoke Jaguar]

Oh, chicky There's nothing as demoralising as comparisons! And you know, 'sleeping through' is defined by different people in creative ways - it could mean that the baby wakes but doesn't wake mummy up cos she goes back to sleep by herself...so, not true 'sleeping through'. In fact, most adults I know don't truly 'sleep through, either!
If she's done CC, then that could explain her theory that the baby has 'slept through'. If baby knows no-one's coming to him, he learns that energy is wasted calling for someone who's not coming...and will eventually go back to sleep without calling for anyone.
Other babies do just go to sleep, wake quietly and resettle...these babies are far and few between, though, so there's no need to beat yourself up if yours doesn't do this!
We co-sleep and sometimes it's just easier, when someone asks, to just say 'yes, he sleeps through', but I do feel like a fraud when I do this...it's just sometimes easier than explaining that he stirs, latches on, drops off again, maybe once, maybe 4 times in a night depending on the kind of day he's had, or if he's been sick etc. I do feel like I'm doing a disservice when I call this 'sleeping through', because people assume that we don't have to tend to him even though he's not actually waking up out of his sleep whilst we do it.
No, my DS at 2 may not starve if I don't BF him overnight, but it's what he wants, he likes it and by co-sleeping, it means that even though I come out of a deeper sleep I'm not actually that awake, either!
The times I do have to fully wake up for him and he's more awake during the night are when he is unwell...and no matter whether you co-sleep or your baby sleeps in a shed at the back of the garden with a monitor (just being cheeky to make my point ) if your baby is sick, ain't no-one gonna get a great night's sleep!
YOU are not doing anything 'wrong' except using someone else as a yardstick, ok? And please dont' be lonely - if you haven't already, join a playgroup, a library kids' reading time, local ABA group...no mummy should ever be alone

[kelebek]

Just wanted to let you know LoriRae that you are definitely not alone & I understand how it feels to think that 3 hrs straight sleep would be heaven. While my DS is a little younger than your bub he wakes most nights 2 hrly as well. I won't repeat what everyone else had said but I definitely second it. The biggest 3 things that work for me are 1) acceptance, I can't change & it won't last forever (hopefully) 2) I try & sleep at least once through the day most days with ds & 3) the housework will wait, it ain't going anywhere.

Hope all our bubs give us 1 night of sleep sending you some sleepy vibes

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

"I'm sleeping like a baby at the moment - sleep two hours, wake up and cry, sleep another two hours..." - John McCann, American election runner-up dude.

[Lulu]

Ha - I laughed my head off when I heard that too!!!

[Je$$_84]

I know what its like from both sides. My first would wake evry 2 hours day and night until he was 4 months then would go max 3 hours at a time over night. til he was 12 months. we finally got him to do 5 hours after then...

This time round i could not ask for a better sleeper my little girl sleeps from 8.30-6.30/7 i guess every baby is different. i never expected to get such a good sleeper...

Hopefully for you next time you'll be the 1 with the fantastic sleeper.

Just thought i'd add to my previous post... after posting this my DD has gone from an all night sleeper to a nightmare... Waking 5 times a night.... the luxury was short lived. Now i'm feeling your pain once again and let me tell you its worse when they have been good sleepers and then stop... your just not used to it

[mrsmac]

I would say if someone is posting about it on Facebook then it is a one-off celebration because it doesn?t always happen.

If you?re doing it ?wrong? then I am too and I don?t give a flying fish about what other people consider ?wrong? and I suggest you don?t either. They all sleep through at some point. Who ever heard of a teenager waking his parents up at 5am every day? (I?ll come back in 11-12 years or so and correct myself if needs be LOL.)

Ha Ha Ryn I was thinking this today cause DS for the 1st time in MONTHS slept through and my teenager woke me at 5.30am to drive her to work LOL