crazy tired baby advice...day time...

[Cassius2]

Hi my wonderful people!

I am in need of advice to help save my sanity lol!

i will put up my hand in that we have had a really 'easy' run so far (easy as a newborn and toddler combo gets lol). but yesterday and today my poor wee Marta is really, well, PSYCHO it's almost a wonder week kinda psycho lol.

normally she would self settle with little or no crying, or fall asleep on the boob or, if on a bit of tough day in the sling or pram. well, NO MORE! yesterday she only managed a max of 40 min sleep at any one time and of course woke up totally smashed and angry. and today seems to be working out the same...

(she slept well last night...in her cot...just if that helps to get a good picture).

how do we get through it? do we insist on her settling in her cot (where she cries and thrashes)? do we just cuddle and cuddle (despite her still crying and thrashing)...arrghh! what do we do??!! i know that she is little and will throw us curve balls every now and then, but DH and i need help to cope (for ourselves...yes, i cried yesterday during "days of our lives" LOL!) and to keep her happy.

anyway this is a bit of a massive post...sorry

any advice or even cyber hugs are most welcome

[delphmoon]

awwww

have you tried wrapping? warm bath? has she had a poo recently?

big big hang in there.

[onthefly]

Have you had any big days out recently?
Anyone sick in the family?
DS was like this all the time - I have no real advice, he did eventually grow out of it Perhaps it'll just be a short-lived phase for you.

[Taurean]

Can you sling her up during the day? My DD was a terrible day sleeper from 5 weeks (so when she 'woke up') til 6 months!! She slept well on the go, so in the pram and car, and in her favorite spot - the sling. I wore her a lot for day sleeps which annoyed me sometimes but at least she slept. Most the time I enjoyed the snuggles

We also had a hammock for DD which worked SO well for 5 weeks but then she went through the 20 (?) week Wonder Week (or which ever one it is around then) and day sleeps went to poo again!

Strangely enough, DD was always a brilliant night sleeper, sleeping through in her cot from 10 weeks - 12 hours straight! The day sleeps had me miffed! She did finally start sleeping well in her cot for day sleeps around 6-7 months

Hopefully it's just a wonder week (sorry, responding on my ph so can't see how old you DD is) and things will return to normal soon. The sling would be a brilliant option though as they like lots of cuddles when going through a leap.

Hang in there!

[human bean]

My DD was doing the same thing at the same age, and we invested in a baby swing. I always said I wouldn't, but my sanity needed it! I limited it's use, and sometimes it was great not necessarily to get her to sleep, but just to calm her down and become sleepy, then I would rock her off and pop her in her bassinett. She did have the odd sleep in it too, but they were only ever short cat naps. I think within 2 weeks the wonder week had passed and the swing wasn't used nearly as much. It worked for us that's for sure!

Hope she settles soon

[Manhattan]

Big big hugs sweetie You're doing a great job!

My DD pretty much only had 45 min naps until about 5 months. It drove me crazy. I resorted to wrapping her, then rocking her to sleep, and I would sit on the couch with her for 2 hours at a time. If I tried to put her down, she always woke! People always told me I was making a rod for my back and spoiling her, but she happily settles in her cot and has done for some time now. And like you said, somehow she knew when it was night, and just went straight to sleep with no issues.

So I am a big advocate of the cuddle, I think it works wonders (for big people too!). And remember hun, this too shall pass.

Some more for you sweetie

[Cassius2]

ohhh thanks guys! so cuddles it is!! i have had her sleeping in the sling for most of the day today and it has been BLISS! and yeah, it is only during the days ATM. she sleeps quite well at night and in her cot...so that's where i got perplexed...

hopefully it is just a short-lived passing phase as she is quite heavy already bahahahahaha!

Marc: well this all started after our neighbourhood fish and chip afternoon on sunday....so just maybe....i did miss her sleepy cues that afternoon and yeah she took 2 hours to settle that night

[Cassius2]

ok, so quick update...

took on all your advice and decided to just basically 'fly by the seat of our pants' lol. nah, not totally, but what we did the following day was pop her in the sling (as she had become scared of being put in her cot...so had to break the association) when she got tired that morning. she did two sleeps in there and that closeness and comfort of knowing that mama was there and sleeping was AOK seemed to reset her ITMS. so that afternoon when i got back from the cafe...'cause it's a hard life lol...i popped her in the cot when she was mega sleepy after a feed and BINGO! she didnt immediately freak out!! i walked into the kitchen, heard two little cries went to walk back and she stopped. i snuck down the hall and there she was, fast asleep, arms splayed out and mouth hanging open totally chillaxed lol!

so since then we have been alot better. she is doing at least one day sleep in her cot with other sleeps happening either in her pram, sling or car (wherever we are lol) and she has been alot more settled overall...i think Marcellus was spot on the money...i think the neighbourhood get together we had at our house the night before was a bit too much for her and i missed her tired signs and she got a bit scared...

[peanutter]

so glad that it's been going better

the other ladies are right - you're doing a fab job!

DS slept like a trouper in his glider until about 12 weeks old (he'd sleep with it rocking for anything up to 2-3 hours!) until he started getting super alert, and now it hardly ever even gets him drowsy ... ah well ...

I find that he settles in DH's arms much more consistently in mine(I assume it's the milk and booby smell?) so we sometimes will cuddle him until he's calm, them put him down in his cot ... sometimes if he's clam but not tired, we leave the light on but blinds shut, and put the mobile on for a bit, until he falls asleep ...

I also find that sometimes when he won't settle, it's because he's satisfied but not full, if that makes sense ... a bit more to eat and a bit more interaction, and away he goes...

and sometimes if he and I are both a bit worked up, a quiet massage does the trick! I love baths with him, but can't at the moment (post surgery - no long baths for a little while!) but I suppose both massages and baths might be tricky, when looking after a toddler as well as bubba ...

We don't have a sling, but we have one of those upright carrier things - sometimes I pop DS in that and peg out the washing ... not sure if it's the closeness or the fresh air and sunshine, but sometimes it gets him off to sleep ... but then it's really hard to keep him asleep while transferring him to his cot ...

I guess your little man is too young for books, but I find colourful books are one of DS's favourite things at the moment, and gets him calm (not drowsy) but can lead to some nice play time and bonding, which lends itself to better sleep later ...

Not sure if any of the above is helpful - you have your own experiences behind you anyway, so all of the above might be old hat! But hopefully your LO is just going through a stage, and will settle back down for you, and you and your girls will have a lovely Friday and weekend

xo

[Taurean]

i snuck down the hall and there she was, fast asleep, arms splayed out and mouth hanging open totally chillaxed lol!

you just painted the most perfect sleeping baby picture in my head! Don't you just love the way they do that!!

So glad to hear she's settled and the sling is working so well. Yay for slings!!

[Manhattan]

Glad to hear DD is doing much better, and seems to have reset, lol! And I think going with the flow, or flying by the seat of your pants is a good way to go cos that way, its just a bonus if things go the way you want.

Great job hun x

[Cassius2]

totally true Manhattan lol! now i figure if she sleeps it's a bonus bahahaha!