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Attachment Parenting
Izybel18
member
4 mo old wakeful...need AP encouragement
Izybel18
member
LO is apparently going through the 4 month wakeful period. Going on 8 days now I've had a max of 3 hours of sleep at once due to her night-waking (I EBF). Sometimes she's up in as little as an hour. She's consistent about bedtime and wake up time, but in between it's a crapshoot.
Naps are becoming shorter and it's hard to get her down for them. She's been much fussier than normal.
Between the lack of sleep and constant crying, my nerves and patience are shot. It seems like all I see on the 3-6 month board is about CIO or sleep training. I'm feeling a little lost on how to gently get through this period.
FWIW we bedshared when she was younger, but had to stop because she started sleeping more poorly and won't nurse in the side-lying position anymore. She also refuses a bottle so DH is unable to help with any feedings. She sleeps in her swing at night, sometimes naps there or naps in the Ergo.
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Re: 4 mo old wakeful...need AP encouragement
Well it has been a long time since I have been there, but if it is of any help it does end and then you won't remember it (or at least you won't have awful memories of that time). I did some research on kellymom.com and realized it was normal and it would eventually end.
DS did not sttn until he was 2 and we never did CIO or any sleep training. He eventually started sttn. Obviously we survived and even decided to have another LO, so the memories of how hard it was have passed over time.
Hang in there...that is the best advice I have. And if you don't want to sleep train just let it be. They learn to sleep on their own, when they are ready.
I'm in this exact same place. It's an awesome night if he wakes twice now. It's more like up 6-8 times a night. He used to sleep 8:30-5:30. I'm a sad, tired bear. We're dealing with 20-40 minute naps too.
I'm just pushing through. I don't believe in CIO for my baby. I tell people I don't have the gusto when they push it on me, but really, I won't do it with him. When I say that I won't do it though, people respond as if I deserve the no sleep that we have going on right now. Gah. Sorry that I want to respond to my baby's cries.
On weekends or on particularly tough nights, my DH will get up and bounce him for a while. It's a crapshoot - sometimes he goes back to sleep, sometimes I have to get up to nurse him down.
I keep telling myself that it will pass. I barely remember the pain of labour, so this will fade too!
BFP #1 9/7/10, EDD 5/14/11, Violet born 5/27/11.
BFP #2 4/9/12, EDD 12/16/12, M/C Rory 4/24/12.
BFP #3 10/6/12, EDD 6/16/12., Matilda born 6/17/13.
I think you just have to make peace with the sleep deprivation
This particular stretch will end and another one will come along in a month or two as she starts sitting up, crawling, pulling up, walking... I know it sucks. My DD has been waking up a lot lately because she's getting her molars. Luckily, she's a fast nurser:) I've never done CIO with either of my girls, and they both figured out how to fall asleep on their own around a year.
Is your DD still taking 3 naps? You could try doing 2 naps/day and see if she sleeps longer. My younger DD dropped to two naps really early (like at 2-3 months), and I remember wishing I'd done it earlier with my older DD. Looking back I think she was ready around 5 months.
House / Baby blog
Thanks ladies, I think it might be getting better because I only had to get up 3 times last night haha. I know it will get better but I definitely needed some reassurance that I can get through it w/o CIO or sleep training!
I'm not opposed to a pacifier but DD isn't always into it. I usually just forget to try it!
I might also try dropping a nap as PP suggested. LO seems to want to be awake allllll the time so maybe I'm creating a problem by forcing naps.
It will end! We never sleep trained, let alone used CIO, and LO is a great sleeper now. I do remember how hard that time was and it will get better!
Definitely letting her take the lead on naps helped. It was funny- she went from getting overtired because I wasn't pushy enough about naps to being fussy because I was getting too pushy about naps! Ugh, getting it right is hard
Do you have a partner who could help you? I remember MH and I did a lot of passing her back and forth. I would try to nurse her to sleep; MH would walk with her. That let the other person rest when it wasn't their turn.