It's almost morning and I haven't slept at all. Help!!!

sundaesprinkles · January 2014

I need help. I have an 8 month old who apparently has a major nurse to sleep association. I have always nursed him to sleep but I have never had this major issue until recently. He used to at least give me three or four hour stretches but now I think he is literally waking up at every sleep cycle crying for the boob. I always nurse him in the recliner in the living room. Then after he's been asleep for about 20-30 minutes I move him to the crib. Then about 30 minutes after that he wakes up crying, just about when I'm about to fall back asleep. I have tried waiting a couple of minutes to see if he'll settle, I have tried comforting him without picking him up, I have tried picking him up and comforting him. Once I pick him up he stops crying, but if I do anything else other than head to the living room to feed him he cries again. Last night DH tried giving him a bottle a few times during the night and he wouldn't take it. He's never done that before either. DH has always been able to get him to take a bottle and rock him to sleep but now he only wants me.

I'm very concerned because although right now I'm not working, I will be starting to work again next week. I work with my dad doing income taxes so I only work during tax season. We work very long hours M-F 9-8 and Sat 9-3. My DH happens to be quitting his job and he's coming to work with us this year, so he will have the same hours. Before I was thinking we could trade off so we could at least get a few hours of sleep but if DS won't take a bottle I don't know what I'm going to do.

The obvious thing would be to bedshare. I tried that when he was around 3 months but it was awkward and plus I leak every where because I have a strong let-down. But at this point I would definitely try to make it work but the problem is I only have a twin bed. During tax season we live with my parents because they live 5 minutes from the office while we live 50 miles away. (We are trying to sell our house so we can move back in the area.) Since the hours are so long it doesn't make sense to commute back and forth, plus my mom is the one that will be watching DS anyway. So in the bedroom they have for us there is a daybed with a trundle bed. I don't know if I can make bed sharing work in that situation. Plus I don't know if I'll be able to sneak away in the morning and move him back to the crib without him waking up every hour again. Right now he doesn't go to bed until about 10:00 so he sleeps in pretty late the next day. At first I tried very hard to push his bed time back (without success) but then I realized if I did that once I go back to work I literally wouldn't see him during the week because he would be asleep when I got home around 8:30.

I'm so anxious about how this is going to work and I'm exhausted. I wish I didn't have to work because I would just sleep during his naps but unfortunately I have to work. I posted on this board because I do not believe in CIO and refuse to do it and I know that won't be suggested here on the AP board. Does anyone have any ideas or do you think I can bedshare with a twin bed? I will be bringing my recliner to my parents' house since I can't survive without it, so worst case scenario I guess I'll be sleeping there.

Sorry this was so long and rambling. Any thoughts and ideas are appreciated!

outnumbered · January 2014

Is there room for a full size mattress in a bedroom? I coslept with my middle son on a very firm air mattress. He was a terrible sleeper and we only got rest if I slept with him.

When he was 15 months we did sleep training because it was taking an hour of rocking to get him to sleep and he still woke all night long. There were no tears involved. We used the Sleep Lady Shuffle. On the first three or four nights I laid him in his crib awake and relaxed. I rubbed his back and patted him. I used soothing words. The next three or four nights I sat about three feet away from the crib and just soothed him verbally. I progressively moved away from the crib until I was out of the room. It took two weeks, but he did start going to sleep on his own. He still woke up a couple of times of night, but I was able to use words and some rubbing to get him back to sleep instead of the hour long struggle with rocking. Good luck.

Edited to add: We waited until he was 15 months because at that point he did not need any middle of the night feedings. I could have done it sooner so he could fall asleep on his own and then feed him during his night time wakings.

Chichigo · January 2014

Can you put the mattress from the day bed on the floor next to the trundle bed?

Myaflowers · January 2014

No advice on sleep training, but my DD and I bedshared on a twin mattress on the floor when we went on vacation. It was very cozy, but it worked. She was 10 months old at the time. Could you put the mattress on the floor so you could sneak away in the morning without having to move him to the crib? If you find a twin mattress to be too small, I second the idea of a full sized, firm air mattress. Also, maybe try some ibuprofen before bed if you think he may be teething. My LO always wakes up and wants to nurse more when she is cutting teeth. Good luck!

sundaesprinkles · January 2014

Thanks for taking the time to read my post and offer suggestions. I really appreciate it. I can't fit a full-sized mattress in the room without taking out the daybed, which really isn't an option because we would have no where to put it. But I don't need a full-sized mattress for my comfort. I just don't know much about bed sharing and I didn't know if it was safe to do on a twin mattress. The idea of a floor mattress is good, but I'm still worried he will roll off. It wouldn't be that far of a drop but there Is ceramic tile in that room. I guess I would have to have some sort of padding all around the bed. How do you make it safe?

Myaflowers · January 2014

Could you put the mattress against a wall and sleep on the opposite side so he can't roll off?

sundaesprinkles · January 2014

Could you put the mattress against a wall and sleep on the opposite side so he can't roll off?

I could do that but how do you sneak away in the morning and leave him there? A PP asked if I could put a mattress on the floor so I would be able to leave in the morning without having to move him to the crib. That sounds great but I don't know if I can do that since it is a hard floor...

Myaflowers · January 2014

Could you get a rug or maybe a yoga mat so that it wouldn't be a hard floor if he rolls off? I have used a pillow to keep my LO from rolling off, even though my mattress is on the floor, but my LO is almost 1, so I don't worry as much re: suffocation. Maybe other posters will have better suggestions.

Myaflowers · January 2014

Or maybe get a bedrail for the side not against the wall....

sundaesprinkles · January 2014

A bed rail might work. Where do you get one and how do they attach? Any recommendations as to which one to buy?

Myaflowers · January 2014

I think you can buy them anywhere, but I know babies r us and buy buy baby have them. I think they just have a part you slide under the mattress. Some of the ladies on here use them. You might get some recommendations if you start a new thread.

sundaesprinkles · January 2014

@Myaflowers Thanks for all your help!

Myaflowers · January 2014

You are quite welcome! Wishing you some good sleep asap!

sundaesprinkles · January 2014

I tried bed sharing last night (with him between me and the wall) and it worked great! Now I just need to figure out my setup at my parents' house and using bed rails. I think it may actually be extra beneficial because it might help my supply since I'll be at work so long just pumping and not actually breastfeeding. Plus I love the extra snuggles!

Myaflowers · January 2014

Bed sharing is awesome!

AppleMuffins · January 2014

Do you have any of those foam floor mats? You know, those ABC puzzle mat things. You may be able to try that on the ceramic floor to cushion the floor incase he falls if a bed rail doesn't work out. Also, since you asked, I know Walmart has bed rails, and target probably does too.

nosoup4u · January 2014

Foam floor mat, or maybe an inflatable kid bed (the shrunks is the brand name). Or the trundle bed mattress on the floor. Use a video monitor if you're worried.

srbronson · January 2014

For the rolling out of bed worry, I just put extra pillows on the floor. DD has catapulted herself out of bed a couple times (usually when she's fully awake!) and it seems to work fine. As for the bottle, have you tried a sippy cup? That might work, otherwise is baby eating solids? If you are cosleeping baby will have plenty of time to nurse during the night so I wouldn't be as concernd with day feeds.

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It's almost morning and I haven't slept at all. Help!!!

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