Thanks @Sammy K and @AlyLynn07 - glad we're not alone in this. So wish we knew what to do to soothe LO during this time but have to keep reminding ourselves "this too shall pass."
My guy has epic witching hours. You can set your clock to it, most days. His eyes will snap open at 7:30 pm if we've managed to get him to sleep before that point!
Meanwhile, I seem to have developed my own witching hour between 4:00-5:00 am. I am also tired and need to sleep, but force myself to stay awake. I like being on the Bump and holding LO. Currently I have LO on my chest and DH's hand on my shoulder, both of them sleeping. These moments are too precious to go to sleep!
Meanwhile, I seem to have developed my own witching hour between 4:00-5:00 am. I am also tired and need to sleep, but force myself to stay awake. I like being on the Bump and holding LO. Currently I have LO on my chest and DH's hand on my shoulder, both of them sleeping. These moments are too precious to go to sleep!
OMG, this is perfect. Mom's witching hour. I'm pretty much fine all day, and the first half of the night but our 4am feeding is the worst. LO always has gas and I'm too tired to take an extra 10-15 min to burp and rock LO like she wants.
For those following the "Wonder Weeks" methodology we are hitting The Week 5 jump. Which is characterized by alertness, fussiness and clinginess.
So on one (SUPER AWESOME) hand LO will sleep in 4 hour stretches but when she's awake, she's majorly awake. And her daytime naps are more like cat naps - very light and she easily wakes up. Anyone else hitting this in Week 5?
@sammy k yep the 4 am is my least favorite feeding. I admit I take shortcuts on that one.
At our one month pedi visit she told us we can start using the "5 minute rule" at night. Babies learn to self soothe as they develop, so at night, give them 5 minutes of fussing once you put them down. Typically they will calm themselves. If more than 5 minutes then by all means get involved. I am a fan of this so far even though it's hard to do at the crazy late hours!
@hoodoll82 yes, we are hitting it but at 4.5 weeks. Knowing this is what's causing it makes it easier, and we've adjusted plans this week to just stay home and cuddle LO. It's fun seeing how much LO's sight is developing. And he is starting some real smiles!
Thank goodness I'm reading this about the week 5 jump! We have family in town this week & it's hard to cuddle my baby & comfort her with me when there are people waiting on "their turn". So they'll be gone by the time she is 4 & 1/2 weeks so I can prep & get some cuddles!!
Positively, I vented on the MIL board ab wanting to hold my baby while everyone passes her around all day & I'm happy to report I have started locking us in my room to feed her & get in some snuggles without being bothered with people asking to hold her. But now BIL & SIL is here with their TWO toddler boys (who are VERY rambunctious - I love them so much, but stressful with a 3 weeks old). DH thinks I'm a little too on edge with it all, I told him to deal with people when I lock LO & I in our bedroom. So whatever. I'll survive. & have LO with just me again by Monday.
Babies used to sleep on their bellies all the time and thrived on it. Only recently due to SIDS research parents have been advised to always put babies on their backs to sleep. This may statistically reduce the risk of SIDS, but that doesn't mean it comes naturally to babies. Personally I hope more research will come out that pinpoints the real causes of SIDS so we don't have to put them on their backs to sleep anymore. But until that happens we're stuck putting them on their backs if we want to follow the current recommendations. It sucks because I don't think babies calm easily on their backs (startle reflex for one) and their heads may become misshapen if they are on their backs too much. Like PP I also let LO sleep on his side if I am nearby watching him. My LO seems to prefer his side.
My wonder weeks works much better with her birth date not due date. Her original EDD was 8 days before her revised EDD and 2 days before her birth so maybe that's why...THANKFULLY ending this leap.
TTC: 1/2014
BFP: 9/24
EDD: 6/8/2015
Sorry for the poor man's siggy...ticker won't load regardless of how many tips I read.
DD slept from 11-5 tonight (2.5 weeks). She screamed from 7-11, but I'll allow that if it means 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I definitely have to pump after this feed though. My boobs are confused.
This may be related to the fact that she cluster fed from 11am-4pm yesterday. But I'm not mad about it. Because sleep.
Last night was the first night when we didn't have to supplement with pumped milk (baby was back over birth weight as of yesterday), so DH didn't have as much to help with. Of course LO was up every two hours so I'm exhausted and DH is sleeping away. He even got mildly irritated when I asked him to change the crib sheet because LO's diaper had leaked. DH has been great so far helping me and bonding with LO, but in my cranky sleep deprivation I could honestly strangle him in his peaceful-looking sleep.
I did NOT sleep thru the 330 alarm this morning! Huzzah! It did take me about 20 minutes to respond to it because LO was not yet up and needing attention, but at least I was able to start the whole feeding ball rolling before LO cranky
For the past 4 nights, LO has been ridiculously fussy, like, scream at the top of her lungs fussy, at the 10 o'clock hour -- right as we're all getting ready for bed. DH is back to work so he's been responsible for putting LO to bed at night so that I can have some time to relax/get some sleep, which has been impossible lately because of her fussiness. Anyone else experiencing these on schedule fussy episodes with LO?
On a positive, LO let mama get some sleep last night! She had one 3 hr stretch and then two 2 hr stretches of sleep. Yay baby girl!
Yes! Exact same thing! We've started rocking LO in the nursery with white noise right when we start to see he's tired, but he still fights sleep. Last night the rocking started at 8 and he stopped fussing and went down at 10. My DH and I were doing the same thing, and I even started pumping so DH could feed him around 11:00, but it has yet to work because he gets so fussy. I talked to the pediatrician and she said its normal.
@kristenk727 my LO sleeps on his tummy sometimes too. I stopped feeling so anxious after reading an article by Dr. Sears explaining that babies often know what the safest position for them to sleep in. So I'm trusting my LO's instincts and just keeping a close eye.
@katyqv my LO has certainly had a few nights like this. I assume it's gas at the time, but afterwards wonder if it could just be growth spurts as well. I bought gripe water this week so it will be our go to if needed. I find it very difficult to listen to him get so upset, it hurts my heart likely more than it hurts him though, I know it's all part of the gig. He sometimes even cries in his sleep... heart wrenching!
I cried last night. I was up at 3 for a feeding. Right as I put LO down, she spit up copious amounts, soaking me, her blanket and pj's. She was wide awake then, so I had to rock her. Then after I got her to sleep, she was right back up and wouldn't sleep unless one. I got no sleep from 3-6 and then my dad called at 6:45. I forget what real sleep is like.
I know those of you following Wonder Weeks have talked about this before but I just wanted to clear it up...my LO is just shy of two weeks, but was almost two weeks late. So do I use his due date when looking at leaps, or his actual birth date? I remember someone saying to use his ACTUAL due date, which would mean he would hit these leaps earlier than his actual age? Am I making sense, haha? Oh, sleep deprivation.
I know those of you following Wonder Weeks have talked about this before but I just wanted to clear it up...my LO is just shy of two weeks, but was almost two weeks late. So do I use his due date when looking at leaps, or his actual birth date? I remember someone saying to use his ACTUAL due date, which would mean he would hit these leaps earlier than his actual age? Am I making sense, haha? Oh, sleep deprivation.
I'm honestly thinking it depends on the child, if that makes sense. I know some say due date, but my girls were born at 35 weeks and are definitely hitting the leaps on point if I use their birth date... So I don't know haha
I know those of you following Wonder Weeks have talked about this before but I just wanted to clear it up...my LO is just shy of two weeks, but was almost two weeks late. So do I use his due date when looking at leaps, or his actual birth date? I remember someone saying to use his ACTUAL due date, which would mean he would hit these leaps earlier than his actual age? Am I making sense, haha? Oh, sleep deprivation.
I'm honestly thinking it depends on the child, if that makes sense. I know some say due date, but my girls were born at 35 weeks and are definitely hitting the leaps on point if I use their birth date... So I don't know haha
I've heard mixed reviews too and that it varies child to child. My LO was 3 weeks early and is more on track with due date but it's kinda in between (I always thought my EDD was off a week so this makes sense)
I know those of you following Wonder Weeks have talked about this before but I just wanted to clear it up...my LO is just shy of two weeks, but was almost two weeks late. So do I use his due date when looking at leaps, or his actual birth date? I remember someone saying to use his ACTUAL due date, which would mean he would hit these leaps earlier than his actual age? Am I making sense, haha? Oh, sleep deprivation.
I'm honestly thinking it depends on the child, if that makes sense. I know some say due date, but my girls were born at 35 weeks and are definitely hitting the leaps on point if I use their birth date... So I don't know haha
I've heard mixed reviews too and that it varies child to child. My LO was 3 weeks early and is more on track with due date but it's kinda in between (I always thought my EDD was off a week so this makes sense).
With the Wonder Weeks app, you can enter different dates for different children. So I have one with his first name for due date, and one entry with his first and middle name that uses his birth date. This lets me compare the two, within the app.
So I've always heard once babies hit 10 lbs something changes in their sleep pattern and they end up sleeping longer at night. Anyone find that to be true with your baby? Our LO was born 4 weeks early so she's only about 6.5 lbs right now at almost 6 weeks. So I've come to understand her not being able to sleep longer then 3 hours at night just because of her small size and being premature. But I'm very hopeful that once she hits 10 it'll get better. PleAse tell me it does lol
My DS was born 9 lbs 8 oz, when we left the hospital he was sleeping 5 hours straight. He is now 12 lbs at almost 6 weeks and he sleeps a good 6 6.5 hours every night.
Baby's been sound asleep since 11... It's 1am and I'm still up. On the bright side, I straightened my hair and now I'm warming up some chocolate chip cookies
LO was born 8.6 lbs and is now almost 12. We took a 1.5 hr train ride yesterday to visit friends with girls ages 1 and 3. Last night was the first night LO only woke twice. He slept 8:00-1:00 then 1:00-3:00 and 3:00-6:00. The 3:00 session may have been my doing - I woke up with him in my arms and decided to move and change him.
So... I'm not sure the 10 lbs indicator worked for us. But I'm learning lots of stimulation during the day works!
We're trying something new tonight. Since LO sleeps longer during the day after a bottle, DH is currently feeding her and I'm pumping. Hopefully she sleeps longer and I get to start the night with empty boobs, which usually isn't the case. Fingers crossed. ..
Nope, the gas queen has been up almost every hour. She wants to sleep but faring is so hard. And she spit up a good chunk of the bottle I gave her. So I'm up and nursing again. At least I've moved to her room and can use the rocking chair.
Why does my almost 3 week old hate sleep all of a sudden??!!!! (
This happened to us around the 3 week mark. Last night we started winding LO down early. I put him in PJs, laid him on our bed, and talked/read to him until he got slightly fussy. Then we came into the nursery, rocked, and I nursed. He was out in 5. It was the first night that he fell asleep without screaming and fighting us in a while, but usually we don't bring him in the nursery until he's already worked up. We'll see how tomorrow night goes. Good luck!
Why does my almost 3 week old hate sleep all of a sudden??!!!! (
This is me also the past few days. I've been chalking it up to a growth spurt. Sleep for him is an elusive fairy creature that cannot be seen nor touched. He will drift off while on the boob but will wake shortly after if moved away from boob. And start the whole damned cycle over again. He eventually tuckered himself out tho (after most of last night and all of today) and let us get some sleep from about 1030 last night to 230 am (when, reluctantly, we had to wake him as per drs orders - we even went over drs orders by an hour). Fingers crossed he will go back to sleep again
Ugh, my LO loves to sleep tummy down on DH to fall asleep, then he can move him next to me no problem... But will DH sleep with us on a work night? Nope. Took me over an hour to get him down.
I am sorry so many of us had rough nights. I feel a little better knowing I wasn't the only only melting down. Hopefully tonight is better, or at least not any worse.
Re: Nighttime Sucks (But it gets better!) - A support thread
Meanwhile, I seem to have developed my own witching hour between 4:00-5:00 am. I am also tired and need to sleep, but force myself to stay awake. I like being on the Bump and holding LO. Currently I have LO on my chest and DH's hand on my shoulder, both of them sleeping. These moments are too precious to go to sleep!
So on one (SUPER AWESOME) hand LO will sleep in 4 hour stretches but when she's awake, she's majorly awake. And her daytime naps are more like cat naps - very light and she easily wakes up. Anyone else hitting this in Week 5?
@sammy k yep the 4 am is my least favorite feeding. I admit I take shortcuts on that one.
At our one month pedi visit she told us we can start using the "5 minute rule" at night. Babies learn to self soothe as they develop, so at night, give them 5 minutes of fussing once you put them down. Typically they will calm themselves. If more than 5 minutes then by all means get involved. I am a fan of this so far even though it's hard to do at the crazy late hours!
It's fun seeing how much LO's sight is developing. And he is starting some real smiles!
Positively, I vented on the MIL board ab wanting to hold my baby while everyone passes her around all day & I'm happy to report I have started locking us in my room to feed her & get in some snuggles without being bothered with people asking to hold her.
But now BIL & SIL is here with their TWO toddler boys (who are VERY rambunctious - I love them so much, but stressful with a 3 weeks old). DH thinks I'm a little too on edge with it all, I told him to deal with people when I lock LO & I in our bedroom. So whatever. I'll survive. & have LO with just me again by Monday.
Babies used to sleep on their bellies all the time and thrived on it. Only recently due to SIDS research parents have been advised to always put babies on their backs to sleep. This may statistically reduce the risk of SIDS, but that doesn't mean it comes naturally to babies. Personally I hope more research will come out that pinpoints the real causes of SIDS so we don't have to put them on their backs to sleep anymore. But until that happens we're stuck putting them on their backs if we want to follow the current recommendations. It sucks because I don't think babies calm easily on their backs (startle reflex for one) and their heads may become misshapen if they are on their backs too much.
Like PP I also let LO sleep on his side if I am nearby watching him. My LO seems to prefer his side.
Edit: and then up at 4!
This may be related to the fact that she cluster fed from 11am-4pm yesterday. But I'm not mad about it. Because sleep.
@katyqv my LO has certainly had a few nights like this. I assume it's gas at the time, but afterwards wonder if it could just be growth spurts as well. I bought gripe water this week so it will be our go to if needed. I find it very difficult to listen to him get so upset, it hurts my heart likely more than it hurts him though, I know it's all part of the gig. He sometimes even cries in his sleep... heart wrenching!
Our LO was born 4 weeks early so she's only about 6.5 lbs right now at almost 6 weeks. So I've come to understand her not being able to sleep longer then 3 hours at night just because of her small size and being premature. But I'm very hopeful that once she hits 10 it'll get better. PleAse tell me it does lol
<a href="http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Baby Names"><img src="http://global.thebump.com/tickers/tt1bc6e5.aspx" alt=" Pregnancy Ticker" border="0" /></a>
So... I'm not sure the 10 lbs indicator worked for us. But I'm learning lots of stimulation during the day works!
It was out fault but now I'm EXHAUSTED. I want my 3-4hr stretches back.
Eta: BLOAN??? Omg so tired.
DOES IT???!!! DOES IT GET BETTER?!???