desperate mum in need of sleep with 7 month old who is o/t

[caoimhe mum]

what would you do regards A times.  she is tired again after 2hrs of being up would you put back to bed and see how it goes  or keep her up for the usual A time or what i think is her usual A time

[becj86]

I tended to try a change of scenery with a pretty low-key activity like a walk outside and if still tired, put LO down for a nap. We had to do a few days of lots of short naps to get to the stage where he could nap longer.

[caoimhe mum]

tried the low key activity, the walk isn't possible at this time due to living arrangements.  i put her down after 2hrs 20 A time i hope she naps for a long time or will take few naps otherwise i'm going to be adding fuel to the fire  and it will make for a long day.  fingers crossed she will take a few naps. 

[becj86]

Fingers crossed for you!

Honestly, I'd really be thinking about taking a day or two out of the house, just get dressed and out the door and hit the shopping centre/park/cafe or whatever just to rid yourself of the cabin fever. It totally helps as it lightens your mood a little and LO picks up on it. I gave DS the opportunity to sleep while I was out but didn't spend ages in a darkened room shush/patting or anything and expected nothing but he slept better out than at home

[caoimhe mum]

don't worry we do get out in between naps as much as possible.  noe i am spending a bit more time trying to apop the naps.  this morning she only slept for 40mins and i apoped back to sleep.  we have gone from no vices to where i can get her back but only to sleep on me i can't get her back in the cot.  i'm ok with this at the mo while she catches up on her sleep.  i'm going to give it a week then i'm done with the apoping.  it can't take much longer can it to get the sleep under control. 

[becj86]

A week is quite a sensible timeframe. Should be enough to get as much sleep into her as possible for her to be well rested. If you can use APOP methods that can be weaned using gradual withdrawal, it will make next week easier.

Hugs hugs, its not an easy place to be. xx

[caoimhe mum]

so i'm at a loss should i continue here or start a new post.  i have apoped her 2nd nap nearly every day except one.  this was to help her get out of the o/t loop.  she is teething now so don't know what to do from here.  i'm giving her pain meds before naps and bed but she is now fighting her naps and bed time.  i know i have to ride it out with the teething but we are still getting night waking before midnight and early wakings this morning she was up at 4am and i tried everything to get her back to sleep she eventually went back at 6am for an hour. 

i have lost my confidence i don't know what A times to give her.  i try early to bed only for her to be crying for ages she tired so that just adds to her tiredness.  i'm getting so confused. 

[becj86]

Where are you up to with the reflux issues? It can get worse (flare) with teething too.

You're having trouble reading her signs because she's so tired, right? I think maybe you run with the plan of set naps at 9 and 2, bedtime at 6:30.

[caoimhe mum]

i was going to but there is a post running about set naps and it says not to do it with spirited or touchy babies and i think she is both.  i gave up on the reflux as it didn't make any difference as recommended by the doc to try lactose free formula so we are on that at the mo.  and in 2 weeks she is going to have an allergy test. 

she shows signs of being tired but when i take her to bed she starts talking and her eyes pop wide open like well thats that over with. i was tired but i'm not now.  in the morning she is still giving me about 1hr 30 but the after afternoon it varies can be 30/40 mins.  i will try to apop back to sleep, it takes ages and then she will only stay asleep on me. 

[becj86]

May seem odd, but I used to swaddle DS and put him down on the floor in the living room to sleep and he went to sleep with a lot less fuss when he didn't think he was missing out. Is she still swaddled? Could you try that?

[caoimhe mum]

she isn't swaddled anymore.  i don't think i could do that as even wheni try to apop her in the pram i have to block out the world by covering the pram with a blankey with a tiny peephole for her. 

this morning i said would wait for her tired signs but there was none by the time she had done 3hrs 25 Atime so i said better put her down and i had resistance so i did shush pat and i got her to sleepl only for her to wake an hour later overtired i reckon cause she buring her head into my shoulder when i picked her up.  so i got her back to sleep only hfor her to wake again and this happened a few times wheni gave up.  i gave her pain med before bed and again a herbal while i was trying to get her back to sleep. 

i'm wondering does her tired signs only start when i start doing the wind down even if she is  not tired or overtired she gives the tired signs and then the only way i figure out which she was is by the lenght of her nap.  see i'm sooo confused i don't know what to make of it. 

[B J]

My DS is the same with lack of tired signs.  He will happily play and won't show tired signs until I start his wind down.  I walk around with him for wind down and he will only rub his eyes when we go in his room and I close the blinds and put on his sleep sack.  I have to wait and see how the nap goes before I know if he is OT/UT too!

[caoimhe mum]

BJ - horrible lately she has started going into the cot fine and then the minute i leave she maons and cries so i go back in and rub her belly and do shush pat till asleep. this can take anywhere from 5-15mins so i how do i factor what A time to be giving her now. 

another question is when i try and apop her nap its fitful, she will wake on and off until i give up and take her out.  what time should i take as her wake up time.   

[caoimhe mum]

sorry i should give an example.  this morning she woke at 10.57am so i apoped back to sleep till 11.37am but she woke went back to sleep maybe 4 times in that period with me rubbing or holding her.  what time should i pick as her awake time.  i went in the middle but only the nap will tell if i picked the right time. 

it so unpredictable and impossible to plan anything.  she is a happy enough baby.  she isn't cranky except i can't handle all these night waking its making me cranky.

[B J]

(((hugs))) I am so cranky too!  I'm finding it hard to enjoy my LO as I get so frustrated when he doesn't sleep well.  It's awful, but I keep asking myself why I decided to have a #2.  I feel like such an awful mother for even thinking that.

With the crying before naps, could she have some separation anxiety due to the teething?  Sometimes that happens with some.  Do you give meds before the naps?  It could also just be discomfort with the teething?  They may handle the pain better when they're up and busy playing but feel it more when they lie down.

For the broken nap, I would go with the middle time as well.  I have the same problem when I try to apop the nap.  He'll keep waking up and I know it's an OT sign for him.  But these days I pretty much can't apop anymore.  I used to be able to hold him in my arms and let him sleep but now he hates being held sideways and he fights shush pat now.  So it's super hard for me to extend naps now...so I'm even more screwed!