8.5 month twins, night waking and early morning waking,

[4isstillnighttime]

Awful night again, C started waking up at 9......would resettle with a hand on her back then wake again after 20 mins. Like that all night and up screaming at 5....

So.....it became v clear to me early on in the night that she was waking when my hand wasn't there.....so I just held the edge of her sleeping bag so she couldn't roll (she thrashes around and hits her head on the bars!!) and let her hold my hand. And shhed until I saw stars. So she knew I was there but I wasn't doing anything to make her sleep. And I brought my duvet in and slept on the floor. At 5 DH took over and they eventually stopped screaming with a hand on their backs but they didn't go back to sleep. So at 6 we turned on the lights and did an exaggerated good morning!! I put them down at 8:50 and let them sleep til 10, then they did 1:30-3 - no resettling for the second nap which was good! And tbey have just gone to sleep now. V easy at each sleep time.

The teeth are still coming thick and fast and they are a but off their food. Temperatures ok today though. So as long as I feel strong I will try and get to 3 without a feed. Wondered if I should have fed at 5 this morning - they were starving for breakfast at 6. But then that feels backwards as I'm kind of adding in a night feed! It's going to take a week at least to get the 2:30 feed to 5am, should I feed at 5 as well til then?

Sleepy vibes to all of your babies!!!!

[Bababoo]

Just a thought...read somewhere that for some people making a recording of your voice doing the sshh-ing works...baby hears your voice, but you're fast asleep in the next room. Admit I've never done it...and it won't solve the issue of the bopping about in the cot (my DD is pretty active when awake aswell - and is now standing and attempting to walk in the cot, even in her sleeping bag, awkward and all as it looks!) - but it might get you some shred of sleep!

[nippo]

Apparently you can also buy a warm weighted hand which you can place on their backs so they have the comfort of thinking you are there. You could still be in the room with your duvet but at least you'd be more comfortable...

I haven't seen it myself but I'm sure a quick search might help.

I would try and keep the feed to 6 if you can. They are on solids and taking their daytime milk right? I would think one night feed is enough....

Better to establish a 6am wake up so when they do sleep through it will be until 6 rather than 5.

If they weren't doing the 2.30 wake up I probably would have fed at 5...

You're still doing brilliantly I think. Remember they are teething and it's not a tooth at a time with yours so they are bound to be feeling uncomfortable to say the least. It's tough on you I know, but at some point soon those little teeth will pop through and hopefully your night will get a bit easier...

Xc

[4isstillnighttime]

I will investigate during my long periods awake tonight!!

They currently don't have a feed when they first get up - their morning feed is at 8ish. So hats why I thought a 5am feed would be ok as would still be hungry for breakfast at 6:30 (the only time they see daddy!). So I'm wondering if I should add a 5 am feed (so doing 2am and 5am) then drop the 2am feed, or gradually make the 2am feed later until it becomes a 5am feed, and eventually gets dropped altogether.

[nippo]

I think you should do what feels right for your babies because you know them better than anyone else.

For me, I knew that a 3 hour gap was definitely OK given they were eventually doing a long sleep from 7 until 2am so they would have been able to sustain 2 until 6 during the night.

[Uglybethy]

I think you're saying that you need to keep a night feed whilst they are feeling so poorly but that ultimately you want it gone, right? It is usual for the 2am feed to go first. But before you get rid of that you need to provide them with the same time at the breast during the day before hand (or same ounces of bottle).
I wonder if that would be possible by adding a breast feed when you start the day ... 6am eventually but for the moment while they seem to be waking up at 5.00 and are unable to settle back just feed them then instead?? Over time that will get later and later. And 2am feed will be gone.

[4isstillnighttime]

This was the fourth night of C waking every hour or so. To resettle I re plugged, hand on back, hand on chest, held sleeping bag, held hand. And shhhed. Is it the teeth?  I don't know what she wants, I fed at 3 and she wasn't particularly starving and it didn't make her sleep any better. And they have been up since 5 (although in cots til 6). And I don't know what else I can do? Should I stop touching her altogether, just hold her sleeping bag? There is a tooth still just breaking through but she is dosed up to her eyeballs and it's making no difference. And, honestly, I'm not sure how much more I can take....how do we get through this?!

[nippo]

You're doing so well under the circumstances, I really do applaud you for holding fast. They don't normally wake hourly right? You do have longer spells usually which makes me think that it is probably a combination of teething and just not feeling 100%...they were ill and although they might not have a fever, it does still take some time for them to feel totally better...and they are probably overtired from the frequent wake ups...


Really sorry that it is just so hard, I wish I could come over and help you xxxxx

[Uglybethy]

So many hugs. I can understand why you're wracking your brain on this one. Not helped at all by the utter exhaustion.
I too think it's a combination of the teeth and chronic overtired from the all the night wakings. Although I think it would be really useful to see your easy again if you can possibly muster up the energy to post it?? Be useful to see what days are looking like too ATM...
On a practical note is there any way that hubby can do a few nights for you (you might need to get some ear plugs to dull down the intensity of the cries)?

[babybarr]

I hadn't posted yet cos I was thinking about what to say to you.

However I would say that waking every hour is almost *always* discomfort and I would be inclined to get her ears checked out - esp if she's still running a temp.  Also I personally wouldn't be worrying about any sort of st while they are poorly - meaning get them back to sleep as quick as possible in whatever is their most comfortable way.  I would try and let the self settle at the beginning of the sleep but after that if they wake - comfort them.  I know that feels counterproductive but constantly trying your hand / rubbing etc doesn't seem to be helping. I would do at this moment what it takes to get C to sleep a long stretch again.  How did Z sleep?  Even if you go backwards a bit if they sleep better for a few nights and get well it'll take much less time to get where you are as they've done it before - does that make sense?

I completely get your frustration (and lack of sleep) so so many ((((Hugs)))) I would give yourself a break do what you have to do just to get through for a while.  My boys were completely prop tastic.  They slept in carseats being rocked, in their buggies because they just wouldn't sleep past 30mins. 

 

[4isstillnighttime]

Thank you all for the support! I let C have a monster morning nap because she was just so unpleasant and she looks much better for it!  This is the EASY I have been aiming for...

Awake 5ish but in cots til 6. If playing, leave them to it. If screaming, shh and hand on back.
Breakfast 6:30
BF 8:00
Sleep 9-10

Bottle and raisins when they wake up
Lunch 12 ish
Bed 1:30-3

Bottle when they wake up
Supper 5
Bath 6
Bf and bed 7

One night BF - not before 3am

Things that are wrong - don't eat much lunch as full of milk. Then don't drink much milk as full of lunch. Not sure if this matters! Evening is really tight for time. Can't really make BT any earlier as I'm going back to work soon and won't be home in time!

My dream EASY:
Wake up at 6:00 and BF
Play in cots while I get ready
Breakfast 7
Sleep 9-10ish

In the rest of the day one 2h nap, 2 meals, 2 snacks, 2 bottles, a bath. And some going out!

I think you are all right about OT. Put them down this morning at 8:45 as couldn't stand it any more. C needed resettling 2x in the first hour and resettled herself twice too, but then slept til 11:15! And I've just put her down at 2 and she is asleep again I think.

I thought all the teeth were through but looking closely one is still just under the gum and it looks like some others are starting to make an appearance. And she's only had 24h with no temp. So she's got an excuse. But the thing is when she wakes at night I don't know what she wants - last night she didn't want a feed, didn't want picking up, didn't really seem to want cuddles or back rubs.....I think she wanted to be asleep! I didn't give the meds at 2am as I forgot and I'm not sure if that made any difference really.

The only other things I can think of:

They still have newborn dummies as I didn't realise there was a bigger size. Would the next size be better?
I play a mobile with a light show when I put them down. Could try that if she is struggling to settle at night?

I worry that the night waking will become a habit - C is the most habit forming baby alive! And I worry because she obviously needs something at night which I am not providing.....just not sure what it is!!

Z is not too bad at all - her first teeth are starting to show and she's a bit grouchy but last night she slept til 3 then straight back down til 5 after a quick feed. Having said this she slept 1.5h this morning and is still awake and rolling around in her cot now after an a time of 4hours.....

Once again, thank you all so much!!!

[babybarr]

They sound so much like my two! J never knows what he wants either!  He's slowly getting into cuddles though. I tried my two on the bigger dummies but they don't much care for them at mo but buy a pack of 2 and see whether they take to them. What settles c the quickest? I completely get not wanting to form habits but as she's not right I would seriously resort to that...for now.

[4isstillnighttime]

Ok, here is the plan

Z refused her pm nap and woke up c after 20 mins, at 2:20. So I took them out in the pushchair and z had about an hour, ending at 4. C is beside herself so we are having early bedtime if 6:20 to try and get her to catch up on some sleep. Z will just have to cope!

Laura - back rubbing settles c but she now wakes up pretty much the second I stop. The reassuring hand is slower but she is more likely to stay asleep.

The plan for the night:

No feeds til 3:00 (they did it yesterday so I know they can)
Big girl dummies that glow in the dark   
Settle C by hook or by crook and try and get her to sleep
Even more dummies in the cot!
When they wake at 5, feed and back down. No fun, no chat, no getting up!!!!


DH is doing long shifts and can't really help at the moment at night as he drives a lot for his job and it just gets dangerous! He is doing 5-7 so I sleep then, so it's not as awful as it could be!

[Bababoo]

My DD is still on 0-6 month dummies as she completely refused the bigger ones..she'd pop it in, have a little suck, then throw it far away!
I was worried that it would affect her gum/mouth formation but as she now only has them for sleep I'm not too worried..they fall out once she is asleep and even if she replugs herself they are not in too long once she falls back asleep.
I asked about it on a thread here and no-one seemed to think it was a big deal.

[babybarr]

Hi Anna. I'd suggest you start a new thread and we can hop on it there just so we don't get confused with lilys. Or I can ask a mod to use your post above and do it for you?