15 mo old sleeps like a newborn. We are spent!

[nona]

did she go to bed at 6pm?? that's amazing!! sleep begets sleep!

[katie80]

Woohoo!!!

(Of course since I posted that she will be up a dozen times tonight )

FX that's not the case, but just call it regression if so and keep going! So happy for you guys!!

[cath~]

That's fantastic Kate!

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

So we have been up and down.

Yes, Heather, 6pm has been a pretty regular BT for us through all of this. She just can't make it farther than that.

We have had a couple of nights where she goes 9p-5a but it's not consistent. I was out of town for a night. Got home last night at 1am. She woke at 130 and for some reason in my sleep deprived state I thought it was 6 so I nursed her. Whoops. So then when DH went in at 4 when she woke up she was SO mad. I think because I was gone for 36 hours and then she knew I was there and she wasn't getting nursed again. So it was pretty bad until 630. Sigh

Two steps forward and one step back, right?

[katie80]

Oh shoot, I bet that was a bit confusing. But, you know she can do it and you're right, there's often some back and forth.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Ok so we are ticking along, still haven't dropped the evening feed. I know we need to but it's so much work to get her through it and either DH is here alone or we are trying to relax together and it's easier just to feed her. Nights are about the same with a varying number of wakings and DH settling her by being in her room.

The biggest thing right now is that she is waking at 5am and SCREAMING until it's time for me to feed her. So at least an hour. And this isnt, oh I'm awake and I'm babbling and then mad I'm in here on my own, it's zero to sixty screaning the second she stirs. I imagine since she hasn't nursed since 10pm. But it's horrible because then I wait to nurse her (listening to DH try to settle her, which never works at that hour) until at least 6 but by then she won't go back to sleep and the big kids are getting up, etc etc. So DH and I are starting the day (with screaming) at 5. After some tough nights. It's terrible.

EASY is like this:

5: A (screaming)
1130: S
130ish: A (sometimes shorter and APOP to lengthen if I'm here, DH just gets her up if I'm not)
6ish: S

I know she's going down early but she often has 2h of nap at best and it's not like she's waking happy at 5am to make me think she's done sleeping and the EASY is off.

I don't know what to do. Thoughts?

[jessmum46]

(((Hugs))), sorry it's still rough.  I will be honest though and say I really think you have to tough it out with no feeds at all overnight.  She is old enough now that anything but complete consistency is going to get resistance.  She doesn't know what time it is so why does screaming now get me a feed, but screaming then doesn't??  Can I also ask what APOP you do to lengthen the nap?  Because if that's nursing again I think you are probably continuing to shoot yourself in the foot......my suggestion would be (if you think she is OT) give her a one-off early nap e.g. 11/11.15 or go for usual nap time but in the car/stroller  (if she will sleep a longer nap that way) so you have the option to extend but not nurse.  Or even throw in a late catnap one day and push BT later.  Then no feeds at all overnight.  Keep her in her room until a reasonable hour in the morning (so 6am if needs be) then lights on, out of room and hang fire on nursing for a few mins.  I just think now there has to be a clean break between nursing and sleep with no exceptions so you can actually see if there are other issues ie routine that need sorting.

I hope that doesn't come across too harshly, it certainly isn't meant that way but if nursing is the 'easiest thing' then it's very likely the issue too xxxx

[katie80]

(((Hugs))), Kate. As hard as it is, I agree with Katherine.

IIWY, however, I would start with a two nap day (or even a couple), as my guess is that she's OT seeing as she was sleeping more on two naps (even though her night sleep was quite broken). Then, you can get a later BT and hopefully help her catch up a bit, so she might wake later. I don't know, this is what I did with my older two and it worked so well (up until about 18mo for G and almost 2yr for C, as she was an EWer when teething and never slept long naps). It doesn't seem to work quite as well with Charlie though, so it may not be something you want to try or do. It's just my first thought. Ultimately, though, I do think complete consistency and no feeds will be the ticket.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

I hope that doesn't come across too harshly, it certainly isn't meant that way  but if nursing is the 'easiest thing' then it's very likely the issue too xxxx

Not harsh at all. Very nicely said, actually. And I do know you're right. Not sure why it's so hard this time around. But we did do no feeds at all last night! She woke first at 8, which is early for her, so we just said forget this and DH sat on her floor. She was MAD. Took about 20 min to settled but she did do it. He slept on her floor and I slept in the basement so I wouldn't feed her by mistake again! She woke for a bit at MN and then not until 5. Not sure how llong she was up but she was asleep when I Came upstairs at 6, woke and ate and was up for the day at 615.

I am APOPing the nap with nursing in the carrier. I see your point about that one too.

IIWY, however, I would start with a two nap day (or even a couple), as my guess is that she's OT seeing as she was sleeping more on two naps (even though her night sleep was quite broken). Then, you can get a later BT and hopefully help her catch up a bit, so she might wake later.

This may be the solution to the above problem as well. Maybe I'll give it a try tomorrow. She did 90min on her own today and slept another hour on me. So she didn't wake up until 2pm, which means BT can hopefully be a bit later.

Constant tweaking, eh?

Thanks for all the support, girls. I really appreciate it. Hope I haven't driven anyone too nuts by my inability to listen.

[jessmum46]

Wow you did great!!  well done hun, you can totally do this.  Here holding your hand all the way xx

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Wow you did great!!  well done hun, you can totally do this.  Here holding your hand all the way xx

Thank you!! Fingers crossed for a good night tonight.

[katie80]

Hope I haven't driven anyone too nuts by my inability to listen.

No way... I've never been as wishy washy with sleep, props, etc as I have been this time around too. I think it's something to do with knowing these LOs are the last babies and it's not easy to let that go. I definitely want to be out of the stage of nursing at night, but there's something kind of final about that too that makes it hard. Plus, life with three is no joke (well, it's not with one or two either, but it's just that much crazier now). DH and I did the same thing in the early evening sooooo often because we just needed a little time together.

Yay for being feed free last night!! FX for tonight too!

As hard as it is, I agree with Katherine.

BTW, I hope this didn't come across wrong... I meant as hard as it is to do, not that it's hard to agree with you, Katherine! Just wanted to make that clear.

[jessmum46]

Lol Katie no problem at all!!

[MommaStorms]

Hey!! Just dropping by for support! My DD slept attached to boob until she was 15 months! I know what you're going through. They are just so cute at this age, it's hard to say no!! Hugs!!! You'll get through and 8 hours of sleep will feel amazing!

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

I've never been as wishy washy with sleep, props, etc as I have been this time around too. I think it's something to do with knowing these LOs are the last babies and it's not easy to let that go. I definitely want to be out of the stage of nursing at night, but there's something kind of final about that too that makes it hard. Plus, life with three is no joke (well, it's not with one or two either, but it's just that much crazier now).

It is SO crazy, isn't it?? It really is hard knowing that she is the last.

I meant as hard as it is to do, not that it's hard to agree with you, Katherine!  Just wanted to make that clear.

Ha! I totally read it how you meant it.

They are just so cute at this age, it's hard to say no!! Hugs!!! You'll get through and 8 hours of sleep will feel amazing!

Thanks!

Today was an odd one. She did wake at 5 something but went back, up at 615 for the day again (despite going to bed almost an hour later last night). But before 5 she slept through! So exciting.

Took a 2 min stroller nap during our run (would have slept longer but I noticed and woke her up, poor thing!) so was all crazy for an 1130 nap. Went down with patting at noon. But then she slept until 215 on her own! So exciting, also!I guess I need to move naptime back as her nights get better.

Thing is, it's nearly 8 and she is up there babbling. Just started crying outright so DH went up. I guess she needs more A time if she's doing better at night and taking a decent nap? This is all so weird to me! I hope, I hope she sleeps a little later tomorrow. But then, of course, I have to leave for work at 630 so if she does sleep in for the first time in weeks (months?) I won't get to nurse her. It's always something, huh??