Author Topic: Help! Before I lose my sanity!  (Read 1157 times)

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Offline Luke-n-Me

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Help! Before I lose my sanity!
« on: September 26, 2005, 14:13:37 pm »
Hello!

I have a 4 week old who has been sleeping like an angel up until the last 3 days.  Her night sleeping is fabulous.  She sleeps about 6 hours from her last feed (anywhere between 9/10) and then goes directly back to sleep (even if she's wide awake) and I wake her up at 8 every morning.  I typically put her back down by 9, no later.  I've followed her cues, I've kept the routine consistent, but I just spent 45 minutes in the room with her and she NEVER fell asleep.  She doesn't fuss, just doesn't fall asleep.  The only reason I had 45 minutes to devote was because my husband is home today.  I also have a spirited toddler, so typically this will be out of the question.  I may be able to hold him off for 20 minutes, but not a second longer.  I was willing to stay in the room for 20 minutes, just like Tracy talks about in her book and in the sleep interview, but I can't do it any more.  She talks about getting someone to help-I don't have anyone to help.  When my mom's around her solution is to just rock her-which she's trying to help, but this frustrates me even more because this is exactly what I'm trying to avoid.

Previously Annika would go down easily for sleeps and sleep 3 hours at a time, now, even if she does fall asleep she wakes at the 45 minute mark and she may or may not go back to sleep. 

I had this same problem with my son, only his dispostion wasn't quite as pleasant so it made it more frustrating.  However, I'm already getting extremely frustrated and find myself crying.  At this point my husband has taken over (for the last 20 minutes) and it still isn't working.  I know you're not supposed to switch people either, but I had to.  I also know that Tracy said that if is hasn't worked after 40 minutes to take them out of the room for 20 and start over, here again, I have the problem of another child to worry about-this just isn't feasible!

This really never worked for Luke and he eventually became a good sleeper and slept on his own.  I guess this is where I become skeptical of the whole process (and I know that many of you have had success), but who has time for this!  I just end up driving myself crazy over the whole thing!  It's tempting to let her cry it out a bit because this just isn't working!  What do I do?  It just seems that my friends who wing it don't have this trouble and their kids eventually come around and they never sweat it-they are on the go all the time and their kids sleep wherever, whenever with no problems and everyone is fine. 

I'm sorry, I'm just negative right now because I'm frustrated-any helpful words or encouragement-I'm definitely ready to "cave-in".  Please help me!!!

Thanks!
Nancy

Luke (4-2-03)
Annika (8-30-05)

Offline kate585

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Help! Before I lose my sanity!
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2005, 14:22:59 pm »
((((HUGS)))) to you and your whole family.  Take advantage of dh being home today and take a HUGE nap this afternoon.  You'll feel much better and more positive about the whole BW routine.  Stay with it...you know it'll work for you. 
Hopefully someone with more than one will give you some suggestions/support about that aspect.
I'll be thinking about you guys!!!
Kate,


Offline momofnewbaby

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Help! Before I lose my sanity!
« Reply #2 on: September 26, 2005, 20:41:34 pm »
Sorry, since I myself have only one at this time, I am not going to be much help. But, try to stick with it. It really does work (atleast has for my dd). Try to get rest, take some time out for yourself, if possible (maybe after the kids go to sleep tonight) and tomorrow is another day.

Hang in there.

Sumita
Mother of a textbook/touchy baby



abigailsmum

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Help! Before I lose my sanity!
« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2005, 20:29:29 pm »
Imust say that i was totally like you, trying to do what was said for the baby, thinking it was the best thing, but i know it doesn't go with the grain of this whole website but i would really not let it bother you. Basically i found that when the baby is tired it will sleep and if its not no amount of trying things will get it to sleep. If the baby is really tired they will sleep. I spent ages trying to get mine to sleep past 30-45min mark, trying everything to get her back to sleep, but basically she wasn't tired that amount of sleep was all that she wanted. Once i let her sleep when she was tired and for how long she wanted things fell into place, she now sleeps thru the night and naps an hour or 30mins, if she does wake at 30mins it is because thats all she wants no amount of trying to get her back to sleep ever worked. So i know it may sound wrong but go by what your baby really needs not what a book says she needs, i spent way tomuch time trying to implement theses things and like you nearly drove myself mad with it. Now im happy and the baby is happy so what more can i say???