Author Topic: sleepless nights - any tips on survival for parents??  (Read 1696 times)

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Offline cait

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sleepless nights - any tips on survival for parents??
« on: December 19, 2005, 16:22:27 pm »
My son is 4 months old and still waking in the night - in fact the last few nights it has been two or 3 times with an early morning waking. He is still fed once in the night. Any tips from other mums and dads (or inspiration) as to how you manage/keep going with lack of sleep????


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Offline joslil

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sleepless nights - any tips on survival for parents??
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2005, 20:09:17 pm »
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Offline Flo

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sleepless nights - any tips on survival for parents??
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2005, 09:21:50 am »
My son is 5 months and wakes 8-10 times a night and gets fed 2 of those.

I nap when he does during the day.

Offline cait

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sleepless nights - any tips on survival for parents??
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2005, 13:56:14 pm »
Oh my god - Do you have to settle him back to sleep or does he do it himself?

I have done all the wrong things with my son - up to 8 weeks old everything was going fine - I was getting him to settle himself to sleep and had streached his feeding to about 5/5.30 am but then reflux kicked in and he needed so much comforting he now goes to sleep during the day in his pushchair as it is raised and more comfortable. Then when he hits the 45 minute mark at times he was very very upset - i presume with pain - so I started rocking him in his pushchair to calm and settle him so I am stuck with this for the moment.

Then during the night he would wake once for a feed - once fed he would settle back fairly well but now as I say he wakes three times I think because of pain So eventually pick him up and settle him back around 2am (last night I fell asleep with him still in my arms for an hour!) then fed him around 3.30. This is now taking longer as he still has a lot of pain (looking into it with doctor to see if something else wrong now) so back into bed around 4.30 - awake again at 6am - brought him into bed till 7am. So as you can see I am now doing everything wrong. I am hoping once reflux (or whatever the hell is wrong!) clears up I can address these problems but they may be very hard habits to break at that stage.

I would be interested to know what you do at night and what your day is like.

Thanks for replying

Cait

Offline Flo

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sleepless nights - any tips on survival for parents??
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2005, 17:09:46 pm »
I think I've done everything wrong too but when they're in pain you will do whatever is needed to comfort them.

My DS has Reflux as well and the meds he is on now have just started to work (it's has taken 4 weeks).  He is on Losec and Domperidom.  Now when he wake I think it is just habit because he is not screaming in pain anymore.

He sort of settles himself when he wakes but in my arms (and this is what I'm hoping to crack next) apart from when he's hungary and then he usually settles after the feed. 

I'm there with you with the falling asleep with babe in arms - I do this all the time I look at the clock and a whole hour has disappeared!!

He is pretty good during the day other than he will only nap in his cot and it takes me about half an hour to get him to sleep - I look with longing at all the babies asleep in their prams when out.......

What meds is your DS on?

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Offline cait

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sleepless nights - any tips on survival for parents??
« Reply #5 on: December 23, 2005, 09:11:32 am »
He first started on Zoton with SMA Lacotse Free. This did not seem to be working so changed to SMA Staydown and Losec. This worked for a while but the screaming resumed. The doctor thought that the Losec might not be working well with the SMA Staydown as Losec reduces acid by 100% and the Staydown formula needs some acid to work with as such. So he changed him on to Zantac which reduces acid by 80%. It seems to be working a bit better. I also moved up a teat size to Level 3 for Dr Brown  bottles as he seemed to be getting frustrated trying to suck when he was so hungry. He now takes his feeds in his chair as I  discovered by accident this seems to make him more comfortable. He does however still have very bad wind. His stomach gurgles a lot. I think this is affecting him at night. His intake has dramatically increased and he still seems hungry so I am going to try him on rice today.

Last night: We normally do a dreamfeed at 10.30 but last night woke at 10 despite having nearly 30 0zs at that stage but he also seemed to have a pain. Back in bed about 11.30 cos I have to sit with him for ages to make sure feed is digested. He woke again around 2 and I fed him just before 3. Back in bed about 4. I think he woke again just before 5 - but then I looked at the clock and it was 6 o clock so dont know if he was awake or asleep during this time. Gave him a cuddle to go back asleep but didnt settle till about 6.45 till about 7.40. So thats how my night went. How about you? What does domperidom do? Have you started on solids yet?

Cait

Offline Flo

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sleepless nights - any tips on survival for parents??
« Reply #6 on: December 23, 2005, 12:05:40 pm »
I don't know about the formula because I breastfeed however the Losec took 4 weeks to work with my DS - how long has your DS been on it?  I did try a dairy free diet but it didn't make a difference, the peadeatrician things he may be lactose intorelant but I am filtering the dairy enough for him.

The domperidom helps with the vomiting (he was vomiting up the Losec before without it).

He has been on solids for about 10 days now - just baby rice and pear puree so far.

Last night I had a really good night - think solids are starting to pay off.  Asleep at 7.15 he then woke at 9.30 and I fed him I then keep him upright in my arms for 20 mins or so before putting him back in his cot at 10.15.  He next woke at 11.35 when I just changed his nappy and cuddled him and put him back to his cot.  Then he woke at 12.55 when I fed him again and he was back in his cot at 1.30.  Then he woke at 3.10 - cuddled and back to cot.  Finally he woke at 4.35 for the day.  (It's impossible to get him back to sleep after 4.)

First nap of the day is then at 7 for about an hour and a half (and boy do I need that one!).

Lisa