whoa - ok, that makes me feel a little bit better, believe it or not... So, why do you think that pu/pd doesn't work for some babies? And how do i know if it does, or do i have to wait the 2 weeks to find out? Sorry to bombard you with questions, but then what did work for you?
Colin is very, very spirited and PU/PD often doesn't work with a spirited LO. It doesn't take much to wind them up so the act of it is too stimulating, if that makes sense. When I tried it, it made things much worse because what he wanted was to get up and keep hanging out, so every time I would PU he thought I was getting him up. When I would PD, it was unspeakably horrid.
It's hard to say how you know if you're getting anywhere.
If you aren't 100% sure either way you certainly can give it two weeks or more and see where you're at then. But, I'm a big believer in following instincts, and if your gut and mommy sense is telling you that it's not getting you anywhere (legitimately and not just the exhaustion making excuses, teehee) then that's enough IMO.
What we did was a modified shhh/pat, for an absurdly long time. Colin couldn't handle the patting, it was too stimulating as well, so we would lay one arm across his knees (not really restraining, just touching if that makes sense) and the other across his chest and shhhhh. That worked very well for us. So don't be afraid to modify techniques or try something different!
I've been so torn with wanting to make the 'right' decision with Eden - I just don't want to let her down or not do the best that i can, but i have found myself trying to make a choice based on all the other options being 'wrong' which isn't the right attitude as I have a friend on either extremes who I wouldn't want to offend. Anyway, i am rambling because of sleep deprivation!
I totally hear you. Parenting isn't instinctual in terms of what to do but I really wish it was. There's a lot to consider - temperment, your sanity, long-term benefits, short term misery, and of course risking disaster.
But that's what we're all here for around here, to help you decipher a logical course to take and support you through it.
Last night was pretty terrible, i ended up getting quite frustrated and had a bit of a one-sided argument with Eden thinking that if I just say it enough time she might actually 'Go To Sleep!'. She was up again at about 12.30am and settled quickly. THen she was up at 2.30am and with some patting went to sleep, but as soon as the patting stopped (even if i waited about 5 minutes after she seemed sound asleep) she was pushing up and crying. at about 4am i gave up, tried lying next to the cot while she screamed but it was too much, so i took her onto my mattress. Even then she wouldn't settle, took a full feed and still wouldn't settle.
I'm sorry if I already asked this before, but are there or could there be any medical issues going on? Tummy upset? Reflux?
I thought maybe it was her tummy as she had quite a bit of food yesterday (including tofu and strawberries).
OK how did you get her to eat tofu?!?!?! I've been trying to get Colin to eat it for a year and he will have nothing to do with it.
I am looking at the pu/pd forum now, and I am not feeling like giving up, amazingly because I tend to give up quite easily when things don't come easily. But, i am getting pretty tired. And in my gut I just don't feel like the level of screaming is 'right', i wish that bw came with consultants that did home visits!
I'm glad you're not tempted to give up. BW really is a lot of work and EASY is not always easy!! I can tell you firsthand though that the benefits are absolutely worth the work. Really. Colin has never really been a great sleeper and the early days were hell. Before his reflux was diagnosed he really never slept. For any decent length of time anyway.... we were awake for I swear three months straight. I was a basket case, crying all the time, he screamed all the time (DUH mom take me to the doctor maybe
) and DH was on the edge of insanity. I found this site when I googled Tracy's name the night before I was supposed to go back to work. I was so utterly desperate that I was GOING to get a consultation with her no matter what it took. Come to find out she had passed
so I posted here and the rest is history. It did take a lot of work to get Colin to sleep independently, but granted part of it was reflux related. Now he's Mr. Independent sleep. He won't sleep anywhere near anyone or out of the normal routine unless he's sick, and we don't even do a wind-down - just into bed and night night.
I never thought things would be so easy. So now that I've rambled, keep your faith and don't give in!
