Sleep Check-In 1/27

[whitney4126]

Ok, please chime in if you have suggestions for other questions?

1.) How's it currently going?

2.) What is your biggest struggle/concern right now?

3.) What is your current goal or thing you are working on?

4.) GTKY: What do you do (if anything) to have some "me time" and/or take care of your mental health since LO came?

[whitney4126]

1.) How's it currently going?

Sleep has been so inconsistent for 2 months now. She still wakes up several times a night. At one point she was making it 4-5 hours, but it's been over a month since she's made it 3 without waking. And her new thing is not sleeping without me.

2.) What is your biggest struggle/concern right now?

I would like her to sleep in her bassinet or crib, for at least part of the night without me. I don't mind co-sleeping in the early morning hours in between her last feeding and my alarm. But I'd like some time without her because I don't sleep well with her. But she went to daycare for the first time and got sick for the first time (RSV) this month, so she was extra clingy and I started letting her fall asleep with me holding her on my chest. And so now that's what she wants, and I'm working and so desperate for sleep, that I keep giving in.

3.) What is your current goal or thing you are working on?

Being able to put her in the bassinet at least for the first part of the night. Then I'll work on putting her back down after her first feeding. And then maybe we can try to get back in the crib. We've done so much backtracking since December!

4.) GTKY: What do you do (if anything) to have some "me time" and/or take care of your mental health since LO came?[/quote]

I haven't been very good at this, so that's why I asked. I need ideas on taking care of me with virtually no spare time at the moment.

[abbyroad]

1.) How's it currently going?
Eh, it's ok. Waking 2-4x/night to nurse. The upside overnight is that he goes back to sleep quickly. Naps have been super short except the last two days I've suddenly gotten a couple of good ones.

2.) What is your biggest struggle/concern right now?
That nursing to sleep is preventing him from learning how to self-soothe.

3.) What is your current goal or thing you are working on?
Well I'd like to stop nursing to sleep and once I do that I'd like to start putting him down drowsy but awake. But every time I try not to nurse to sleep, I can't soothe him without the boob and he gets all worked up so I just wind up caving him.

4.) GTKY: What do you do (if anything) to have some "me time" and/or take care of your mental health since LO came?
I've been trying to hand him off to our sitter a bit more. She picks DD up from school so I've had her come in the mornings a bit to hang out with the baby so I can spend more time looking for a new job.

[alioop1028]

1.) How's it currently going?

I'm not dead yet so that's a plus. LO was sleeping 3-4 hours at a time and only feeding twice a night before, but has now decided to wake up every 2 hours on the dot and apparently starving the past three days. I have to wake up at 5:30 to go to work so I have had a total of 3 hours a sleep a night. FML.

2.) What is your biggest struggle/concern right now?

Amen to abbyroad. Nursing her to sleep is preventing her to self soothe which is probably why she wakes so much. But she goes down so much easier if I do. Not sure what to do. I'm hoping it's a growth spurt and she goes back to sleeping in 3-4 hour blocks again.

3.) What is your current goal or thing you are working on?

I still have to swaddle her, but I'm going to work on eliminating that and and then nursing her to sleep after that.
I hear her grunting and struggling to get out of it every night and once I hear the velcro release she thrashes around like a vietnam war vet having night terrors... I guess her determination is admirable though.

4.) GTKY: What do you do (if anything) to have some "me time" and/or take care of your mental health since LO came?

My friend convinced me to join a "Hip Hop Moms" workout class and I am inches from twerking myself to death. Sleep dep and working out is awful, but at least I can get out and have some me time while feeling less guilty for stuffing my face with cookies all weekend.

[doglover31]

Ok, please chime in if you have suggestions for other questions?

1.) How's it currently going? Last night DS actually slept in his room most of the night. It was in his swing but hey I'll take it. He still woke every 2-3 hours wanting to eat. When he woke up at 4:30 I was so tired I just brought him to bed with me so he could eat.

2.) What is your biggest struggle/concern right now?
Getting him out of the habit of sleeping in bed next to me. And also nursing to sleep. He does that a lot. But he goes back to sleep so much easier when I do.

3.) What is your current goal or thing you are working on?
My goal now is to keep him in his room at night.

4.) GTKY: What do you do (if anything) to have some "me time" and/or take care of your mental health since LO came?
I don't really do this much. I am taking this Friday and next Monday off work. And I plan on sleeping all day on Friday (waking up to pump though) and then monday possibly getting a massage. I told DH I needed me time. And I plan to really dedicate my evenings during this weekend to keeping DS in his room.

[spacedcadet]

1.) How's it currently going?
Eh. It comes and goes. Some nights he only wakes up once, some it's every hour.

2.) What is your biggest struggle/concern right now?
Establishing a night time routine and sticking to it. DS sleeps really well during the day at the babysitters but he won't go to sleep in the evenings until 11 or 12 most times. I think part of the issue is that he is sleeping in our room and we aren't taking the time to try to create an environment where he will go to sleep earlier. (We are watching TV, DH is on the computer working and playing music, the lights are all on, etc.) Then we end up with an overtired, clingy baby and it makes it impossible to get anything done, it seems.
3.) What is your current goal or thing you are working on?
My current goal is to put more focus getting him to sleep in his crib (see night time routine struggle above ). We have tried a few times where we put him to bed at 7 or 8 and at least for the first part of the night, but we haven't been consistent and we haven't tried to sleep in our room and keep him in his. I was hoping to start this when he was sleeping more consistently, but that doesn't seem to be happening.
4.) GTKY: What do you do (if anything) to have some "me time" and/or take care of your mental health since LO came?
I haven't really had much me time, unless you count going to work. . I would like to start running in the evenings but by the time DH gets home from work to watch DS it is too dark. I might try to get away for a pedicure one weekend, maybe. I haven't been since right before DS was born.

[hurricanenellie]

1) Not great she naps for 40 mins after 2 hours of awake time all day in her crib which is ok, wish she would nap longer and nighttime sleep is all over the place. We got 1 7 hour stretch and that was amazing. A few 5 hours and that's it.
2) Our biggest struggle is keeping her in her crib and more consistent stretches. Example: last. Isn't she ate at 7 and went to sleep. Was up to eat again at 8 and again at 9:45. I just brought her to bed at that point.
3) I need to be more consistent about putting her back in her crib and not just caving and bringing her to bed because sometimes what's best for baby is hard for mom. Once we get that down I will work on not. Using to sleep but that's not even on my radar yet.
4) what is this "me time" you speak of? I literally just said out loud I am a mom and a wife, no time to be a person anymore.

I have learned to give baths during the day because instead of sleeping better on bath nights it winds her up so no longer part of our bedtime routine.

[sweetpeabee]

1.) How's it currently going?
Pretty well. DD was SSTN on 2-3x per week before the 4th month sleep regression. Now that we are in that, it varies. Last night she was up twice, the night before the it was four times. Work in progress.

2.) What is your biggest struggle/concern right now?
Naps. She takes a morning nap ok (though it is only about 30 minutes) but afternoon naps are a struggle. If she falls asleep, it is on her play mat, not in her crib. The other struggle for me is that she starts crying immediately once we put her in the crib and she realizes it is bed time. Usually she stops after a minute or two, but when I come home from work and only get a few minutes with her, that breaks my heart.

3.) What is your current goal or thing you are working on?
Get back to SSTN or 1 wake up like we were doing up until DD hit 4 months old. And naps...the pediatrician said those would get easier once DD is more active, but it would be nice if we could get a better nap routine.

4.) GTKY: What do you do (if anything) to have some "me time" and/or take care of your mental health since LO came?
Not much. Usually taking some time to come on here or pick up a book.

[designaddiction]

1.) How's it currently going?
Ok. Some nights it's only up 2 times sometimes more. Like last night he woke up once at 3:30, 9 pm bedtime, and then I woke him for a small dream feed at 6:30 before I went to work. Night before last he was up every hour for the first few then 3 hour stretches. It is all in his crib though. No matter how many times I have to fall asleep and then drag my ass out of bed, I always put him back in his crib.

2.) What is your biggest struggle/concern right now? I keep wondering when he will stop taking so many smaller naps, but we just go off his cues and he really can't stay awake happy for longer than 2 hours tops and that is even pushing it. I always worry about what we are supposed to be doing but if it works, just go with it I guess.

3.) What is your current goal or thing you are working on? I should start giving up the nurse to sleep but it works so well!! I only have to do it for 20min tops now.

4.) GTKY: What do you do (if anything) to have some "me time" and/or take care of your mental health since LO came? We are just starting to do a mini stay at home date night after LO goes to bed on Fridays, if I can stay awake. Haven't worried too much about that me time yet. Work counts for me.

[bella2425]

1.) How's it currently going? - Well it was going awesome. He was STTN (11 hours!) for a week and then he got sick. Last night he was up, I don't know, 5 times maybe?

2.) What is your biggest struggle/concern right now? Naps. He made us hold him for all his naps last weekend and while I loved the snuggles, he needs to sleep on his own..

3.) What is your current goal or thing you are working on? Naps and self soothing.

4.) GTKY: What do you do (if anything) to have some "me time" and/or take care of your mental health since LO came? Went back to work...Ha! But really, I feel almost guilty about how happy I am to be back. I have also started going down to the basement to do an hour workout several times a week after the kiddos are asleep at night.

[bobcat]

Jan 27, 2015 11:57:43 GMT -5 whitney4126 said:

Ok, please chime in if you have suggestions for other questions?

1.) How's it currently going?

We're doing pretty well. We have been more diligent about a consistent bedtime, and even though baby girl still cries a bit, she's able to self soothe herself to sleep. She sleeps about 7-8 hours and then I feed her and she'll sleep for another 2-3.

2.) What is your biggest struggle/concern right now?

Baby girl still wakes and cries a few times throughout the night. We will let her cry for up to 10 minutes (she rarely ever cries that long), but the waiting kills me. And hubby never hears her (even with the monitor), so I have to wait it out on my own. Ugh!

3.) What is your current goal or thing you are working on?

I know I'll need to cut out the 4:00 feeding eventually. She seems so hungry tho!

4.) GTKY: What do you do (if anything) to have some "me time" and/or take care of your mental health since LO came?

On Wednesdays hubby is home and I try to get out to the barn and ride my horse! I also try to get to the gym 2-3 times a week. Definitely gives me a mental break.

[hurricanenellie]

Brag: last night was the first time ever we had only 1 wake-up. It was awesome!!

[yuristar]

1.) How's it currently going?
I think we are hitting the sleep regression. Butt not too bad at the moment, he wakes up at 3 (he used to wake only once at 5) and then at 5 and/or 6. To be honest its not too bad, as he doesn't cry, just trashes his legs in his cot until I pick him up and he comes back to our bed where he falls asleep right away with his milk

2.) What is your biggest struggle/concern right now? My concern is that we are going to travel to Mexico soon and I don't know how I will handle the jet lag

3.) What is your current goal or thing you are working on? none at the moment

4.) GTKY: What do you do (if anything) to have some "me time" and/or take care of your mental health since LO came? really, I think the only me time its when i go to the bathroom once DH comes home

[lbonga1]

Hi! I finally made it over from the place which shall not be named. I'm more active on my other BMB but maybe some people remember me.

1.) How's it currently going?
Sleep is a crap shoot, but it has been since day one. I had a cold the past few days, and LO only let me sleep for a broken-up hour last night, so I'm ready to throw in the towel.

2.) What is your biggest struggle/concern right now?
I decided to start sleep training tonight (LO turned 5 months today). I'm struggling with it because I know it's not recommended before 6 months, but I feel like sleep is important too. It's pretty obvious that LO has not learned any self-soothing techniques up to this point.

3.) What is your current goal or thing you are working on?
Surviving tonight? It took about 45 min. of crying, with me checking on her a few times, to get her to bed for the night. So we'll see how any MOTN wake-ups go.

4.) GTKY: What do you do (if anything) to have some "me time" and/or take care of your mental health since LO came?
My FI and I will trade off it the other needs a break. If I just need a bit of time to myself I'll run to the grocery store or something. And I actually kind of enjoy my pumping breaks at work because I get some quiet time then too.

[empire]

Jan 27, 2015 11:57:43 GMT -5 whitney4126 said:

Ok, please chime in if you have suggestions for other questions?

1.) How's it currently going?
Meh, he wakes up to nurse a few times a night.

2.) What is your biggest struggle/concern right now?
He only wants to sleep on me. DD was the same way but it still gets tiring.

3.) What is your current goal or thing you are working on?
I want to get the crib side carred. I don't  honestly think  there is much I can work on in regards to sleep, any more than  I could get him to sit or crawl at my own whim. He will do it when he is ready.

4.) GTKY: What do you do (if anything) to have some "me time" and/or take care of your mental health since LO came?

I play video games.

[empire]

For those woŕried about self-soothing it may help to know it was nothing more than a term used to indicate the difference between cryinG wake ups. A baby can nurse to sleep and still STTN. They are different skills. uncommonjohn.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/self-soothing-possibly-the-biggest-lie-ever-foisted-on-parents/

[alioop1028]

Thank you empire



Also, I play video games too!