so, what do I do when...

[TrinMama]

(really, I was hoping that baby 3 would be easier on me at night. :sigh)


Anyway, what do I do when I've nursed, cuddled, rocked, walked my Little Man (10 mo) and he still just fusses, cries, thrashes...What then? Sometimes I can lay him back in him crib and in 5 minutes he'll be sleeping...but not lately. Lately it's an instant WAIL when he hits the bed. I don't think it's a tooth...I've been hoping it was that for WEEKS...really, two months, but no new tooth is showing it's white self yet. :no2 I'd be content to hold him and snuggle him on the couch if only he wasn't still whining/screaching at me and thrashing about so much.

[TrinMama]

bump :yawn

[Katigre]

What if you lay him in his bed and stay next to him with your hands on him? Does he settle better that way? Does cosleeping work?

[iburnbrownies]

:hug2 That is hard! My first thought would be teeth too....sometimes they can bother little ones for quite a while before they come up - maybe try Hyland's teething tablets? They won't hurt, might help....

Does he like to be worn? Even wearing a little one a lot during the day can help them to sleep better at night - maybe that would help?

Have you changed your diet lately, or his? Is there a lot of stress in the house or at someone's work? Babies are pretty good at picking that kind of stuff up....

:think

Basically just brainstorming! This too, shall pass..... :hug2

cross posted with Katiegre..

[TrinMama]

no co-sleeping with him...he's never really liked it.

I use Hyland's...doesn't seem to make much difference at this point. :shrug

I will try keeping my hands on him...and wearing him more...that would be something I can do while I take care of some chores and dinner prep. He usually plays so well on the floor, though...but it's worth a shot to see if he'll sleep better!

Thanks for the ideas...

oh, and the only stress we've had is traveling (I know he's still reeling from that) and I'm preggo again. I know those affect sleep, too. I just need my night time tools stocked up again so I don't just walk away from the room... :bag I want to do all I can, but it's hard when I'm tired and can't think of anything else.

[Katherine]

Couple of thoughts... take what helps and ignore the rest. ;)

There is nothing wrong with laying him down for a few minutes to take a breath, step into another room, cover your ears :giggle ;), pee, or whatever you need to re-group. Babies cry, and "attached" mommies to their best to hold and comfort... but a crying baby who is not being held *at a given moment* is NOT equal to a baby CIO. So take a break without any guilt, and try to keep your sanity intact. :hug2 I'm sure you know that, but it bears repeating.

I would definitely try some different teething meds at this point to see if they make a difference. I strongly prefer natural and homeopathic alternative, but when nobody's sleeping I'm not above trying Oragel or Tylenol for a few nights. If they don't help, then you can rule that out for now... but it's not at all unusual, IME, for a baby to fuss for weeks or even a couple months before a new tooth appears. Does he have swollen, hard gums? I think sometimes the teeth shift around under the gums for awhile before they pop through.

Will he calm down if you turn on the light and give him some toys? I know you probably don't want him to wake up and get a second wind, but distracting him from his wailing might be worth staying up, and once he's moved on and starts feeling sleep again, you might could get him back down easily. When mine were younger I kept one bedroom that was a "safe zone" with soft toys, a mattress on the floor, no dangerous furniture, and a doorknob cover on the inside. That way if they were having a bad night I could lay on the mattress and let them play near me without having to be right on top of them. Usually they played for a while, and eventually got fussy and let me put them back down.

And.. though I ALWAYS err on the side of holding/cuddling/carrying and comforting.... there is a such thing as a child who get more stressed out by being held and/or needs his own space to go to sleep. I have one, and giving him what worked for him was so hard b/c it was contrary to all the AP "rules." Now that he's older he articulates what he couldn't back then... that he doens't like things touching him... wants to feel cold air... and needs his own space to sleep. At 10 months, it might just mean you give him little breaks (like the 5 min. you mentioned) and *watch* to see if that helps him... or lay him down somewhere and stay right next to him but without as much physical contact and restraint.

[TrinMama]

:think Maybe I'll try low light and toys here and there to see if that helps wear him out more.

[mum2abby]

:scratch

I wish I had some wonderful words of wisdom for you -- and that he'd just go to sleep easier.

I semi-wonder if your milk supply has dropped now that you're preggo again ... but seeing him in person and watching him eat...he can't really still be hungry LOL...or maybe he can.

My vote -- put him back in the swing but use the straps & put them on his shoulders too...maybe that might ease some of it...if not do what you did with #2 and get her as far away from the rest of the family members that are sleeping...stick him in the co-sleeper or swing and get some rest...you're exhausted...

Sorry I can't help more!

[Katherine]

I semi-wonder if your milk supply has dropped now that you're preggo again ... but seeing him in person and watching him eat...he can't really still be hungry LOL...or maybe he can.

That's not a bad thought.... :think that either her milk supply is lower, or that her milk has changed somehow in a way that is frustrating him. I had a toddler who got VERY frustrated and nurse more and more intensely during my pg but was never satisfied. :think

[mum2abby]

Yeah...I actually heard the milk can change too and not be as fulfilling...now if I could just remember where I heard it...

Gina...do you have any stored milk that you could toss in a sippy for him?

[TrinMama]

Yeah...I actually heard the milk can change too and not be as fulfilling...now if I could just remember where I heard it...

Gina...do you have any stored milk that you could toss in a sippy for him?


haha. ;) Nope. I think it's been 8 months since I pumped.

[iburnbrownies]

kellymom talks about this... I heard Blessed Thistle is safe to take when you are pregnant to increase milk supply (the mws around here actually recommend it - tho not mine specifically..) but again, the experts are in disagreement on pretty much all of them Except probably oatmeal ;) which would always be fine, and fenugreek, which everyone seems to agree is not ok when pregnant.

http://www.kellymom.com/nursingtwo/faq/16milkchanges.html

How has it been going the last couple nights ie. over the weekend?

[TrinMama]

I'm actually not interested in upping my supply, but thanks for the info! :hug

Last night he was up 3 times by 1:30a, but then slept until 6:30a!! :rockon :rockon We'll see...I'm confident he'll sleep by he's two, so I'll just hold on until then. :giggle :yawn