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View Full Version : We're sooo tired! Nap and sleep advice please (long)



MonicaH
11-06-2006, 11:08 PM
So in the past month, 14 month old DD has experienced the following:
1. moving to a new city
2. no more babysitter (only person for whom she ever has napped well)
3. 2 road trips, total 12 days away from new home in new city
4. mom being with her 24/7 for a month, then being away from her all day (new job started last week)
oh yeah, a cold and a new molar to top it all off.

She's not sleeping well. She was down to waking just once per night before the move. Now she is waking usually twice, and will only fall asleep again if nursed. The killer for me is that it takes up to an hour to get her back in the crib. She will be almost asleep but as soon as the nipple leaves her mouth she is rooting and crying again. I only read part of "No Cry Sleep Solution" but I did try her technique of detaching the baby from the nipple as she seems to be drifting off but it is not working for us, maybe making things worse as she seems to wake up a little too much each time I try that.

Also, she has never napped in her crib for us but DH was slowly working on this, and had her up to almost an hour in her crib until about a week ago, but now he says she screams if he even takes her near it.

I know she's had a lot of turmoil in the past few weeks, but how long will this unwillingness to sleep last? Thanks for reading about our lack of sleep.

Monica

kimbe
11-07-2006, 11:47 AM
I have no advice for you, but I just wanted to let you know that I know what you are going through and how tough it is. I am sure that you and your DH are exhasuted and about to go insane. Just wanted to offer you some support --- you are definitely not alone!

Hang in there! Hugs!

juliasmom05
11-07-2006, 01:28 PM
No real words of wisdom but I know exactly what you are going through. DD was and still is a comfort nurser. We had many nights where it took an hour of nursing to get her back to sleep. Like your DD, should would fall asleep with the nipple in her mouth and as soon at it fell out, she would find it again. Or she would fall asleep, but once I even moved an inch to get her into her crib. Back with the nipple in her mouth.

I also read the No Cry Sleep Solution, and tried detaching the nipple when her sucking slowed, tried replacing it with a pacifer, and tried closing her mouth while she was rooting to prevent her from reattaching (really did not like that one). It has gotten better, although she will still nurse for 30-40 minutes if she wakes up.

The one trick I have found that sometimes works is when she is asleep but keeps finding my nipple when I move to stand up, I will stand with her at the crib with my arms resting on the railing and keep nursing. Then as she is falling off, I can quickly put her in the crib in the same motion. When I do this she doesn't seem to wake up. Not sure if that makes any sense, but it seems to work for us.

Hang in there. With all these changes, it make just take some time for her to readjust.

Marci

Mom to Julia 4/05