So Maielle was sleeping through the night and it seems like every time I brag on her she decides that she is going to go back to waking up every three hours! This has been a bad week on soooo many levels. I don't know what to do? When she does wake up she will not go back to sleep unless I BF her. I know that I should not do this but this is the problem that we have. If Marcus tries to put her back to sleep, she screams because she knows she is not going to get fed! We have thrown back and forth the cry it out method, but I know that this will cause even less sleep than what I am getting. She has soothed her self back to sleep several times, so I know she knows how to. And how do I know that she is not waking because she doesn't feel good or something else is wrong...and making her cry it out just seems cruel to me???? Can you tell that I have over thought this sleep problem we have?!?!? She could be teething because she shows all the signs of teething but nothing has popped through yet and by now something should have come through! So here we are...new parents...figuring things out as they come...trying to do the best for our little girl! Any advice is welcomed because I know there are a lot of you out there that have been there, done that!!!!
On top of our sleep issues is this problem with my arm!!!! If you follow me on Twitter then you know everything that I have been going through with this! I had to go back to the dermatologist on Monday to finally get it cut out! We have been trying to treat this for a year now and it was not getting any better so she had to finally cut the entire area out! If I had known how bad this was going to be, I would have put it off until I would have more help (my mom just had surgery so she is not able to help me out). I am not suppose to use my right arm, which is very difficult working and just every day living! Throw in a 6mth old to the mix and that makes it even more difficult! Maielle has been spending a lot of time with her Great Grandmother, Mimi! Then on Tuesday evening my arm started swelling, itching and was very hot! So I was back at the doctor Wednesday morning diagnosed with a skin infection! So I am now trying to heal a 2" cut in my arm and a skin infection! It is much better after just one day of antibiotics.
I started Maielle on solids a couple weeks ago, because she was showing all signs of being ready. So at 5 1/2 months she started eating some solids! I started with pears, since she had such a problem with rice cereal. So our other issue is that she is still not going to the bathroom like she should. I started with pears because they should be good for constipation. So far she has tried pears, bananas, & avocado. She loves them all, but it was funny at the beginning getting her use to solids. Here are a few pictures from her first taste of solids!
Other issues to come later on...
Having a regular quiet time with a baby and sleep deprivation
Facing the guy in court that held my dad and I up at gunpoint
Selling our house and moving
3 comments:
So my first advice to you is to listen to your baby and her "cues", and go with your gut-feelings as a parent.
My second piece of advice is that I have very well-adjusted children with their sleep. Actually, Gabrielle still sleeps more for her age than most, and she never did the cry-it-out method. I know that we're supposed to make them self-soothe, but in reality, I won't get to "cuddle" with my little ones forever, so I'm going to do it now (whether they don't feel well, are hungry, or tired).
The last little piece of advice I have is that if you need to BF for her to go back to sleep, then I would say to do it. It's possible that she's going through a growth spurt and needs a little more food right now. Would you be willing to try a formula bottle before her bedtime? I've heard that babies sleep better that way because it takes them longer to digest it. Just a thought!
Okay...one more thing...when babies teeth, it could take a long time for that first tooth to actually come in. It was explained to me that their teeth go up and down inside their gums. Gabrielle "teethed" for a LONG time...drooling and chewing on everything until her first tooth came in at 11 months!
Praying for your little family...great to hear an update, even if it's a stressful time for you guys right now!
In Christ,
T
So because moms LOVE to share advice, I will add my two cents as well.
My son was all formula all the time because I was hospitalized after his birth and he went home without me, so our feeding was/is a little bit different.
We never really did the cry it out thing either. Generally speaking, babies don't cry for NO reason so I never felt that letting him cry was a great idea (for us, anyways). I spent a lot of time always rocking him to sleep in my arms. I did this for waaay longer than anyone says you should, but it worked and now he never sits still long enough for a hug so I am happy I did it!
Her restless sleeping could definitely because of her 6 month growth spurt and it probably won't last too long. Once she gets full of food she will most likely go to sleeping for longer periods.
My son also was "teething" for months on end and when he finally cut the tooth I didn't even know because he'd been showing the symptoms for so long I stopped even checking!
As for solids, don't get too hung up on the rice cereal thing. You can try other kinds of single grain cereals instead. It might help her sleep if you try giving her some oatmeal cereal mixed with breast milk and apple sauce before bedtime.
Best of luck with your baby girl!
I know I don't really know you. But I was ready your blog because I have a 6 year old. When he was a baby, he would not sleep for anything. He did not sleep through the night until he was almost 9 months old. At first it was real bad. There was nothing we could do for him most of the time, he just wouldn't sleep. We had to let him cry it out at least 20% of the time. With the teething thing. I am with the last comment. Ethan didn't break his first tooth til later than most kids, but he was still in the process of teething. His gums were swollen and he would slobber on everything. We had to put new clothes on him every couple of hours because he slobbered so bad. I just wanted to wish you luck with your baby girl. There is so much more to look forward too. Enjoy when there young. Like the last girl, when they get older you can hardly get them to kiss you and tell you they love you. Enjoy it while it is there.
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