Well, this is a new one for me.
It is 4.30am and I have given up trying to get any sleep and come downstairs with Esther.
I went to bed nice and early last night as I know that sleep deprivation is really starting to take its toll on me. I am becoming very grumpy and emotional and I am worried that when my Mum leaves this time next week I am going to struggle to cope on my own again.
Not sure why Esther can’t sleep?
But here we are, 4.30am, in the lounge. Esther playing on her gym and me tapping on my laptop, waiting for the kettle so that I can have a cup of tea. Herbal. I have given up the good stuff for Lent! Bad idea! And biscuits. Supposedly on a diet but needs must!
So anyway, after having this early night I was woken for feeds at 11pm, 12am, 2,40am and I have not been back to sleep since!
I think my total sleep is somewhere in the region of two hours!
William and David are now sleeping soundly. And I just do not know what to do with my wired little girl, or with this problem long term.
Esther and William are 7.5 months old and I am still up every 90 minutes on average at night feeding one or both of them. I feel like I am never going to ever sleep for longer than this again.
They are being weaned now and eat 3 meals, albeit small meals, a day on top of their considerable milk intake.
I don’t think that it is hunger keeping them up at night.
So comfort, or habit?
What do we do to break the cycle? If that is what it is.
David wants me to go away and stay in a hotel for a night, leaving him to feed both babies for a night, even though William has always refused a bottle. He says he will manage with a cup or a syringe.
I am sure that cannot be the answer, short or long term.
Answers on a postcard please. Or in the comments below will do.
Kettle’s boiled.
I have mo honest answers and these are all just what I would do.
You cannot fuction on that little sleep, you simply can’t! Maybe it’s time for a bottle at night? Either breastmilk or formula, which will sit heavier in their tummies & take longee to digest. I am incredibly impressed you’ve breastfed twins, I’m not sure I’d have even started!
Keep her upstairs at night, otherwise she’ll get confused about what time of day it is. Have you got a 3rd bedroom you could take her into that is darkened to try & calm her?
Is she constipated? Is it teething?
Umm.. can you give a baby tramadol?
And take him up on his offer. You have to sleep.
I know I should not have taken her downstairs, was a last resort. It did kind of work, she was asleep by 5.15am but I was up again with William at 6 and they are both up for the day now. David will have them for a couple of hours so I can sleep. Then think we might go and buy some formula! Thank you x
I can’t really add anything to that, but it’s good advice from theboyandme.
This is probably a silly question but is it definitely distressed crying? Have you tried seeing if she’ll just cry herself to sleep? You probably have, I only ask because it took me months not to dive out of bed at the first cry due to the terror of ‘going solo’ (ok, with OH but you know what I mean – post NICU).
Other than that, good luck! It’s horrible not sleeping and I agree that you should take up your lovely hubbie’s offer.
xXx
I’m a bit late to this so you may have found a solution but just wanted to send hugs for the lack of sleep. I don’t have twins but I have my share of sleep deprivation and I know how awful it is.
I didn’t want to leave my babies with my husband and a bottle so I did carry on with night wakings even when I felt like I was on my knees with exhaustion. Eventually they did sleep through and I felt like a new woman! I’m not saying that’s what you should do, but if you do decide to carry on it does eventually pass and you will start getting some sleep again. And when that happens you will feel like you can conquer the world 😉
Hoping you get some sleep soon x