2009....

Ithink at the moment you just have to do what you have to to get through.Worry about routines later.I've only just realised how slack I've been getting Matilda in a good routine but she seems to be finding her way herself this week.Tonight in bed by 8.Once they get to aroung 3 months you can start thinking about stuff like that.It's still early days,whatever it takes.You need your rest

i think if you can summon the strength from somewhere to try and stick to a routine and not 'give in', you will be doing yourself a favour in the long term.. although, this isn't easy when you're suffering with lack of sleep and just want to do anything to make the crying stop (must be especially bad if you know you've got to wake up and look after a toddler in the morning - or for Jo, 5 other children!)..

i think you said that scbu sorted out a routine for Jack, so you just have to see if you can stick to one with Lola.. I know that it was only when I was ready to stop nightfeeding (cos I loved being close to Ben at night as was working in the day) that Ben started sleeping through only 3 days later.. Unless they have colic, which is a nightmare..

to be honest, am making it all up, but hoping there's something in what i've said, as will be trying it soon!

hope you get sleep tonight!

Hi Laura. The tip  that all the books and HVs give in the beginning is to go out in the daytime and let baby get some UV, just on the face is enough, no need to strip them!  Exposure to UV creates sleep hormones and starts the recognition between day - UV - and night - no UV.

Routines do help, I wondered how on earth I was going to get Catalina in a routine as I hadn't a clue how to start, as with Jack, NICU created Bon's routine for me before he came home, but Catalina had to follow a routine as I had to do the shcool run and Bon's routine couldn't be altered.  Catalina will sleep for longer if I don't wake her in the morning for school so she is forced to follow Bon.  I think that creating a schedule and sticking to it will help everyone, especially you.  Even if it is as simple as Monday shopping, Tuesday baby group, Wednesday walk in the park, it give some concrete structure to your week and feeling of accomplishing something.  It will be hard to start with as you are having no sleep, but a little exercise can invigorate you and hopefully ensure the sleep you do get is quality if not quantity.

I know I seem to be full of 'great ideas' but I do believe it is worth giving something a go and if it doesn't work, well, you've learned something and can move on to the next thing, and if and when you do speak to someone you can say what you've tried and I've found that people are more helpful if you have done what you can on your own.  Good luck!!!

Hi Laura

Glad things are on the up for you all,its nice to get the sleep you need.

With regards to sleeping in the swing i dont think it will harm her as long as its not all the time.I did try and get riley into a routine but it never happened how i wanted it to. On the other hand i never worried about waking him if i was putting him into his buggy to go out,the more he was awake in the day the better as he would sleep from 7pm after his feed then go through till 11:30ish,feed for a bit then go back down till 2-3am for a top up but most times he was good and went through till 5am.

He never got into a good routine till he was 3.I do put that down to me being easy going but a did stick to a bedtime routine of bath,milk,snuggle with daddy then into bed for a story then leave him to it.

Nicolette i agree with what you say about the natural daylight,my mum calls me a fresh air freek,as soon as i get up in the morning i open all the curtains and a few windows,mainly habbit from living in a condensation hell for a few yrs.lol. But seeing the bight morning does make me feel better.

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well we learnt from our mistakes last night for a while ive said to andrew if she isnt settled by 12-1 she doesnt all night and last night we got into sorting all the kids clothes and missed the boat, cue screaming lola ALL night and all day shes only just settled in the sling on andrew after a walk to get registered and andrew then took her out again! so hopefully fresh air and us knowing when to catch her for bedtime will help, cant believe how useless we are when we did it all with jack so easily!

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I used to get myself and Matilda ready for bed by ten.We then did the last feed in bed,I basically fed her from ten,non stop till she was either fit to burst,or exhausted,either way deep asleep,wrapped in her sheet.I just fed her till she'd take no more.Sometimes she kept going till midnight,sometimes later.I got to doze/watch tv but I was in bed so I felt like I was resting.We always had the dim lamp on,tv low,Darren just had to get used to it.Seemed to help form a routine.I just lifted her into the crib as soon as I thought she was ready,still in her sheet,with her raggy,and turned the light out.Sometimes she woke and needed a bit more food,oh and sometimes of course she'd be all clean and settled and she'd fill her pants,and we'd have to do it all again.Just became routine for both of us,actually it was quite nice to have that time alone.When she woke in the night we did the same again.She was sleeping quite long stretches quite early on.Have to say,she loves her cot

Jacks always loved his sleep. Last night not wanting to be too abitious i went upto bed at 11, lola had long bf and weve introduced a bottle as a slep cue, then she went in her crib straight away!!! slept til 2, then til 4.30 then 8 then 11.30. pretty happy with that and today i saw the baby ive been waiting for flapping and smiling away in my brothers swing watching jack play, finally im getting somewhere, going to get her ready for bed in a minute hoping for another ok night, even tho its later but it just cant be helped sometimes!

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