Problem statement:
Baby wakes up 3 times through night
Observations:
- Baby is very healthy: 19 lbs 11 oz, 29.5" long, 46 cm head circumference
- Baby is eating and nursing very well
- Baby is continuing to gain weight at rate of newborn (4.5 oz in 1 week)
- Baby is happy all day, loves attention
- Gums are fairly swollen for 2 top teeth and 2 bottom teeth look like they're not far. Also cheeks are red. Nothing has changed here in about 1 week.
Theory:
Baby isn't really hungry, he just wants attention
Experiment # 1: 11:55pm
Get baby back to sleep without feeding (this isn't the first time we do this experiment...)
Results and Observations:
Enter baby's room after he has been whimpering for 10 minutes.
Give baby Tempra and apply Baby Oragel to help with teething pain
Baby falls asleep on shoulder in minutes, but takes a while to accept going back in his crib. Keeps waking up and loudly requesting one more cuddle. Eventually goes to sleep in crib.
Summary:
Baby wasn't hungry, may have been in pain or may have just wanted to see his maman
Experiment # 2: 3:00am
Get baby back to sleep pronto!
Results and Observations:
I'm exhausted and I hear child # 1 stirring. I don't want to have to go see her too. We went through experiment # 1 several times the night before and child # 1 seemed to suffer for it, is it worth the crankiness of an almost 3-year-old to let baby cry longer and louder?
I second guess myself... Maybe he is hungry... it's only been 2 hours since I put him down the last time and the Tempra should still be doing its job
Feed baby and he falls sleep quickly and fitfully
Circles under my eyes are getting darker
Summary:
I have no idea what's going on with this child. Why can't I just prove that he's not hungry or in pain so that I don't feel bad "ferberizing" him (Dr. Ferber wrote the book on the "crying it out" method).
Tonight's experiment: Child # 1 doesn't get an afternoon nap at daycare so that she is plenty tired tonight. She will hopefully sleep more fitfully and I can try to "ferberize" baby without too much fear of destroying her sleep.
One benefit in all this: I seem to be losing weight! I'm wearing jeans I don't think I wore since before Christine, and they're actually quite comfortable!
:)
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5 comments:
This was gold Jules! Very entertaining read for someone looking in from the outside. I do feel bad for your lack of sleep though.
Hmmm...Any way for you to sound proof Christine's room? Maybe send her to bed with some ear protection? :)
I was thinking about it!!! Trev suggested giving her Benadryl (it really knocks her out) and me using ear plugs... I'm hoping that keeping her up will be the same as the Benadryl but without the drug use...
hey julie,
from someone who has totally been there with daniel - I feel your pain!! The every day exhaustion that just keeps building up night after night super sucks. Honestly, you just get through it, and eventually so do they. Try to get to bed as early as you can:) I found David slept through it most of the time, maybe he is more of a sound sleeper than Christine though.....
It must be a middle child character trait! It gets mildly better with #3...! :)
If there will be a # 3... we'll see...
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