You're Gonna Have to Sleep!!!

Leah Beth, Leah Beth. I just don't know what I am going to do with her. She has sleep issues. At night, she will sleep ONLY in my bed. I know, I know. I NEVER should have started that in the first place, BUT I had to get some sleep. One night, out of desperation, I put her in our bed when she woke up and she slept the rest of the night. Now, EVERY night, she either starts out or ends up in our bed, usually by 1:00. This started about a month ago. While I am sleeping all night most nights, it is not good sleep. I am constantly aware of her presence. I put the pacifier back in her mouth when she loses it and lets just say it like it is - SHE IS A BED HOG!!!! She has to be right next to my face, holding my hand ALL NIGHT LONG!!! I scoot over and so does she. Face to face, all night long.

Her sleep issues don't end with the rising of the sun. She doesn't nap either. I have followed all the rules that I followed with the previous children that enabled them to be FANTASTIC sleepers. No such luck with her. If I get her to sleep, she will sleep for 30-45 minutes, MAX. If I put her down awake, she will scream at the top of her lungs until time for her next feeding. It is exhausting to listen to her scream for hours on end. I simply cannot bear it. So, I end up holding her all day. I'm not getting enough things done. I feel like I am going backwards on a daily basis. What am I to do? It feels hopeless. I've tried all the things I KNOW to do, with NO success. Six children and I feel incompetent and inadequate.

This week has been the week to break the habits. We have been making her sleep in her bed, even with the screaming that follows. I know that it is best for her to be in her own bed. In fact, I know that it is better for everyone involved for her to sleep in her own bed.

The first night of project "sleep in your own bed", she screamed, I know, for the whole night. I ended up (out of pity) letting her nurse at 1:30 in the morning. I put her back in her bed and the screaming started up again. She nursed for her morning feeding at 5. Not a successful start for a new sleep regime.

The next night was better. She woke again at 1:30 and received a sympathy feeding then went back into her bed. She slept the rest of the night with relatively little fussing. The next day, was her check up. Not a good thing to have happen when things are already out of routine. She was very fussy and did not sleep well that night. Poor baby, 3 shots take a lot out of a person. Again, 1:30 she awoke in hysterics. Time to eat?

Last night, I fed her later than usual. Actually, she ate at 8 and again at 10 (an extra feeding for the day, since she usually eats at 9 - instead of both of those feedings). I felt certain that she would sleep better with extra milk. 1:30. This time Mommy decided that this waking was out of habit, NOT hunger. No milk tonight, miss. Daddy helped me stay strong. Leah Beth protested for 1 1/2 - 2 hours (not sure in the middle of the night). She screamed and threw her noonie. I've never seen a baby be able to throw a noonie across the room the way she can. She could give a major league pitcher a run for his money, when she doesn't want that thing.

Daddy sat up by her bed and gave her reassurances that she was indeed going to survive. Mommy, on several occasions offered to end the noise coming from her bed by offering milk. Daddy stayed strong. NO, let her calm herself and learn to go back to sleep. What do you know, it worked. She finally did go back to sleep. In fact, I had to wake her up at 6 o'clock this morning for her first feeding. She went straight back to sleep and I had to wake her for her 9 o'clock feeding also. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, for her next nap, I only had to go in and console her ONE time. And, I had to wake her up for her noon feeding.

Tonight is another night. I am optimistic since she is having such a great day today, that she will have a good night tonight. Keep your fingers crossed. I need some sleep.