We Survived!

My last post was written through a blur of hysterical exhaustion as my beautiful baby boy decided to take a four week hiatus from all things sleep. Sleep deprivation over several weeks does weird things to a person, like make them sob at websites. I promised in my last post that I would let you know how I survived. The following are a few survival tactics I adopted, you may not agree with them, they may not be for you, but they were life lines for me.

1. Forget the housework.

If it doesn't immediately need to be done, abandon it. Yes, you're home will start to look like you feel but your energy is precious. I still managed the day to day jobs, dishes, putting away toys, laundry but anything beyond that required triathalon levels of energy on my part.

2. Recruit all help!

Your other half, grandparents, sisters, friends. Even if it's just for an hour or two so you can get a nap. I certainly got more demanding for myself during those four weeks (in a nice way, of course!). My family is very good for offering a helping hand and I found myself taking them up on offers to babysit alot more during those four weeks.

3. Sleep when your baby sleeps.

This was something I was never really able to do, I've never been a cat-napper. I found it much easier to snooze when my son had his nap during the day.

4. Be flexible if possible.

Don't be afraid to take a few steps 'backwards'. I started co-sleeping with my son again, even though he hadn't slept in my bed for a few months and had even moved into his own room. On nights I found particularly tough I brought him into my bed. He found it comforting and it helped him sleep slightly better. For me, it meant that when he did wake up I wasn't staggering up and down the halls ten times a night. He has since moved back into his own room with no trouble at all so don't panic about 'undoing' anything.

5. Remember they're not doing this on purpose.

The eight to ten month sleep regression is the result of your baby trying to process all of the huge developmental leaps and bounds they've been taking recently. They're sleep is just as disrupted as yours but with the added anxiety of all these new changes they're going through. One thing I read on this sleep regression phase was compulsive standing, this is where baby pulls him/herself into a standing position while still asleep and then wake themselves. I saw my son do this several times. I don't know about you, but as an adult that would freak me out!! Just remember they're going through a lot and need you to reassure them through these new changes.

Like I said, these were all my own survival tactics but I hope they can be of some use to someone else.

xx

Lowest Parental Moment?

For the last two weeks my son has been going through the 8-10 month sleep regression, which means his sleeping habits (if you can call them that as the name implies sleep) are all over the place. Which means MY sleeping habits are all over the place, or more precisely, shot to sh*t.


The 8-10 month sleep regression is to do with a huge developmental leap around about this age which makes sleeping difficult for babies. These lovely people explain it better than I'm capable of right now.The really fun part is while it officially lasts for about three weeks, it can last anywhere from two to six weeks. So far, it looks like my little darling and I are in it for the long haul. The first week was in inconvenience, the second week was a struggle, this week I'm zombified.


While I'm too far into the throes of this to offer any support or advice for anyone else, I came across this website http://www.askmoxie.org/2008/03/talk-about-the.html which resulted in my lowest parental moment. The line 'You're doing a good job' reduced me to a blubbering mess... yes, I was validated to the point of tears by a damn website. That's what sleep deprivation does to you.


I will write in depth about how I survive this (I'm assuming it's survive-able when all babies go through this). For now, I hope I haven't scared anyone. I just wanted to let other parents going through this that you're not alone! We're all in this big, sleep deprived, bag-eyed mess together. I'm sure we'll laugh at some point.... maybe.


xx