Have you ever wondered what it is really, no REALLY like entering this new world of parenthood Episode 4 highlights the joys of sleep…rather no sleep and weaning. We hope you enjoy reading it…..
Saturday 30th January
“Crying…”
I. Need. Sleep. Having done so well at the transition into her cot, it feels like we’ve gone backwards and have resorted to bringing the LO into bed. This was not done light-heartedly, but waking every hour – no scrap that – every 30 minutes, for more than four nights was simply not sustainable.
The internet is awash with promises of a good night sleep, but each website contradicts the last! It’s ok though, it seems I can pay someone to help us all sleep – plenty of people are happy to take my money at my weakest and most vulnerable point, so that’s nice.
The problem, it seems, is that I’ve created bad sleep associations (tut, tut): damaged my child by letting her cry; damaged my child by cuddling her to sleep; ruined her potential to sleep independently by feeding her at night; basically, I’ve done it all wrong.
But then how to fix it? One tax-avoiding search engine query on baby’s sleep returns the following: Tank up daytime feeds Stretch out daytime feeds Let baby have long naps in the day Don’t let baby sleep too much in the day Fill up on formula Never use formula Wean on solids Solids cause tummy aches Make sure baby is warm Make sure baby is cool Create a nighttime routine Don’t be too rigid in settling baby
So, simple! Maybe I should stop searching for a solution and accept that a) I’m not doing anything wrong and b) all things shall pass.
Thursday 28th January
“She’s smart enough, she’s wise enough…”
What a week – still chasing the elusive sleep, but finally two little white buds appeared this morning – we have teeth! Having engaged every remedy known to man, in an effort to soothe the LO, it was puddle-stomping Peppa Pig who finally broke the last shred of gum and freed the pearly whites.
There’s definitely something to be said for this ‘mother’s intuition’ malarkey: three weeks ago I bought a toothbrush set on a whim, two days later she started teething. It’s happened a few times – I just need to remember to listen to it.
Friday 22nd January
“So please turn on your magic beam…”
I had to laugh when searching the internet for advice on surviving the sleep regression phase and night weaning, as someone had posted on a thread of distraught, exhausted, desperate mummies that they, “Know exactly what it’s like,” as they had a puppy that didn’t sleep well. No. Unless you’re sitting for hours in the middle of the night nursing said puppy, soothing, changing it’s nappy, it is categorically not the same. Although at times it has been tempting to pop LO outside in a kennel!
Since moving our LO to her cot in the nursery several things have happened: she slept really well (6 hrs) for three nights; husband came back in from exile to the spare room (the bed was not big enough for three); the dreaded cold returned; Colds suck. Sleep was almost in our grasp, then it was snatched away quicker than you can say, “snuffle babe”!
Thursday 21st January
“Like a wheel within a wheel…”
The weaning adventure continues: For anyone not yet traversing the quagmire of ‘real food’, here are some phrases you can stock pile for later:
*Never mind, we’ll throw that away. *I didn’t like this jumper anyway. *It really didn’t take me long to peel, boil, purée, freeze, reheat…honestly it’s fine! *That’s ok, mummy will eat it.
Avocado was met with curiosity, pear is still in the lead, and butternut squash has resigned my jumper to the ‘wear-only-if-cleaning’ pile.
On the whole it’s been fun – although I shall have to employ extreme subterfuge to use up the 14 portions of broccoli residing in the freezer!
Tuesday 17th January
“Food, glorious food…”
So, weaning is in full swing and it’s fun – rather like being a crazed food scientist mixing weird concoctions that no adult would consider actual food!
Baby rice and porridge looked disappointingly bland and runny, but she seemed to like it. Still suffering from a cold, it was tricky at one point to know where the snot ended and the milky slop began! I was also impressed by the sight of (slightly hung-over) daddy covered in a full-on baby rice spoon-sneeze.
Today’s ‘recipe’ was pear-fool, which was well received (in-fact I caught her licking the residue off her bib!) but husband wasn’t too impressed after I offered him a taste forgetting it was mixed with breast milk!
I’m trying to stick to my laid-back approach with the weaning, rather than plan too much in advance and end up disappointed.
Tomorrow: broccoli surprise!
