Aaaaaaaagggghhhhh!
That was the scream of a tired mama.
Pearl's sleep has soooooo not been good lately. I think she's got some molars coming in that are driving her a little crazy. She's mostly over her cold - no green snot for a few days now, thank goodness. I was so tired of being covered in snot, though Pearl was really good about letting me and even encouraging me to wipe her nose this time around rather than act like I was trying to smother her. She's still got a little bit of watery drippage going on but I think that could be a teething thing.
Anyway, she sleeps okay for the first half of the night but the second half, in the early early morning, she stirs and instead of just nursing sedately back to sleep as is normal she yells and cries a bit and nurses, while pinching the free nipple furiously. She has always been a twiddler. From the moment she gained some control of her hands she started trying to stick them in her mouth while she was nursing, so I wasn't able to nurse hands-free from that point on... I had to use one to support her/my breast and the other to run defense between her hand and her mouth so she didn't break her latch and could eat in peace. And once she realized there were TWO nipples... it was all over. Clothes won't stop her, distraction won't stop her... for the most part she will not nurse unless she has access to both breasts.
Since she's still stuffy too, she can't nurse very well and will stop and just breathe against my breath, milky and drool and snot betting the bed beneath us cold and wet... my breasts are rashy, her face is rashy and in general it just sucks. She usually only nurses a short while before rolling over, but if I so much as twitch she yelps again and rolls over for more milkies... and we repeat that a few times until she's good and asleep, and by that time my bladder is complaining about being full and my stomach is complaining about being empty and by the time I've drifted back to sleep she is waking up and yelping again. Ugh.
When I'm laying there awake I think about night weaning her... but I think doing so at a time when she's obviously in some sort of discomfort isn't really a good idea. So I think maybe some teething tabs or ibuprofen might be on the menu for tonight.
That's my rant! I'll be back soon with pictures and details about what I've been doing in these post-NaBloPoMo days.
Pearl's sleep has soooooo not been good lately. I think she's got some molars coming in that are driving her a little crazy. She's mostly over her cold - no green snot for a few days now, thank goodness. I was so tired of being covered in snot, though Pearl was really good about letting me and even encouraging me to wipe her nose this time around rather than act like I was trying to smother her. She's still got a little bit of watery drippage going on but I think that could be a teething thing.
Anyway, she sleeps okay for the first half of the night but the second half, in the early early morning, she stirs and instead of just nursing sedately back to sleep as is normal she yells and cries a bit and nurses, while pinching the free nipple furiously. She has always been a twiddler. From the moment she gained some control of her hands she started trying to stick them in her mouth while she was nursing, so I wasn't able to nurse hands-free from that point on... I had to use one to support her/my breast and the other to run defense between her hand and her mouth so she didn't break her latch and could eat in peace. And once she realized there were TWO nipples... it was all over. Clothes won't stop her, distraction won't stop her... for the most part she will not nurse unless she has access to both breasts.
Since she's still stuffy too, she can't nurse very well and will stop and just breathe against my breath, milky and drool and snot betting the bed beneath us cold and wet... my breasts are rashy, her face is rashy and in general it just sucks. She usually only nurses a short while before rolling over, but if I so much as twitch she yelps again and rolls over for more milkies... and we repeat that a few times until she's good and asleep, and by that time my bladder is complaining about being full and my stomach is complaining about being empty and by the time I've drifted back to sleep she is waking up and yelping again. Ugh.
When I'm laying there awake I think about night weaning her... but I think doing so at a time when she's obviously in some sort of discomfort isn't really a good idea. So I think maybe some teething tabs or ibuprofen might be on the menu for tonight.
That's my rant! I'll be back soon with pictures and details about what I've been doing in these post-NaBloPoMo days.
Labels: Pertaining to Pearl, The Fuzzy Peach Show
posted by fuzzypeach | 9:22 AM
6 Comments:
I'm so sorry to hear the sleeping is going bad. Being tired SUCKS. I hope Pearl and you are sleeping better soon.
I hope you're getting sleep tonight. It SUCKS to be sleep deprived! I think night weaning is a good idea--when she's better. I was surprised how easy it was with Bean--it was really one day to the next. They say, when the kid is ready, they'll show it...and it was true with him. That was when we transitioned him to his own crib/room too...which has done wonders for my sleep, and most nights he sleeps all the way through the night.
Anya is doing the same sleep pattern, so thank you for suggesting teeth. It somehow hadn't occurred to me that it could be molars and in my current state of sleep deprivation, I was just assuming she hates me (gee, it's not like I've already been through this with one kid or anything).
Hoping we all get some good rest ASAP!
I'd offer to babysit for you all, but there's a big Atlantic wet thing in the way ;-)
Tessa is a twiddler! (That cracked me up too! what's up with my laughing at nipple comments like an 8th grader?)
Oh I hear ya honey, this sleep deprivation thing is brutal..we've had a few nights' peace over here after a bout with teeth, that's my best guess. I want to night wean as well, but i go in there and pick her up with the intention of just rocking and singing and cuddling, and she dives for booby. I would have to forcefully withold, and I don't think I have that in me just yet.
What's that? Can't dad go in and soothe her back down? Hey dad...you awake? Dad? Dad? DAD?
Okay, I'll go. grr.
Aw. Poor both of you! That totally stinks, and I've been right where you are, sigh. (And it wont be long before I am there again...) I wish I had some good advice for you, but it's best just to tough it out. And I think you're right about not night weaning her while she feels yucky. Hope you both are able to get better rest tonight and the nights to follow. : )
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