So a week had passed, and Megan had slept through 3 out of 7 nights! Great, you may be thinking, well, they were not 3 nights in a row. So now I know she CAN sleep through the night. She would just prefer to wake me up! So one night (maybe night 9/10) I gave in to her, although she wasn't hungry, I could tell, because she was just whimpering, not actually crying. I fed her anyway as I knew that it would put her back to sleep. (At this point I would like to point out that Megan never once was crying hysterically, I am not that cruel, her cry was just, "I'm tired, I want to sleep, but I want to be nursing")
Anyway, after that night we haven't a full nights sleep yet. In fact, we are slowly, but surely going back to what it was like before. I don't know if I can handle waking every 2/3 hours again. I'm at a loss at what to do. I'm thinking about it so much that I'm actually loosing sleep over it!!
I cant help but think back over Chloe's last couple of months and remember the absolute exhaustion from her STILL waking in the night. The comment the Public Health Nurse said at Chloe's 6 month check up "She doesn't have a need to be waking in the night anymore, it's just comfort". I knew she was right, but I didn't know what to do. You would think I would know better second time round, but I'm still clueless.
After letting Chloe "cry it out" at 19 months old, she is now sleeping 12 hours a night! I didn't think it was even possible. It was hard, but worth it. She needs that sleep, we, as a family, need that sleep. She goes to bed now, and without a peep, waves "night night" and goes off to sleep on her own. Why cant all babies just be able to go off to sleep without any comforts? Why does it have to be so so hard? Why are parents all around the world tortured with little sleep (except for the lucky ones...)?
Since we are there, why is it that everything you do, seem to be the wrong thing? No matter what you do, you feel like a bad parent. Ignoring a child throwing a tantrum is wrong, entertaining a tantrum is wrong. Letting the child "cry it out" is wrong, letting the child develop the routine of waking during the night is wrong. Feeding baby jar food is wrong. Feeding baby before 6 months is wrong, not feeding baby when they are clearly interested in food, and are hungry for food , is wrong. Not letting your child pick out their own clothes is wrong (they might look terrible), not giving your child some Independence, is wrong. Vaccinating your child is wrong, NOT vaccinating your child is wrong. Putting your child into a creche is wrong, not putting your child into a creche is wrong (don't get to socialise, therefore be socially retarded for the rest of their lives). Letting a child run around a shop is wrong, restraining them in a buggy is wrong. Giving them a dummy is wrong, not giving them a dummy is wrong. Having too many plastic, colourful, noisy, lighting up toys is wrong, not having enough stimulation around is wrong. You see, every choice I have ever made, seems to be the wrong one, but then, the opposite choice is also wrong. No wonder I feel like an inadequate Mother, there are too many theories out there saying that every which way, is the wrong one. And they also have "research" to back their theory, and discredit the other theory.
Anyway, after that night we haven't a full nights sleep yet. In fact, we are slowly, but surely going back to what it was like before. I don't know if I can handle waking every 2/3 hours again. I'm at a loss at what to do. I'm thinking about it so much that I'm actually loosing sleep over it!!
I cant help but think back over Chloe's last couple of months and remember the absolute exhaustion from her STILL waking in the night. The comment the Public Health Nurse said at Chloe's 6 month check up "She doesn't have a need to be waking in the night anymore, it's just comfort". I knew she was right, but I didn't know what to do. You would think I would know better second time round, but I'm still clueless.
After letting Chloe "cry it out" at 19 months old, she is now sleeping 12 hours a night! I didn't think it was even possible. It was hard, but worth it. She needs that sleep, we, as a family, need that sleep. She goes to bed now, and without a peep, waves "night night" and goes off to sleep on her own. Why cant all babies just be able to go off to sleep without any comforts? Why does it have to be so so hard? Why are parents all around the world tortured with little sleep (except for the lucky ones...)?
Since we are there, why is it that everything you do, seem to be the wrong thing? No matter what you do, you feel like a bad parent. Ignoring a child throwing a tantrum is wrong, entertaining a tantrum is wrong. Letting the child "cry it out" is wrong, letting the child develop the routine of waking during the night is wrong. Feeding baby jar food is wrong. Feeding baby before 6 months is wrong, not feeding baby when they are clearly interested in food, and are hungry for food , is wrong. Not letting your child pick out their own clothes is wrong (they might look terrible), not giving your child some Independence, is wrong. Vaccinating your child is wrong, NOT vaccinating your child is wrong. Putting your child into a creche is wrong, not putting your child into a creche is wrong (don't get to socialise, therefore be socially retarded for the rest of their lives). Letting a child run around a shop is wrong, restraining them in a buggy is wrong. Giving them a dummy is wrong, not giving them a dummy is wrong. Having too many plastic, colourful, noisy, lighting up toys is wrong, not having enough stimulation around is wrong. You see, every choice I have ever made, seems to be the wrong one, but then, the opposite choice is also wrong. No wonder I feel like an inadequate Mother, there are too many theories out there saying that every which way, is the wrong one. And they also have "research" to back their theory, and discredit the other theory.
If only children came with an instruction manual.
It doesn't matter what other parents do or say. It's what works for you and your babies that counts. If, at the end of the day, everyone is happy, healthy (well... to a point, it is Ireland and green seems to be a common colour in babies!!!) and loved, then you're doing just fine. Every baby is different which is why no one is ever going to be "right." All we can do is wade through it all and pick out the pieces that work best for us:) I've seen your babies and there is no doubt that they come from a wonderful, loving family.
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