Kids and Bedtimes

Re: Kids and Bedtimes In reply to: Nina

Hi Nina, thanks for that, getting baby Kaleb to sleep is not an area of my expertise!...he was one yr old on the 2nd May, and has never ever slept once all the way through the night....that's terrible...I give in to him, I breastfeed him still in the dark, try to put him back into cot, and he squarks, I do the samr thing over again and then either end up downstairs watching T.V or leaving him in our bed and he nodds off and so do I, it just seems easier to let him sleep next to me (I didn't have this trouble with the older two, but can't remember what I actually did to settle them!)....Kaleb has a morning or afternoon sleep for about 2 hrs, he needs that or he is unbareable, and then sleeps later on, I can settle him in his cot now around 8 pm, he gets back up around 10 thirty ish, and the fun starts again, Do I ned to be more strict ?

Don't sit up close at the ballet...it spoils the illusion...

Re: Kids and Bedtimes In reply to: Hannah

It's hard to tell because, like I say, every baby is different. I think you're doing fine and most people (if they're honest) would just let him sleep with them because you get tired too and need your sleep, especially for the other kids.

Articles say that you should be more strict, like stay in the room while he settles, but refuse to pick him up. You could start at the weekend, when you don't have to be up early the next day.

Is Kaleb up for a long time when he wakes up? Maybe he's not eating enough during the day and gets hungry?

Other than that, I wouldn't worry if I were you. You sound like you're doing a great job and anyone who tells you different can just have him for a couple of nights to prove their point *lol*

Keep Smiling and Eat Well :o)

Re: Kids and Bedtimes In reply to: Nina

Amelia tends to go to bed around 7ish. She is a very very active little one and is on her feet all the time. She tends to get up between 6am and 7am. It varies. She will be up for between 2 to 3 hours and then nap for up to an hour. She then rarely sleeps again till bedtime. Maybe a nap for 20 mins. If i try to keep her up late so that she sleeps later she just gets so ratty and paddies like mad. It doesnt stop her waking up early either and then shes just ratty all day the next day !!! She still sometimes wakes in the night but its normally cause she gets her self in a tangle in her sleeping bag or wants her dummy. She is a real figit in bed !!! So i agree, all kids are different. I tend to now go along with her for bed times. She tells me when shes tired !!!!x

Re: Kids and Bedtimes In reply to: mish

thanks for that mish and nina...you do end up thinking, "oh dear, what am I doing wrong?"....he is a content little chap, I am going to watch if he is eating enough, it varies from day to day, he likes lots of different foods, not sure if he is eating enough amounts, the hot weather lately messed things up because babies end up having perminent siestas, wanting to be lively when it cools down and they eat less!..Kaleb is also a figit at night, many a time I have woken with feet in my face ! x

Don't sit up close at the ballet...it spoils the illusion...

Re: Kids and Bedtimes In reply to: Hannah

I can't sleep in the same bed as my oldest and youngest as they fidget so much in their sleep. They are a nightmare. My middle one is very much like me, lies there like a log all night and often wakes with cramp because she hasn't moved at all! My eldest also snores which I find very cute - not loud snores, but snuffles. She gets louder if she has a cold! If we stay somewhere and have to share beds, we fight over who gets to sleep with the middle one!

Don't sweat the small stuff. It will make you stinky.

Re: Kids and Bedtimes In reply to: Nina

I can honestly say, i have never once had Amelia in bed with me. When we go to my parents in Surrey, she sleeps in the travel cot. I was too scared of having her in with me when she was tiny. She was in a rocker or the carrycot then her cot at 11 weeks old. I did used to worry so much about cot death and still did until she was 1 on 10th April. Even now, if she has been really quite in the night i will go and check on her all the time. Im glad i didnt have her in our bed, although im sure it may happen as she is getting older, hopefully we wont have problems in the future with her sleeping in her own room.

Re: Kids and Bedtimes In reply to: mish

we had hope in bed with us quite a bit because she wouldnt sleep and after giving birth to her i never caught up on my sleep but we realised what a bad move it was so with faith we havent one had her in our bed, my hubby almost did it at one point but i told him NO lol as i knew where it would get us.

Tell those closest to you that you love them as you never know when they might be gone!

Re: Kids and Bedtimes In reply to: Nykita

It's like a lot of things, it can be recommended, then not, Symone was born ten yrs ago, and it was the Midwife who said that my daughter should sleep in my bed (I never would have done it off my own thinking as my family were against having baby's in bed, because it was the "marital" space (very dated way of thinking)...Apparently it is better for mum and baby if breast feeding to have baby in bed next to you, theres rules though, no drinking, smoking and not to put baby in the middle, it's more comforting for the baby (in my opinion) as they have just come out of the womb were it's warm and they can hear your heart beat, and it's as close to that as possible, I really had no problem with my Daughter she naturally gravitated into her cot by a couple of months old, asshe needed the space and was feeling more secure. I repeated this process with my Son, but with my third child who is one yr old, he is a little bit too comfy in our bed, but he does start off in his cot, and is still breastfed so that's probably why he is still in our bed,

There are lots of "correct" ways, I got sick of the saying (from other women) saying "Your making a rod for your own back"....
I didn't... I had lovely close time with all of my children, why can't we accept that if a mother does something a little different that she is not trying to make another woman look bad, who does it differently to her....I hope that made sense, Lets face it, its me who gets up to see to him, no-one else! X

Don't sit up close at the ballet...it spoils the illusion...

Re: Kids and Bedtimes In reply to: Hannah

lol totaly agree hannah individuals are all different and at then end of the day people should do what they feel is right for their children. none of my children were breast fed, i just wasnt compfy with it as my bobs are huge and nipples were very sensitive and with my first i wasnt well at all so she wouldnt latch on properly! I did try with her but with my second i just decided that id rather bottle feed, and it worked for me, but my kids do have a problem with giving the bottle up, my eldest (almost 3) still asks for one because she sees her little sister with one. We are gradually weaning Faith off the bottle as she is only getting 2 drinks of formula milk per day, one ine the morning and one before bed but im going to cut out the one in the morning. Im gradually weaning her onto cows milk too. Formula milk is far to expensive and it is better to breast feed if you can for lots of reasons (money being one) but if you arent comfortable or cant do it then i dont think you should be made to feel ashamed! The midwifes tried to make me feel bad as with faith i wouldnt even try, but it was my decision and i was hapy with it, breast is not best for everyone. Sorry to get off the subject there lol! got into a bit of a rant hehe

Tell those closest to you that you love them as you never know when they might be gone!

Re: Kids and Bedtimes In reply to: Nykita

I totally agree, a baby can be breast or bottle fed, it really is the Mother's choice at what she is most comfortable with. I have had two evenings of being strict with Kaleb, and we are getting into a healthier sleep pattern, it takes will power, (as you all know), but he wakes once a night and he stays in his cot, I just rub his back until he stops crying...and do you know, it is wonderful having a bit of space in bed, I didn't realise how much he disturbed us in the night, at least I won't awake with a foot in my face anymore!!!.....Thanks for the advice on bedtimes, it's been an interesting topic this one.....and Nykita (and Nina) thanks again for the support over that not so nice topic, with "Tim"....what a scary dude!

Don't sit up close at the ballet...it spoils the illusion...

Re: Kids and Bedtimes In reply to: Hannah

Hannah, that's brilliant news about Kaleb - I'm really pleased he's coming on. And, if I'm honest, I love it when it turns out I'm right *lol* Along with Nykita of course!

Yeah, that other topic got a bit heated and I had my say about it - I think there were some crossed wires there but I don't think there was any need for some of his comments, they felt quite abusive actually and I think you did right Hannah by not responding at all. Well done!

None of my girls were breast fed. I tried with my eldest but like Nykita my boobs were huge back then, I found it too stressful and I was watching the clock dreading the next feed. I do agree that "breast is best" but not if the mother really doesn't want to do it. I don't agree with midwives pressurising mums either. Mine tried to, but I gave her what for! I managed to breast feed for 6 days with Ellen but didn't even try with Simie and Jassie *lol* Just got hubby to make me up some bottles as soon as we got home from the hospital! He was useless with the practicalities when Ellen was little but quite the expert by the time the other two came along. He's always been the one who says "give her to me while you do that"!

On the subject of boobs, I had a breast reduction in Oct 2006 and it's one of the best things I ever did. I went from a 34JJ (boobs that Jordan would be proud of) to a 34C and it's changed my life. I would recommend it to anyone not happy with their boobs. My hubby didn't want me to have the op (obviously) but he knew how unhappy I was and even he noticed the difference afterwards. I'm quite little (size 10/12) so having such big boobs made me look like I had two footballs shoved down my top. They took off 1 and a half stone's worth of weight when they reduced my breasts.

My backache is almost gone (still have slight bad posture), there are no grooves in my shoulders from bra straps, I can buy my bras at any clothes shop or supermarket and not have to pay £40 for one and my asthma has completely gone! Honestly, I haven't used my unhalers since the op!

So if you're thinking about it - I would say go for it. I even had mine done on the NHS and the whole process, from being referred by my GP to having the actual op, took only 6 months

Don't sweat the small stuff. It will make you stinky.

Re: Kids and Bedtimes In reply to: Nina

Me again - not quite sure how we got from kids bedtimes to boobs but here we are *lol* This is the best thread on this chat site, I think, we've covered so much, girls!

Don't sweat the small stuff. It will make you stinky.