Re: Is anyone else worried about...

I am so worried about the lack of sleep in store for me and DH. I am so cranky and moody when I dont sleep I dont know how I will function especially b/c I plan on EBF for awhile. I will definitely take the advice of previous posters about swaddling and read the book the happiest baby on the block. But yes, lack of sleep is what I worry about the most.

Re: Is anyone else worried about...

Awww don't worry to much b/c you never know how things are going to work out. I ended up with a DS who NEVER slept - ever - except on me - so I basically never had a nights sleep for 10 months and even after that it was touch and go...I would never have expected it to be that bad.

BUT, I have friends and family members that have newborns that slept ALL the time and went for fairly long stretches pretty quickly...

So, you never know how your child is going to be in the sleep - you might just luck out with a great sleeper! And, even if you don't - they may be easier in other ways - so in the end it all evens out

Re: Is anyone else worried about...

Honestly no.

I already don't sleep more than 3 hours at a time and my body has adjusted to that.

I took care of my little sister when she was an infant when I was in college for a little while and I remember hating having to get up, but then it just became part of the routine.

There is a lot that I can control and therefore stress about. This I can't control, so I am just giving in!

Re: Is anyone else worried about...

Yes but I barely sleep now. I just see it as practice for when DS arrives.

Re: Is anyone else worried about...

It's honestly not that bad. In the beginning when they have their days and nights mixed up, it can be frustrating, but it all works itself out. I always would remind myself in the very beginning that I had no where to go and nothing to do until I went back to work, so what was the big deal if I didn't sleep?
And it's temporary. My daughter was sleeping through the night at 5 weeks old. She'd do 6-8 hour stretches, and by the time I went back to work when she was three months old, she slept 12 hours straight. So babies can surprise you.
You just do what you have to do, but it really does go so fast and doesn't last forever.

Re: Is anyone else worried about...

I wouldn't worry about it now. You could have a really good baby who sleeps well!

I'm EBFing and DD is a great sleeper, always has been from day 1. Even when she was first born and was up every 3 hours to nurse in the middle of the night I never felt tired/exhausted, she'd just eat for 10-15 mins and go right back to sleep and so would I. She's 2 months old now and still EBF and sleeps 8+ hour stretches at night usually.

Re: Is anyone else worried about...

I'll be honest, it SUCKED big time. I don't do well on lack of sleep. And lack of sleep is putting it mildly. I was the one that had to adjust to the day/night confusion because DD would sleep ALL day and then be up from like 1am-7 or 8am, and it was HARD. There were nights I would be standing in front of my living room window watching the sun come up with tears streaming down my face.

HOWEVER.... it lasted such a SHORT time in the grand scheme of things. In the moment, you feel like this is going to be your life forever, but it lasted maybe a week or two and then DD started to go longer stretchs at night.

The best advice I ever received ibut never followed is what EVERYONE tells you.... sleep when the baby sleeps. It's hard because you want to get things done, but DO IT!!!! Your body needs it. Remember, you are also recovering from giving birth which is tramatic to the body.

Re: Is anyone else worried about...

A little bit. Fortunately DH is gonna be with me for 6 weeks so any time that baby sleeps I'm taking a nap!

ETA: You don't even KNOW what tired is until you have a newborn.

Message edited 10/12/2009 10:48:05 PM.

Re: Is anyone else worried about...

The beginning was rough. Then it slowed down and she slept through the night. Then teething came.

I have come to realize that I will not get a good night's sleep until Abby is married and someone else's responsibility.

Re: Is anyone else worried about...

My daughter is 5 weeks today & she is still clockwork every 2 hours.

I stressed over it too. But it's amazing how you just roll with it. I found gettting the breastfeeding down more stressful the first two weeks than the sleep.


I don't sleep everytime the baby sleeps. I usually snap 1 nap a day. When DH husband getting home from work he takes her and I may hit the bed earlier.


It's two hours on the dot now & can hear my daughter waking for the next feeding

Positive side of breastfeeding - I lost all 27 pregnancy pounds by 2 weeks

Re: Is anyone else worried about...

Honestly, it's the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. There's a reason they use sleep deprivation on prisoners of war...there is no worse hell! Sorry...just trying to be truthful.

Re: Is anyone else worried about...

Not worried, just not looking forward to it either since I remember all to well what it was like with DD.

However, for us it passed relatively quickly-8 or 9 weeks and she was sleeping through the night pretty consistently.

Re: Is anyone else worried about...

The first 2 or 3 weeks were hard with DD, but I was also recovering from a c-section. But after that I don't remember it being so bad. Even at 18 months, she still goes through spurts where she wakes up at night (if she is sick, teething or something). You just get used to it. I can only pray that this child is as good a sleeper as DD!

Message edited 10/14/2009 11:05:34 AM.