https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 07 Jul 2026 07:34:32 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-675925 Thu, 28 Mar 2013 20:33:17 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 675925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennylynn: I want to say it lasted a month, maybe 6 weeks. Our monitor has a 2-min snooze button, so I would hit that once and then I just went to her. Most of the tome that I went in, it felt like she would scream and fight harder, but after 5-10 min, she would just pass out. I would hold and rock her until I felt she was out for good (and I had calmed down), and I would put her back in the crib. I was exhausted and I questioned my ability as a mother every time I couldn't get her to sleep. And then magically, she STTN again. All I can say is to hang in there and it will get better. Just repeat that montra until things get back to normal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-673370 Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:24:17 +0000 jennylynn 673370@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BabyBoecksMom: It's def. rough! I know all babies are different, but how did you handle it? Did you go in to her immediately when she'd start crying or did you leave her to fuss for awhile? I'm afraid to start a habit by going directly to her, but I feel like it escalates really quickly and I have a harder time calming her down the longer I let her fuss. And how long did it last for your LO? We're going on 3 weeks now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-669802 Wed, 27 Mar 2013 06:10:14 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 669802@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennylynn: I could have written this same thread a couple months ago. I feel for you, I really do. I don't have much advice because I never found anything to fix it - it just kind of stopped on its own after a little while. I just had to ride the storm. </p> <p>Huge ((((((HUGS)))))) to you! You can make it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-669790 Wed, 27 Mar 2013 05:32:35 +0000 shopaholic 669790@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennylynn: oh man! I have no words of advice, but read the whole post, all the comments, and just want to let you know you are not alone when you're awake at all those hours. Every sleep post I read is like "it's a phase, this too shall pass" but honestly I can't even imagine. These phases seem to come one after the other! Hope you can figure it out soon, and when you do - please update us on how! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-669042 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:02:58 +0000 BananaPancakes 669042@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@winniebee: Checks are a joke for my kiddo. They just make it worse. We try not to even walk by his room during CIO because he hears it and screams louder. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668944 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:33:55 +0000 winniebee 668944@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennylynn: I have read that if you go in after 10 minutes, he will learn to cry for 10 minutes...for many babies only extinction works! My son gets more ticked off at me if I go in to help him (and don't feed him). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668876 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:15:35 +0000 BananaPancakes 668876@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennylynn: Well, I kept telling myself at first that he needed me (because he woke crying) and that it was separation anxiety. This went on as a one-time wakeup for a while. But then the playing at 3 am started and I suddenly felt played. The crying is exactly the same every time, though, and over time I realized it was not a scared cry at all. I can't tell you to do CiO if you're not comfortable, I will just say you may suddenly come to a breaking point and that it's ok if you suddenly decide to try it again. But it could just be a phase and it might stop in a couple more weeks. Babies are crazy like that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668738 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:40:29 +0000 jennylynn 668738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bree72: I'm embarrassed to admit, but I can't handle CIO. I got frustrated and desperate and finally gave it a shot one night, and I only lasted about 10 minutes max. She gets so upset and hysterical, I just can't take it. I wound up bawling just as hard as her. Im also afraid if it is separation anxiety that it'll make it worse, or make her more afraid. Did DS's behavior seem like SA?</p> <p>@twoofeverything: I hope it's a short phase!</p> <p>@scg00387: I'm going to do that tonight! If I can peel myself out of bed tonight that is. But if not tonight, then for sure tomorrow! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668614 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:12:25 +0000 immabeetoo 668614@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>as awful as it sounds, if it is at the same time each night it might be worth it to wake up 10 minutes or so before that and play detective watching her/listening to see if anything is causing it :/ @jennylynn: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668599 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:10:28 +0000 twoofeverything 668599@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can you afford to hire a mother's helper type person? I was totally exhausted and feeling hopeless, too...and my babies haven't even had major sleep issues. I hired someone to come twice a week for two hours each time, and I pay her relatively little, ($10/hr) since I don't leave her alone. Just knowing that there's an extra pair of hands -- or even an opportunity to take a nap or grab 20 minutes to myself during the day -- gave me the strength to get through those hard days/nights. GL, Mama. This, like Winniebee said, is just a phase! Soon enough your LO will be a teenager and you'll be fighting to get her to WAKE UP! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668569 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:05:10 +0000 jennylynn 668569@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: I know on the nights that she won't go back to sleep she's def. overtired, but it just turns into a vicious cycle until she gets so tired she crashes out again. I haven't messed with naptimes or bedtime, except for the time adjustment with daylight savings time. I thought that might be the cause, but it actually started a couple of days before we initiated the time change for DST. It's prob. not helping matters though! She usually takes 2 1-1.25 naps a day, with bedtime starting at 7, wake time 7-730. So that's nothing new... is it possible she's sleeping too much in the daytime? She hasn't tried to drop or shorten a nap herself though </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668562 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:04:31 +0000 BananaPancakes 668562@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yup. Went through this as well. Finally gave in to the power of the CIO with no checks. It worked. He started waking at the same time every night one time . Then it turned into 2 times, then 3 with an hour of hanging out. That got old real fast and now we're here. We haven't fully sleep trained yet, as it's been about 2 weeks and every 3 nights or so he'll wake up once to cry, but I don't give in and he sleeps like a champ once he gets it out of his system. I honestly feel like he's testing some boundaries lately, and this is just one of them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668532 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:58:19 +0000 jennylynn 668532@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@scg00387: Maybe. We live on a main road, so we've used a white noise machine to help disguise any outside noise since she was a newborn, but it's def. worth a look into! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668528 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:56:27 +0000 Freckles 668528@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennylynn: You have my sympathies. :( Do you think she's overtired, or could it be related to her naps? When LO was 11 months and starting daycare, we had transitioned her to a 1 nap schedule without making adjustments to her bedtime. That caused her to wake up at 2:45am (on the nose) for a week. She would be screaming at the top of her lungs, sitting up in her crib. When i would go to pick her up, she would thrash her arms and legs as if she didn't want to be held, but if i put her down she would cry. Even DH couldn't get her to fall back asleep, and the only way to do it would be to nurse her. Once i moved back her bedtime to an earlier time, she slept through the night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668526 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:56:02 +0000 immabeetoo 668526@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennylynn: If its around the same time each night - is there anyway it could be neighbors or a dog or something?? Someone coming home and being loud next door? I am so sorry :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668497 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:50:22 +0000 jennylynn 668497@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaMoose: I don't think it's nightmares because it starts right around the same time each night, but it could be. I wish she could just tell me what's wrong! A lot of my frustration comes from not understanding what's going on with her or what the right to do is. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668358 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:16:13 +0000 MamaMoose 668358@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you think maybe she's having nightmares? It's so hard when you have no idea what the problem is and they have NO way of communicating. My LO is having tons of sleep issues lately too so I feel your pain! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668343 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:13:41 +0000 lovehoneybee 668343@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennylynn: He's just over 7.5 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668334 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:11:51 +0000 MsLipGloss 668334@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is almost 7 months and has never STTN - ever. The closest we have come is a few 4.5 hour stretches around 10 weeks. On average, I am up 5-6 times each night with her. I just wanted to echo @Edelweiss's sentiments regarding hopelessness and fatigue (and trying everything, even those things that you are not *supposed* to do). I just take it one day (night!) at a time, and sometimes just one wake up at a time . . . and try to remind myself that (1) LOs don't keep, and it won't last forever, (2) that you are the ultimate comforter to your LO, and (3) that it is normal to feel frustrated, hopeless, (angry even!) at the situation. Big (((hugs))). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668312 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:05:53 +0000 edelweiss 668312@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my LO is having sleep issues as well--while different than yours, i empathize with the hopelessness and fatigue. it's frustrating when nothing will work, particularly the things we're not "supposed" to do, like cosleeping, rocking, etc.</p> <p>i'm with the others in that this phase will pass, although i know that doesn't help much right now. but you're not alone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668310 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:05:35 +0000 jennylynn 668310@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@FutureMrsMcK: me too. It's so hard! Next time you're up late, just remember you aren't alone :( How old is your LO? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668294 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:02:22 +0000 jennylynn 668294@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: :( I hope you don't go through this!</p> <p>@winniebee: I thought it was a wonder week at first too, but it's been going on for 2 weeks now with no improvement. And when I started thinking back, she actually started showing signs of SA at around 9-10 months but it's just recently blown up. She started crawling around then also, and has recently just started really exploring and pulling up and all of that good stuff, so I don't know if increased mobility has anything to do with it or not. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668293 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:01:51 +0000 lovehoneybee 668293@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have any advice, just empathy. We've been having similar problems the past week or so. I'm running on fumes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668282 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:59:41 +0000 winniebee 668282@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm so sorry!</p> <p>The only thing that I can say is that with everything baby, it's likely just a phase and she will be over it soon enough. I know it's not particularly helpful, but it's all I've got. That, and maybe it's a wonder week? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668277 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:58:59 +0000 regberadaisy 668277@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh no!! You poor thing. :(</p> <p>And you are scaring me right now bc my STTN 11m baby has been giving me issues last 3 nights! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exhausted-momma-desperately-needing-some-encouragement#post-668266 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:56:52 +0000 jennylynn 668266@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Warning: this is probably going to be long and all over, but I need to vent. +10 to you if you make it to the end</p> <p>LO is weeks away from her first birthday, and her nightsleep is deteriorating lately. She used to STTN no problems, but for the past 2 weeks she wakes up screaming and crying for me. She is totally normal and happy in the daytime with normal naps, so I don't think there is anything physical going on. (I'm waiting a phone call back from the peds office to see if they think I should bring her in for a check).</p> <p>Whenever she wakes up and I go in to comfort her, I find her standing in her crib looking towards the door, screaming until I pick her up. She actually gets more upset if she sees me and I don't pick her up. I've tried to lay her back down, pat her back, and calm her down but it makes it so much worse. I've tried letting her cry a little before I go in there and it escalates very quickly, to the point she becomes absolutely hysterical. It seems that she's scared when she wakes up alone. </p> <p>Once I pick her up to comfort her she does 1 of 3 things. #1. Has a little mini meltdown of thrashing around in my arms, screaming, going back and forth between sitting up and laying back down on me (obviously exhausted) #2 stays awake anywhere from 1-2 hours going back and forth between playing and whining #3 Goes back to sleep with no problems.</p> <p>This has been going on for 2 weeks now. We have not had a night in over a week where she has went the entire night without a problem. Nothing has changed in her routine. The only thing I can think of that happened before this all started was I was off of work sick for a week, so I was home with her everyday and doing bedtime every night (our moms do bedtime when I'm working).</p> <p>It doesn't make a difference who puts her to sleep, she still wakes up every night. Usually between 230-3. This morning she was up at 2:30-4:45, again at 5:30-5:50, and then for good at 6:30. I had 3 hours of sleep last night and I work 12 hour shifts (work 3 days/week, and have 4 random days off). Last night was one of the worst nights so far. DH works nights so I do this ALONE all week long. I sleep 5-6 hours a night on a *good* night. It's getting to the point where I have nothing left to give. I don't know what to do. I feel helpless, and honestly I'm starting to feel a little bit hopeless about the whole situation and I feel like it's effecting my mental health. I've tried introducing a lovey, laying her down and rubbing her back to sleep, playing music, giving tylenol, gas drop, teething tabs, and even bringing her to bed with me. Nothing works. </p> <p>I don't know what else to do. I have no other options. DH used up all of his time off of work to come home and help before. I don't have much time left since I was just off sick for a week. Our families all work full time. Any advice would be appreciated.</p> <p>Thanks for letting me vent. And if you made it through this whole sob story, big thanks for taking the time to read it. </p>