Sleepless much?

My Beautiful Baby Boy, Zephyr, has been screaming since birth. Really. The 4 hours immediately after he arrived were filled with inconsolable screeches. In the birth video, I am lying in the tub awaiting my placenta and I comment that “he sounds like a dinosaur”. Eventually he did calm down and relax enough to rest. But I knew that first morning that I didn’t have the laid back little dude I thought I had brewed over the last 41 weeks.

At 4 1/2 months old my little pterodactyl is extraordinarily happy just after eating and he is all smiles. I sure do have a pretty little fellow. My how his looks can be deceiving. Now, let’s talk naptime, bedtime, etc….Last night my son set his own record and slept for 3 whole hours straight. You heard me. Now, let me give you all the back story.

For the last few months I have been severely sleep deprived and quite frankly, grouchy. I have had to resort to caffeinated beverages just to have a manageabke personality for the general public. [On a side note, my current fave drink is a Vitamin Water Zero called ‘Drive’ that is yummy and uses coffee beans to get it’s natural caffeine. I looked and it seems one bottle is the equivalent of a cup of coffee.] Zephyr doers not sleep for more than an hour and half at a clip. He is nursing on both breasts, and then struggling to get to sleep for at least a half hour usually. I am losing it. I feel that he needs more sleep for development and general well-being. I also could use more zzz’s for the general well-being of my 2 year old daughter.  So here’s how it goes:

Step 1) New diaper and jammies

Step 2) Swaddle

Step 3) Nurse: about 2o minutes or so for both sides.

Zephyr eats as long as he likes. This usually happens on the couch with the lights out (at night) and the TV on. I start on the right as that seems to be the ‘lighter’ of the two, production wise.

When he is done (i.e. tugging, pulling away, falls asleep),  I take him upstairs to our room and attempt to lay him in his bed. This is Step 4).

This part can take anywhere from 2 minutes to 30 minutes or more. Usually the latter. And most of that time is a true struggle with back arching, Screaming crying, and general flailing about. He uses a pcifier, and I bounce and pat him until he is relaxed. Then I try to lay him down. Most times, if it does work on the first try, I still have to pat/shake to settle him in. The room is set up with Black-Out curtains, I put on the radio and the ceiling fan and when I leave the door gets closed behind me. And then we wait… 

What will our fate be this time? 30 minutes? An hour? Could THIS be the time?!

Will he sleep for a solid 4-6 hours? Ever?!?!? 

We have tried some of these tricks to facilitate a good night’s sleep as well:

The swing, the bouncy seat (with vibration and without), the carseat (driving in a car/ swinging in our hands/ rocking on the floor- not yet on the washer or dryer), the pack n play bed, Marlowe’s crib, the couch. We have taken him for a walk in the stroller outside, in a Moby or Baby K’tan (front facing, chest to chest and cradle holds). Warm bath followed by massage with calming fragrances such as lavender. Also, supplemented with breastmilk in a bottle and most recently (and ineffectively, I might add) rice cereal. All of these methods or different combinations of have been tried by myself, his father and my mother. Nothing is working. I usually give up around 3AM or so and then co-sleep/nurse for the rest of the night so even that sleep isn’t the best. HELP!

Please feel free to share your experiences and insight. I am fairly desperate as evidenced by some of my actions- including the use of the shunned rice cereal (which I am secretly happy didn’t work because I don’t really approve of it’s use as a sleep aid). But, do keep in mind that this should be a forum of support and empathy, not judgement or condemnation. I get enough of that in my own head as is. I appreciate your contributions, and will likely award the winning ‘trick’ a million bucks for helping to save my life and the lives of my children. 🙂