How Far We've Come
OB has a heavy cold which means he's been waking up in the night a lot, coughing, bunged up and uncomfortable. Last night, as I cuddled him while he settled I was transported back in my mind to a time when night waking was a constant feature and cuddles and soothing words seemed to be completely ineffective.
From around 8 months old, OB would wake most nights, sometimes several times each night. He would be sweaty and clammy and would cry hysterically and inconsolably. If I tried to cuddle him, he would fight and struggle and arch away from me, crying even louder and more frantically. Every so often we'd have a few full nights of sleep and I'd begin to believe we had turned a corner, but then it would all start again.
As he got older, these night-time episodes increased in ferocity. Many times we would be downstairs for up to two hours in the middle of the night as OB screamed and thrashed around, flailing his limbs. Sometimes, I admit, I would just make sure he was safe and then step outside to let the cool night air restore my calm so that I could go back for round two . . . and three and four.
I tried everything I could think of. All my soothing words and gestures were rebuffed. Nothing could stop the meltdown express.
To be honest, I can't remember when it all changed but thankfully it did. Last night, it took nothing more than a cuddle and a few soothing strokes on his back to calm OB's crying and settle him back to sleep in his own bed. Less than one minute.
In fact these days he's so keen on his sleep that he'll pretty much take the opportunity whenever it presents itself!
I'm linking this post with The Adoption Social's 'The Things We Do' linky in honour of all those times when there is no magic wand to wave and the thing we do is just to hang on in there!
From around 8 months old, OB would wake most nights, sometimes several times each night. He would be sweaty and clammy and would cry hysterically and inconsolably. If I tried to cuddle him, he would fight and struggle and arch away from me, crying even louder and more frantically. Every so often we'd have a few full nights of sleep and I'd begin to believe we had turned a corner, but then it would all start again.
As he got older, these night-time episodes increased in ferocity. Many times we would be downstairs for up to two hours in the middle of the night as OB screamed and thrashed around, flailing his limbs. Sometimes, I admit, I would just make sure he was safe and then step outside to let the cool night air restore my calm so that I could go back for round two . . . and three and four.
I tried everything I could think of. All my soothing words and gestures were rebuffed. Nothing could stop the meltdown express.
To be honest, I can't remember when it all changed but thankfully it did. Last night, it took nothing more than a cuddle and a few soothing strokes on his back to calm OB's crying and settle him back to sleep in his own bed. Less than one minute.
In fact these days he's so keen on his sleep that he'll pretty much take the opportunity whenever it presents itself!
I'm linking this post with The Adoption Social's 'The Things We Do' linky in honour of all those times when there is no magic wand to wave and the thing we do is just to hang on in there!
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