Celebrity Moms

Friday, May 9, 2008

On TV I caught a preview of those celebrity red carpet interviews. The main "theme" or topic was showing all the celebrities that just had a baby and they asked them how they were doing. Several said, "I feel great! I've never felt better!" I thought to myself, "Oh sure, that's because you can afford to hire someone to do all the hard work of being a mom." I'd feel great too if someone else did all the washing, laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc. while I just loved on my baby and the rest of the time I was at the gym with my personal trainer (which is located in my own house of course...I know how it goes. I've watched "Cribs"), eating healthy food rich in flavor, and then relax in my hot tub. I love being a mom but this is a lot of work! And I can honestly say I don't feel great most days! Cayman doesn't sleep hardly more than 2 hours at a time any time of the day or night...unless she's being cuddled, then she'll go longer. We've tried swaddling her and that doesn't seem to make any difference. I hear these stories of how some babies are sleeping through the night at 2 months old. We'll just keep working at it.

All my blog readers that are Mom's...I'm curious, when did your babies start to sleep through the night?

21 Showin' Comment Love:

Ann said...

My oldest started sleeping through the night at 3 months and my youngest isn't yet but then again he's three weeks old today so I don't expect him to yet. I am hoping he is sleeping through the night by the time I start back to school in the fall.

Ann
alaskasnowangel.livejournal.com

PS I found you through Kacey's blog

Anonymous said...

My daughter was just like Cayman, would only sleep if she was being held. She didn't get past this until she was at least 7 months old. Owen on the other hand was much quicker and I think by 3 months could manage a nice 4-5 hour stretch. I have never tried this myself, but my friend has one of these and I can see where it would really help and I really wish they had had it for my daughter. By now you are probably willing to try anything, so it might be worth it :-)

Anonymous said...

Kristen, I found your blog on an ebay auction that your cousin ran about 1 month ago and my daughter and myself have been praying for Cayman ever since. My daughter started to sleep through the night when she was 3 months and would only go to sleep to music. I found this cd called 'Bless my little girl; Songs of Love and Blessing from a Mother's Heart'! The music is so full of encouragement and love for the child listening to it. What a blessing Cayman Cindy is! The Lord has a great plan for her life. God Bless you!!

Sherri said...

Kristen- Miles was just like that! He is still a horrible sleeper. Now at 4 months it is a really good night if we get a 5-7 hour stretch. But, since he's been sick lately- we're lucky to get 3! I feel your pain. I am so sleep deprived too. Today was a bad day for me too. I have a cold, Miles wasn't even napping at all today and then Greta, my 2 year old was needing "mommy" every second of the day. I actually had one point in the day where I just screamed into a pillow! They are both sleeping now, so I'm doing better :)
About the wanting to be cuddled thing. Miles definitely was that way and I read somewhere that physical touch causes more connections to be made in the brain. So maybe she's craving your touch to help her brain grow!

Shannon said...

Amen and amen about the feeling great and the cushy life of the celebrity moms. I was laughing out loud remembering sleepless nights, clothes stained with spit-up of all consistencies, never-ending laundry spewing forth from my dryer...ahhh...the days of having a newborn. :)

My kids: Emily (my oldest) started sleeping through the night at about 8 weeks, Katy (almost one year younger) started around 9-10 weeks, and Ian (now 15 months) started around 12 weeks...but we still have rough nights with him every now and then. Katy, when she was a newborn, if she wasn't eating, or being held, she was screaming. The only way she would sleep for those first few months was laying on someone's chest or in my arms...it was exhausting! But then it was almost like a light bulb came on, and she finally just "got" it.

I agree with what Sherri said...physical touch is stimulating to small babies, and I've heard lots of people say how it helps foster brain development. It's one reason very small preemies have "kangaroo care," (the skin-to-skin contact with their parents) as soon as their tiny bodies can handle it. Hang in there...the sleep deprivation won't last forever (or maybe we moms just get used to it?) You're doing SUCH a great job, and I marvel at your patience and endurance!

Beth said...

My first was sleeping through the night by 12 weeks, when I went back to work. However, that did not last once I started back to work. My second - I can't remember when she actually started sleeping through the night - but it was not as early as the first!!

Good luck getting some rest! Cayman is beautiful!

Happy Mother's Day!

Anonymous said...

All three of mine began sleeping through the night (6hrs+)at 8 weeks. I guess I was lucky!

Lisa Christine said...

OK Kristen, you are going to hate me for this....but all three of my children were sleeping through the night at around 7 or 8 weeks.
Elisabeth is the best yet. When it's time for a nap or bed we put her in her cradle wide awake and she puts herself to sleep within minutes. The only downside to this is that she has a very hard time falling asleep anywhere but her bed. If I am at church or somewhere other than home and she gets sleepy she can't be rocked or cuddled to sleep. Well.....eventually she'll drift off, but it's a lot of work. All she really wants when she is tired is to be put in her bed and left alone.
She sleeps in until 8 in the morning or so. Actually, a few days ago she slept till 9:30!! And then when she wakes up she patiently lays there and babbles a little until I come and get her. My easiest baby by far.
Don't worry, Cayman is only 2 months old, I bet she'll be sleeping for longer periods of time before you know it.
Have a very, VERY happy 1st mothers day.
And if you are in for a good emotional cry, click on Danyelle on my reader list and read her post from Thursday. It will link you to a story that made my heart ache...but was inspirational at the same time.

Sarah M said...

Let's see. To be the completely dissenting voice, Kiah has only once in 2 years consistently slept for a period of 4 hours or more at a time. From 2-4 months he slept for 8-10 hours a night most nights. Then he got a cold and since then I don't think we've had 7 days in a row of him sleeping through the night.

I do agree on the physical touch for sleeping. About 2 months ago I started laying him in bed with me when he'd wake up from his nap after 20 or 30 minutes and he would sleep longer if I was with him. I did that when he was a baby too and I'd watch TV or sleep while he did. It is super frustrating to not get things done and be bound to your child's sleeping schedule for naps during the day with this method, but it is better than nothing.

I'm with you on the up all the time though. It just got better about 6 months ago at night, once Kiah was able to understand when I said "Lay down and go to sleep. I'll see you later." He still cried a lot but eventually started to understand. But until then I spent many hours and hours fighting him and waking up with him, many sore backs and my hands/arms falling asleep while I bent over his crib rocking him. And I unfortunately still have to wake up with him on a very regular basis. Sometimes still for an hour or two (or three) at a time.

Some kids are just not good sleepers. You do what you can and nap in the moments you can. It is major frustration and a major sacrifice on your part. Like you said the other day, once you stop pumping all the time you will get more sleep too. I would try spacing your pumping a little longer during times you have a chance to sleep, if Cayman is asleep or if Mike can get her. Something has to give or you will be a wreck. In my opinion, there might not be an immediate relief for this and it might last a lot longer. Unfortunately there are no guarantees as far as Cayman is concerned-whether she'll start sleeping better or not. I wish I could understand why other people seem to have it so much better with their kids sleeping (one friend told me her kids napped 2 hours every morning AND afternoon, went to bed at 7pm and slept until 7am every day. I wanted to slap her.) And I wish I could say that I don't get jealous of them, but I can't yet. Still working on it! I love Kiah dearly but sometimes I wish there were an off switch.

As for celebrity moms, other than all they help they get that obviously makes it easier for them, I think they lie. For PR purposes.

Anonymous said...

Hey Sunshine! You were a little older than Cayman when you started sleeping longer.... I think Cayman will as she starts gaining a little more weight & has more substance to her ... which she is starting to -- her little cheeks are on their way to 'kisser cheeks' :o) ...

The Donald said...

A baby sleeping is like a bad cold. Just when you think that your cold is never going to go away, and you are convinced that your left nostril is no longer going to allow air to flow in and out, you wake up one day and ::poof:: your cold is gone.

So I wish you two good luck, and I wish Cayman luck too. Maybe her good friend Elisabeth can donate some of her sleeping hours. Sleeping is her #1 hobby!

Have a good weekend, and tell Mike that is myspace page is being neglected. I sent him a friend request over 3 weeks ago I think.

MJLRosebrook said...

You don't want to know! :) Luke has always been a sleeper. Some kids are and some kids are not. He was pretty much sleeping all night after his second night home. he would wake up at 5:30 and nurse then sleep again till 8:30 or 9:30. You're an amazing Mom and I agree it's the hardest job you'll ever love!!
Jess

Jennifer said...

Kristen, let this be a hope to you. Or not a hope, I'm not sure. ha ha My Emily slept through the night from 7 weeks on. My Savannah is 20 months, and has been sleeping through the night for about 2 weeks. :) Every baby is different.
I TOTALLY agree about the clebrity moms. I always say the exact same things you do about the live in help/nanny/cook etc.

Anonymous said...

Kaiden was about 3 1/2 months, but it didn't last very long and two years later he still wakes up at least once a night if not more. Hopefully we'll be luckier with the next one!

Tia
p.s. we are set to be induced on wednesday so we'll see!

Kacey Bode said...

Okay, not to brag but both of my kids slept through the night at 5 weeks old, don't know why just extremly blessed.

Happy Mother's Day!!! Hope you have a great day cuddling with Cayman!!!

Anonymous said...

well, we cheated. we heard from a friend that you preheat the crib or bassinet with a heating pad, and add just a little bit of rice cereal to the milk to fill the bellies longer. georgie was about 3 months and slept thru the nite until she was teething. but teething now is only a once a nite thing thank goodness. but there were a few allniters with first baby teeth. if only we knew that's what was going on and threw the orajel in there right away. live and learn. i also did the whole ambient noise thing during the winter. it seemed like either she needed a heater to be warm or a humidifier to clear her nose. it helped her stay asleep too. and my biggest tip from mommy in law was to make sure sure that the curtains are thick and it's only a lil nite lite in her room. of course i consider 7 hours sleeping thru the nite. it wasn't until she was about 8 months i think it was 12 hours straight.thank you lord!! all the things i got done when i got up early!!! and then i could still nap when she did. hope any of the advice given works. there;s nothing like blessed sleep.
we also did bath right before bed to keep her warm. she sleeps happier that way now still. okay, going to stop. love you always
amy kruse

Jill S. said...

Kristen,

Happy 1st mothers's Day!!

Jill

Sherri said...

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Anonymous said...

Hope you enjoyed your first Mother's day with Cayman!!! You are such a great mommy!!!

As far as sleeping advice I don't have any, but I'm jotting notes now because my baby seems to have day and night confused already....she wakes me up moving all the time during the night, but during the day she is still as can be.

Can't wait to hear how u spent your mother's day!!!
Love ya,
Valerie

Anonymous said...

I will tell you a hint that always helped me keep my girls asleep and calm a little longer. I would put the shirt I had worn that day, somewhere near them in the crib, even under them sometimes, depending on the material. They know Mommy's "scent" and it comforts them.
My oldest daughter,(turning 29 tomorrow)slept through the night at about 6 weeks, first time scared me to death, I jumped up when I realized it was sunlight and she hadn't woken me, I was so scared she was SIDS victim. I too did the ol rice cereal in formula trick. The new Docs frown on that, but, hey the babies survived just fine. Just look at my generation, the formula was Carnation Milk, water and Karo syrup!

Anonymous said...

My son Kadyn started sleeping through the night since birth, but when he was born he was fed through a feeding tube through his nose so he didnt have to wake up, and by the time he got the hang of bottle feeding he was sleeping through the night. So the earliest i wake up is 6am and we are usually to sleep by 930.