Wednesday, February 01, 2012

FIRST TEETH

First teeth are no fun. My baby Lorci has just cut his first two teeth and it's set us back 8 months, back to the newborn days of waking three times a night and feeding night and day.

Back to the early days of walking around in a coma, having worrying near misses with other cars as I drive my 4 year old to pre-school.

I can't get Lorci to sleep anymore. Or I should say, I can't get him to sleep anymore without Calpol. Yet I only want to give it as a last resort. He seems to need so much of it recently. His teeth must really hurt if that's the only way he's soothed to sleep. He's already wearing an amber teething necklace; although I'm yet to be convinced that they do any good, despite all 3 of my babies having worn them. I don't like giving painkillers so freely like this but that's another blog I've yet to write; The Calpol Generation.

Even now he's tired for his morning nap, I've been feeding him to sleep but every time I lay him down in his cot he wakes. I try lying next to him, that doesn't work, it only excites him, he starts clawing my face, screaming in my ear, climbing over me. He just wants to be stuck to me, feeding from me like a newborn; only i don't have milk at those intervals anymore. I'm empty, in more ways than just milk.

He's still screaming now - I've been up and down to him for the last hour. I go up again, give him a small dose of Calpol and rub Teetha in his gums, breastfeed him again, back down in the cot, but he's standing up again, eating his fist, eyes puffy with tiredness, banging his head against the cot because he's unsteady with exhaustion. I pick him up again. Crikey he's heavy, my back twinges from his latest growth spurt. "Why won't you give in to sleep Lorci?". I spend another 40 minutes cuddling, rocking, feeding, my poor baby.

Finally, he's gives in. Deep breath Amy…. and relax. He will wake in exactly 45 minutes because he's never been able to sleep longer than that during the day. Sometimes that's all he has, despite my exhaustive hours spent in gentle encouragement. This time it was two hours of back-breaking coaxing to sleep for only 45minutes reward. This is quite a normal pattern, even when he's not teething. I've always joked Lorci's moto is: "Why sleep when you can scream for hours instead?"

He sleeps in our spare room in the attic. He's a very sensitive chap to noise and light so it's the only place he won't be disturbed by the other two's noise. I don't get the chance to do any exercise these days but I suppose I keep fit by racing up and down two flights of stairs so many times a day. It doesn't stop my lower back from killing me thanks to his latest growth spurt and his cries to be held more to soothe his teeth pain.

Last night, we danced through the night in a symphony of wakeful sleep and feeding, our bodies knowing instinctively how to move together in the pitch dark. He knew exactly where I was at all times and wouldn't let me out of his range. He found his food source when he needed the comfort to help himself back to peaceful sleep. I woke up wrecked, having had very little restful deep sleep. A dear friend took my girl for the morning and my hubby minded the baby while i stole back to bed for a much-needed extra hour.

And so it carries on….


[I started this post Monday morning. It's Wednesday now and I've started to restock my sleep bank and his teeth don't seem to be hurting as much, HOURAY]


3 comments:

Katie Webb said...

Oh bless him! And you- you must be knackered! Blooming teeth! My 16 month old hadn't cut any since he was ten months and now 6 are coming out all at once- poor little things. I know it sounds daft- but have you tried putting him down to sleep on his tummy? Mine will only and has ever only slept on his tummy from day one (the midwife actually suggested it after hours of screaming being put on his back to sleep) may help? I also highly recommend a teething panda- they're natural rubber and they're a lot nicer for them to chew than your nipples! All best wishes x

Karien said...

O, it is so much fun.. My youngest also seems to be the most difficult baby. Every time teeth are cutting we have days/ nights of mayhem. I do not remember this from the others. My second had a different issue with teething, she thought mummy's nipples were great to chew on... after a month of immense pain, and bloody breastpads (and many tricks I tried) I had to give up breastfeeding, at 10 months. The youngest is now 12 months and still teething, we had a very long night... Like you I am restrictive with calpol (I see friends popping it in like candy..)
Good luck!

Maire said...

Oh Amy Lorcan sounds so much like Sadbh - how I envied women who would tell me they didn't even notice their children's teeth coming through. Sadbh was inconsolable when teething. She already fed a lot, napped little, slept even less at night. Then when the teeth were coming in she would ramp it up a notch. I feel your exhaustion - at least with me I only had Sadbh - wasn't trying to juggle 2 others as well. You are doing an amazing job and go easy on yourself - you do what you have to do to get through the day, a bit of Calpol won't be the end of him and if it means he will settle for you a bit better then great xxx