Ahhhh... the joys of (YAWWWWNNNNNN) Motherhood.

[MiddleFingerMom]

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Got any good sleep deprivation stories?
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Is this the PERFECT face, or what?
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[lukasahero]

1. That's cute.

The face couldn't be more perfect.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. I swear lack of sleep is the main cause for animals eating their young. I know I

felt that way a few times. :crazy:

[UndertheOcean]

3. Nice Kitty

[mnhtnbb]

4. So cute. Going to share with a relative who's just had her second.

[LWolf]

5. Sleep deprivation?

First child, born in '77, developed full-blown colic around 3 weeks old. He slept no more than an hour or two at a time, no more than 4-6 hours in every 24, and cried incessantly the rest of the time.

His first pediatrician suggested putting him on drugs; a sedative to "calm" him. I refused, and found a new pediatrician. He seemed to want to nurse almost constantly. I was breast-feeding; we tried eliminating things out of my diet that might cause gas. His great-grandmother suggested giving him a "sugar-tit:" white sugar wrapped in cheesecloth like a nipple for him to suck on. I refused.

We tried every reasonable suggestion offered; none worked.

Only two things stopped the crying for awhile: a ride in the car, in which he promptly fell asleep, or his dad walking him. He would hoist him over his shoulder, apparently knowing just the right spot on the tummy to rest him, and walk, and jiggle, and rub his back, and talk to him. He would calm down, little sobs and hiccups gradually diminishing, until he lay quietly on his dad's shoulder, and eventually fell asleep.

We didn't lay him down, because he'd immediately wake up and begin again. Instead, his dad would carefully lower himself into an arm chair, and stay there as long, and as still, as possible.

Sometimes, we put him in the car seat and went for long, long drives just so one of us could get some sleep.

This went on for about 3 months before there was any sign of improvement. It was finally gone for good by the time he was about 6 months old.

[mnhtnbb]

6. Riding in the car...boy, that and rocking in the hammock on the deck under the stars.

Can't tell you how many hours we spent doing those two with our first born, too.

[LWolf]

7. Sleep was better than anything, at that point.

I wonder if first-borns are more colicky because they react to new-parent nervousness?

I don't remember being that nervous, though, during those first few weeks before the colic was full-blown.

Exasperated with all the un-asked for advice from bossy family, but not nervous.

[mnhtnbb]

8. It's hard to know. I wasn't that nervous as an older (35) first time parent.

[MiddleFingerMom]

10. I was just talking with a relatively new mom where I went for a lab test today...

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...and she told me her baby (her first) had consistent feeding times AND
slept thru most, if not all, of the night virtually from the start.
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But over the years, I've talked to more than a few couples who said that
a car ride was the best (sometimes the only) trick that worked.
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I wonder if Great-great-great-Grandpa and Great-great-great Grandma used
to have to hitch up the team and go for a canter.
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[LWolf]

11. I've always thought there was more than one purpose for cradle boards

and slings. Not just to take the baby to work, but that constant contact and movement, as well.

[kimi]

9. Great poster!!

Yup, I had that look on my face many many times in the distant past.

I had one boy who literally slept in a wind-up swing through the night for months, just to keep him from howling all night. The swing would run for 20 minutes at a time. When it stopped swinging, I'd stumble out of bed, grope my way through the dark to the wind-up mechanism (yes, it was always me - of course), and wind it up again, and fall back into bed for another 20 minutes of shut-eye.

Funny, now he's 21, and I can't wake the kid up in the morning, he sleeps that hard.

[MiddleFingerMom]

12. When in the Army, I developed an ability to wake up at the SLIGHTEST "wrong" noise...

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...but other than that, I'm a hard, HARD sleeper.
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And I react to stress by getting sleepy.
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Used to drive the ex-MrsMiddleFingerMom fucking BALLISTIC.
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Her: HOW CAN YOU SLEEP WHEN WE'RE FIGHTING?!?!?!?!?!?!?
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Me: mmphrzzlllzzz-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z.
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[MiddleFingerMom]

13. You NEVER negotiate with terrorists!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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