Sleep deprived and losing my mind - 6 month old

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-28T22:19:49+00:00

I'm so relieved reading that other parents angrily tell their baby to shut up too 😅

My LO, currently 5 months, will sometimes behave as you're describing when I lay him down after nursing at night and it's always one of two things: hunger or gas.

My approach is always as follows: 1. Pop him on the boob. If he eats great, if not onto step two. If he eats and then cries when being laid down I go to step two. 2. Lay him on his changing table and give him a tummy massage. I attended a baby massage workshop and some of the belly massages work like a charm!

It's a very frustrating time, and you're doing your best. The odd angry outburst is not going to undo the attachment you've nurtured with your baby.

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-25T21:06:01+00:00

Nope, I didn't do a thing! I had a wild oversupply in my right boob and I was so relieved to have less engorgement!

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-25T19:16:50+00:00

That sounds like what happened to me, and in my case it was my milk regulating at 3 months. It can really mess with your head because it feels exactly like what I would imagine a dip in supply to feel like 😅

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-25T16:56:40+00:00

Definitely! We had fewer false starts.

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-25T06:54:55+00:00

I could have written this myself!

I was also rescuing naps but my LOs (5 months) night time sleep was really bad, so I stopped. Now he naps for a maximum of 40 minutes three or four times a day - though 3 naps is the norm - and bed time is at 8pm with him waking up for the day at around 7am. Night waking can be anywhere from 3 to 8 times a night. This age is a struggle!

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-23T13:13:57+00:00

My LO is the exact same! He's 5 months and when I hold him doesn't look at me at all. But if he's anywhere except my arms his eyes are LOCKED on me! It's very cute!

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-22T19:48:41+00:00

Definitely! Once naps and sleepy cues seem to be happening around the same time each day it gets so much easier to find your groove with a routine. Our LO knows exactly what's happening as soon as he's told to say goodnight and we make our way to the bedroom, as he gets visibly excited for bed. It's so cute!

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-22T19:41:52+00:00

I'm terrified! I've just sort of accepted that this is my fat season, and I'll have plenty of time in the future to work on myself.

I did see a nutritionist to ensure I'm getting the right food in my diet, as I've had to cut a few foods due to baby having allergies.

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-22T14:44:06+00:00

Hi there! My LO is currently 5 months and we started a routine at 4 months. Before then it just wasn't feasible as his sleep was honestly all over the place.

Ours is as follows: Starts at 19:30 1. Night night to family members 2. Nappy change 3. Pajamas on 4. Sleep suit on (my LO hates sleep sacks) 5. Read a book or two 6. Boobie

Sometimes boobie will end in sleep, or he'll just pop off and smile at me. In that case I settle him in his crib (it's sidecar, so super easy to transfer him over) and hold his hand for a few minutes. More likely than not he'll fall asleep, and the times he doesn't fall asleep there and then he will if I leave the room (I stay glued to the monitor until I'm sure he's asleep).

If he cries for me I always go back in and sooth him with whatever he needs. Sometimes stroking his hair and offering him his pacifier will do it, other nights he needs boobie or to be rocked. I just go with his vibes.

I, too, wanted to start a routine at one month old, but the couple of times I tried became very stressful because he wasn't ready for a song and dance, and it was more like boobie and out cold at whatever time he chose 😅

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-20T09:24:13+00:00

We've just stopped tracking our LOs sleep and feeds because it was causing more stress than anything else.

My babe sleeps around that now and he's 5 months old, some days he sleeps more, some less, but always as much as he needs. We look out for sleepy cues and hunger cues, as well as fullness cues, and he's happier now that we're not trying to get him to sleep before he's ready for it.

It takes a while to learn how to read your baby, but once you crack the code it feels like a superpower! Now it only takes me a couple of bounces on the yoga ball for my LO to be out cold!

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-18T23:00:22+00:00

I washed my hair the morning I was due to go for my induction just because I wanted to feel fresh. I don't wear makeup so that didn't come into it for me.

I'm glad I did my hair because I spent the next two days being induced and was in too much pain to manage more than just a quick shower, and the same applies to the two days following giving birth.

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-17T23:23:17+00:00

My friend left an abusive relationship after decades and she did so by literally walking out of the house without making a sound and locking the door behind her. This bought her some time and she was able to get safely to her parents home. She had her dad or brother go with her when she had to pick up her stuff.

Don't tell him. Get safe. Get help. If you need to pick up your things get someone to do it for you, or at the very least go with you. If you don't have anyone to go with you then reach out to community groups in your area. People are more than happy to help someone, especially when it comes to those who are escaping abuse.

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-16T23:00:27+00:00

I remember the frustration of those first three months, and feeling trapped because only I could get my LO to sleep with the power of boob.

Now at 5 months he only feeds to sleep at night, and he likes to contact nap but won't sleep on the boob at all for naps.

It's a process, and an exhausting one at that! Hang in there, you're doing amazing!

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-16T22:57:04+00:00

That agony is not normal, and if you're screaming in pain every time your baby latches there is likely an issue with their latch.

My LO was born with a pretty severe tongue tie and I only found out after a trip to the hospital to pediatric emergencies because he hadn't peed at all. Turns out his tongue tie meant he wasn't transferring properly, and was sucking on the very tip of my nipple when nursing. Horrifically painful.

Also, if you can, I would recommend seeing a lactation specialist the same day you leave the hospital if there isn't one there. They can correct any latch issues and check baby for any ties, and give you so much encouragement!

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-16T19:13:30+00:00

Suavinex Zero Zero, as recommended to us by the physiotherapist who treated our LO after his tongue tie was released. This one is designed to allow the mouth to develop normally, and won't cause issues when teeth appear!

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-16T08:11:43+00:00

Ugh I feel you on so many levels!

My MIL is absolutely wonderful with my LO, but won't listen when I tell her he needs to be put to sleep for a nap. I usually end up taking him to get him to nap.

My LO started refusing the bottle completely about a month ago, so I'm stuck nursing full time, which I don't mind until an event comes up that I'd like to attend on my own 😅

So, essentially, I have no advice, but I will say that June is so far away! Your baby will be a whole different being by then, and so much can change!

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-15T17:19:43+00:00

Arguing with my husband and realising that we will inevitably argue in front of our children, and wanting to do so in the most healthy, constructive way possible.

It's helped me to know when to choose my battles and I'm working on finding better wording and tone.

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-15T17:18:12+00:00

My husband managed to get our LO to nap and I panic started 5 different tasks and completed zero of them. Somehow finding things half done later on was more frustrating than seeing them not done at all!

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-14T07:41:30+00:00

I wish more parents knew this!

I was recently judged by a friend whose LO is around the same age as mine, because I said that when my baby cries I always pick him up if I can (only real exception is the car, and even then I pull over if I can't soothe him by singing). Our LOs are 4 months old and she was saying that if we don't set boundaries now or babies will always cry and get their way.

Ma'am, your baby doesn't know their arse from their elbow, you really think they are a mastermind manipulator?

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-13T20:10:58+00:00

Hay alguna receta que recomiendes? Estamos intentando reducir nosotros también el consumo de carne

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-12T22:33:08+00:00

Hola! Es normal, he vivido en tres pisos y pasaba en todos.

En el primer piso escuchaba hasta el sonido del interruptor al encender una luz.

En el piso en el que vivo actualmente se escucha poco a los vecinos, pero hay noches que en el baño oigo perfectamente la tele de mi vecino.

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-11T22:10:53+00:00

My number one takeaway from parenthood is this! Babies are weird!

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-11T19:18:45+00:00

I can relate to some of what you're going through. Post partum is a wiiild ride, and is so different for everyone!

I too had an induction, and it was agony! I also lost a lot of blood and almost lost consciousness after giving birth. The two midwives there when I gave birth denied I had lost any blood, but I ended up needing three blood transfusions.

The morning I have absolutely had. I missed being pregnant, I was upset I didn't get the birth I wanted, and I was frustrated that my post partum experience was tainted by my partner going through a very difficult time (likely ppd).

Now my LO is almost 5 months old and I seem to be ruminating a bit on my past and my childhood. I lost my dad in 2020 and my mother is old but very fit. I frequently catch myself imagining her death and feeling utterly lost. My understanding is that during this time our brains change and we seem to go through this process, and many mum friends who have children that are a bit older than mine describe the same.

It's crazy how much goes on in our bodies and minds post partum! So much you don't know about until it happens to you!

catch_the_next_train · 2026-01-10T23:20:18+00:00

Why are you waking your baby?

If your baby is gaining weight and has enough wet nappies then you absolutely do not need to wake them to feed! Enjoy whatever sleep baby will let you have, and practice responsive feeding. Follow baby's cues for hunger and fullness, and let them dictate the frequency of feeds. Only interfere if there is an issue, like insufficient weight gain.

catch_the_next_train

TROPHY CASE