The short answer – yes, you will. The long, and definitley less attractive, answer – I have no idea when. I’m sorry. I feel for you. All I can tell you is that I have been there. All mothers have, so you are not alone.
I remember well the raw, god-will-this-ever-end feeling of not having any sleep for nights on end. That awful, no-energy lethargy that comes from being awake at odd hours with a baby that just won’t go back to sleep! Or just being up multiple times a night – period. It’s something you just can’t prepare for. The part that depressed me the most as a first-time Mom, was the not knowing. Not knowing when it would end – will he be 4 months or 18 months when he sleeps through the night?
I had read copious books – they all contradicted each other, so that didn’t help. Finally, I took what I could from each of them and threw them away. What got me through the nightmare? Friends with 2 children who said that it will end. At some point. Then you will be onto something else. And a mantra – This Too Shall Pass. That mantra got me through many, many nights of rocking and nursing my son back to sleep.
I want you to know that you have options. You don’t have to wait for baby to be ready if that’s what you decide. Of course, you as a parent have to ready to make changes, as these will invariably involve some level of crying from baby. Change always involves stress (even the positive type), and babies let us know they are stressed by crying. So, if you look at it like that, it makes it a little easier to understand and bear.
Also – very important for Mom and Dad to be on the same page. This is a team effort and will be more effective if you both agree. There are great sleep consultants out there if that is the route you decide to go. One I recommend is Dawnn Whittaker (www.cheekychops.ca). Dawnn is caring and professional, and will educate you on babies’ sleep patterns (which are very different to adults’). She is also aware that everyone is different, and will work with your family to come up with a plan to suit you.
If you are not ready to go this route, no problem. Take your time. The sure thing is that if you are not ready, you will be giving your baby mixed messages which will only frustrate you and prolong the situation. It’s OK to wait. I trust that sleep will come…