My Nighttime Selective Hearing

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

I've heard of kids having selective hearing, and I know plenty of Dads who have selective hearing. Particularly during Football season or in the middle of the night, but right now I am experiencing Mum selective hearing and it is so strange to me. Apparently I have suddenly developed night time selective hearing with my children, and I do not hear Ezra cry, I just sleep right through it.

This selective hearing hasn't just happened once, but multiple time now. I wake up in the morning after my night of getting up a couple of times to feed Willow when she cries, only to discover that there had been a whole other kind of drama in our house that I had slept through and was blissfully unaware of. Joel will look at me with bewilderment and disbelief the next morning that I didn't hear Ezra screaming really loudly in our bedroom right next to me at 1am. One night Joel got up multiple times to Ezra crying in his bed or because he wandered into our room and I didnt hear a thing, when I woke in the morning I was completely clueless. This has happened several time now since Willow was born, but I still wake to the smallest whimper from baby Willow, and of course, Joel doesn't hear her at all.

What is happening? Is my Mummy brain so tuned into my baby girl that it just blocks everything else out to let me get some rest? I heard every noise from Ezra in the middle of the night right up until Willow was born. I used to get up to Ezra in the night and Joel was the one blissfully unaware, but it seems that now the roles have reversed, I'm so glad he hears Ezra or we would be in trouble! In some ways it amazes me at how well our family unit works in the middle of the night, and none of it was deliberate.

So, has this ever happened to you too?

Karen xx

Because it is Tuesday, I'm linking up with Jess for #IBOT

 

20 comments on "My Nighttime Selective Hearing"
  1. Oh, now that is interesting! It must be your bodies way of giving you the rest you need. Your little ones are just gorgeous. I think middle of the night routines find their own way of working out. Anyone who tries to plan them is in real trouble! Enjoy the selective hearing ;)

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  2. That's so good that it is working out perfectly! I wake to every little sound that Max makes and Phillip sleeps right on through (even when he is in the bed with us)... It makes me wonder what it will be like when baby two comes along. But this story gives me hope :)

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  3. Go the selective hearing - a shame that hasn't afflicted me yet :(

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  4. {www.crazyspeedylove.com}
    I love it....! And I understand! The other morning I woke up to all 3 boys in our bed and Troy was gone - asleep in the boys room! Didn't hear or feel a thing!

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  5. Holy shit, I know exactly what you are talking about, only my deafness to Punky started the last few weeks of pregnancy. I just don't hear her unless Dave wakes me but I hear every noise Zee makes. Thankfully though the two night shifts Dave has done so far I have woken to Punky but when he is here I haven't, so my brain must somehow know when Dave is not here and that I need to hear both kids and allow it. Brains are seriously weird things!

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  6. Maybe its your way of getting the much needed rest you need. If Joel wasn't there I'm sure you would wake straight up.

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  7. I gave up trying to plan night routines a long time ago, I'm just learning to live on minimal sleep!! x Karen

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  8. That used to be exactly what we were like, so hopefully it happens for you too!! Getting up to two kids in the night is no fun! x Karen

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  9. I know it's actually pretty great, I feel so much more rested haha! x Karen

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  10. Ha, that sounds exactly like something I would do right now. I think the men need their fair share of night adventures anyway!

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  11. Our brains are seriously so weird!!! That's awesome, at least you woke to Punky, I wonder how long it would take me to hear Ez if Joel was away! X Kare

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  12. That's what I figure Annaleis. I'm hoping I would wake, I guess I just don't feel the responsibility for him knowing that Joel can take care of him alone! x Karen

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  13. Yep. This has happened more than once, and these day's it's Boatman that is more likely to hear the kids at night. I'm sure it's juts your body making sure you get some rest, otherwise you would probably go nuts!

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  14. Can you send a bit of that my way? I swear I am the only person in this house who hears anything! It would be a little unnerving though to suddenly switch your ear off to certain sounds.

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  15. Oh I would definitely go nuts having to get up to them both!! It's nice to know Men get to experience the joys of night waking!! x Karen

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  16. It is so unnerving, that is totally the right word! It's hard to believe I can sleep that deeply. x Karen

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  17. My partner and I don't live together and I find that on the nights that he is staying with us that he is more likely to hear Mr 4 if he wakes up.

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  18. I most definitely have selective hearing ... and very good ear plugs ;) xx

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  19. Wow - that's so interesting. I often wonder how my housemate doesn't hear my daughter screaming in the night - but she assures me she doesn't hear a thing! Maybe your instinctive mummy brain just said - time to prioritise...!!

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  20. That's very interesting! I hear it all. Even when there's nothing to hear. I often wake one, other or both of the kids by racing into their room(s) when nothing in fact has happened!

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