Help! My baby has become really clingy and I am desperate for a night out!!

[boolean]

I am feeling really guilty about this, so any advice or tips would be really appreciated.

DD is 19 weeks old and has suddenly started getting really upset when DH has tried to do her bed time routine. We recently started putting her to bed a bit earlier (8.30/9.00) so we could have a bit of time to ourselves, as she was going to bed late (10.30/11.00).

I am BFing but give her a bottle before bed. She has been doing this since 6-7 weeks so is fine with it. Normally she is absolutely fine with DH giving her the bottle and settling her down, but for the last two nights she has screamed the house down, and stopped literally the second he handed her to me. Last night she even burst into tears every time she looked at him, and he had to leave the room!! He took it quite well, bless him, it would've broken my heart but anyway...

I am due for a much-needed night out on Friday. Now of course I am really fretting that she will get hysterical and I won't be there to help. I would suggest to him that she just stay up until I get back at about 10.00 but she is getting so overtired now (she doesn't like napping during the day now that her bedtime is a bit earlier!) that I think that would just make the situation worse.

I am also stressed because she now wakes for a 4am feed whereas before she slept through, so as I will have been drinking I can't do what I usually do and bring her into bed and pop her on the boob for the night feed.

So all in all I am in a right tizz and thinking that it would be easier to forget the whole thing!!

[drjane]

Just go - it'll do all of you the world of good. Without you there as an alternative option, your DD will probably settle fine with your DH. And if not, it's only a couple of hours for him to cope with a moody baby.

Regarding the night bf, unless you go on an absolute bender, which I'm guessing is unlikely then you will be fine to bf at 4am as the alcohol levels in your milk disapate (sp?) at the same rate as they do from your bloodstream IYSWIM.

Have fun!

[boolean]

Well that's kind of what I wanted to hear and also what I was scared of hearing!! DH isn't keen on me going, I can tell, which doesn't help...

[gagarin]

Don't worry - he'll call you home anyway... when it gets too much for him.

And you'll spend the evening worrying...and you prob won't drink much cos of worrying!

[boolean]

All true. When do nights out start being fun again, exactly? Or is that it for the old social life until they grow up and leave home?!

[ChocOrange05]

Boolean my DS has just started behaving in the same way (he is 16 weeks). Last week I went for a night out in London - 1 hour away - and he wouldn't take the bottle from DH (despite taking it fine most nights) he screamed and screamed whenever it was presented. When I got home I popped in the breast which he took happily, I then took it out and put in the bottle instead (to see what would happen) and he drank the whole 6oz

Also we have just been at my mums and when I leave the room he starts crying (sometimes) and calming when he see's me - I mean its flattering and all but a bit worrying too. Oh and my DS was sleeping through most nights but woke the last 2 at 4am for a feed. Sounds like our two would make a perfect match!!

Good luck!

[boolean]

Thanks ChocOrange05