DD is 18 months. I plan on BFing natural term (probably with a gentle nudge from me if I've had enough sooner than she has) but her nighttime/morning habits are driving me slightly potty!
currently she feeds before bed and then goes to sleep In her cot while I hold her hand. sometime between 9pm and (very occasionally) 1-3am she wakes for a feed and I bring her into our bed (rarely I can put her back for a bit, mostly either I fall asleep or she cries so I don't) for the night.
my problem is she wants to feed constantly (and change sides frequently) between about 4 and 9am and will cry if I say no. I'm getting hardly any sleep and I'm really fed up with having a grumpy child who seems to do nothing but cry and hang off my legs while I try and make breakfast/get ready for the day. she wakes at the moment when I have my last nighttime wee (a whole other thread) around 5-6am and then refuses to go back to sleep despite being desperately tired.
if I feed her and let her climb all over me/poke my face she might eventually go back to sleep but usually I get cross and say no and her crying ends up waking the whole family - then DS gets up and refuses to go back to bed (another whole story) and there's no way I'm getting any more sleep.
honestly I think if I didn't get up for a wee (not an option) and just let her feed she'd sleep until about 8 and continue feeding until 9 and be up for the day happy, full and rested- but DS starts nursery next week and we have to be there at 8.45 so again this is not an option - plus I'm fed up with feeding for hours constantly, it's like having a newborn again and I just want some sleep without being prodded and poked!
she's just so wriggly too, I've always got a foot in my neck or she's bouncing up and down which makes me feel quite nauseous and irritated.
I'm not looking to wean her completely, I just want to stop these marathon feeding sessions in the early hours (when I need the most sleep) and have a happy baby instead of a whingy clingy one every morning until about 10am. I used Jay Gordon's night weaning method with DS at 15 months but I think he was ready for it. I tried a month or two ago with DD and it didn't go well. I can't handle any length of crying and she did a lot so I figured she wasn't ready.
I'm also feeling awful guilt and worry about complaining because she went on a nursing strike at 12 month's for 13 days, I missed it so much I swore I'd never resent it again
any tips or stories? Will this come to an end naturally or can I do something about it without tears? I kept thinking it'd stop on its own but it's been 6 months now and has become something of a habit
sorry for the huge post
Please or to access all these features
Please
or
to access all these features
Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.
Infant feeding
cluster feeding toddler
5 replies
NiceCupOfTeaAndASitDown · 20/04/2014 07:50
OP posts:
Please create an account
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.