Reverse cycling?

[Solasum]

DS is nearly 5mo and since I have gone back to work he has gone from waking once or twice at night, no longer cosleeping and eating regularly throughout the day ti barely eating during the day and feeding at least every couple of hours through the night and ending up back in my bed as I am too tired to take him in and out of his cot. I think this is reverse cycling?

I am happy to continue to feed on demand if he really needs it, and happy he obviously likes BF, but to be honest I am very tired. Is it likely things will improve with weaning? It'd be good to have something to look forward to.

[getagoldtoof]

This is reverse cycling. My son did it at about the same age as I was back at work. Do you express milk during the day? Mine would turn down my lovingly prepared bottles of exprrssed milk and wait for me to get home where he would feed all night long. It really is exhausting if you're working!

You need to decide what your priority is. Do you want to continue bf? If so, you may be able to wean at 6 months and only feed morning and before bed. It took us until about 19 months to get to that stage though... if your priority is getting some sleep/your baby getting some sleep, it may be easier to switch to formula at some point.

[safetyzone]

Oh no... 19 months! I've just gone back to work and baby is doing exactly this. I can pump for England but the max she takes in a working day is 2oz. She's turning 9 months soon but is also totally uninterested in food, will nibble a few bits, have a few spoonful of soup/porridge and that's it.

Sorry OP I have no advice apart from feed her lying down in the night to maximise sleep. I wish I had something useful to say!

[Solasum]

I am expressing at work, about 200ml, which the jursery usually manage to get into him throughout the day. He has had some formula as well though.

I really do want to continue BF. It is a nice way to reconnect when I get home, and it makes me feel less guilty about leaving him. But, 19 months?! Aargh. No easy solution :(

[getagoldtoof]

You will look back with fondness on all the extra time you got with baby at night while they were tiny and you were at work. You won't even remember the 'I'm definitely, 100% going to die of exhaustion at work today' feeling you get all day long now.

In some cultures, reverse cycling is encouraged so work can be done in the day! Lawdy!

[Solasum]

Toof, I hope so! I have been practically force - feeding him all day in the hope of one barely broken night.

[blueshoes]

Co-sleeping and bf-ing lying down at night was my way of coping. My dd and ds did not reverse cycle for the nutrition - they were getting enough by way of solids, milk and liquids during the day. They were feeding for comfort.

Nearly drove me mad as they woke very frequently. Dd had a nursing strike at 17m during to an illness and I took the opportunity to wean her. She suddenly started sleeping through. Ds bf-ed till he was past 3 (not my choice).

Now they are both 7 and 10, I can vouch for getagold's view that it is lovely to get that extra time with them when they are babies. We no longer co-sleep but they are still very close to me as a result. They have no recollection of it though. I don't feel working mothers guilt because I felt I gave so much of myself to them during those times.