Going back to work - on no sleep?!

[TheABC]

Had a horrendous night with DS teething (7 months). At the moment I am doing all the night wakings as DH needs to be safe to drive to work. I finish maternity leave in 4 weeks and I am really worried about being able to function ( I drive too). On a normal night, DS wakes 3-4 times!

Any tips?

[MyNameIsKenAdams]

Splitting the night wakings is only fair when you both work ft. Your DH could do all wakings before say 1am, and you do the ones after (having gone down early?)

Does your dh do the night wakings at weekends when he doesnt need to drive thw next day?

[TheABC]

Not at the moment, as DS is breastfed and most of the time fussed for the boob. He will take a bottle though, so it's a possibility in the future.

[NormHonal]

Sympathy. I went back to work when DC1 was 6mo and still waking for the boob 2-3 times a night. It was all a bit of a blur, but we muddled through (somehow).

No tips, sorry, other than catching up at weekends as much as possible!

[ApplySomePressure]

Sympathies. I went back to teaching when DS was 5mo and up 5-8 times a night.

He's 10mo now and still up 2-3 times for a bottle.

It gets easier and you will get used to it. You just muddle through!

[RockabillyKitty]

Ive been back at work 3 mo and DS is 12 mo now and STILL wakes 4-5 times from when he goes to sleep (7.30 ish) to when he wakes (5/6am) and ONLY accepts boob to get back to sleep. Worse when he's teething. All I can say is you will be tired but, amazingly you just manage somehow. I drive 20 mins and make sure I've had bfast and coffee before I leave, but sometimes the journey is a blur. Early nights a few times a week, cook batches of food at the wkend, that sort of thing. We co-sleep so at least all I have to do is roll over and flip a boob out and manage to doze a bit. Good luck

[User3433399]

You'll be tired but you will manage. My DD was still waking multiple times when I went back to work when she was 12 months. I had to get up at 5.45am most work days, so going to bed as early as poss was essential (i.e. at about 9pm) I got PG again pretty soon and had morning sickness on top of that, and still managed (no idea how - I think you just cope!)

You could try sleep training, it never worked for us but it has been a godsend for other friends. Good luck!

[Liveinthepresent]

Sympathy here too. I spent most of the end of maternity leave with a sense of impending doom about this.
I have been back on reduced hours for a month and I won't lie it has been incredibly hard some days.
I am coping better than I expected though - mainly because actually once I am at work it isn't as exhausting as a day with a baby and a toddler! I have had huge amounts of support from other sleep deprived parents and I am cherishing my time with DS all the more from the absences.
Also can I admit that knowing someone else is responsible for creating the elusive ideal combination of daytime naps that creates a better night sleep is strangely liberating?!

I agree with PP who say you will cope - especially if you plan for it now and come up with little ways of making life easier - early nights, naps at weekend, easy food, DH has been graciously giving me all the lie ins at the weekend ( he is exhausted too!) and I am using my holiday very strategically - 1 week off in April, again in May, taking odd Fridays off to reduce length of week.
At work depending on your role - I find planning to do harder tasks earlier in the day helps me as I fade in brainpower as the day progresses.

Apart from all that I just keep telling myself it will hopefully get easier not harder and I will consider gentle sleep training at Easter if its not got better.

Sorry for the rather rambling response - think I have just found that quite therapeutic.
Good luck OP !

[Bulldozers]

Have you considered co-sleeping? I know it's not for everyone but it allows me to get enough sleep despite numerous wakes ups.

[TheABC]

Thanks, everyone. We have the cot alongside the bed and co sleep when it's a really bad night. It's good to know we will cope and I like the tip about using leave strategically.