To ask what on earth you do to stay awake during night feeds that doesn't wake DP

[Justasconfusedwithnumber2]

Suggestions welcome, I have a 2 week old that doesn't really like feeding laying down aargh. So what can I do to stay awake? TV is a no no as it will wake DP. How do you use your time?

Send DH to the spare room - you need to stay awake whilst feeding, it's not safe to fall asleep holding the baby, you could accidentally suffocate him. I used to put the light on, read, MN on my phone, walk around if I was super exhausted and at risk of falling asleep sitting down.

If it's the light that's bothering DH he can wear a sleep mask. Then you can play on your phone till your heart' s content.

We have a rocking chair and a changing station (built by dh) in our bedroom. I tend to sit in the rocking chair, and mumsnet or read my kindle with back light, or listen to audio books with headphones. I also have a very soft red tinted night light. I never wanted to cosleep, so that's working well for us. If dh struggles with the light he wears a sleep mask.

This chair is BRILLIANT for feeding. So much more comfortable than in bed. We had this on the spare room so I'd just go in there and feed in peace and scroll through Mumsnet

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/poaeng-armchair-white-stained-oak-veneer-hillared-anthracite-s39286582/

Phone, kindle, audio book.

If your partner doesn't like it, frankly that's tough luck. He has a newborn baby so cant carry on like he doesnt. He can sleep in the spare room, get earplugs/eye mask, go to bed earlier or just suck it up.

I realise DH has to be up early and is hands on with your other DC ,but really Glaring at you ! Surely he doesnt expect to sleep right through with a new baby? Send him to the Sofa!

I used to go downstairs with all the lights off and watch tv. I managed to get through Game of Thrones pretty epically when DS was a newborn!

I second the IKEA chair linked to up thread. I also change in another room because I hate the thought of doing it in the bedroom and it would wake up my husband unnecessarily who needs to work and look after the toddler. Try the ikea chair with your laptop set up in the nursery and bluetooth headphones?

Backlit Kindle paperwhite and Mumsnet. The reality is if you want something to look at in the dark it needs a light so DH can suck it up and turn over away from you, or move.

It’s much easier to send him to sleep in another room for the first few months. Surprised he hasn’t decamped already! My DH slept in the spare room til cosleeping dd2 was 6 months.

Yeah, your dh needs to suck it up and be grateful he isn't having to wake up and feed. Or he can sleep elsewhere. If phone light is keeping him awake he can't be particularly sleep deprived!

All these husbands who can't deal with being woken up by a nappy change sound like complete twats. My husband helps if he wakes, which he usually does because baby cries every time.

OP kindle with a back light for me. I have a pillow mountain. You might find your boobs get smaller so you can feed lying down.

Early days breast feeding I fed on the sofa with the tv, lamp on and surrounded by drinks and snacks.

Now I ready my kindle, watch TV on iPad with only subtitles and MN.

DH sleeps in the baby’s room.

I just had a chair next to the bed. This was in the olden days before phones, tablets etc, so I just sat there until baby was done.

When baby moved into their own room, I moved the chair too and fed in there. I never mastered reading a proper book one handed so just sat there too.

Audio book, Netflix and headphones (wireless so no risk of cable)

Cosleeping. I am from a culture where almost everyone cosleeps. I used to ruffle baby bed so that it looked like the baby slept there before the HV came over :D

Read a book. Use your knee top keep it open. I read the whole of Wolf Hall doing night feeds, best book I've ever read.

Also, make sure you get sleep during the day if your baby sleeps.

I used to go downstairs with mine and put the TV on if the husband was at home. The natternet hadn't been invented when mine were babies.
He would often get up for work and find me sprawled out on the sofa fast asleep.
I seemed to spend a lot of time sleeping on the sofa with a baby 😂

I discovered mumsnet while on nightfeeds

I watch tv on my phone and wear headphones. Read kindle app or mumsnet on my phone.

IsnDP a surgeon or operator of heavy machinery? If not he can bloody well wake up.

Safest thing is for him to wake up too to keep you awake. Then he can do the nappy change and settle baby while you catch up on some much needed sleep.

Even if you’re not bothered about waking your partner I think it’s still good to keep light/sound etc to a minimum because it helps teach your baby the difference between day and night. That’s what I read anyway though mine was a terrible sleeper regardless 🤣

@Viviene guess what, my HV actually recommended I coslept this time. They have realised that falling asleep by accident due to exhaustion on a sofa is way more dangerous than cosleeping and I follow the Lullaby guidelines

Safest thing is for him to wake up too to keep you awake. Then he can do the nappy change and settle baby while you catch up on some much needed sleep.

So when does he get to sleep?