How will I wake up?

[PapaGander]

I have just agreed with my wife that she can return to work with a new job, and that I will take some time off work to care for our first born.

I consider myself to be a pretty capable and hands on dad/ house proud already, but one thing concerns me:

Waking up (before my wife and without disturbing her) to tend to our 10 month old son when he wakes in the night. I'm a really deep sleeper and she isn't. I can sleep through some really loud situations.

I was planning on sleeping separately from my wife initially, trying to align my sleep pattern with his, and sleeping with the monitor next to my head on loud - any other suggestions would be most welcome

For my husband and me, we usually both wake up but we alternate the nights we're on 'duty'. When I went back and DH took several months off, I still did most nights as I was breastfeeding.

I think the baby monitor next to your head, turned up loud, is a good options. Separate beds seems pretty extreme. Honestly, just let her wake you if you sleep through it. The simple fact of not having to get up makes waking because the baby's crying so much easier.

Actually, I'd be surprised if she slept through him waking, at least at first.

Thanks Jassy, the separate beds idea would be temporary - I hope I will change routine quickly and be able to share the bed - my wife is still breast feeding so will do the evening feed, but the new job will be tiring for her and the commute is considerable - I want her to be able to sleep properly. Our room is a floor above the baby's . We have a spare room next to baby that I could use and 'insulate' my wife in the roof to sleep soundly. Drastic, but trying to work professionally on no sleep is agony

You could stay in the same room and give your dw a pointy stick :o

How old is your DC? Does she take a bottle ok? They may still need to feed at night. Dd is happy to go through the day without a milk feed while I am at work (she is a bottle refused) but still feeds a lot at night. For this reason I still do most of the night wakings even when dp is not at work. He makes up for this by letting me stay in bed in the mornings while he takes dd.

I do applaud your sentiment though and think its great you'll get that one on one time with your dc. My dp took 3 months off with dd and it was really great for both of them :)

She needs wax earplugs. You share baby's room