Ok, I know you are not psychic but imagine you are & tell me what to do

[Bumperlicious]

So dd1 is going to grandma's this weekend so dh is going to do a night with dd2 who is 8 weeks. Currently she sleeps 6-7 hours from about 12/1am till 7ish, but only after cluster feeding in the evening.

What I need is to go to bed about 10-11 & get 8 or 9 hours sleep to feel a bit more human. How should we do this? Dd usually feeds to sleep on the breast. Might she do this on the bottle? How much should dh give her before bed? Any advice? Please give me you predictions just to give me a frame of reference.

Am guessing at that age 4oz is a full feed?

Pump or feed at 9.30pm already in pjs with teeth brushed etc and go to straight bed with ear plugs ideally in a different room to your DH. Otherwise you will be woken up when he gets up to sort her out.

Then offer a top up, although as you don't want to waste BM best to try just 1oz. If she drinks it he can warm up more - I'd make up lots of bottles with 1oz in each!

If she normally settles at midnight your DH should try and settle the baby. We had success at that age DH sitting on gym ball bouncing holding dummy in baby's mouth. Or he could take her out for drive in the car?

Also wanted to say that I tried what you are suggesting with DD (my first)when she was little. Except DH wasn't as good as me at getting her to sleep on account of not having breasts and I woke up when I heard her crying, so it didn't really work.

She took a bottle for the first time the other day, just in the afternoon, she had 5oz then still wanted to feed from me!

I'd try her on the bottle again before the weekend.

Reason I say this is because first time I offered my ds2 (a week older than your dd) he took it straight away and drank a full 4oz's. Only problem is, he has completely refused to take a bottle since so my plan for an early night has gone to pot.

Good luck though. I hope she'll be fine.

Will try & squeeze one in but dh working till 7 tomorrow so may not be able to.

Think the key is going to be not to expect success otherwise I will be really frustrated if I get woken at 2am with a hysterical baby.

Right, dh has about 12oz of milk. I am in bed finishing my cuppa. Dd2 currently moaning but dh trying to hold off feeding her till 11. I am going to stick my earphones in and hope it is at least 8am before I get woken up!

Send sleeping vibes to my dd2 will you?

Well am awake and feeding so as you can tell it's not gone v well. She took 2oz of the bottle then refused any more. Dh didn't want to wake me but I woke up & could hear her crying :(

I think when babies are this little the cluster feeding is only partly for actual milk and the rest is for comfort.

I remember when DD was that age DH used to give her a bottle of expressed milk in the evening so that I could have a bath. Even with 5oz she'd drink the lot and be crying again before I had the chance to finish bathing. We'd then be cluster feeding for another 2/3 hours after.

actually think much better trying to catch up on sleep during the day.... eg afternoon nap for you at weekends, get DH to take baby out somewhere with some EBM.