BF in the middle of the night thread...how to stay awake!

[MummyPigandDaddyPig]

( distributes tea biscuits and nursing pillows allround....)

How do yo stay awake at night feeding??? Am struGgling to stay awake and have a sore thumb from playing solitaire on the iphone...alternates with reading muMsnet, daily mail and facebook....

What else is easy reading websites, games apps that dont require any brainpower that I cana entertain myself with? Any tips how to stay awake? Am seriously tired here!

Have cosleept with my dc's from approx 8-10 weeks, which makes night feeds easier, but I have weeks to go until then and wont dare to bedshare yet as older dc's still turn up in qour bed at night....

Have a great holiday babylon

I'm in need of matchsticks too minipop baby susieloo did 3.5 for first stint and then stuck to two and a half hours with his usual hour awake from about five

I'm off to my parents for the day and night so nanny and grandpa can indulge themselves with lots of cuddles, which is fine by me!!

Have a great day everyone

OMG..! Why why why has she taken to waking up every 2-2.5 hrs for a feed...?! Been 5 days now and I'm getting exhausted again

The good thing is that although she cries for it, she's not really waking up, so goes back down relatively easily, and they are short feeds (both sides within 20mins. After the first 3 mins I have been feeling tonight like the flow is quite slow so tried compression etc but I don't really feel I have loads there again... Maybe that's why she's increased the frequency- to get the supply up...?

I did wonder if she's crying cos she's woken and wants comfort but she's not completely asleep when I put her back down and she settles herself off ok.

Unfortunately too because of her small size and need to catch up, I just have to go with it for now.... Fingers crossed it eases up in next few days!

We're gonna make a concerted effort to try a bottle again from tomorrow. Feed done, off back to bed, hopefully won't be back for at least 3 hrs!!

Oh my goodness Sarita five days of 2 hour feeds isn't good, but maybe she's growing...? Fingers crossed it doesn't last much longer.

MiniPop had a day of this yesterday, waking every 2 hours for feed, then screaming the house down in between feeds, not entirely sure what's going on but he is definitely not happy about something.

Back to the doctors we go tomorrow.

All I know is that I am SO tired I feel sick, we have family coming today so can't even get any extra naps.

I've taken to playing Draw Something and replying to texts and emails to try and help keep me awake during the night... really hate the nighttimes.. gah!!

Someone has replaced my baby with a new screamy one!! Nightmare last three nights, I think he's got colic, fine all day apart from the usual grizzles then from six until now he's screaming and cluster feeding and today got himself so hot his babygro was soaked with sweat-I didn't know newborns could sweat so much so panicked until I googled it. it doesn't help that its so muggy.

Baby susieloo really doesn't like the heat.

I did try him with a dummy tonight to try to stop the comfort sucking/feeding but he wasnt impressed at all, he is starting to find his thumb though.

Hv came out today and he is still gaining weight very quickly, he's put on two pounds six ounces in two weeks so averaging three ounces a day!!! She is still maintaining I can't over feed him but another reason I want to substitute a dummy for my boob sometimes when he just wants comfort not food.

I'm also struggling without my daytime naps, my dp's six year old is staying with us all week and dp is at work so I'm in the same boat as people with more than a baby to look after.

Hope you get some rest tonight sarita and minipop*. As soon as the baby goes to sleep im going to bed

Awful night, baby susieloo had three hours and is now wide awake, really not sure what's going on with him, hope it's not going to take another four hours to get him to sleep again and really hope he isn't poorly

Wrote this at midnight and forgot to click post!!:
"Evening all! First gap 4hr- yey! :) but DH just tried a bottle with no luck- boo :( !

She's been a bit better today although had another v sore blocked milk duct on one side, and just noticed I have one on the other side too- ouchy!

I tried a warm bath earlier- warm not hot because we put DD Periwinkle in with me too- hilarious! She looked a bit confused to begin with but then seemed quite happy kicking her legs etc :o

I hope babies minipop and susieloo are better tonight too."

and wow- just gone another 4hr stint- woo hoo!!!

Oh dear susieloo, it's horrid when things don't go to plan and they're up all night :( how old is he now? I'm finding it quite frustrating that we seem to get on top of things and work things out, and suddenly it all changes and there are new issues.... I guess that's babies for you!

Fingers crossed he settled off and you're able to get some precious shut-eye.

Hope all the other mummies and babies are doing well...! I'm guessing that rather a lot of them are sleeping through better now... :o

Yay for periwinkles first bath blocked ducts sound very painful.

I think baby susieloo has got a temperature dss has just woken up with a raging fever and thrown up, his sister has got tonsillitis so I'm really hoping he hasn't got that and now passed it on to the baby
I'm going to call nhs direct to see what they suggest I can do if anything when he wakes up.

Oh susieloo I hope baby is ok and hasn't caught anything. Do you have any calpol or liquid paracetamol?

Sarita congratulations on the 4 hour gaps! But ouch to the blocked ducts.

BabyTea has just slept for a mindboggling 5+ hours, and probably would have carried on a bit longer if I hadn't had to wake him up to deal with a massive poosplosion (which he then repeated while feeding). I cannot believe he slept for that long. He had two bottles yesterday evening, one as I was out, and the other just before bed with a top up bf (it was either give him the bottle or chuck it). I expressed before I bf him, as I was a bit full from being out all evening, but then for him to sleep for 5 hours, they were like rocks! Gave them a good old massage while he fed just now, and they feel a bit better, but they are not completely soft. Mammoth expressing session when I get up, me thinks!

Minipopsmum I hope minipop has been better tonight, and that visiting family didn't exhaust you too much! Hope you are getting some rest.

Right, DS doesn't seem to think it is time to go back to sleep... And I let the cat out, but he has found his "friend" outside and they are having a miaowing match outside my window. Shush kitties!

Morning tea

5 hours is fantastic and I sympathise re rock hard boobs, I wake up in agony in a pool of milk sometimes-lovely!!

Baby seems to have cooled down and the last feed was more of a dream feed so I think he may sleep and feed and not a lot else for the next few hours, he was awake for so long yesterday and no real sleep until the early hours.

Dp is going to take dss to the drs I think so I'm going to ask him to get me a thermometer suitable for the baby and some calpol if they do one for 5 week olds on the way home.

I'm far too tired or wired not sure which to sleep so going to have a cup of tea and see what the day brings

Oh wow Tea what was in the bottle? :o can MiniPop have some of that? 5 hours is amazing. Hope the expressing goes well, I guess there are some upsides to not having a good milk supply - never get rock hard boobies or leaking milk.

Hope babyloo feels better and gets lots of rest and doesn't develop any other poorly-ness

MiniPop did his usual 3 hours last night, and I even managed to express overnight, which is a miracle as usually I am dead on my feet - found energy from somewhere (and a cereal bar :))

Had to take him to the doctors as the ranitidine doesn't seem to be doing much for his reflux, despite being on it for two weeks already. He's currently snoozing in a sling strapped to me, and is due to wake up in 20 minutes for next feed - what's the betting he sleeps longer?!?

How did you get on with the dr minipop?

Me and babyloo have decamped to my parents house, our house has the plague!!

Dss went to the walk in clinic and as we thought he has tonsillitis, dr advised keeping the baby away from him because of his age and he could catch it, dp will have to take another day off tomorrow, which will go down very badly with his work, to stay with him, just as I decided I could cope with both of them tomorrow and keep them away from each other dss projectile vomitted all over the stairs on the way to the toilet and the baby woke up starving and with a dirty nappy, cue phone call to my parents asking if we can stay for a couple of days. I've also got a digital thermometer being delivered tomorrow so I can stop all the does he doesn't he have a temperature stuff.

He's been very quiet today but I think he's just shattered, bath time now and aiming for bed by eight

Minipopsmum just an awful lot of milk! That was two 4oz bottles of EBM in the space of 3 hours, followed by a bit of bf, and he was out for the count! No way I'd be able to keep up with expressing enough to do that very often though, maybe just once a week. Still, might be worth it if that's how long he can go!

What did the docs say today?

Sorry about all the lurgy susieloo - hope your parents can help you have a bit of a rest too!

Hope Babylon is having a good holiday. Not seen much of Mummypig lately? I hope that means she's just not up in the night as much. I had a question for her about carrycot wrapping for going on the plane!

Hey there

Currently travelling back up M5 from southwest - cut holiday short after 3 nights

Combination of weather and really not finding it easy to bf in a little campervan through the night.

Baby Babylon has been great tbh, had a really big sleep yesterday afternoon while I did a couple of hours surfing, it's me that's struggling - I had a total meltdown at 2am today

Slinging it down with rain so hard, everything feeling damp and ds really hungry but nowhere to comfortably feed him (5 of us sleeping in little van!)
Ended up in tears, and then again at 5 this morning when I had been sat up in the passenger seat for over 3 hours with neckache

Spent today at the Eden project which is always fab, but expecting a looooong night tonight as we are all out of routine.

Baby Babylon been asleep for almost 5 hours now so will soon be waking and wanting a mammoth feed and we're still about 100 miles from home

My bum is numb and I really wish I had a teleporting device right now!!!

Hope you got home safe Babylon and mini Babylon is giving you a peaceful night, sorry you cut your holiday short, it sounds really uncomfortable and the weather doesn't help, glad you got to have a surf

We are on first feed of the night after bedtime at eight tonight, baby susieloo doesn't sound very settled though so I wouldn't be surprised if he is up again in a minute, he's playing his new favourite trick of trying to suck his hand through his scratch mit

Hope you are all getting some sleep with peaceful babies

Still up, baby thinks its morning

Hi SusieLoo, hope you managed to get some sleep eventually

I did sort of, but baby Babylon fed constantly from 1.20 to 4.30 then from 5.15 to 7.30!! I co slept last night as was so tired!

Feel ok this morning I think, but after camping, anything feels good!!!

Oh no, sorry to read that babylon :( hope the journey home wasn't too bad?

Well, dr's think it might not be reflux but a problem with the special premmie formula MiniPop is on. I'm so upset as I feel awful that I've not been able to successfully breastfeed and I'm only expressing a small amount each day, supply was never very good in the beginning, and it's even worse now, so Minipop is on 75% formula and 25% EBM.

The poor little thing has such problems with his tummy it kept him awake from 5pm yesterday and he only slept for two hours last night, he was so tired and so hungry but in so much discomfort I could only get 40mls of milk into him between 3am and 9am this morning, ended up having to hold him for most of the night as it was the only place he'd settle, he had a huge poo this morning and after that I was able to feed him and get him off to sleep, although he's still moaning and straining in his sleep now.

Feel so helpless, Drs don't know what to do and I can't get a neonatal appointment until end of September, in the meantime poor MiniPop's eating and sleeping are properly disturbed :(

Sorry for moaning, I know that's not what this thread is about, but I feel so sad about it all, it's horrible seeing him scream and cry in so much discomfort and not being able to do anything apart from hold him.

Oh minipop how awful for you

It's so horrible to see them when they are upset and struggling, I've only really had a couple of nights like that and I felt so helpless and heartbroken I ended up crying along with him so I can't imagine what it must be like for you and you must be exhausted, you are doing a fantastic job for him and please don't worry about bf, some babies just don't seem to get on with breastmilk and formula is what they need, I know so many of my friends who have been in the same situation as you, I realise I am stating the obvious but is there a new formula you can try?

I think this thread is exactly for these sorts of occasions, really hope you and baby minipop have an easier day today x

Thanks susieloo, need to see the consultant or speak to neo natal nurses about milk, have been trying extra hard to express today. :)

Hi everyone! Especially minipopsmum :o

I know it doesn't help change it for you, but i hope it may be of some reassurance....?! : that periwinkle was really like that for quite a few weeks, and then suddenly seemed to calm down a bit... We thought it was probably reflux, although not sure how different she was on medication, the only thing that improved was her weight gain. But minipop is gaining well isn't he? She also had some nutriprem (when she was taking bottles....!!!) and it did seen to upset her tummy more: ie vomited more/gripey belly. Have you tried colief at all? It helps break down lactose and I'm sure this has helped periwinkle a bit. The other thing I am now pretty convinced had something to do with it is the iron meds she was on. I stopped it, and seemed to improve and whenever I try it again we seem to have a 'screamy' bellyache day.... Very unscientific I know, but worth trying without it for a couple if days to see...? (just don't try all these things at once or you won't know which is helping!!! )

The main thing I'd hold onto us that minipop is gaining weight well, which means there isn't anything big wrong with him medically, but I know how hard it is still when they seem in pain all the time :( hang in there, it will get better!

Hello everyone

Funny feeding tonight, 11.30, 12.30 and 2.30 with 45 minutes of awake time afterwards, he had some really big sleeps in the day though, I'm hoping for a three hour stretch now. We are going home tomorrow as dss should no longer be contagious, it's been lovely being at my parents though and the baby seems to like it, our house is so hot for him sometimes and the weather is meant to get warmer again at the weekend which I'm dreading, I've never longed for autumn as much as I do now.

Hope everyone has got some sleep

tonight.

DH got absolutely trashed this evening. I can't get in our room as he is sprawled across floor and I went up to check on him About 5 mins ago and he has been sick all over the floor

Baby Babylon just had a big feed and is tonight asleep in his pram while I'm on the sofa

Oooh I'm cross with DH

Hey saritabean, minipop and SusieLoo, hope you're having restful nights tonight

Oh no Babylon1, you poor thing :(

I feel so for you...! DH did that a few years back (thankfully before we had a baby, and I was so upset and angry that it's fortunately not happened again! (except I better not speak too soon!!!) I think being so upset made him more sorry than my anger.

Aaaarrrgh- periwinkle has been up 2 hrly again tonight . I can only hope it will mean her weigh in tomorrow is a mammoth one! And with no major poo in over 24hrs, that should help! (although sods law she'll have a poonami just prior to weigh in!!!) :o