How to stay awake during night feeds part 2, sleepy mice need not apply

[technoduck]

Hello!
Carrying on are good work from the first thread , how do we keep are selfs awake? By chatting to each other sleepy heads!

Welcome to all the newbies!
Just doing the first feed of the night on my shiney new tablet!
I'm nearly on my knees now with duckling waking every hour. Went to see my friend today whos baby is three days longer than ducking and she's sleeping for five hour chunks! What am I doing wrong?!

I often think that since breast milk is great in so many ways; wouldn't it be even better if it was more filling so they slept a bit longer between feeds.... :)

You're not doing anything wrong techno, babies just have different sleep patterns. She won't do it forever - not that that is much consolation right now!

Are you offering both breasts at each night feed? (I only ask because I generally haven't unless DS has particularly indicated he's not done, but someone told me that seemed to help their baby sleep for longer)

You are probably just experiencing the tail end of the 3 month growth spurt, and fingers crossed she will change her pattern soon. DS all of a sudden went from waking every 2 hours to doing 4 hours at the first stretch after bedtime, and increasing up to 6 hours (until the next growth spurt came along!).

Just before he started sleeping for longer, I was thinking "I can't take this any more, maybe I should try some formula to see if it helps" (as all my friends' ff babies were sleeping FOREVER at night). Then when he slept for longer a few nights later, I realised I didn't need to. And I am not at all smug that the aforementioned 12-hours-a-night ff babies are now waking up several times a night as they hit the 4 month sleep regression, no not at all... (actually, I'm not smug, as DS' sleeping is so utterly random - but I hope it made them regret all the bragging they did earlier on!!!)

We had a long walk along the river today so I'm hoping all that fresh air will help DS sleep well tonight

technoduck we are hourly here too at the moment I am on my 11th feed in nearly 24 hours (I have an app - my brain is too mushy to remember that myself lol) I am desperate to get more than 2 hours sleep in a row but its just not happening

Thank you for the advice, I'm going to have to throw the towel in, I really can't do this anymore. I need to sleep. I'm sat here in tears been crying since he woke up I really feel that this is Starting to affect My relationship with ducking I'm starting to feel angry with him and that's wrong its not his fault. I shouldn't be feeling like that, I still don't know if its wind keeping him up so I'm off to the doctors on Monday to find put what can be done. I don't want to stop and I'm hoping this is reflux so he can be given the right thing and we can carry on.

Hi all, I went to bed at 9 and DH gave DS 4oz of expressed milk at 10.30 and he's been attached to me feeding for the last half an hour. He is feeding too not just comfort sucking. He is 6 weeks old is it normal for him to have this much? Surely that's quite a lot of milk for his tiny tummy?
techno sending you a hug, sounds really rotten and you are clearly at the end of your tether. Hope the doctor gives you some good advice and you LO starts longer sleeps soon.

Hang in there technoduck you've done so well so far and it will get better. Fwiw I think feeling angry is quite common and certainly not your fault, I used to feel like that when DD1 was tiny and she'd have occasions where she wouldn't latch on for no apparant reason ending in both of us getting in a state but we got through it even though it felt like the nights were endless. Hopefully your doctor will be helpful & fingers crossed for you seeing some improvement and getting some more sleep.

How is everyone else getting on? I've not been able to put lump down yet, DH was lovely and had her downstairs in between half 10 and half 12 feeds but she's been on me ever since although I did try putting her down she just woke up again within 5 minutes. I guess this is just a waiting game I'll sit up cuddling her as long as I can manage then try again.

Thanks smallgreenone that's what I thought I'd read so I guess it's a case of if you do swaddle making sure the room is the right temp and you use a breathable material. Nothing's ever simple and there's no easy answers is there!

Hope there's lots of snoozing babies around tonight :)

mrsnpatz what app have you got? I was wondering whether to get one to record feeds, do you find it helpful?

Hang in there techno, I posted a few weeks ago about how I felt I couldn't enjoy babyloo because I was just too tired and frustrated with the constant feeding and then he scaled it back for a few days and I felt okay again, I agree with tea it helped me to remember that it doesn't last forever although it feels like it at the time! Hope the dr can help.

Agree lois!!!

Hope you get some sleep mrs

I always worried about how much milk babyloo must have in his tummy small particularly after a big cluster feed day when he would feed and feed, I think it's just there little bodies doing what they need to do.

We has first feed at one and he seems to have gone back to sleep, think we will be up around four.

Hope everyone gets some sleep

technoyou are doing amazingly well. This stage won't last, and Minipop is living proof that formula fed babies do not always sleep longer :)

having said that, despite having what is looking like a cold, Minipop just slept from 9pm to 1:30am (with just a little resettle needed at 12:30). So I have had a 2 hour sleep and a 1 hour sleep - woot!

He does skins awful though, and there is so much snot!

Hello everyone who is joining this thread, congrats on your little ones.

6 minutes left then I am back to bed, just hope Minipop settles background down on.

Sparkly sleep dusty mice to you all zZzzzz

Aw techno I'm sorry about how you are feeling, it is so hard! Hope you get things sorted on Monday or at least some helpful advice

heffalumps I use an app called baby nursing, and really do find it useful as it reminds me when his last feed was and which boob!! Also tells me how long he fed for. I started using it in the hospital as the midwives were asking me how long he was feeding/how often and I just could not remember properly! Lol

Yawn, first feed of the night underway here after a screaming fit over a wet nappy! DH and I are well and truly awake now! Why does everything seem so much worse at night?!

DS cluster fed from about 7 until 11 last night so I feel like he's been permanently attached to me! Starting to feel a little apprehensive about DH going back to work on Monday after his paternity leave as I'm worried about what it will be like having no one to hand DS to during the day and then be stuck with a cluster feeding baby all evening... Had a few tears earlier at the thought of it all, but I'm sure it will be fine...must remember to sleep when he sleeps!

Thinking sleepy thoughts for everyone.

On the app front, I'm using one called Feed Baby which logs nappies and sleeps as well as feeds. Found it useful when MW kept asking how many poos and wees he'd done each day!

2nd feed of the night and really hoping babyloo goes straight back to sleep, want to break the cycle over the last few days of night and day being a bit switched. I tried to avoid the big sleep but he did have 2.30 again at lunch time which at least means I got a little nap in.

yay minipop

smicha I felt exactly the same about my dp going back to work and after a week of him being at home I asked him to give up his job so he could stay at home and help me!! I was quite serious too. You will be fine, you'll get into your own little routine and you and baby smicha will have a great time

Dreading trying to resettle babyloo, really don't want to have to get up for a couple of hours.

Well done minipop long may it continue!

Thanks for the app recommendations, going to have a look in a minute as I could do with a memory aid, everything just blurs into one otherwise!

smicha its scary but you'll be fine. From my own experience with DD1 if you have a (very) rough plan for the day which includes getting out of the house and talking to another adult it helps things stay sane. If we didnt have any baby groups on I used to arrange a playdate with friends & their babies, or I'd just go & meet my grandad in town for coffee just so that we'd been out. It got loads easier very quickly and we soon got into our own routine. I'm going to make myself take my own advice again this time, DH has a week left then its me, baby and 2 yo DD1, I'm so scared of our first outing 'alone'!

Nearly finished first feed of the night, probably not first really but first since I actually got to sleep! Hopefully another couple of hours snoozing awaits us but I won't hold my breath.

See you in a few hours time :)

Evenin' all
Can I join you if I share my hula hoops and tea?
Have lurked since twins were born nearly 9 weeks ago... Now just as they decide to only wake twice-ish each the tiny one gets thrush and shreds a boob . They're now innocently snoring away, as is DP while I'm wide awake after washing all the pump parts and getting the next EBM bottle ready to go. Praying the freezer stocks hold out!
Any idea how long it'll take to clear up anyone??
Yawn.
Night night, sleepy vibes et al

I've got the what to expect app which charts feeding, sleeping and nappies.
He's just woken up having done one of those exploding poos! Not surprised after the amount of milk he had earlier! Glad others think its normal I was worried I had some kind of baby with an eating disorder!!!

Baby nursing logs sleep and nappies too although I haven't started doing that yet!

Just got an hours shut eye and hoping for some more now, little one woke me up for 6 minutes on boob!! lol

I have been up all night save 2-4ish when DH and I decided he would go sleep on the sofa so babyfunch and I could share our bed. She just will not sleep in her basket and in faci has so far only fallen asleep when feeding, so on me. It has given me 2 hours sleep but I woke to her snuffling because she had been a bit sick, so now I am worried about going back to sleep in case she chokes on vomit or something.

Could someone just tell me I am being daft - I cannot possibly watch over her 24/7...I need to be brought to my senses!

Second feed, hopefully the last before morning as mini Smich is being a pain and acting like he forgot how to feed - all flailing arms and sucking thin air. He's on now and hopefully will take enough to send him into a coma for another 2 hours!

Thanks for the tips for coping on my own.I will aim to have a plan each day...even one as simple as making sure I shower and get out of my pyjamas!

You know, I don't know if I should be worried about this - but my little one has never once fallen asleep on his own in his basket! Only on me after being fed, or on me or hubby after being rocked! He is only 3 weeks though?

funchum I worry about that, but unfortunately little one has been sick in his basket a few times without us knowing and hasn't choked!

I have been reading the Oreo thread on 'parentport' - very surreal thread lol but has kept me awake!!

mrsnpatz mine only falls asleep on me too. I don't know how to get him to sleep any other way. He has just woken up after an hour and now fallen back to sleep on me after refusing to feed
My DH has deserted us tonight too funchum at least it means I got a bit of sleep with DS in the bed.
6am now so was that really it? Time to get up

Hi swanthing I'll have a if there's one going :) hope you heal up soon I'm sure that's all you need right now.

funchum you're not being daft it's only natural to worry, but your baby won't choke if she's sick it will just run down out of her mouth and make the mattress a bit soggy! DD1 was terribly sicky I used to fold a muslin cloth and tuck it in both sides on top of the sheet where her head went so that I only had to change that and not all the sheets every day.

I don't think you should worry just yet mrsnpatzz 3 weeks is still tiny and most babies won't have learnt, or be able to learn, how to fall asleep on their own yet. Best to just enjoy the cuddles for now, there's plenty of time for him to learn later on.

All 4 of us are sat in bed now, DD1 is reading 'Peace at last' to DD2 which is super cute, DD2 doesn't look like she could care less though! Hope everyone's had a good night :)

Just a quick check in from me to say you all need to buy a Ewan the Dream Sheep - bloody fantastic they are!!!

Baby B is settling really easily and quickly now