How to stay awake during night feeds part 4 - Food porn a plenty

[HorridHeffalumpsWickedWoozles]

A brand spanking new thread for midnight ramblings, chocolate covered pretzels and so much more

amey i definitely feel the same re emptiness, however it can't be the case else i am sure the babes would howl the place down! Lots of MN comments elsewhere about it being a river.... I.e it never runs out. Now baby buttons is 6 weeks mine hardly ever get that engorged feeling but he's put on stacks of weight (went down to 6lb 13 after birth and now 10lb 5!!) so am assuming all is fine.

Am considering pumping during the morning so can give him a bottle at 10:30pm to see if he will go down longer, currently too scared to wake him in case he wont go down again. First step is to see if he will even take it by bottle!

Night night all, here's hoping for a calm night!

1st feed of the night so hoping for a repeat of last night which isn't great but an improvement on the last few nights. Thank you as always for your support, I am hugely grateful

I have managed to run downstairs and grab a slice of lemon drizzle cake before this feed so hoping this will keep me going.

We are going to stay at my parents tomorrow night which I love because it gives me such a break in the day and I eat myself daft

It's pouring down tonight so can't wait to get back into bed so I can fall asleep listening to the rain.

Hope everyone has a good night and hello to anyone lurking who is too tired to post. We will be back around two ish.

Just done first feed -yay! Such an improvement - 3 3/4 hours!! Will see you later, probably around 2ish with Susie

Shock - he did 2 hours in travel cot - first transfer was success! I fell asleep as quick as a flash - I'm knackered! Doubt DH is going to be much help to me tonight as he's been drinking red wine with my dad!!

Often wonder what my body would think had hit it if I for more than 4 hours sleep in a row?!? Amazing how little sleep you can actually survive on isn't it? Xx

Hi all, I am so sorry to hear of so many sleep refusing babies - amey, marbles, mrsn, smicha and susie, plus anyone I have missed, I feel your pain!

Babyfunch has excelled herself today. She has slept the way a model baby would for a stretch of 6 hours and had to actually be woken for a feed. She did this starting at 2:30pm. So when I woke her it was not even my bedtime (well, I have been going to bed earlier than that recently, but normally that would be early!) yet she had already done a stretch long enough to be considered 'sleeping through'!

What is even more frustrating is that her sleep is so deep in the daytime - I got her in and out of the car four times at different shops, in the rain, and put her down whfn I got home and she didn't even stir - transfer heaven! Yet at night transfer is a disaster.

I worked out that for her to sleep til 6am, she would have to have done 15.5 hours straight, which just isn't possible. When is she going to get day and night sorted??!

Sorry that is all about me yet again...I think I am getting a bit obsessed with her sleeping and only you ladies really understand - DH is great but seems genuinely unwakeable for much of the night so he doesn't truly share the whole thing with me.

Transfer done, Ewan on. I have started staying awake after transfer on the grounds that it is less depressing when baby wakes up ten minutes later if you are not woken up yourself.

Is that sensible or a sign that I have finally lost the last vestige of common sense over the sleep issue??! Be honest with me here!

Fun I know what you mean - DS slept like, well, a baby today, had some good solid feeds and then conked out each time. Transferred to Moses basket with no prob. I was hoping that meant the Infacol was taking effect and his little tummy was causing him less pain.

Cut to tonight - screaming and screaming, sounding like he was in agony. Eventually brought up a fantastic burp which I thought would fix him but the screaming carried on along with back arching and legs pedalling. All he wanted was to go back on the breast but he was so hysterical he couldn't hold onto his latch for more than a minute and I was worried I would cause him more pain by continuing to feed if he still had wind.

I feel so helpless. I don't know if he needs to poo, needs another burp, or if something else is wrong. I would happily feed him for 12 hours straight if I thought it would help but I feel like I am causing him more pain.

I think improvement we saw last night was down to infacol but she has just woken screaming same as always 20 min after a feed too. I always feed her as much as she wants (generally she falls asleep quickly) when this happens as it is the only thing that soothes her. But often she wakes screaming again no matter how much wind she has got up. I know exactly what you are going through! Do you think your DS could have reflux? I asked HV and she thought.not since daytime sleeps are fine but I do wonder. Much, much sympathy!

Sorry to hear all the bad days an/or evenings, and the difficult states of mind. We join your ranks - a grizzly day and a screamy evening, followed by a three hour stretch then a massive vomathon all over the bed during the feed. And I have finally succumbed to the tummy bug . And am trying (without much success) to remember my own 'smile and wave' advice with a certain person. Bleurgh to everything at the moment.
funch staying awake is definitely less tiring than ten minute waking. You haven't entirely lost the plot yet!
amey susie smicha mrsn here's hoping your nights are improving.
Ugh, this post is taking forever to write as I spring nimbly from bed to loo. Apologies to those I have not name checked am off to lurk under the covers for as long as Kid allows and feel sorry for myself...
I promise cheer and joie de vivre tomorrow!

Thank you, it is nice to know we are not alone in these night time tribulations.

I wondered about reflux but as he is never sick or even possets it didn't seem to fit. We struggle to get a burp out of him so I was hopeful the Infacol would help and things seemed to be improving until tonight.

DH has taken him downstairs to give me a break and often he will soothe for him but I can still hear him screaming.

Evening all,

Have just got babylump down, she's wiggling a bit though so I'm just crossing fingers she'll stay down. Bit tired now though, she's usually down by 1am so this extra hour has hurt a bit!

funch I took that approach with DD1, was almost scared to go to sleep myself as it was just so damn depressing when she woke up a million times a night bit it meant I lost out on so much sleep because I'd just sit there watching her and feeling trepidatious all night so this time I've gone for the opposite end of the scale and I will usually try and squeeze ten minutes in even if I do think she'll wake up, and often it turns out she doesn't and I'm pleasantly surprised when she wakes up a few hours later instead! Agree though that it is truly horrible having to wake up after only ten minutes kip!

amey I get that empty feeling too, its weird isn't it but they must still be getting something or they'd yell at us!

Hope there's some sleepy dust around tonight and babies are being good to their sleep deprived mums :)

Ladies, I am no expert but screaming pain at night is often a combination of wind and/or reflux. Both are made worse by lying flat on the back - so worth propping up the end of the Moses basket. Whereas daytime sleeps are often more upright anyway. Presume you have tried winding by putting them face down over knee (before feeding), also feeding at a more upright angle may help. Massaging tummy gently in anti clockwise direction and bicycling the legs can also help. Not sure how old you babies are, but ultimately the majority grow out of it as their digestive systems mature, in the meantime, I feel for you all!

And mrsn hope the bug goes quickly - get some still lucozade sport tomorrow! Works a treat I find.

Sending [hugs] plus hot chocolate and homemade gingerbread biscuits to all. PS. Homemade biscuits sadly aren't yet RL. I made the dough the day before baby buttons was born then hubby had to freeze it when I went into labour..... It's still on there!

goat so sorry to hear you are poorly - tummy bugs well and truly suck!! Hope its gone Tomo!

blond our DD had really bad silent reflux (clearly we didn't know) but she was never sick - so could well be reflux. See what gp or hv say, they might suggest trying something, you've got nothing to lose. Must be really tough for you - virtual hug!

About to do 'wake up and feed more nappy change!' Just hoping it doesn't result in 'wake up and not go back to sleep!'

May the force be with you ladies! Xx

goat you poor thing! Sending huge hugs and virtual lucozade. I really hope you get well soon.

blonder my DD was never sick til about 5 weeks, then had a really sicky few days (tummy bug?) and now is regularly sick but not always large volumes. Could be silent reflux as someone said below?

twobuttons that is really useful to know - will try prefeed knee-winding!

The wind outside is incredible here! Bit spooky when it rattles the letter box.

Glad that actually choosing to stay awake a bit isn't totally irrational! Babyfunch has made lots of ominous noises in her sleep in the past stretch but did actually sleep for nearly an hour which I slept for some of. DH taking over at 4, gotta love weekends!

2nd feed of the night and for the first time ever I have not changed babyloo's nappy because I don't want to wake him so hope it holds, he started grizzling 2hours after the 11.30 feed and I put his projector on and left him as an experiment to see if he would go back to sleep and here we are, I'm tempted to do the same at half five if he wakes up then to try and get him to drop a couple of night feeds.

Will have a read of the thread now whilst i wait to see if he will go back to sleep, really hope everyone is getting some zzzzz

Hope you feel better goat

Am now googling recipe for gingerbread biscuits

Ooh, we almost had a winner there but then he snorted and woke himself up.

Fun I find it hard not to wait and see if the transfer 'takes' too, but I know I need to master the art of dropping off straight away.

Thank you for the useful info Amey and buttons. I was interested that you said winding before feeding - I have only done it afterwards. Is that to get the digestive system working? DS hates being laid across my knees but I find laying him face down over my arm is the most effective for burps. Also he hugs my arm which is really cute.

goat hope you feel better, everyone else hope you get some good sleeping done before we start all over again!

I often play nappy roulette amey as if I wake babyfunch she doesn't go back to sleep. It has never led to leaks - I think s leaky poo is to do with how, erm, forcefully it comes out rather than how long it is in there (but I only have 7 weeks' experience!). Babyfunch is sporting a new motherease wrap over a reusable nappy and it was brilliant during her 6 hour sleep at keeping all the wet in. She has just done a poo so dh we will see if it has held in a sec in ten minutes when he comes on baby duty.

blonder that sounds so stressful. Agree that it might be worth getting him checked for silent reflux (Kid has a small amount, thugh is Digestiveoy pretty ok for a prem) - do you have helpful GP and hv?

Hello heff !

buttons the biscuits sound great! Yesterday I made the dough for cranberry and macadamia cookies and froze two thirds. There is a ridiculous amount of white chocolate in the recipe

funch enjoy your turn to sleep! Does your DH stay awake from 4??

susie I keep forgetting abut the projector - thanks for reminding me! We are also tempted to put the Christmas tree up early so Kid can look at the lights...

Mmmmm gingerbread biscuits.

That is all I have the energy to type

goat yup, DH is a real early bird. Normally gets up 5 or thereabouts but is doing earlier on weekends to help out with DD. Downside is, he is asleep on the sofa by 8 most nights, earlier on Saturdays after he has played rugby. Used to bug me a LOT but less so now as I go to bed early too!

Hope you are feeling ok...gingerbread men may help you - doesn't ginger ease vomiting?

About to hand babyfunch over to DH - time for some zzzzzs!

Hey there well that transfer was successful! It didn't work again just now though so perhaps a one off!
goat hope tummy bug clears up soon for you.
Mmmmmm gingerbread biscuits yum yum!
Baby small had silent reflux-a good way to tell us smell their breath and if its sour then it's probably silent reflux, that's what my hv told me anyway. Baby small was on infant gaviscon for it but it did make him constipated so was waking up with different kind of tummy pain. He's grown out of it now as no more sour milk smell.
Really tired and want to try transfer again but I've just seen an eye open. Bit longer sitting in the dark for me then

Oh dear, DS is performing a selection of his cutest post-feed facial expressions complete with a little dribble of milk running down his chin. Made me smile and then unexpectedly have a tear thinking about how much he has changed my life and how happy I am. Soppy much?

goat we are still under mw care as he has been slow to regain his birthweight, and not yet registered at the GP, so I'm not sure who I should contact. I have the contact dets for HVs though so I could give them a call. Thanks for the advice all.

He seems much more settled apart from a brief scream when he woke himself up. He's been snoozing on me since then so a bit more upright. I think I may need to clear his nose a bit, he's not bunged up or coldy but there is a little debris up there. I was going to get one of those Nosefrida aspirators but people have mentioned using saline - should I get a spray or drops? Not sure what I'm looking for.

fun we are intending to use cloth but haven't quite got myself sorted yet. I have some Little Lamb OSFAs but even on the smallest setting they are a bit big. Any recommendations?

So many things to think about! Thanks all for listening to me witter on about my pfb.

Nappy didn't hold-he manages to wee out the top where it comes loose because of all of his wriggling, he's been awake since last post laughing at the pictures and probably would have nodded off if it wasn't for having a wet vest, hoping this last feed will see him through till gone seven.

blonder I've used saline drops but to be honest I don't think they do anything.