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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Calling all nighttime feeders!! Let's all keep us company during those early hours of the morning when we're feeding instead of sleeping!

977 replies

Writerwannabe83 · 12/05/2014 20:28

This is a thread for everyone to chat to each other about their experiences of night time feeding, the good, the bad and the ugly!

There are already a few of us who have been chatting about this in another forum for a few months now but we want to migrate over here to meet more sleep deprived parents!!

Log on and post, no whatever silly hour it is, and vent away about how knackered and stressed you are!! There's a good chance someone else is up and feeding crying with exhaustion too!!

Introductions: I have a 7 week old son, first baby and exclusively breastfeed. He's normally a nightmare to settle to sleep, screaming for hours on end, but will go for 5 hour stretches of sleep!

OP posts:
KateTheShrew · 20/05/2014 08:10

Well last night was pretty horrendous. We all went to bed just after 9 after much screaming (mostly DS screaming, but a little bit me Wink.

Then up at 12.30, 2.20, 4 and 5.45!!

I feel your pain littlealien, mine also didn't seem hungry after the first time but just needs to feed to get back to sleep. Sooooo tired this morning and he's super cranky. Need this phase to end!

Original poster
Writerwannabe83 · 20/05/2014 08:19

I don't think it ever ends kate - it may go into hiding at times but it will always reappear at some point Grin

OP posts:
KateTheShrew · 20/05/2014 08:22

PS littlealien how old is your DD? That sounds so like my DS who has gone from sleeping 3-5 hours at a time, to 2 hours and now to just constant waking the last few nights. Mine's just turned 4 months so I'm thinking sleep regression...

KateTheShrew · 20/05/2014 08:28

Fair point writer. OK then, I'd like this phase to go for a looong vacation (perhaps it would enjoy a round the world cruise) and not hurry back Grin

Original poster
Writerwannabe83 · 20/05/2014 08:35

And hopefully the ship Mr Phase is travelling on will drown and then he'll get eaten by a shark!! There's no coming back from that Grin

OP posts:
KateTheShrew · 20/05/2014 08:37

Hooray! [Shrew family do unseemly dance of joy at news of Mr Phase's demise]

Original poster
Writerwannabe83 · 20/05/2014 08:43

However, my thoughts go out to his friends (if he has any unlikely) and his family!!

One of my DS's nicknames is Sharky because he looks like the shark. From Jaws at times!!

He also has the nicknames:

Boss
Oleg
Mr Moo
Mr Potato Head
Cress Head

What nicknames does everyone else's baby have??

OP posts:
FrankelandFilly · 20/05/2014 10:26

Hello all, sorry for the absence. You remember that lump I mentioned, well it erupted in the shower yesterday and leaked a shocking amount of pus. I ended up in A&E and spent last night in hospital. I've seen the breast specialist this morning who has confirmed an abscess and drained it with a syringe. I'm being given extra strong antibiotics and will have to come back to the hospital every few days to have it drained for a week or so.

So my instincts were right, despite 3 different GPs and health visitors telling me the swelling was a normal side effect of mastitis Hmm

Original poster
Writerwannabe83 · 20/05/2014 10:35

Oh my god Frank, that sounds really nasty and serious! I'm so glad you are finally getting treatment and I hope you start to feel better soon. Make sure you let the GP/HV know as although I doubt you'll get an apology it might make them think if another woman has the symptoms.

OP posts:
OwlinaTree · 20/05/2014 11:29

Oh Frank that sounds so frightening. I'm glad you are on antibiotics now and are getting treated.

writer my boy is sometimes called beany or HRH.

littlealien01 · 20/05/2014 15:07

Kate dd is 16 weeks. 4 month sleep regression? Except shes got steadily worse since her 12 week growth spurt. She also has a cold, might be teething and is a terrible napper so generally overtired. She was once a brilliant sleeper :(

So many possible explanations but no idea how to fix it and im just making it worse keep feeding bk to sleep but too tired for anything else.

Im going to hope last night was a blip.

Singsongmama · 20/05/2014 15:38

On my goodness Filly, you poor thing, how traumatic!! Can only imagine what your HV/GP will say - how awful that it got so serious. Hope you are being looked after and getting lots of rest.

I'm in the same 4 month sleep regression phase...it's pretty hit and miss. Last week was miss all week, we've had a good night or two though so hoping it will settle quickly. It's the not knowing that makes it so hard. You constantly get into bed wondering how long you'll be allowed to stay there!

My DS is Mr Sweetpea Smile

Singsongmama · 20/05/2014 15:44

I was worried about 'feeding to sleep' too - was super stressed about it last week thinking how will I cope when I can't rely on my boobs! BUT - we can only cross one bridge at a time and now is not that time!! My HV was very understanding and said 'well if he's asleep, why on earth would you wake him?!' but I know it's about proper sleep association. I try to console myself by saying that he can sleep without it, ie I have seen him fall asleep in bouncer, in car, on shoulders etc. so it's a battle for another day....

PastaandCheese · 20/05/2014 16:29

Ouch Frankie that sounds horrific. Hope it's starting to feel better.

KateTheShrew · 20/05/2014 16:29

I feed to sleep too singsong and alien, I don't know what I'd do without that particular silver bullet! Wasn't too worried about it as it only used to be at bedtime and during the night. He would go down for naps in the day with white noise and some forehead stroking and a bit of a scream However the last few days he's been feeding to sleep for daytime naps too and sleeping only on my lap (he's there now). the only upside to this is that in his moses basket he wakes after 40 minutes without fail, whereas he'll sleep for longer on me but it means I'm pinned to the sofa.

Today he's been asleep on and off most of the day(!) Can't work out of it's tiredness after last night's shenanigans, growth spurt, or whether I should be worried...

Misty9 · 20/05/2014 19:52

Evening all. Frank that sounds awful. I had mastitis and that was painful, let alone an abscess :( hope you're feeling better now.

I don't know if it's a second child thing, but this baby will sleep for 2-3hrs in the carrycot whereas ds would only sleep on someone. Now to get her sleeping independently at night...

Not too bad last night. Frantic cluster feeding until 11ish then first wake up at 3.45! I had dead leg though from sleeping so prone with her next to me. Pooed then but fell asleep and (bad mummy) I didn't want to wake her up so left it until 6ish when we woke again.

Currently being rocked in the sling by daddy after long cluster feed. Suppose should go to bed for a bit. I like my toddler free evenings too much though!

Hope all have better nights tonight.

Misty9 · 20/05/2014 19:56

Oh, and I fed ds to sleep until he dropped his bedtime feed at around a year. Didn't cause any long term problems :)

Misty9 · 20/05/2014 19:57

Oh, and I fed ds to sleep until he dropped his bedtime feed at around a year. Didn't cause any long term problems :)

mrsmugoo · 20/05/2014 20:08

Attempting to put the little guy in his cot tonight. It's got the t shirt I wore today and a hot water bottle in it...wish me luck!

BlessedAssurance · 20/05/2014 21:10

Frank ouch, that is just horrible. Writermy Ds feeds 5 minutes then he is done. All the time. It surprises me that some people breastfeed for an hour or half an hour
Rachel you are doing great. Wonderful that you have support in RL.well done for seeking help.
I am in a mixed race relationship so my babies have lots of funny nicknames and my fav one for DS is caramel delightGrin. He really is a delight but boy am i tired!!

PastaandCheese · 20/05/2014 21:18

Me too Misty. I fed DD for a year and breastfeeding her to sleep was the magic bullet that got her down at 7 every night.

She just grew out of it at around one and started having cows milk in a cup instead.

mrsmugoo · 20/05/2014 21:35

He is down in his cot and I am about to go to bed - excited!

fruitpastille · 20/05/2014 21:39

Frank, you poor thing! I hope you recover quickly, as if mastitis isn't bad enough.
Good luck with the moses basket mrsm.
I hardly dare post this, but dd keeps sleeping 10ish till 6ish! I am waiting for this regression thing (I wish I didn't know about it tbh) then I will be back here moaning.
Dd2 is Missus, Baby Boo, Ola and many more Smile
Good luck for tonight everyone.

TwentiethCenturyGirl · 20/05/2014 21:45

Thank goodness you went to A&E Frankel - I'm glad that it's getting sorted. It sounds horrific!

Another one who wouldn't worry too much about feeding to sleep. I BF my eldest until she was about 14 months and the bedtime feed was the last one that she dropped. She only started feeding to sleep at about 6 months (before that involved hardcore rocking!) but she stopped doing it at about 12 months and settled herself to sleep fine without.

I'm like you Misty - I value my childfree evenings too much to go to sleep when the baby goes down in the evening. She's gone to sleep between 7 - 8ish for about a week now but I can stay up until about 11ish and give her a not so dreamfeed before we both go to bed.

littlealien01 · 20/05/2014 21:47

Yay that makes me feel better about feeding to sleep.

Well after cluster feesing, screaming at and fussing at the breast, some formula, some hyper giggling, dd is now almost asleep having rolled on her side right up to the bars of the crib.

Still sucking the life out of her dummy so might be a while yet.

Should i be worried about her sleeping on her side? She seems happy and can roll back.

Fingers crossed we all get some sleep tonight!