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

[Writerwannabe83]

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!

Hmm well 3 hours is better than nowt, right? Let's hope he sleeps again now!

Checking in with first feed. Hope we all still sleeping...

Hi Cariad. Yes let's hope they nod off quickly and quietly.

Last words DH said to me were "it's gone into extra time!" as I was rocking our distressed crying, squirming, arching baby. I'm so glad he told me...football progress was at the forefront of my mind...NOT! Bless him, he's been great withDS today and very patient with (grumpy) me.

Been up since 1 for first feed. Thanks everyone for kind words. We had such problems with breastfeeding ds and it seriously affected my bonding. I always swore I wouldn't do the same again. We'll see. I'm stubborn as a mule and fed him for 15 months after getting through 3 months of pain.

Hopefully she's drifting off on me now. Poor dh is up with ds as well. Just usual shenanigans them. Spoke too soon, she's after a fourth side now...

Wide awake gurgling and kicking about. Her, not me.

Second feed.

I'm stubborn too misty, we make a rod for own our backs eh?

Please please please let DS fall back asleep, we meant to be driving 140 round mile trip to visit IL today.

Hoping absence from thread means some posters are finally getting a longer stretch of unbroken sleep...

A MUCH better night here!

Down at 9ish, first feed lying down at 12:45, second feed lying down 4am

He started to flap about in his sleep but I managed to reposition him on his side and settle him in his sleep. I've just nipped to the loo and about to go back to sleep. Would be lovely if we could get through to morning on just two wake ups?! (Instantly jinxes it)

So glad Mugoo, was thinking about you!

Hello all - up for the first feed here.

DS was a nightmare last night, crying, wouldn't settle etc so I didn't actually get to bed until 00.30am. But, at least I've had 4 hours sleep and hoping for more once DS finished his feed. There's just no telling with him though, sometimes he will drift off back to sleep within 10 minutes of feeding and other times he's still awake 2 hours later!!

Me and DH had a massive row when he came home last night from his night out with his mates so he's in the spare bedroom. He can be really stubborn so I'm pretty sure that when we're both up it will be the silent treatment.

Glad to hear you're having a better night Mugoo - you deserve it after the last few!

Frank - great that you're feeling better. I totally agree that alongside teaching the benefits and practicalities of breast feeding they should teach you what symptoms to watch your for - the first time I had mastitis I had literally no idea what it was!

Writer - sorry you and DH fell out. I heard mine come in a couple of hours ago but he's gone straight to bed in the other room. Not sure how he'll be feeling when our toddler bounces in to get him for his birthday "party" (we made a cake) in the morning!

Thanks for the advice re day time sleeps. He does sleep at night - just waking for feeds - so I guess it's probably fine. I might just work on giving him more kickabout time when he is awake.

I hope everyone gets a good stretch in between now and morning! My DS has reached wind o clock... Always wakes up squirming at this time!

Ebf 11 wo dd. 1 month premature, 2 wks nicu. So curious and content to watch the day go by she only sleeps during the day in buggy, car or on someone when she's exhausted. Feeds every 2/2.5h day time, cluster in eve which might give her 3h sleep late evening then from about 1am she now wakes virtually every hour. Do we count her developmental age from due or actual birth date? Any tips for daytime napping? Keen to avoid props, the buggy/car use is incidental because we're going somewhere although we have become dependent on holding her together to sleep because of reflux and needing to keep her upright for awhile to keep her food down. Any tips for helping settle better in the eve? Vsupportive family. At Mil's now - good forgetting extra sleep but has totally screwed up what little routine she'd established for herself. Now have thrush as so rundown. Love being mum, love our dd and being able to feed her but feel absolutely clueless although lucky to have clan content and healthy baby I realise!

Good morning all.

Owlina glad you had a nice day.

Franken glad you're ok, hope you're on the mend.

Misty sending hugs your way.

Writer hope everything is ok with you nd your dh today.

Fin had a long feed at 9pm settled him to sleep then oh took over as I was so tired I could hardly see straught. Not sure what time next feeds were as I slept through them - luxury! Just fed and winded Fin while oh gets some much deserved sleep.

Got a visit from oh's dad and girlfriend this afternoon so going to try and tidy up a bit as the house looks awful!

Hope everyone has a relaxed Sunday.

Did another feed at 6 and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to resettle him so I might be up for the day.

Yep we're up for the day! Oh well, you win some you lose some!

I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing mrsmugoo. We're always up by 7 here and I find DS is flat out by 7pm as a result as was DD.

Try and put him down early and have yourself a real break in the evening?? I adore my evenings!

notadoctor DS's sole source of entertainment is DD. I just park him in front of her and let them get on with their miniature lives. I have been known to hide behind the door and spy on them.

DD thinks she can read (she's 2.5 so she can't) and picks up a book and reads it to him starting with 'listen baby pasta'.

Good night here because DD slept through for the first time in a week. She isn't eating properly so is waking up hungry. After another day of bird like portions I gave her a bowl of porridge at bedtime which she did eat and hey presto she slept until 6.49.

DS went through until 5 so I'm all rested ready for painting my kitchen radiators..... The joy.

writer no one really argues until they have children. I know loads of people who say they never argue..... They don't have children funny enough.

When I had DD I found that I would often get at DH on weekends and end upset and rowing. I think I expected it would somehow be so much easier because he was there and I'd get a break. The reality was somewhat different.

This time I am trying really hard to make the most of out family time even though I did have a rage yesterday about the mess after I'd tidied and cleaned everything on Friday.

Can you just pretend you didn't row and have yourselves a nice day out of the house to avoid the pressure cooker that is staying in the house all day with a baby?

Welcome yorkie - that sounds like one very tiring schedule you have going on but I'm glad to hear she's doing well after her troublesome start. As she was born at 36 weeks then developmentally she should be treated as though she were 7 weeks old, not her actual 11. You will probably find her prematurity will be taken into account by the HV and a GP for about a year when compared to other children or considering her wright and other measurements.

In terms of routines and encouraging evening sleep I didn't really start doing that until my DS was over 8 weeks. He is now 9 weeks and it's still hit and miss. In these early weeks I think we need to accept that our babies will do what they want to do - if it helps, most of us are clueless and just doing the best we can.

In terms of my DH he came in this morning when DS started crying and took over nappy duties. He then went and made me a cup of tea. I think that's as good an Olive Branch as I'm going to get

Good morning, I hope your nights weren't too bad. That feeling of dread when you finally go to put baby down is all too familiar! We also have a flailer, at least, that's what she does with her arms. What she's doing with her legs inside the grobag is a mystery, but it looks as though she's trying to break dance!

We had a miracle last night. After a battle of wills lasting an hour, she went to sleep in her crib at 7.30. She was break dancing at 10.30, when we came to bed, so I gave her a dream feed. She then slept for 3 whole hours, followed by 1 hour, but is now still asleep, having been that way for nearly 4.5 hours! She hasn't done this for weeks and my poor boobs don't know how to cope.

writer, glad things have improved with your DH. We had a long talk yesterday, which has really cleared the air, and things feel much better. The extra sleep should help, too.

Much better night here! After his midnight feed DS woke again around 3idh and suckled for ages before dropping off but as I was feeding lying down I dozed too. At around 5ish he got a bit restless so DP changed his nappy and took him for a couple of hours and DS slept on his shoulder while I had a kip. Brought him back around 730am for another feed and then took him again afterwards so I had a lie in until 9am. Lovely! Have to admit I cheated a bit and had DS in bed with us rather than in the crib last night but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do if you want a decent night's sleep, right?

Morning all. Good night here. Our latest battle is that were starting the switch to formula feeding.. Having done almost 5months I feel the time is right.. Plus in 8wks time I have a few days I have to leave her all day and want her ff by then..

So were skipping an extra daytime feed as of yesterday.. So an uncomfy few weeks on and off as we switch me thinks!

Morning everyone, horrendous night :( made so much worse by a dead tablet so no posts from me. I think I managed to get about 3 hours sleep, so at 6am I threw in the towel and woke DH up.

Thank god for him he let me go back to sleep until half 10 and just brought DD in to feed. I look like hell.

Glad to see a few people got better sleep though, let hope it continues!

Seems like there were lots of good nights - polly aside!
I'm glad you managed to get some sleep this morning though after handing DD over. I gave up trying to sleep after DS woke up at 06.15am, he was far too active!! So I reckon I got about 6 hours in total last night so not too bad!!

We are putting DS into his cot tonight for the first time tonight and he's just too big for his MB now. I'm sure the change in his surroundings will mean a very disturbed night for me tonight

6 hours broken sleep is such a luxury isn't it these days!

Writer we found we had better nights from the word go when we put dd in her cot :-)

Same as Rachie, wish we'd put her in the cot earlier tbh, she obviously preferred the room. With any luck it'll be an easy transition for you writer

One day we'll all be shouting "7 to 7! Dear god thought s/he'd died!" I'm holding onto that thought for dear life. Plus side, she's actually had naps today though so perhaps not such a grumpy baby tonight.

That and I've charged my tablet so I'll have company :P

Same as Rachie, wish we'd put her in the cot earlier tbh, she obviously preferred the room. With any luck it'll be an easy transition for you writer

One day we'll all be shouting "7 to 7! Dear god thought s/he'd died!" I'm holding onto that thought for dear life. Plus side, she's actually had naps today though so perhaps not such a grumpy baby tonight.

That and I've charged my tablet so I'll have company :P