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!

Hi all, bit of a mixture of sleepers last couple of nights it seems. I'm trying not to use my phone in the night at the mo as it seems to wake me up too much and then I can't get back to sleep quickly!

After a couple of amazing nights - 8 hours on one occasion - we are back to 5 am wake ups. He goes back down tho, thankfully. I've finally read the instructions for the baby listener so I can put him upstairs in the day when he sleeps and get stuff done!

Cariad DS is 11 weeks so a wee bit younger but he spends his awake time under his play gym on a sheepskin rug - he loves it!

I've tried that but DS will lie there for about 10 mins and then get bored. He gets bored so easily that I'm dreading what sort of toddler he'll be. Sigh. He is now clearly tired but refusing all attempts to get him to nap and getting crankier by the minute.

My DS likes being on his play mat as he's just started reaching out for things. He can lie on it for about half an hour before he gets bored. But what he totally loves is the black and white images for babies you can get on YouTube. The 'film' lasts an hour or so and slows black and white moving images of butterflies, boats, stars and loads more and DS is fascinated. They are designed to stimulate babies. Whenever DS is upset we put one of the filmings on and he calms right down. You can see in his eyes how enthral lying he finds it and keeps waving his arms around in excitement. I'd recommend taking a look at them if you haven't already.

DS hasn't been too bad today though did have a four hour 'nap' earlier. He then went on to do a huge poo, after another 48 hours of straining, so I'm hoping he feels more comfortable now. I have got a banging headache I usually never sleep in the day but I had to go back to bed earlier because I felt so crap. My DH then woke me when DS needed feeding, which I did an hour ago, and seeing as DS has fell asleep I've come back up to bed to try and get some more rest. I'm just waiting for my paracetamol to kick in.

I'm praying for a better night than last night otherwise I think I will crack up!

Half way through bedtime feed here. DS has been dreamy all day today giggling and cooing for his grandparents and took two decent naps. He was nicely tired and hungry come bath time but not yet grizzly so I'm hoping he goes down a treat.

Really hope we keep the unbroken run of long first stretches but that we don't have a repeat of the rest of the night being crap!

I didn't know about those images for babies so thanks for the tip Writer. My DS was ok today - managed a short nap on me in the morning, a longer nap where we both slept in the afternoon and is currently asleep on DP's shoulder. When he wakes up I'll feed him and put him to bed. Well that's the idea anyway!

Just feeding DS now before bed. DH is away and I'm dreading bedtime without him. Not had a great day.

Hope bedtime goes okay singsong

Dd is asleep so I'm going to catch what sleep i can before she wakes.

Good luck all!

Oh Singsong it's hard on your own. DH is away as per usual for the next two nights too.

I like him to sleep through due to the nature of his work but it's nice to just know someone else is there. He is away for a month from mid June and I am dreading it already. I just end up exhausted.

Still, you get through it don't you?

DS put up a bit of a fight to go to sleep but has been down since 8:45. I'm just about to turn the lights out myself as knackered - can never get sleep in the day as DS refuses to be put down when napping (tried today, lasted 3 mins)

Just finished a mammoth evening cluster feed and about to turn in for the night!

Singsong - hope the solo bedtime went well! It's hard work on your own. My DH has got a stinking cold and has sloped off to bed feeling very sorry for himself so I'm going to try not to call on him...

In terms of occupying babies - on days it's just me and him, I really like reading out loud to my DS - I just lie on the sofa and prop him on my legs so I can see his face and my kindle at the same time and read whatever grown up book/ newspaper I'm reading out to him. It doesn't help with getting jobs done but I keeps us both occupied! (When DD is around she keeps us both busy!)

Hugs to all the solo bedtimers - I had a whole week of it last week and it was so lonely. Only good thing was having the double bed all to myself (and baby!)

It's amazing what you can actually get through, we're all a lot stronger than we give ourselves credit for. DH left on Friday for a 6 month deployment in Afghanistan, I was terrified at the prospect if doing everything alone with little back up, but you know what I will get on with it because I have to.

Hope everyone gets a decent night's sleep tonight.

Yeah, you get through it I guess, time keeps ticking! It just changes how you feel and yes it leaves you exhausted! He's away all next week too

Writer - glad you getting a bit of time out. I hope you feel a bit better soon.

Good luck to everyone putting their little parcels of joy down for the night

I'm going to pop LO down...really hope this goes smoothly...

I long for the days when I can "pop LO down" instead of pace the floor rocking, jiggling, swaying, shushing and bottom patting deep sigh

Dreadful night here!

DS woke up minutes after I turned the light off to go to sleep grunting and trying to squeeze out farts. Tummy massage, gripe water and fed back to sleep he managed 2 hours before waking again.

He's now WIDE AWAKE and cooing and I want to sleeeeeep!

Doesn't look good for more sleep tonight :(

Oh Mrs you're not having much luck are you?

First feed was 11.30 then I dozed before offering other side and she woke for that at 1.30ish. One puke and poo later she now thinks it's kick about time! Will attempt feeding to sleep in a minute. She is making very cute noises though :)
Oh and I've now got the thrush in my boob so off to the docs tomo.

Awful night here! Dd doesn't seem to be very well. Awake at midnight (very unlike her), tried to give bottle but massive puke - not normal sickness quantities at all! Very congested too. Dh and I split the night into shifts and so far don't think we've both been asleep together for more than 10mins.. My shift now and she's just so congested she wakes up every few mins. Poor little girl :-(

Hi all,

I hope you are getting some sleep mrsmugoo

I had a lovely rest between 19.30-22.00, just lying in bed in complete darkness. I couldn't manage to fall asleep but being able to lie down in the dark and have complete silence was bliss. I fed at 22.00 and then told my husband he could settle DS as I was going to the spare room, which I did and fell asleep instantly. I'm back upstairs now as DS woke for a feed and he's being very squirmy at the breast and ragging around on my nipple - ouch! So I've had about 3.5 hours sleep and feeling a bit better.

I've now my DH to the spare room now so he can get some uninterrupted quality sleep. I honestly can't remember the last time we both spent the whole night in the same bed........

DH took him for as long as he could and brought him in crying at 3 so I had an hour and a bit sleep.

Trying to settle him again now...

Couldn't your DH try and settle him so you can get some more sleep?

Saying that, when people suggest it time I think, "If only" as DS only settles for me. If I handed him over to DH and scuttled off to the spare bedroom I know that DS would start screaming and DH wouldn't be able to soothe him.

I can't pick up or walk with my three week old as am on crutches due to a slipped disk. Only able to soothe him in his cot next to my bed with my hand.
He has not gone to sleep yet tonight and so have woken husband to help as I sob into my pillow at not being able to care for him as I want to. Please help with ideas as I feel so useless.

Cold cottage - I have no experience of your situation but have posted some ideas on your other thread (hadn't seen you were here). Be kind to yourself, it's hard enough without being on crutches!

Frank - I hope you are managing with DH away. I am full of admiration for you!

We're doing okay here tonight, although DS is refusing to sleep other than in bed with me so not getting as deep a sleep as i'd like. He has his first injections tomorrow which I am not looking forward to!

coldcottage that sounds really hard. Does he like having his face stroked? You could do that if he does?

Frankel will your DH get the two week leave break some get in the middle of their deployments?

It's so, so tough on you.

notadoctor don't worry too much about the first jabs. Only side effect was that DS was extra sleepy afterwards. Second jabs were a different story but first were a breeze!