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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:
Cariad007 · 31/05/2014 20:05

DS only sleeps in my arms or if I'm next to him to hold him down when he flails. As I don't have any other kids to run after and am not remotely houseproud I don't mind. I look on it as time to read and relax.

mrsmugoo · 31/05/2014 20:18

Same!

mrsmugoo · 31/05/2014 20:19

(Although being able to put him down occasionally so I could take a nap too would be nice!)

Cariad007 · 31/05/2014 20:28

Goddamnit he woke up and is now grouchy! Can't see him getting to sleep for a few hours yet so we are for some fun. What was I saying about the best laid plans?

mrsmugoo does he not even sleep if you lie down next to him and snuggle up close? Poor you, that's rough.

Cariad007 · 31/05/2014 20:29

He's had a good feed, a nap and has been changed. SO WHY WON'T HE STOP CRYING???

Original poster
Writerwannabe83 · 31/05/2014 20:36

Because babies can be little sods cariad Grin

DS fell asleep 30 minutes before his bath time and although I was just going to leave him he woke up 20 minutes later anyway. He's now dressed and in his PJ's and having a feed. As soon as he's finished he's going straight in his MB and I'm pretty confident he will fall asleep quickly - I have one very tired boy.

OP posts:
Original poster
Writerwannabe83 · 31/05/2014 21:06

So he's drained both boobs and still whinging and crying.
So much for my theory of him falling asleep quickly.
I have a bad feeling about tonight.....

OP posts:
Original poster
Writerwannabe83 · 31/05/2014 21:07

And even worse.....I've ran out of teabags!!!

OP posts:
mrsmugoo · 31/05/2014 21:07

Cariad no not a chance! He gets fed/rocked to sleep in my arms and I have to stay as still as a statue otherwise he'll startle awake.

mrsmugoo · 31/05/2014 21:10

Right, DS has been down since 8:30 and I'm just about to join him. See you in a few hours.

Original poster
Writerwannabe83 · 31/05/2014 21:42

An hour since he fed and he's still awake.

So that's 14 hours he's practically been awake for now.....

OP posts:
puggywug81 · 31/05/2014 21:44

Fin is very much wide awake Confused

Misty9 · 31/05/2014 21:54

Hopefully now feeding to sleep though she's a bit restless so we'll see. Now having two kids and a double buggy we've had to accept we need a bigger car, so I'm checking out reviews while she feeds. Recommendations are welcome!

Here's hoping for a more settled night.

Cariad007 · 31/05/2014 21:58

Feeding as we speak but no sign of sleep though he's clearly overtired and screamed for the last hour.

Cariad007 · 31/05/2014 22:00

Btw does anyone else have a baby who strains and kicks and punches during feeds!

Original poster
Writerwannabe83 · 31/05/2014 22:03

When DS is overtired he is very fractious at the breast. He usually feeds very well and is settled but when he's tired it's just a nightmare!

I really like the name Fin, is it short for Finley?
I wanted to put Fin on mine and DH's short list of boys name but he wouldn't agree to it Sad

OP posts:
puggywug81 · 31/05/2014 22:04

Hell yeah cariad I've got one of those right here, he also loves to nip!

puggywug81 · 31/05/2014 22:08

Thanks writer it is short for Finlay but we just call Him Fin, Chris the was one of the few names me and oh agreed on, there was only Fin and Austin, we couldn't agree on any girls names!

TwentiethCenturyGirl · 31/05/2014 22:52

Yep, DD likes a bit of a wrestle when she's feeding. I've found that it's usually a sign that she's brewing a big poo though!

mrsmugoo · 01/06/2014 00:21

Up for first feed of the night here

Singsongmama · 01/06/2014 00:25

DS will punch and he's a nipper/grabber too, ok during the day, can be very very trying at 4am.

Writer - how is your overtired little chap?

Cariad - all quiet on the western front?

Some arse is shouting in our street, right outside the window...grrrrrrrr. DS went down really well this evening, think it's the heat making him sleepy! Who knows. He's starting to show signs of early to bed and early (crazy early!) to rise.

Singsongmama · 01/06/2014 00:26

Snap Mugoo. Just about to put him down.......

mrsmugoo · 01/06/2014 00:39

Pretty happy - he slept just under 4 hours, me 3. I a jests find the night shift so much easier to handle if I've had a solid 3 hours at the start of the night.

Just cuddling him back off to sleep - he's asleep but flailing around at the moment.

mrsmugoo · 01/06/2014 00:52

Writer - the things that helped us start to get day time napping under control were:

Start winding down after an hour and a half awake
Look for tired cues - which he initially didn't show but he does now. He buries his head into his play mat to the side and rubs eyes and generally slows down. Now I can spot these I don't do the 1.5 hour thing I just catch him as soon as he's tired
Start a nap time routine with sleep cues - we use Ewan the dream sheep and a specific blanket

Take away all stimulation - we go into the bedroom with closed curtains
Persevere - if I can't get him to sleep we go out in the pushchair and MAKE him sleep!

Good luck - it's hideous!

notadoctor · 01/06/2014 02:55

Just finished first feed of the night! He managed almost 5hours and was in his Moses basket for all of it which is a definite record for us. Very pleased. It followed a mammoth cluster feed this evening but that.'a a price worth paying for such a good stretch!

Hope there are some other enjoying good nights out there!