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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:
puggywug81 · 02/06/2014 05:52

Good morning all.

Hugs to yorkie and everyone else who had a bad night.

Cariad glad you got some sleep.

Wombat adorable picture and thanks for the advice, it makes sense as I fed Fin in our bedroom at 10pm last night and he fed for nearly 10 mins no screaming and fell asleep on the boob. It was his 1st night in his cot in our room and he slept from 11 till 5am which is his best ever,I kept waking to check he was ok as he's never gone that long!

TwentiethCenturyGirl · 02/06/2014 06:25

Morning all. We're on the first feed since the dream feed at 10.45 here, which means I've had a very civilised 7 hours sleep.

I had been expecting a bad night because DD had wanted to feed more than usual yesterday. Not sure if it was teeth, hunger or the heat but it must have tanked her up nicely. Thank goodness because I need the energy to face another day with my threenager...

Singsongmama · 02/06/2014 07:45

Brilliant puggy - long may it continue!!

7 hours?! Oh I would consider selling my soul for 7 hours!

mrsmugoo · 02/06/2014 09:07

Major breakthrough here - he is sleeping on the sofa on a pile of cushions just like he used to as a newborn - it's his first nap not in my arms or the car seat since 5 weeks old!

Original poster
Writerwannabe83 · 02/06/2014 09:23

Oh brilliant mrsmugoo - here is hoping it's the start of him turning a corner and you getting some freedom back. I bet you're so happy!

DS sleep for another 3 hours this morning, woke for a feed and has fallen asleep again. Unfortunately he's asleep in my arms and I just know he'll wake if I attempt a transfer - I'm desperate for some cereal though Hmm

OP posts:
Cariad007 · 02/06/2014 10:10

Well I feel rather refreshed and DS has only just woken up. Have no idea what prompted that long stretch of sleep but am v grateful for it. Have put him in his chair in front of CBeebies for a bit as a night with less feeds means I've woken up with Dolly Parton's chest and need to pump!

Singsongmama · 02/06/2014 10:42

Isn't it funny that good sleeps often come after disasters....just when you think you can't go on....baby throws a curve ball!! My DS had an unsettled night but went quietly (relatively!) to a 40 min morning nap so I was back to bed like a shot!

mrsmugoo · 02/06/2014 20:17

Evening ladies. Doing bedtime feed here. We are running a little later than usual as he slept 3.30-6 so I gave DH an extra half an hour playing with him.

I should have him down by 9 though and I'll probably clamber in with him as I'm shattered.

Original poster
Writerwannabe83 · 02/06/2014 20:32

Evening mrsmugoo - running a bit behind here too. I just finishing his bedtime feed then he's going straight in his MB. He looks absolutely shattered, bless him.

OP posts:
mrsmugoo · 02/06/2014 20:36

What happened to your cot writer? I thought you were upgrading?

Singsongmama · 02/06/2014 20:41

DS asleep in my arms.

Can you imagine a world where asleep in your arms means asleep for the night?

Good luck everyone

Original poster
Writerwannabe83 · 02/06/2014 20:56

We were planning to mrsmugoo - I don't know what went wrong Smile

Every day we said "We'll put him in his cot tonight" but never did.

Maybe we are secretly dreading how difficult it may be.... Smile

OP posts:
mrsmugoo · 02/06/2014 21:11

Ours was a total non starter! It's harder to lift DS into it and so I was always taking multiple attempts to get him down, then he just wouldn't stay asleep.

We made the decision to co-sleep until he's on less wake-ups a night and moving towards self settling so there's no lifting in asleep.

mrsmugoo · 02/06/2014 21:14

Yes sing song that would be amazing - which is why I can't wait until he can self settle! Imagine putting him down,singing a lullaby and then just leaving him to it?

Singsongmama · 02/06/2014 21:21

Oh how lovely! Kissing his little face, patting his little tummy and whispering night night DS I love you and he closes his little eyes and drifts off to sleep......best.....fantasy....ever!!!

In RL - back to feeding here.

Yorkie78 · 02/06/2014 21:23

Look forward to those days too. Dreading this eve. Good luck all

Original poster
Writerwannabe83 · 02/06/2014 21:24

Self settling is turning out to be in pain in the arse tonight!!

To be fair DS's routine was really screwed tonight as my MIL is seriously ill in hospital so me and DH went to visit her - the hospital is a good 40 minute drive away - so instead of having a nice 'wind down' of an evening like normal, DS was being traipsed around and so is now really irritable. He just wants to be held and starts crying whenever he's put down.

DH is nowhere to be seen as per usual bedtime routine. Does anyone else ever feel like everything is left to you?

He's sitting downstairs watching a film whereas I've been trying to settle DS for an hour. He'll stay down there now until DS goes to sleep.

OP posts:
Cariad007 · 02/06/2014 21:35

Oh Writer that's harsh. I don't know why some blokes are like that. My DP does lots for DS, or rather he tries to as DS can be a stubborn little bugger at times who only wants his mum!

We tried giving him the 3oz of milk I expressed this morning but he'd only take an ounce. Kicking myself now for warming the lot up as it'll have to be chucked if he doesn't drink it. Going to try to give it to him again in a bit and if that doesn't work I'll feed him to sleep as usual.

Self-settling looks like it'll never happen...

Original poster
Writerwannabe83 · 02/06/2014 22:08

He actually popped up about 20 minutes ago with a cup of tea for me. I then told him to go and change the steriliser and take the washing out the machine and hang it up Smile to be fair to him, he's very worried about his mom and I honestly don't think he's got room in his mind to deal with screaming DS.

After listening to DS scream for 10 minutes and sbsolutely nothing settling him I've just decided to feed him and hope he'll settle that way. Time will tell....

OP posts:
Original poster
Writerwannabe83 · 02/06/2014 22:27

He fell asleep whilst feeding, detached himself and slept in my arms. After 20 minutes I put him in his MB, he is then wide awake and starts screaming again. I've picked him up and he's fell asleep on me again. Far too scared to try and put him in his MB again.

It's going to be a long night....

OP posts:
Misty9 · 02/06/2014 22:40

Oh dear writer :( i guess there are some benefits to cosleeping with no transfers, but I personally am not getting on with it. By morning I just want her to leave me alone for 5min :( hope your mil is okay too.

There is hope people: ds slept in our bed for first 10 weeks, then bednest until 20wks or so, then self settled with no prompting from us at 23wks or so. I did indeed used to feed him and put him in his cot where he'd drift off to sleep :) I won't mention the return to crap sleep at 22 months

Dd is mid mega cluster feed but then I'm hoping to put her in the crib at least for the first part of the night. It does mean I have to stay awake while she feeds though..

Misty9 · 02/06/2014 22:44

She's down! In the crib! Time for some sleep.

puggywug81 · 03/06/2014 00:14

Evening all, good luck for tonight everyone.

Writer I hope you and your mil are ok.

Fin has had a mixed day,he had a 4hr nap earlier then 2hrs of uncontrollable screaming,he then fed for 20mins and fell asleep on the boob,I put him down 15mins ago,fingers crossed!

mrsmugoo · 03/06/2014 00:56

Up for first feed of the night - we both slept 3.5 hours which is fine. It's not the longest but I can function on 3.5 hours.

He's just barely fed at all and then fallen fast asleep. I tried to give him the other side but nope. I should be able to transfer him back down in a minute although I don't know how long a 7 or 8 minute feed will get me!

Singsongmama · 03/06/2014 01:15

Hi all,

First feed here - another warm night. His window is open ,it's still 22 degrees. He is wearing his bag tonight. I really worry about temperature. His fan is on so the air feels fresh and cool.

You're right Mugoo, wish they'd tank up in the night and be done with it but nooooo, rocking up at the snack bar 2/3 times suits DS better. He's 4.5 months old...when will it end...when....WHEN?? He used to only get up once and now his pattern from day doesn't change at night, every 2/3 hours milk milk milk. Why can't he sleep longer?? Whhhhhyyyyy? I feel like I'll never get a full nights sleep again (not being greedy, a 5 hour block now and again would be bliss)