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!

Morning all! We co-slept last night so although DS fed really frequently (thirsty in the heat, I think) it didn't disturb me too much and I feel quite awake today.

DS is still quite snuffly and I'm starting to wonder whether it may be hay fever rather than a cold? The calpol drops relieve it a bit but not completely. Anyone else had any experience of this?

Rachie - I hope you get well looked after at your Mums and that the medication world quickly for you.

Writer - I hope your husband is on very best behaviour for you today! It sounds exactly the kind of thing my DH would do!

Enjoy the sunshine everyone!

Evening all

I'm feeding DS now and he's drifting off nicely!

Today I started using a feeding pillow because I've been struggling to find a comfy position as DS is getting heavier and OMG - I can't believe how much easier it has made things!! DS has been feeding beautifully and far more effectively because he's so much more comfier and relaxed. Feeding has been a dream today!!

Snuggled up in bed next to a sleeping DS. He's been battling sleep nearly all day having had no real naps the entire day apart from the odd catnap so was melting down with tiredness come bathtime bless him.

He had a really long feed so I'm hoping he'll sleep well.

DH is back tomorrow thank god! Although I have been enjoying the extra space in bed now I'm co-sleeping.

Aww, glad you've found something which helps writer

I'm also feeding now and hoping she'll drift off as we need an early night. I've got banging head ache so hopefully she'll pull a 6 hour sleeping stretch :) hmm, judging by her frantic rooting this may take a while.

Does anyone else's baby frantically root with the nipple in their mouth, but not actually latch and suckle? Ooh, looks like she's going...

Here's hoping for a settled night for everyone.

Sometimes DS really plays around with my nipple, like he thinks it's there as some form of entertainment!!

He just fed for 40 minutes, 20 minutes on each breast and although he appeared sleepy he's now in his MB is wide awake. He just lies there, kicking his arms and legs around whilst cooing to himself

And I have a sleeping baby

Signing off now - I'm hoping he'll go his usual 5-6 hours but I'm not counting on it!

Hi guys,

My DS took a nap at 7pm so come bed time he was wide awake! Been trying to wrestle him to sleep for over an hour.....milk, rocking, carrying, cot, cuddle, more milk etc etc.

Let's hope our babies are sleepy tonight! Catch up later...hopefully much later!!

Well I'm up feeding again - he woke up 4.5 hours after he finished his last feed so not too bad I suppose.

He seems to only want a quick 5 minute snack feed though...

Does anyone else's baby do this??

It makes me worry a little as to whether he's reaching the hind milk but yesterday when I was expressing I got just over 4oz in 8 minutes so if a pump can get that I'm assuming an effective suckling baby can probably get a good volume in 5 minutes.

I hope everyone else is having a good night and that your babies are behaving!

writer yes, I'd expect baby to be more efficient than the pump too. Is he properly feeding for the full 5 minutes?

After several dirty nappies yesterday DD seemed more content last night. A big feed at 11:30 followed by another dirty nappy saw her through until 3:15. Another dirty nappy and here we are!

She's definitely only using left boob as a "comforter", very little drinking going on and thus it isn't producing much and so the circle continues. I put her on left first each time. I'm now trying rugby ball style in an attempt to fool her but she's quite a smart cookie. Think I'll move her to right then back again.

Hmmm, she's asleep. Ironically I'm trying to wake a sleeping, clean and possibly fed baby at 3:45 am.

Cockerel is back...

Sleep pepper ! I'm still trying to settle dd two hours after she woke for first feed. Bloody knackered and head is killing me. Finally feeding to sleep i think. Ds will be up in an hour and dh is back to work today. Fun!

First feed here but I've not slept well tonight... ??

Can I join in? 4 month DS has started waking up every 1 and 1/2 to two hours having previously been doing 3,4 and sometimes 5 hour stretches pretty reliably. Last night we had 10.30, 12.40, 2.40-3.30(?!) and a brief wake up at 5. Now up for the day and beaming at me, little ratbag This has been going on for days. Don't know if he's really hungry every time but he apparently needs boob to get back to sleep

Welcome kate - my DS's sleeping pattern has also changed to sleeping for shorter periods of time. I'm assuming it's down to the weather and because it's so much warmer at night he's wanting a 'quick drink' every now and then

pepper - yes he does feed for the full 5 minutes, proper guzzles it down!
My DS was also horrendous at feeding from the left breast (are you left handed by any chance) and it actually took him until he was about 7 weeks old before he started feeding properly. I used to take the easy route sometimes of always feeding from the right side and expressing from the left to keep my supply up.

misty -DS went through phases of taking 2 hours to settle, it's unbearable isn't it?! The 'tired headache' is awful! I hope she settled eventually and you've had some sleep.

rachie - how come you haven't slept well?

I put DS back into his MB after his 02.40am feed and he managed to settle himself off to sleep in 10 minutes do I was happy with that, it usually takes him at least half an hour. He then woke up 06.30am, had a quick 10 minute munch and is now falling asleep again.

He's been brewing a poo for the last few days and he's really straining this morning which made it very difficult to feed him as he can't focus on both ends at the same time. Does everyone else have this problem??

Thanks Writer

Yes, mine's like that too. Couldn't feed properly at 6 this morning because of trying to poo! Now it's out (enormous one - up the back, down the legs and requiring a change of clothes ) he's feeding much more happily.

Rachie - sorry to hear you had a sleepless night. It's so frustrating when they're asleep and you're not!

Writer - good to hear the breastfeeding cushion is helping, I've been given one but haven't tried it yet. Will give it a go!

Misty - I hope the first day with your DH at work is okay. Does your eldest still nap? I hope you're able to get at least a bit of a rest during the day.

Re the pooing thing - my DS has started to wake around 5am every morning, farting and straining with wind. Same time every day, it's v strange. Funny little creatures!

Hi Kate - 4 month sleep regression? Or growth spurt? Or heat? Having a baby is such a guessing game! It drives you crazy...

How are you Rachie? Did you sleep after you posted in night?

Couldn't post in the night, first time was just too shattered and then DS fell asleep half perched on iPad!! Have a good day everyone - especially Misty - hope LO slept before your day started properly!

A pretty good night from us - fed 1:30 and 4:30 but didn't drop off again til 6, then slept til 8.

Napping in my arms now, contemplating attempting to put him in his cot? He will almost certainly wake though.

Notadoctor - my DS also wakes around 5 grunting and straining to fart. This morning I changed him and gave him gripe water and after a couple of big farts he dropped back off to sleep.

Hi Singsong, yup they do like to keep us on our this, don't they!

I think it might be a combination of all three (heat, growth spurt and the dreaded 4 month regression). Whatever it is, he's spent most of b the morning napping on my lap, no doubt gathering strength for a marathon of wakefulness tonight Can't bring myself to wake him though... nothing good ever comes of that. Does anybody else find that whole "sleep when the baby sleeps" thing totally impossible in the day?

Oops! On our toes, I mean.

I have never slept when the baby slept when I'm the only one in the house

I honestly believe there is something in us that knows we have to keep our baby safe whilst they are solely under our care which means that we just can't switch off.

DS has been snacking on me all morning - and then did the absolute monster of monster poos! It was everywhere. He's in his MB now and I'm hopeful he will eventually drop off to sleep

Same here...really struggle to switch off during the day. It's virtually impossible as a nap could last for 5 minutes and as soon as you lie down you think that they'll be up any second! As for daytime napping on laps...I say better a rested baby than an overtired, cranky baby!

Ah the days of sleeping while baby sleeps. One can dream so I have survived my first day going solo, largely thanks to the baby sleeping most of it! Slept 10-1 and 3-5. We even managed the Park in afternoon. Bit worried she'll have lots of energy for grizzly evening and night now. We'll see. Hope all have been enjoying the gorgeous weather.

Glad you day went well misty - I didn't have a day alone with DS until he was over 5 weeks old and I was a nervous wreck!!

I'm already dreading tonight as DS hasn't had any sleep today which means he's going to horrendous later