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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Night feeders thread part 3 - Up all night feeding? Come join! [title edited by MNHQ]

954 replies

mrsmugoo · 08/07/2014 20:45

Part 3!

Quick recap - DS, 17 weeks, EBF (stubborn little bottle refuser), crap sleeper! Super knackered Mummy, surviving on 1-2 hour sleeps :(

So I am hoping for a better night tonight seeing as bedtime went smoothly. Last night was hideous and I've eaten a twirl, a bounty and a salted caramel brownie today just to get through the day!

OP posts:
Writerwannabe83 · 25/07/2014 19:15

mrsmugoo - how often did you keep going in to the room to reassure him whilst he was crying?

Did you go in every minute or less frequent? I'm only asking because some approaches I've read about say to leave the baby crying for 3 minutes and to then build it up each time you leave the room.

Original poster
mrsmugoo · 25/07/2014 19:28

I didn't do it in any timed way but I stood at the head of the cot with him (out of his sight) the whole time.

I occasionally straightened him up and put a hand on his chest but essentially I just left him to figure it out for himself.

OP posts:
Sausages123 · 25/07/2014 19:49

writer he was 5lb 13oz initially and lost near 10% of his weight to 5lb 3oz and since he has been getting food rather than the drops he had from me he has gone back to 5lb 9oz and is feeding every 1-3 hours and taking anywhere from an ounce to 3.5oz. Am just following what he wants. I am very sad about how crap I am at being able to nourish my son but very grateful we have a safe alternative

Writerwannabe83 · 25/07/2014 20:17

Oh sausage - please don't feel like that. You grew him and nourished him for 9 months, he wouldn't have arrived safely and healthy if it wasn't for what a good job you did nourishing him when you were pregnant.

My DS lost 9.6%of his birth weight within 48 hours and I have had many problems with my BF and there was also a chance I wouldn't have been allowed to do it because of medication I take.

I do understand why you feel the way you do, I've had a lot of guilt of my own....and it is so bad that we feel that emotion but we still do. I would have been disappointed if I hadn't have been able to breast feed (or even try to due to my drugs) so I sympathise.

But you have a healthy baby who is growing well - that's all anyone can ask for Thanks

Sausages123 · 25/07/2014 20:24

Thank you, am just having a bit of a bad day over it all. He is a chilled out little soul though!

Writerwannabe83 · 25/07/2014 20:24

Well he finished his evening nap at 6pm so I engineered his evening so we'd be upstairs and ready for sleep at 8pm.

I got him all washed and in his pyjamas for 19.50pm, read to him for about 5 minutes and then fed him. He fell asleep at the breast but I successfully managed to transfer him into his Crib.

He still in there, seemingly fast asleep.
So that's 10 minutes of sleeping so far!

I can't relax though, I'm just waiting for him to spring into action and start his night time shenanigans. But the fact he is asleep in the first place is excellent progress on the last week or so.

Writerwannabe83 · 25/07/2014 20:28

sausages - Bad days are definitely allowed, I have had many, many of them. At one point I cried for about 3 hours straight.

Breast feeding can be an emotional issue and it's just a case of whenever you feel sadness or guilt rearing it's ugly head, you remember that the decision was taken out of your hands, you tried your best (which is all anyone can do) and by FF you are simply doing what is needed to keep your baby healthy and chilled Smile

Original poster
mrsmugoo · 25/07/2014 20:57

Writer that sounds great! No screaming!

I usually do push him a bit longer than 2 hours in the evening just so he is good and tired for bed - tonight he slept until 5:40, he was in the bath by 7:30, fed and put down by 8 and asleep minutes later.

He's got the air wrap cot bumper thing in the cot now so I'm hoping to try to get through the night without waking up to reposition him with his legs through the bars.

OP posts:
AuntieMaggie · 25/07/2014 21:13

DS is 4 weeks and the HV told me yesterday to let him cry so he starts settling himself but it feels wrong as he's so young and tbh on the occasion I have to leave him because I'm on the loo or something he doesn't settle he gets more and more distressed. Admittedly this is only 10 mins but how long am I supposed to leave it?!

Writerwannabe83 · 25/07/2014 21:16

He's awake and screaming Sad

Writerwannabe83 · 25/07/2014 22:06

Still crying.....

AuntieMaggie · 25/07/2014 23:44

:( hope he's stopped crying now writer

talulahbelle · 26/07/2014 01:16

Thanks for the welcome all. I spent the day trying to catch up on sleep and otherwise dealing with my newborn. Back on the night shift now with DD alternately feeding and screaming.

Original poster
mrsmugoo · 26/07/2014 03:05

Yes I hope it worked out ok in the end Writer.

DS is rolling around his cot here. Really do not want to feed him at this hour - trying to get him to go through to 5/6am now from DF.

I think he may have dropped off. I've been dozing but I've got up twice to help him when he's been stuck on his tummy.

Really hope this constant practising of his newly mastered skill is a phase that passes quickly!

OP posts:
talulahbelle · 26/07/2014 04:12

Tonight I've learnt DD likes to be skin up skin and not too hot to feed. So to get a decent latch all I have to do is take her sleep suit off.

Writerwannabe83 · 26/07/2014 08:36

Morning all, he went just under 7 hours, had a quick feed and then went another 2 hours. So at least I feel rested this morning.

Original poster
mrsmugoo · 26/07/2014 08:42

I ended up bringing him in with me and he settled to sleep at about 3:30 and then woke for a feed at 5:30, then sleeping through to 8am.

So other than me being awake from about 1:30-3:30 with him rolling over in the cot I think I got 3hrs + 2hrs + 2hrs sleep which is totally acceptable for me!

OP posts:
notadoctor · 26/07/2014 10:07

I was shattered yesterday after a very busy - but very fun - family day out so co-slept and feel quite refreshed today!

Mrs M - the image of your LO doing rolling practice is adorable! But probably not in the early hours! Hopefully he'll calm soon.

Tallulah - skin to skin snuggles with your newborn sound wonderful. Enjoy!

Writer and Kate - sympathies on the tough decision on whether CC is for you or not. There is just so much conflicting advice. I can't do the links but the NHS website has a great document weighing up the evidence both ways, it's really balanced and I found it reassuring that you're not harming your baby either way. Basically I think you have to go with your instincts - they're all so different! We did sleep train our DD at about 6months. It worked for a few months but as a toddler she is now a total insomniac! My SIL on the other hand breastfed my niece to sleep until she was over 1 and now she's 2.5yo and could sleep for England! So, who knows! I'm going to go with the flow with DS I think...

Cannotbelieveit · 26/07/2014 10:53

Another good night 8.5 hours Grin however we have second lot of injections on Monday so we shall see

KateTheShrew · 26/07/2014 10:58

Morning all!

Welcome Sausages Smile

Thanks mugoo, your description of your DS's crying was really helpful and has settled my mind that controlled crying isn't for us right now. What you did sounds very gentle, quick and effective. If my DS was just 'tired crying,' I'd have no qualms about leaving him to it, but he is full-on sobbing/screaming within 5 minutes so I think I'm right to continue comforting him as much as he wants, for now at least. We might think again when he's older.

Fortunately last night was really good and I got a lie in until 9.30 this morning! So I feel MUCH better today. It's amazing how much difference some decent sleep can make Grin

Batmam · 26/07/2014 12:15

I posted this morning but can't see it. Confused
Apologies if you can, but it was to Auntie - I'd be open to trying CC too but DS at 7 weeks is too young in my eyes. Having said that I haven't had any screaming/self-settling issues yet! My problem is just wanting him to go longer in the night between feeds (JUST she says bleary eyed after only 4hrs sleep last night!)

Original poster
mrsmugoo · 26/07/2014 12:41

Batmam at 7 weeks it's hard because the initial newborn novelty has worn off and you're really, really knackered but it's still seriously early days and if you're getting 2/3 hour stretches then you're doing brilliantly!

OP posts:
Original poster
mrsmugoo · 26/07/2014 12:43

Notadoctor - yes it is quite adorable to be fair... But I hope he chills out on it soon as we're so close to being able to get a whole nights sleep!

OP posts:
Writerwannabe83 · 26/07/2014 12:56

batmam - just echoing what mrsmugoo has said, at such a young age it's important your DS still feeds through the night. Their stomachs are still very small so they need to keep replenishing their stock to make sure they stay hydrated, especially at this age. Plus night time feeding is optimal for stimulating your milk supply and apparently there is a hormone in night time milk which purposely stops young babies going into a deep sleep and this is why SIDS risk is reduced in breast fed babies. As mrsmugoo said, it's natural you are knackered but you have to just go with it. Seven weeks is definitely far, far too young to do CC so I'm glad you decided against it.

When DS was very young I was feeding 13-14 times a day in a 24 hour period and was waking every 2-3 hours overnight which is completely normal. My HV told me that when he hit 6 weeks he would probably drop a night time feed but it didn't happen until he was about 10-11 weeks I think.

Having a young baby is knackering but unfortunately it's par for the course. At this young age it is important that you just follow your baby's lead and don't try and interrupt or alter his pattern of what he actually wants and needs.

Writerwannabe83 · 26/07/2014 12:59

Ps) I meant to say it's important they stay hydrated in this heat Smile