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Infant feeding

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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 · 19/08/2014 06:42

I hope you managed to fall back to sleep!! Are you going to persevere with not offering the dream feed and see how it goes? It may take a few nights to see a result, after all it's been a long term feature of his sleep pattern so he won't readjust straight away. The 5am wake ups are awful.

DS went just under 6 hours, I can't believe it. He's just feeding now and I can't decide whether to put him back in his cot afterwards or gave him in bed with me for some morning cuddles and have a few hours sleep together.

Original poster
mrsmugoo · 19/08/2014 08:27

He didn't settle in his cot, it would go quiet and then I'd hear shuffling and grunting so at 6 (usual time) I scooped him up and brought him in with me where he fell asleep instantly until 8.

Yes I think I am going to stop the dreamfeed. It is kind of annoying not to have that long stretch of sleep when I go to bed but I think it's encouraging him to go longer on his own. In the end he went 5.5 hours, 3.5 hours, 2 hours. He's not had a feed since we've been up yet.

I guess I will just have to start going to bed a little bit earlier.

OP posts:
Original poster
mrsmugoo · 19/08/2014 08:31

Writer - I've always brought DS in with me in the early morning to get that bit more sleep, I don't have an issue with it in fact I like waking up snuggled up next to him. It would be wonderful if he slept through in his cot but I'm not going to persevere with it and deny myself sleep!

I guess he will do it of his own accord eventually.

OP posts:
Original poster
mrsmugoo · 19/08/2014 08:36

I forgot to say, last night he had ibuprofen at bedtime and first feed to eliminate teeth - he'd been suuuuper grumpy all day and gnashing on his fists. I also put him in his 2.5 tog grobag because he's been napping in the double bed with the duvet up to his armpits and so I wondered if he'd like to be more cosy in bed seeing as the temperature has dropped now - it was about 21 in the bedroom overnight.

OP posts:
Writerwannabe83 · 19/08/2014 08:38

The stretches of sleep you had are pretty good, my DS's get shorter in length with ecad one that passes too.

I ultimately decided to put him back in his cot which I did when he was drowsy and though he stirred and wriggled a bit he eventually self settled and went another 1.5 hours.

He's just finished feeding and I'm trying to decide whether to get up or snuggle in bed with him Smile

Writerwannabe83 · 19/08/2014 08:41

My DS has also been having ibuprofen before bed due to teething issues but it certainly hasn't helped regarding his sleep. I think he may be suffering from reflux though so he's off to see the nurse today.

The temperature is 21 in my bedroom too and last night couldn't decide what to put him in. In the end I just went for a long armed vest and his sleep-bag which is one tog.

bumpiesonamission · 19/08/2014 08:42

Urg, morning. Z went 4.5hrs at first then fed every 3 till 7:30 but he stirred every 1.5hrs so I am knackered and he looks tired too! uuurg

Original poster
mrsmugoo · 19/08/2014 09:15

Yeah he's actually doing ok at night - (those were his sleeps not mine though!)

It's definitely been a LOT worse in the past, but it's not beyond the realms of imagination that at 5 months he could go 8-8 in his cot with just one (max 2!) wake ups.

It's his day sleeps that are shot to bits at the moment though - I've canceled yet another social event today because it's at 2:30pm and as he seems to want to only sleep twice a day at the moment, 2:30 is going to clash with napping. With only two sleeps a day it's even more important that they are decent length not piddly half an hour catnaps.

OP posts:
Cariad007 · 19/08/2014 10:12

Gah, DS was up pretty much every hour to 90mins during the night wanting to suck. I am shattered! He was v squirmy and seemed uncomfortable too. He really needs to poo as he hasn't done one since Saturday. Did anyone else find that weaning clogged their babies up a bit? Am on a mission to find some prune purée today!

Writerwannabe83 · 19/08/2014 10:33

What is wrong with our babies??!

DS is napping on my lap - hopefully he will have a long one.

I'm dreading weaning because I'll feel like I don't have my little baby anymore Sad

Cariad007 · 19/08/2014 11:35

I know what you mean, I felt like that too. But DS is still a total boob monster!

Original poster
mrsmugoo · 19/08/2014 13:08

I'm so happy to see him growing out of the little baby stage to be honest!

OP posts:
Writerwannabe83 · 19/08/2014 14:20

I'm sad because I know it's the only baby I will ever have so I just don't want it to end.

Cariad007 · 19/08/2014 15:03

I feel the same, especially as we won't be having another one. I feel like before I know it DS will be a teenager and I'll be left wondering where my sweet little baby who always wanted to be near mummy went. He is six months exactly today.

Writerwannabe83 · 19/08/2014 15:45

Exactly cariad - I find it so sad. The day I start weaning and know that the journey has started of us losing that special bond and his reliance on me being over I will be genuinely upset.

bumpiesonamission · 19/08/2014 19:21

I feel very sad as after tonight there'll be one night feed and that's all that's my plan but something has to change. I've cried most of today in exhaustion.

He's napped well, eaten well and played well today. Strangely though he showed tired signs earlier so we did early bath and he was asleep by 6:20!! I'm scared it'll be an awful night now Sad

Yorkie78 · 19/08/2014 20:11

Been away from here for a while, at my parents for an uncertain amount of time (house stuff). Things are really back-pedalling and I'm getting worried I will never get her to have more than a couple of 45 min naps in the day, have created a monster nursing/ sleep association, and she will never get back to sleeping for more than 3h continuously at night. Dont know what's happened. Lots of new things, sore gums, better awareness of everything ... Her routine is shot. But don't know what to aim for now. Books are overwhelming and anxiety inducing. DD is a sweet placid thing though. At least for now. How do we get through the next few weeks? With teething and weaning to come I'm going to be back to feeling crazy and mentally unwell. Sorry to hear things not straightforward for others too. Good luck tonight. I am dreading the third night of what seems to be a return to newborn waking and feeding. :(

bumpiesonamission · 19/08/2014 20:55

Sad Sad although mine isn't great at night, he has been a bit more predictable and certainly happier with s day time routine. Is napping better and eating better so I'd suggest that?

Writerwannabe83 · 19/08/2014 21:14

I can't believe what a crap time we are all having.

My DS had a nap this evening which he normally never does so I'm hoping I've avoided the horror of an overtired baby.

He was started on Gaviscon today so it will be interesting to see if that helps with his sleep overnight.
He's awake in his cot now following storytime and bedtime feed and he seems quite content. I'm going to really persevere with getting him to self settle again.

Writerwannabe83 · 19/08/2014 21:57

He's been crying for 30 minutes now. I go back to him every few minutes and as soon as he sees me he just starts smiling.

Seriously trying not to lose my patience...

Writerwannabe83 · 19/08/2014 22:07

I gave in. I fed him to calm him and then rocked him to sleep

Night 1 = Mother fails, baby wins.

Cariad007 · 19/08/2014 22:28

DS only ever feeds or rocks to sleep. Once we've got a cot for him I will try the self settling thing but I don't think he'll take to it.

He was so constipated today, poor baby. He was actually crying as he pooped but only produced some hard pellets. I felt so bad and like it was my fault for starting him on solids. I then read up on it and it seems that baby rice and starchy veg (I've been feeding him sweet potato, parsnip and carrot purée) can cause constipation so my plan for the next couple of days is to go back to milk with some prune purée. Hopefully that will get things moving a bit.

Original poster
mrsmugoo · 20/08/2014 03:24

Well we've just managed to go all the way from bedtime 8:30 to 3:15 for his first feed - this is excellent!

OP posts:
Writerwannabe83 · 20/08/2014 06:21

Brilliant mrsmugoo - you must be so relieved!!

My DS went 8 hours!! Can't believe it!!

The only downside is that I've woken up with hard and painful boobs Grin

Writerwannabe83 · 20/08/2014 06:35

cariad - prune purée?? That sounds worse than the constipation Grin

I've jugs finished feeding DS and put him back in his cot. He's having a little shuffle and talking to himself but we'll see if he manages to go to sleep or not...

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