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

[mrsmugoo]

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!

We'll I fed him, he fell asleep on me, I stood up and rocked him some more, he seemed to be in the Land of Nod but as soon as I put him down he woke up and started crying again. I'm going to see if he will just fall asleep because this cycle of him crying, me picking him up, him falling asleep, me putting him down, him crying, me picking him up again etc is just pointless. Neither of us will get any sleep.

Writer you may have already been asked this but have you ever tried PUPD? It's easier when you're at your whits end I'm sure. I think your LO needs to realise there's nothing wrong so he needs to sleep! Keeping you stood up whilst he's drifts off is not an option.

I do think it's just the natural 16 week sleep regression so am prepared to just ride it out I have never heard of PUPD though so I shall look it up.

Well he's up feeding now, it's the norm for him to wake anywhere between 3-4am.

The problem I currently have is thet DS has learnt that if he kicks his legs hard enough and arches his back at the same time it means he can move himself up his Crib - so as a result he kicks himself up and up until his head hits the end of the Crib (we have bumpers) and there's nowhere left for him to go. Even though I place him in his Crib so his feet are at the bottom of it, whenever I wake up I find him with his head touching the top of it. I think whenever his head hits the top it shocks him and he wakes up!

PUPD is from the book Baby Whisperer. Definitely give it a read. I roll be trying up when DD is old enough- she's 1.5 weeks corrected age now. Not many of the mums I know struggle with it. Seems to be very popular; worth a try.

community.babycentre.co.uk/post/a12117065/pick_up_put_down_-_the_method

Just done first feed and we're all going back to sleep - DS is even in his cot :)

Good morning ladies.

Unsettled day a day night yesterday, Fin is definitely teething,he spent most of yesterday screaming and trying to get his entire fist in his mouth, teething gel helped a bit though. Last night he kept waking up. Writhing around and chomping on his fist, I hate seeing him in pain.

Now we are both shattered! Having your teeth have to force their way through your gums seems like a pretty big design flaw to me!

Unfortunately up for the day at 6:30 - he refused a feed and was wide awake but can't complain - another good night. Wish I had brought him in bed with me though, he might have slept longer. Oh well you win some you lose some.

Writer sorry to hear you're having a tough time - if it is 4 month regression it lasted about 3 weeks here.

Sorry to hear about teething babies too - I guess that will be the next thing here

I'm told, though don't know from experience yet, that the first teeth are usually the worst and that it takes 4 days for teeth to break through once they've started to move up. I'm sure those with older DC can confirm if those statements are true

Third decent night in a row here, so I'm hoping we've got through the sleep regression. By my reckoning it lasted 8 nights.

Good morning all and sorry to hear about sleepless nights.
Another bad night for us. Dd didn't fall asleep until 11:30pm after hours of screaming. Wonder of it's teething? Then woke up again at 4am and up for the day at 7am. I'm so tired.

DH kindly pipes up with his ever realistic words of wisdom: 'you'll have to work on a better routine once we're back from hols as this can't go on'...

Tertle I would have strangled him for that comment! We got 7 hours stretch here and then back to sleep at 5.40 and he's still asleep now but have to wake him to feed him in a bit and take him to weigh in clinic, send us heavy vibes

Good luck for your weigh in Cannot - I've got his this week too

Oh tertle it's just that sort of comment that riles me up. My DH used to say "just put him down for a sheep now and then we can go out" as if just "putting him down" was some magical way to instantly make him sleep whether he was tired or not.

Morning all.

cariad DS had mucusy poo on and off for about a month before his first two teeth popped through. Maybe just coincidence but I think it was all the drool.

johull-sounds like you are doing really well. I expressed and bottle fed my baby for almost 8 WEEKS and still managed to get him back to the breast, so it's definitely possible. Also, is natural to worry about how much they're getting during a feed, but it's often more then you think. My HV did a test weight of DS before and after a feed to reassure me and it showed he'd taken 4 or 5 ounces in a relatively short time. However she may not take quite as much at a breastfeed as she would from the bottle so you will probably have to bf slightly more frequently than you'd bottle feed.

We had a really unsettled night. Fed at 8.30, 9.30, 10,20(!), 2.15 and 4.30. Wouldn't settle except on the boob. Aagh!

Then he woke again at 5.30. I refused to feed and sent him downstairs with DH where he promptly fell when in the pram until 8!!

Why oh why won't be settle in his cot without a feed!!?? This is becoming a horribly familiar routine. Now he's not that interested in feeding because he's had so much in the night. But he screams so much and I'm so tired I can't face refusing in the night as I know it will get him been to sleep. Any advice?

Blimey turtle - I would have exploded at that comment!!

I'm so, so tired. DS went straight back to sleep after his feed at 03.40am but I couldn't and lay awake from 04.00-06.45am'ish

I did drop off eventually and had another few hours but I feel shattered.

Writer - laying awake while your baby sleeps is the WORST!

I've had terrible insomnia recently. I think it from overtiredness - I'm just too wired half the time. Finger crossed we've broken the back of the night wakings now he's doing longer stretches I can start getting some in too!

Well if anyone deserves a break and some sleep then it's definitely you mrsmugoo

I'm due to go away in 3 weeks with my DH, my parents and my niece and nephew so I hope he's out the other side of this regression by then! I doubt they want to keep hearing a baby scream and I certainly don't want to be awake for hours each night and then have to entertain my niece and nephew during the day

Ryder is 14lb7oz at 10+2 and still following the 82nd centile nicely that's put my mind at rest since he's sleeping more at night, the frequency and length of his feeds has decreases. He now feeds 6-8 times a day for 10-15 mins (does feed longer for his bedtime feed, and random other times)

Good news cannot!

kate dare I suggest a dummy? I swore is never give one to dd but it definitely helps. I have a lot of milk and sometimes when she wants to feed for comfort the fast flow of milk frustrates her so we end up with screaming. I give her the dummy and it settles her to sleep. Maybe you could try that when your ds is obviously just looking to feed for comfort...?

Yes I was indeed tempted to strangle DH at his latest comment but I just keep quiet. He's always at it and it's always my fault if dd doesn't sleep. Grrrrr!

I know the feeling about being awake when baby sleeps. Dd actually goes down quite early, from about 8pm but then I have to cook and want to spend time with DH but once I'm in bed she then decides to wake up every hour or two. Argh! I feel like I should start going to bed when she does!

Well I'm not going to complain too much as she is napping now and I'm sunbathing with an iced coffee. It could be worse!

tertle he did used to take a dummy (and it helped-- I look back fondly on those days now!) but he won't take one anymore. I suppose that's good from the point of view of not having to wean him off it later, but at this point I'd try anything that bought me 4 hours sleep in a row!

Tertle - my main coping strategy has been always going to bed when the baby does. I'm only just starting to go a little later now. But before, it was my only chance of getting at least 2 hours sleep in a row!

Unfortunately this baby will only stay asleep if I'm next to him! He has some sixth sense that senses the moment I try to slip away. I tried going to bed with him when he slept at 7.30pm once but I can barely get to sleep at 10pm so just ended up lying awake. I've always been like that but at least back then I didn't have a baby to deal with the next day!

Day 1) returning to breastfeeding seems to be ok ish so far. I started again yesterday after 2 week break because dd was far too tiny. She latched on- great- sucked like she'd never been away-great and stayed there for three hours each time giving me 20-30 minutes between each feed. I think she is sucking to stimulate my milk too as although I have been expressing I've noticed my milk get less and less each day. My nipples are now very sore.

On the plus side though she slept for her longest yet last night. She went to bed at 11:30 and only woke at 4 and 7.30 :-) very happy. I have been advised to offer the breast at night for 20 minutes each side but then top up with formula because my supply is weaker. I did and it really worked.

I'm really chuffed she did so well but I'm now dreading this cluster period again. I remember it from the first time and am worried that that's what will make me give up. I'm very down (PND) when in the house all day and am not sure how many days like this I can really do although I really want to Bf With all my heart.

Kate- thank you for telling me of your experience. I'm pleased I know someone that had a break and returned to feeding. Did you have any problems with your supply?