Night Feeders Part 5. Calling all women who find themselves feeding when they'd rather be sleeping!!

[Writerwannabe83]

This is a thread for anyone who wants support when things seem tough - especially for the women whose babies don't like sleep!!

We'll do the usual introductions:

I'm a first time mom to my 6 month old, EBF son. It's been a rocky few months, lots of ups and downs but we've finally reached a point where he's asleep by 7.30pm and only waking once during the night.

He very rarely naps in the day - and when he does it's only when he's in the car or his pushchair. It's very frustrating!!

And the last little thing about us is that we have just started the weaning journey - it's fun but messy!!

I think I just used to cuddle and rock Hunter to settle him? But agree boobing is pretty much the answer to any baby problem and I love it!

We just came to bed and Ryder woke straight away so I'm feeding him no point in ignoring him! Hoping he goes til 4/5am at least

He went 2.5 hours

Feeding him now and then I think I'm just going to keep him in with me - he always sleeps well when we cuddle up together

Hudsons almost clock work... Put him down at 9:30 ish and he's awake at 12:30, never screaming just gurgling away in his Moses basket, sleeping bag seems to of been ok but again his hands are freezing (he's in a long sleeved vest this is right ladies?)
Wow you've all said about the comfort of the breast, so I'm thinking I night stay breast feeding for as long as poss. So how do you all get time away? Expressed milk? And how do you know how much milk to leave? Or is Hudson going to get into a routine ? (He's kinda in one now but doesn't go long between feeds during the day)

Well after saying we've not really had any nappy leaks yet poor DD2 has woken up soaked! All change tears and milk and passing out on my shoulder...
I have been sleeping on and off since 5 pm and feel a lot better already. Thank god for lying-down Breastfeeding....

Can I join you guys?! DS just went down after waking for a feed at 12.40! No crying, just faffed around with the bottle and was very wakey! The plus side is he woke up when I finally put him in the crib and I could have cried, but he kicked about a bit and smiled and gurgled and fell asleep on his own, which he can do on and off so I hope he keeps that up! He's 7.5 weeks old, ff with some expressed breast milk. He comes to bed with me at the moment but thinking about putting him to bed alone next week as he does seem to sleep from about 8-11 most nights. My main problem is he is still only going two hours between feeds from midnight until we get up. On week days I'm on the clock from 11.30-6 am so DH can get enough sleep to work, but this seems to be his most wakey time of the night! I'm often passing him to DH at 6am rather then at the next feed, I then have some more sleep from 6 until 7.30 when DH gets ready for work. We do have good nights when he stays asleep for feeds and can be popped back down quickly so I can sleep a bit. Also his nappies never seem to leak (always change as close to bedtime as poss so can go from 11.30-6 without a change unless he poos). Anyway, as he's quietly sleeping (he often grunts and moans all bloody night as well!) I'll try and sleep!

Welcome redling

Ryder is up and I'm feeding him and I've come to the conclusion that there's no point in fighting it, I'm just feeding when he wants it overnight. One day he will all of a sudden grow up and I will be longing for these days

Up again at 4.40 but he's fed and I'm now burping (hanging him over my shoulder!) and I think he'll go straight down. Also this surely takes him to daddy time for next feed! So that's 2 for me since he was brought up, not bad really! cannot I'm so trying to look at the night cuddles as a good thing as I have loved his newborn period and I will miss the baby snuggles! He's already massive compared to birth weight so he's changing so much. He'll get there with the sleep!

A agree cannot, go with the flow I say.
Welcome redling, my situation with my DP and work is similar to yours and I pass the baby over at 5am to him before he gets up about 639, we haven't got to the stage where he gives him a bottle yet, I'm trying to build up a milk stash
I keep falling asleep with DS (Hudson, 4 weeks) after the 3am feed in my chest, a habit I should get out of, he's feeding now only cause I woke him to change his nappy

Sammy I started expressing when DS was around 8 weeks so that I could get back into my gym classes. Usually all I could get out was 3oz but that was enough to cover it as I was never away for more than 3 hours tops. Now that he's on solids I don't always have to express unless I'm going to be away for ages. Today im going to be out for most of the day so there's 5oz in the fridge and I'll try to do more before I leave.

Had a fairly disturbed night as DS just wanted to suck again. Don't know what's up with him :(

Mine was very thrashy on the boob all night bit slept between thank goodness. Though had to put her on the bed si DH relegated to spate room and no duvet for me grr.

Cariad Thanks, I'm only getting 1-2 oz at the mo. I'm also worried as DS comforts on the boob so giving him milk in a bottle won't last 5 mins then how his someone going to comfort him

Hi Sammywiv! I do exactly the same thing, fall asleep with him on my chest, it's a great sleep for both of us! But not something I want to make a habit of. We are moving him into the big cot tomorrow, 91st centile for length means he hangs his arms out the crib and whacks his head! So I'm very interested to see if he will sleep differently in the cot. Waiting until DH is on night duty with me in case he hates it! Just had him fighting sleep and crying, then he farted and went straight to sleep, it was ridiculous! Such a funny boy! His name is Nathaniel (Nat). I have to walk 45 mins to baby massage later, he's not great at sleeping in the pram so I might have to wake him before 11.30 and get him fed and tired out to sleep, I can't stand 45 mins of crying!

Redling have you tried a sling or carrier with him yet?

I'm going to go back through the posts in a minute but for now I just need to scream!!!!

Arron has been awake for 5 hours, after not a particularly good night, and he is absolutely exhausted!!!!

So why the fu*k won't he just go to sleep!!!! He's making he feel angry!! Nothing I do works

I'm going to go back through the posts in a minute but for now I just need to scream!!!!

Arron has been awake for 5 hours, after not a particularly good night, and he is absolutely exhausted!!!!

So why the fu*k won't he just go to sleep!!!! He's making he feel angry!! Nothing I do works

I do get pissed off when I know Ryde is tired and fights sleep! But I guess babies brains don't comprehend "oh I'm tired I should sleep"

Me - used to be a insomniac before my boys and can now fall asleep at the drop of a hat!

Hi Redling! Good to hear ds settles after night feeds. And in a big cot soon! Mine is only just settling onto her 1st crib!

Same as most of us I use the boob as a cry cure! Stops her quickly!

Cariad what pump do you use for occasional pumping? I am considering it so I can have DH or mother help me in a few weeks (have some hospital appointments and would like an hour to myself now n then).

Writer and Cannot Yes why oh why do they fight it? Mine even does and she's a tiny! You can see the dilemma on her little face!

Got a bit of a confidence boost today: dd put on 200 gram in 6 days. MW very pleased about my feeding and supply right now. Makes the all night scoffing worth it!

I'm a bit calmer now. After watching him fight sleep for almost 2 hours I gave in and took him out in the car and he was zonked in less than 5 minutes. Why didn't I just do that in the first place!! Grr. I know there is a consensus that we shouldn't get into bad and desperate habits to make the baby sleep but taking him for a drive was far preferable to me getting annoyed and stressed for 2 hours because he wouldn't sleep. He's been asleep for almost 1.5 hours now

Anyway - hello all

Welcome Redling and congratulations on your new baby!!!! I have a little 6 month old called Arron who apart from sleep issues is perfect

I had a hospital appointment this morning and had to get weighed and I weigh 9lb less than what I weighed before I even got pregnant Thank you breast feeding!!!!!!!

I'm at my dad's house and he is cooking us a gorgeous roast chicken dinner and it smells SCRUMMY!!!

I'm a bit calmer now. After watching him fight sleep for almost 2 hours I gave in and took him out in the car and he was zonked in less than 5 minutes. Why didn't I just do that in the first place!! Grr. I know there is a consensus that we shouldn't get into bad and desperate habits to make the baby sleep but taking him for a drive was far preferable to me getting annoyed and stressed for 2 hours because he wouldn't sleep. He's been asleep for almost 1.5 hours now

Anyway - hello all

Welcome Redling and congratulations on your new baby!!!! I have a little 6 month old called Arron who apart from sleep issues is perfect

I had a hospital appointment this morning and had to get weighed and I weigh 9lb less than what I weighed before I even got pregnant Thank you breast feeding!!!!!!!

I'm at my dad's house and he is cooking us a gorgeous roast chicken dinner and it smells SCRUMMY!!!

We have a Baby Bjorn and an Ama wrap and he likes both, but as he mashed up my tailbone on his way out I can't carry him for a 45 min walk both ways! Short journeys are ok. My DH loves carrying him around in the baby Bjorn. He has been fast asleep in the pram today though, he has to be asleep when he goes in because he doesn't tend to go to sleep in it, just stare at the sides and cry!

Hello all!

Hello all - back from holidays! So proud of my little man for being as good as gold all week and through a long day of travelling today.

He's sparked out at the moment having his first "proper" nap of the day apart from the odd 40 winks in cars and 30 minutes snoozy feed on me on the flight - he's knackered and so am I!

I won't let him sleep past 5 so he still goes to bed on time though.

squizita, I have a Medela Swing that I bought practically brand new on eBay. It isn't as good as the hospital grade pumps obviously but perfectly adequate for pumping a couple of times a week.

DS has been with DP for most of today and been good as gold so I expect shenanigans tonight!

I have a Medela Swing which I like but I've also borrowed a superduper one from local breastfeeding team as I felt my Medela was loosing suction, and as I doubt I'll be expressing much longer I didn't want to get it fixed or replace parts. I have to say I get quite a bit from my Avent hand-pump but I don't feed directly from the boob so I get about 5 oz a pump on a good day. I only do it twice though. I set it as high as possible for vacuum or hand pump furiously fast, as if there were a starving vampire child on me. I save the boob milk for overnights as midwife said it could sit out for 5 hours, so usually only need to go get formula once a night. This helps keep him in the dark bedroom from 11.30-6 or 7 so he knows it's night. So hard though as I mainly get bored when he decides it's wakey time. I'd love to just bring him downstairs and watch some catch up TV and kip on the sofa, but trying to keep up habit so he might accidentally fall into a routine! He's very predictable about sleep and feeds at night actually, but it's just the frequency of feeds, I thought he might be managing 3-4 hours by now, he's having 3-4oz now.

Glad you had a good time away mrsmugoo

I'm doing Arron's bedtime feed now. It seems to be getting earlier every day but come 6pm he starts looking really, really tired. We're back home now after spending yesterday and today at my dad's house and it's nice to be back with DH. He was supposed to be going out with work tonight but he's decided he's missed us too much and so will stay home

I think Arron is asleep in my arms and I have reached that awful point of the evening where I ask myself, "Do I dare transfer him to his cot?"