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!!

Oh bless you, it hurts you more than it hurts them!! Have you tried co-sleeping for naps? I had a moses basket refuser and had no option. It was amazing and I still clamber into bed with him when he decides it's morning at 4am or 7am at the weekends as it gives me at least 2 more hours sleep!! Done properly it is really safe and in countries where it is common practice there are usually 0 to tiny percentage of SIDS and in China they don't even know what SIDS is which is thought to be down to the cosleeping!

You know him best and seeing the gp is always a good bet although when Z hadnt been for a poo for a few days and seemed in pain, I had a gp tell me to 'just go home and give him a good feed' needless to say as he screamed all the way home and till he passed out, I asked for a 2nd opinion and we saw a paved(turns out it was just him changing his bowel movements )

As for the ff at night. Do what ever helps you. It is great you have a supportive DP but make sure he knows how you feel. The first few months do feel like you are trapped to the sofa with a leech on your boob but I miss it now that Z only wants it a couple of times in the day. Although I wish he only wanted it in the day time!!!

Wow, essay! sorry

Essay appreciated
I just got him to sleep and put him down only for him to wake 20 mins later
I'll google co sleeping safely thank you for the advise and kind words

Attempting first nap of the day : he's been awake for two hours, he's been fed, he looks tired and so I've put him in his cot whilst he's awake. I'm guessing the histrionics will start within 10 minutes...

Two minutes in and the crying has started...

Hi! Thanks for new thread!

DD is 1 1/2 weeks old, bf... completely random! Some days and nights feeds like a dream. Others literally cries all night and won't be satisfied!
So much conflicting advice out there. So far hcp are happy with her ... but I dread failure to thrive or illness because I've been timing each breast wrong. I count nappies!

I might try EBM with his cereal then but that involves finding time to E! DS has just wanted to comfort suck all night so my breasts feel like he's sucked me dry. I never seem to be able to get more than about 3oz when I express either which makes me wnder how good my supply is, but I know a baby is more effective than a pump and DS is hardly underweight. He's still tracking along at the 91st percentile - weighed in at 9.85kg yesterday!

He was so distressed at about 6 this morning that we dosed him with Calpol and he and I both managed to sleep fitfully til abput 10am. We have singing this afternoon but not sure whether to take him or not I case he's coming down with something.

I haven't been back to the thread much since I first posted a week or so ago, and I can't believe you're on thread no5 already!

My DD2 is 5.5 months, ebf and had been waking like a newborn again recently. Since posting on this thread though, she has settled down a bit and now seems to be going down around 7.30 and waking twice in the night for a feed which although could be better, I am happy with for the moment.

This morning I could hear her chatting/moaning at 6.15 and i really, really didn't want to get out of my bed (she's in her own room) so I put my head under the duvet and ignored her for a bit. Well, I was then very surprised that my alarm woke me up at 7.20 (have to get up to take DD1 to school) and DD2 slept on until 8.00 - I will be doing that more often now I know she can put herself back to sleep. I may even try this when she wakes in the night as I usually get straight up to feed her, but sometimes she doesn't seem like she's that hungry, so maybe she would go back off now if I left her to see what she does. Just have to be careful that she doesn't wake DD1 with her shouting!

writer my DD1 used to do exactly what your DS does with the extended wake-ups so I can truly sympathise. We used to regularly be awake for 2 hours at a time, every night, and it was bloody awful. It seemed to go on for months although in reality it probably wasn't that long. I think in the end the only thing that 'cured' it was night weaning her around 9m and then controlled crying at 10m as she wouldn't settle in her cot at bedtime either. Once we did all that, she has pretty much slept fine ever since (she's 4.5 now).

This thread is Fab

I found MN a help on the whole and I still do.

squ it is very very unlikely for a child to fail to thrive just from feeding it's self. It was my dissertation topic!! The child will fail to thrive because of an organic cause i.e there is an illness causing lo to not take the nutrition needed. I timed feeds and sleeps I also counted nappies until it drove me crazy!!! You'll know your baby better than you think you do already! Sounds like you're doing great

Oh forgot today's update: 2 massively full nappies overnight (ie equivalent of 4) with poo and wee. 6 feeds but no yelling or fussing - 60- 90 min sleep between each.
A good night ... FX more like this!

Waiting for DS to wake up from his nap! Nearly 2.5hrs!!! He's missed a feed!

Gosh she's hungry today! Fed solidly 2-now! Plus some hourly feeds since morning.

This afternoon her nappy prompted delight and a quicky exit from the Hv. Yellow as can be and a proper nappy FULL.
Waiting for DH to return from registering her so I can shower n nap ... ready for tonight's milk fest!

Little W has his first cold. have done saline and suction and it's worked pretty well. any tips for an under 2 monther? he's so sad looking and keeps making that exaggerated sad face that breaks my heart and kind of makes me laugh at the same time (is that terrible? it just looks so python and he'll smile 2 seconds later). trying to keep him propped up a bit during naps and trying to feed as much as he'll take to keep him well hydrated. I wonder how this will affect his feeding/sleeping tonight.

sad facecloth put on, not python

Omg, sad face looks... I'm just going to put the phone down....

Nyldn
Oh I'm glad the saline worked I've heard it's good
Your messages made me laugh...my predictive text gets annoying

Lordy she is still feeding on and off! I hope she fills up and I'm not up all night! Also some big ole poos and wees.

Earliest last feed ever! Started feeding DS at 6.50!

I'm doing his bedtime feed now.

We've not long got back from going to visit a potential childminder and she was really really lovely

He's asleep will attempt a transfer to cot!

That's great writer! When do you go back to work?

ds is passed out on me after a screaming session where I couldn't do anything to comfort him - in the end I just swaddled him tightly and swayed him til he wore himself out :( third time today he's been like it but has been fairly happy too today so no idea what's going on- could it be his teeth? he's showing signs of teething but I can't see or feel any. just breaks my heart when he's so upset.

DD is showing signs of cluster feed hell tonight. Has fed constantly since 2 pm ... now grumbling after mere minutes with DH AFTER a good feed and change. Just wants to be on the breast. All. The. Time.
Which will mean all night.

Have midwife etc tomorrow too. Busy day.

Cannot - if I get the new job it will probably be the start of March, but if I return to my old job it will be the end of January.

The only issue with the childminder is that she had 6 dogs. I have a thread running in AIBU to see how others would feel about it and if they'd send their child to a minder with dogs.

Do they have a big garden that the dogs frequently go out to? Gates to separate them from kids?
I'm a dog and cat person and think with every care you can have babies/kids and animals