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 agree that it seems like bad advice from the HV, certainly your friend should get a second opinion.

It's nearly 1130pm here in Oz and DS has woken up crying four times since about 8. Looks like last night was just a temporary blip and a combination of jetlag and Calpol. Back to the drawing board :(

Damn, make that five times...

Started bedtime feed about 20 mins ago. My new iPhone 6 plus arrived today, so sad that I'm excited!! Will set it up once R is in bed!

And two epic naps today! Morning nap 2hr20 and afternoon nap 1hr20. Let's see if it helps tonight

Writer :( Your poor friend. I agree with others, she needs a 2nd opinion on cold turkey! Sounds a recipe for pain.

Cariad Oh no... jet lag. Can only imagine a jet lagged baby!!

Cannot Mine napped a lot too. Thankfully one was round the supermarket! The other one was a good 2 hours and I slept too (DH was working from home). Hope she settles tonight, she's been so windy lately and I'm SO tired!!

Argh. Nat has become wildly different in the last few days. Won't sleep during the day for more than 30 mins at a time then awake for over 2 hours. Is this just normal two month old sleeping less? It's just such a jump from last week when he was out for 2-3 hour stretches. He has started stretching his night sleeps out a bit and acts differently at night when he wakes (stays sleepy, feeds then goes to sleep) so is this just because he is getting his night and day settled and will be more awake during the day? He does seem yawny and a bit stroppy at times, but then when I put him to sleep he's only going for 30 mins and then awake. He's also not very happy but then will be all smiles so I can't believe there's anything wrong?! Also he's now started chewing his hand all the time now he's found his hands, so I have no hunger cue, as I found as I've made so many bottles he hasn't drunk the last few days! Injections tomorrow :( so I have Calpol at the ready!

Today has been a nightmare.
A 50 minute nap in the space of 12 hours!! It's just ridiculous.

He eventually fell asleep at 19.45pm but then woke again after 20 minutes and that brings us to now. I'm trying to feed him back to sleep.

What baby only sleeps 50 minutes in 12 hours???

Claire Ryder has had days of hardly sleeping, Monday when we went to the hospital with him he had 2x 20 min naps all day!

He's been awake screeching for 15 mins. My new rule is no feeds before midnight! I think he's drifted back off now tho

After being so wakey during the day Nat is now in the deepest sleep I've ever seen him in. I could hang him upside down by his ankles and he'd stay asleep! I was carrying him up and his head lolled back wildly and he stayed asleep. Not a twitch when he went in his cot. I don't know what to do with myself! Is it weird that when he is awake and restless I just want to sleep, now he's like this it's so weird I'm awake staring at him?! How long will it last is the question...

First feed here wishful thinking that he may sleep til 6-7am

Still awake while he's absurdly dead to the world, in fact, I just prodded him as I couldn't see him breathing I'm such an idiot, this is a golden opportunity for sleep! And what I wanted, 4 hours sleep and it's not grunty sleep! Going to try headphones/relaxation music while staring at him. Sleeeeep!

There's nothing worse than being awake whilst baby sleeps!! I hope your relaxation music worked!!

I'm up doing Arron's first feed and he went just under 6 hours so that's far more impressive than normal - although I'm not surprised seeing as he had no sleep during the day.

I have made the decision not to change his nappy and just cross my fingers and hope for the best.

I've decided tonight that I'm definitely going to start putting DD into his cot at bedtime now. Co-sleeping is nice but he's only happy if he's curled up right next to me and it's making it quote difficult for me to sleep comfortably or sleep well.

I'm hoping he will sleep for another good chunk (if his nappy doesn't leak) as we are visiting a children's farm tomorrow morning with some other women and babies who I met through Baby Sensory classes and I want us both to be alert enough to enjoy it!!!

So he's fed, winded and back asleep within 25 minutes of him waking - it's most unusual!! I sharn't complain though and hopefully I'll drop off again just as quickly as he did!!

Evening ladies
Feeding for the first time but he only went down at 10:30, this is the part of the night I hate as I don't get much sleep now.
I had a melt down today and told DH I didn't sign up for this, he works 6 days a week then either plays or goes to football, it's un fair on me. He told me to go see my mum more, but has agreed to quit football for a bit.

Advise again please
I've said this before but I'm having the same issues, I've fed DS and he's fallen asleep feeding. He's sparko so I'm trying to wind him but he's asleep. But he will wake with wind in about half an hour, what else can I do????

5 hours sleep! In one stretch! He's a little star! I can even deal with him being awake now as he's smiling and cooing at me :) if he can go back down until 5.30-6 I'll be happy. He's pooed and drank 7oz and gone back in cot. I'm still awake though. I think it's injection worry. I'm so worried he'll get a high temp and have a seizure or something.

sammy I just do a very gentle burp of simply holding him upright over my shoulder, which coaxes a burp usually. If when he's gone down I think he sounds/looks uncomfortable, I gently sit him up in the cot and tilt him forward a bit , I find 10 mins or so after eating this works well.

He's up again 1.5 hours later

I was rocking him back to sleep but could feel his bulging rock hard nappy through his sleeping bag so I knew I had to change him. Feeding him again now in the hope he will then go through until 8am.

redling - try not to worry about the injections. Arron was a little bit under the weather but he didn't have a temperature. If anything it was the rota virus droplets which were the worst, Arron really suffered with horrendous trapped wind and stomach aches for about a week.

sammy - I used to have the exact same problem. The trick with winding is that their back has to be as straight as possible with their head at a good 90 degree angle to their body, or as close to it as you can get. Trying to wind a hunched over baby is pretty pointless. As has been said winding over the shoulder is one method but I found it didn't work for me because when Arron was asleep over my shoulder although his back was relatively straight his head was still flopped forward and downwards over my shoulder so even if back patting caused the trapped air to travel up the windpipe it couldn't escape because it's 'exit route' was blocked - I,e Arron's head was dropped forward so his chin and neck were kind of blocking the passageway.

The way I found worked best for me was to sit up and have Arron sitting on my lap facing to my left side. I would then put my left hand underneath his chin and tilt his head back into a fully forward facing position as opposed to his "I'm asleep so I'm going to drop my head downwards" position. With my left hand holding his face upwards it meant my left forearm was naturally supporting his chest and keeping him in an erect sitting up position as opposed to slumping forward like sleeping babies do. I would then just pat him quite firmly with my right hand. With every pat of my right hand I would push against him a little with my left forearm to ensure he stayed in his upright position to prevent my back patting pushing him forwards.

Although I was holding him in what seemed like a fixed straight position (like he needed to be in) it never woke him as his posture was fully supported by my left hand and left forearm arm.

I had him facing to the left and using my left hand/arm to put him in the corect position because I'm left handed but if you are right handed then just face him to the right and do it that way.

Sorry my message was so long - it was just how my midwife wrote it down for me when I asked about techniques.

Now that Arron is much older (6 months) and can bring up his wind much easier it doesn't really matter what position I burp him in, but as a young baby with no head control and their lack of strength to maintain a straight back I found the above position was most effective.

Thank you I'll try this position today when he's awake to try and master it. I'm just hoping like you say that it won't wake him during the night.
The other issue I have is he is definitely comfort suckling on my boob at night, is this where I need to try and master the art of the dummy? As he wakes, grizzles and feeds for 10 mins so I'm not even sure he needs the milk. But at such a young age shouldn't I make sure he is feeding through the night ?

Sammy I'm the same with burps (well dd is) - thanks for the tip Redling.

Mine had a feed at 7 am am is still spark out. Unfortunately my boobs are like ROCKS today (she had a hungry night) so for once I want her awake quickly!!
She managed to go in her bed drowsy last night and settle down to sleep without crying. Which saved my arms a bit. Hope that skill is now learned!!

Hi everyone, just checking in :) We're away again for a few days so DS is back in the travel cot and not enjoying it after getting used this his lovely new cot in his own room and pulling some stunning 12 hour sleeps. I was up from 3:30-5 with him this morning and then he woke at 6 for the day. Great!

He's not napping brilliantly away from home either - I think it's because I've been feeding him 90% to sleep just to ensure he goes off as he doesn't really settle in the travel cot very well. When he's fed to sleep he wakes after one sleep cycle. I think the not napping is making the nights bad - vicious circle of overtiredness.

In other news, his eating has really turned a corner. It's great now, I can just sit him on my lap and feed him from my plate - yesterday he ate fish pie and lasagne and this morning he had scrambled egg with cheese. He will also wolf down yoghurt which makes me feel so much better about his impending start at nursery in only two weeks!

Nat took his injections with a normal amount of crying and is not terribly upset now thank god. I cried while my Mam held him! How pathetic of me! I just stroked his face and said sorry! The look of shock and betrayal on his little face

The Doctor advises I wait a while before they refer to physio for my tailbone, as apparently 2 months is not enough time to be in massive pain and it might still be inflamed tendons that will go down, and 'hormones' from birth are still around or something. Also pointed out (as I realised) that there's not much manipulation of the tailbone to be done, as it's basically buried in the arse. Sigh. I guess more standing up to avoid irritating it.

Nat was so good at sleeping last night and this morning, but vaccinations have thrown that off. I'm hugging him like mad all day anyway while Mam does my housework though so not so much of an issue today! Poor baby boy!

Does anyone know if you can tag heart aspirin (low dose 75mg) and bf? Getting my sticky blood bad back and don't want to inject anti coagulants! But neither put up for 6 months!

Hello all! Have been reading but not adding to the thread as we've been having better nights (totally cheating and co-sleeping with both children though!) so I thought I'd pop on and say hello!

Mugoo - great news on on the weaning, it's so lovely to see them enjoying thier food!

Redling - I know exactly what you mean about the look of betrayal at the injections. I had a little cry at the first set too! At least you know they're for his own good. I just got a letter about DD (2.11) having the flu vaccine - not looking forward to that!

We're about to make some changes.... I've decided not to go back to work this time around - although I also do some freelance stuff which I'll keep on. So, I think that means stopping co-sleeping over the next couple of months as I don't want to end up resenting 24hour parenting! Plus as much as I love snuggling the little ones I do miss sharing a bed with DH!

Looks like someone is setting herself up for a cluster feed/growth spurt!! Eating every hour! Pooping like a beat!
Hoping to express this weekend. Will save my sanity days like these!