Everyone says I should ff..... isn't there another way?

[Dolorescat]

Hi everyone, I'm new to MN but was hoping that you might have some ideas/advice as I'm getting very confused (cross eyed face).

I'm bf my (nearly) 7mo ds. He's my first and I'm really enjoying the bf. However I am getting almost no sleep and my back is aching from lifting him in and out of the cot. When I get up in the morning I'm hobbling about for hours and I've begun to dread the night shift.

I think my son is doing what is called 'reverse cycling' as he is a big active boy who will only have a few 'sips' during the day as there is far too much rolling and yelling to be done.....and so he still feeds 2 hourly at night. My family and friends keep telling me I should ff... the way they go on you would think I'm bf a 15 yo for God's sake. I'm finding it very disheartening.

I was thinking that the answer is maybe to co-sleep... has anybody else introduced co-sleeping at this late stage. Is it safer now that he is bigger/older? I'm very nervous about it as I have seen a baby in A+E who was killed while co-sleeping. I was thinking that we could just put the mattress on the floor and then I don't need to worry about him rolling out. He sleeps in a baby sleeping bag.
Sorry such a long post but would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks everyone. You're all great. Will try to post tomorrow and let you all know what kind of night we had.

So good to hear you say that I tried not to push one thing but I always try and err on the " they will grow out of it". We did use CC to get DD to self settle first thing at night. But like you I really believed she woke at night because she needed me, not through habit. Life now is so different and looking back I am glad I was there for her in those few sort months. Even if each extra minute of lost sleep feels like a lifetime while you are doing it DD is so secure now, she rarely wakes, even if she does she settles herself really well.

Good morning everyone.
Well we had a nice night! Decided to try the cot next to the bed approach (before we started dismantling the bedframe to put the mattress on the floor!) So took the cotside off and me and ds went to bed together so that I could catch up on sleep and see how he liked the new arrangement!!
He seemed to wake less often, although I think that was partly because I had made a real effort to get more milk into him yesterday by keeping everything very quiet and curtains drawn etc. Also he hardly needed to cry when he woke because I was one step ahead of him and could offer him a feed straight away. It's amazing how I just kind of woke when he did and knew what he needed.
Baby woke up when his daddy went to work, smiles all round, and dh said he slept much better too.
I think the biggest thing is just that I feel more relaxed.... instead of feeling like I am doing something wrong because ds still wakes in the night and feeling pressured to develop 'a routine' (which doesn't suit my personality at all) I feel like it is possible to compromise and still enjoy all the snuggles. It is easier if I just think of it as a developmental stage, like rolling or sitting, that he will do in his own time.
I know it is just one night but I feel amazing! Instead of feeling like I have been lifting weights all night
By the way my dh made me laugh when he got home from work yesterday he asked me if I was looking at "wife talk", humph.

Your doing so well, why stop now
My 6 month still wakes at least once a night for a night feed (although was 3 time last night). I just keep telling myself FF would not promise me more sleep. I like the fact i feed her and then she goes straight back to sleep, and so do i.
HTH

lisad123 - I can't believe she is 6m Time really does fly! Well done for keeping up the feeding

Delores - so glad the new arrangement went well I brought DD to our bed at 5am as she had a temp and wanted some Milk, I was too worried about her to put her back in her cot. She then dozed off next to me (DP de-camped to the spare room). It was lovely to watch her sleep - until I fell asleep and she hit me - Perhaps I do snore quite loudly after all

LOL at "wife talk". Whenever we are wondering about something DP tells me to post on "netmums" I keep telling him that is a big insult but he does not get it.

CMOC: I know very scarcy.

Im really glad we were able to help,
see mums know best just not always your mum!