I can't believe how much more fun parenting is without sleep deprivation!

[GoodJobShesCute]

My daughter was a terrible sleeper from birth until 15 months when breastfeeding stopped and she started sleeping through within a few weeks. And oh boy what a difference sleep makes - I can't believe it! I don't think I realised how badly sleep deprived I was as I was physically used to it but mentally battered. Now that she's sleeping better I just love every day with her. We have so much fun together and even when she's difficult I can be calm and not get cross (well, mostly). I'm a different person to a few months ago! I know it may not last so I'm savouring every minute right now!

Do other people feel the same? When did you start to enjoy being a mum or dad? Is the key just sleep?!

Yep! This is me!

Mine was when I went back to work. I felt more like myself and meant I enjoyed the time we had together, rather than it feeling like a chore to spend another day singing and playing.

Everything is so much harder when sleep deprived too!

That’s awesome! And a great reminder. My little 12 week old is an appalling sleeper! And I totally feel like we’re only just about surviving each day. But I can remember from my first child exactly what you have experienced. He began to sleep through at the same age and it was the happiest summer of my life!! Enjoy your little one; it really is a great phase of parenting. And really, really well done on getting through the sleepless first year. It is a slog!!

Yes! 19 month old dd is a dream to be around now that she sleeps! All this time I thought I wasn't cut out for it.

OP, please tell me more about this stopping breastfeeding and sleeping through business. Do you think they're connected then? I have a 10-month old atrocious sleeper (breastfed)

Im smug, mine was always a good sleeper (and breastfed to 1yr). I did find the baby stage a breeze, having plenty of sleep no doubt helped i think i would have died otherwise

When my daughter started sleeping through at 1 I felt like I'd won the lottery. Even now she's 8 I still feel so happy and thankful to get a good night's sleep. I'm certain a lot of post natal depression is to do with sleep deprivation.

God I needed to read this today! I feel like my whole life would be a walk in the park if my baby just slept, but currently every day is a mad fog of physical ailments and doing potty things like putting my glasses in the fridge! Looking forward to this stage! Thanks for the positive post!

I'm also smug in that my babies both fed well, in a good routine, were buried then went back in their cots and back to sleep immediately. Never had to be rocked or walked around in the night or in bed with us. My first slept through from 6 weeks. Second took longer as he was a greedy bugger- at one point he was having 12 big bottles of hungry baby milk a day- he still wanted milk in the night at 18 months which nearly finished me off. I need a lot of sleep so I wouldn't have coped well with non sleeping babies. We did put them down quite a lot from day one - not sure if that made a difference but they were quite happy kicking around on the play mat / in bouncy chair looking around / in the pram and they didn't need to sleep on us. But maybe we were just lucky.

Yep! When my DD was 14 months we did a bit of sleep training because we were desperate - she was waking up every 20mins wanting to be held. She didn't want milk or to sleep in our bed, she wanted me to rock her. Every 20mins. Sometimes for two hours at a time! I was hallucinating. So we did some sleep training and she started sleeping through almost immediately. She's 5 now and we rarely hear a peep from her unless she's ill or had a bad dream etc. She wakes up cheery and is pleasant to be around.

Unfortunately we have DS who is 7 months. He is a far better sleeper than DD in general, but we're going through a rough patch with him at the moment and I can feel myself heading back to being miserable again. The nights he sleeps I feel like a new person, and he's infinitely happier as well!

Oh, and DS will only sleep on me in the day and needs to be rocked to sleep. I can't physically do it much longer (he's on the 99th percentile for weight!) so I'm looking forward to not having to do that every day. Don't get me wrong, I love his cuddles... but it's killing me!

I have a 14 week old bad sleeper and it’s so true, my sleep deprivation is really effecting my relationship with my 4 year old. I felt so guilty when I dropped him off at school this morning as all I have done is tell him off since he woke up, then I was moaning about his behaviour to another mum which I think he heard. I was in tears in car on the way home. And then to top it off the baby usually sleeps in the car seat for a bit when we get home but this morning decided not to so my little bit of rest there has gone too. He’s asleep on my now after a feed but I darent put him down as he’ll be wide awake again in seconds.

Roll on this baby sleeping well so I can get on with being a good mum to both my boys.

@purplepjs it does feel like an achievement to get through the first year doesn't it! And yes good point - to have sleep in time for summer is just fab! Here's hoping your 12 week old gets snoozing soon. I'd love another one but my partner is reluctant as he hated the lack of sleep (despite me doing all the wake ups! 🙄)

@cornflakes5 for us breastfeeding was undoubtedly linked to poor sleep. Despite this I was actually gutted when it ended, even though now I'm glad to be sleeping again! There will always be breastfed babies who sleep amazing and formula fed babies who are terrible sleepers but from those I know personally it definitely seems that babies wake up because they want milk and cuddles. Why wouldn't they I guess!? 😁 Although for us stopping breastfeeding was sudden and unwanted (kind of medical reason) I had started phasing feeds out during the day and attempting to at night. Day time was easy but nights were really difficult. I often think about what I'd do differently next time and honestly I don't know. I tried to take things really slowly and gently and actually I'm not sure what that achieved really. I always worried about her being hungry but probably if I'd just stopped night feeds entirely and dealt with some long nights everyone would have been happy and sleeping a lot sooner! I guess my daughter never really knew where she stood as I was so inconsistent with dropping night feeds. But you know what it's like in the middle of the night! Sometimes I'd practically wake up sitting in her room feeding her and not realise I'd got myself out of bed and into her room! I feel for you right now, I've been there and it's hard. But I promise, sleep and good times are coming your way!

Exactly the same! Baby is 12 months and only breastfeeding once on day and not at night, sleeping til 5:30ish and we laugh so much now! Up until a few months ago if husband wasn't home we wouldn't really have any fun I'd just be trying to get through the day! Breastfeeding is great for some people and babies but honestly I think it took away my first year with my son as I was so sleep deprived and lonley!

Thank you so much for your reply, OP. I've tried sleep training but for various reasons it's never worked. At her best, she was up 3-4 times a night but would go back into her cot after a feed. She's at rock bottom now - in our bed from when we go to bed and feeding multiple times. Your point about consistency really resonated - I know I need to just not let her into the bed or feed her in the night, but it's the path of least resistance...

Sorry to hijack! I'm so glad you're getting sleep and things are so much better now.

To be honest your experience is what is putting me off really throwing myself into BF when DC2 arrives in the next week or two.

DD was FF and has always been a great sleeper. I want to try BF with this baby, but I’m that I know I find it difficult to function when tired and I don’t know how I’d cope with being woken to feed every 2-ish hours and then dealing with a tornado toddler all day.

All babies are different though. Dd was ff from a couple of days old and she was a HORRIBLE sleeper !

Oh no @pennymaudauntsladybrain ! I'd hate to think I'd stopped someone breastfeeding! If it's any consolation I'd do it again if I'm lucky enough to have another baby. It's really convenient in sooo many ways and once we got into our stride with it (which admittedly took several weeks) it was lovely. When I see people feed their babies now I feel a little pang. And anyway, you might get lucky and get a sleeper regardless of how he/she is fed 😊
I've got to say actually I think I didn't help with the feed/sleep association as I always automatically fed whenever she stirred at night as I was a little bit obsessed with feeding her after she was born really small. All the best for your new baby - exciting!

Wow, I am waiting till this happens. I have a 14 month old who isn't a great sleeper. I have said so many times that everything would be easier and better if I wasn't so tired.
How did you stop breast feeding at night. That is now our problem.
I had started to give her bottles instead at night for 1 feed and it was working well for a couple of weeks but then she got a bad cold and 3 teeth came through.
My husband tries to comfort her at night when she wakes or give her a bottle but she just goes mad until I get her. I don't feel I can stop as she's gets so upset if I don't feed her. I feel that the only way to stop is by going away for a night or 2 and letting my husband sort her. She is too dependent on me feeding her.

@Rach000 it is SO hard! I tried to slowly cut down feeds at night by only offering after 11pm and then pushing it back and back (only offered water as an alternative as she wouldn't take a bottle anyway) but honestly if I went back in time I'd probably just do cold turkey on the night milk feeds. Still cuddle and comfort but no milk. I think maybe I dragged out the pain by trying to be gentle. But who knows? It's all a flipping guessing game! What I will say though is that it took a few weeks before she started sleeping through after stopping breastfeeding so I guess with any change you make give it time to actually have an effect. And of course it could just be a coincidence...but I suspect not!