Right. Need more sleep. Who has good advice for me?

[WilfSell]

DS3 is 1yo now. I haven't had a full night's sleep since before he was born. He is BF still, doesn't have much other milk - maybe half a Tommee Tippee of cow's milk and some water during the day while at nursery; weekends and days off are particularly busy BF times as he desperately tries to get enough. I haven't minded this too much so far but am now exhausted and back at work so cannot sustain things.

Some nights are 'good': he feeds at 7 and 11ish, will feed at 4, go straight back to sleep then fully wake at 6. I take him into bed when he wakes in the night.

Other nights are 'bad': he feeds at 11, 2, 4.30 and wakes at 6 [argh]. Sometimes he feeds non-stop from 3-4. I do not sleep while he feeds.

I guess I'm thinking about night weaning but no idea where to start...

Helloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo?

Night weaning: google Jay Gordon, he's the guru in a gentle manner.
Not that I ever did what he said - I was too exhausted.

ummm, is there anyone else who can get up to settle him?

Current baby 6m, when in crib in with mum feeds several times from 1-7

If in with me then she goes back to sleep with a pat if she wakes which is often not till 4 then could be 5 or maybe 6 or even 7am.

Same with 18m toddler if mum goes in can take 30minutes or more to resettle him, if i go in, it is a minute.

Do you notice a difference in intake thru the day before a 'bad' night?

bumping for you as i think this will be me in a couple of months time!

WilfSell I don't know if you remember but you gave me advice re back to work and bf, just wanted to say thanks, been back 2.5 weeks now and feeding going well, just as you said my supply is fine but I'm getting no sleep.. and [knackered emotion]

Would you consider controlled crying?

@ CC mimizan

no way on the cc I'm afraid. tried it when young and foolish with DS1. we ALL regretted it and went back to bed sharing. Still got no sleep though.

Will google Jay Gordon.

Thanks.

Each to their own MatNan. If I hadn't done CC with my DC I would have suffered serious PND. The sleep deprivation was really getting to me, and with no external support, it had to be done.

I experienced the same night-time wakening with all 3DC, Wilf describes. After 14 months of it with each DC I could take no more.

I know it has done no harm to my DC. They have a great sleep routine, and are always well-rested. They sometimes come into bed in the night still and it's lovely. However getting 7 hours unbroken sleep is fundamental to me coping with all the demands during the day.

ture Mimizan and honestly wasn't critising you.

It just isn't something i can do.

I'm in the same boat. If it helps any, DS has suddenly started taking proper meals of solids, being cheerier in the day, and waking (and hence feeding) less in the night. So I am sure these frequent disturbances are a teeth thing. Isn't it molars time soon?

Although having said that I have been up far too much of the last 2 nights and have just spent over an hour persuading the little blighter to have a nap .

I can't offer much advice, except if you have a DP/DH around then don't let him off without contributing at night. And it will pass, I am sure.

I just remembered the other thing that has helped a bit has been trying to lose the 11pm feed - DP settles DS if he wakes at this time, or I will but refuse to feed him unless he goes mad, so he's recently got a bit better at sleeping longer after he's put to bed. If I can get myself to bed by 9-10pm a couple of times a week I feel tons better for the extra kip.

MatNan- No offence taken

I have seen posts on here where people have been pounced on for admitting to CC. For anyone lurking for advice this must be hard. IME sleep deprivation was one of the hardest parts to cope with of my DC's babyhood. Not everyone has a support network offering time off during the day, or help with night time feeds/settling.

Sometimes CC is the only option if you really can't take it anymore, and it does work if you stick to it.

I could feel guilty about the DC crying for an hour at most, one night when they were a year old, but what's the point? In the grand scheme of things it's nothing and we're all enjoying enough sleep now. I know people with 10 year olds, who still have sleep issues.

I did cc after 13 months of torture. happy mum and baby within 48 hrs and normal house back within a week.I know why people don't like it but certainly worked