HELP! After midnight, my "other" child comes out!

[AliBaby]

Bit of background.

DD used to co-sleep with me at night and have day sleeps in her bouncer.

I decided I would like her to sleep in her cot during the day so went back to wrapping, read the book 'Baby Bliss' by Jo Ryan and gave the techniques a go. It worked.

DD has a morning sleep (around 9am) for 1.5 to 2 hours. Goes off with about 30seconds of patting and a dummy in her mouth.

A midday catnap (usually in her pram or the car as we are normally out at his stage). Normally only 40min

An arvo nap around 2pm until 4:30-5pm (this is her biggest daytime sleep)

She then has a feed when she wakes, a play, a bath, gets wrapped again, a song, a topup feed and is put in her cot awake but patted a few times.

You may be thinking "what on earth is Alibaby complaining about??This all sounds fantastic!"

Well it is great up until midnight. Then my 'other child' comes out....you know the one that thinks... "I am going to keep my mummy awake all night by wanting to feed every 2 hours and I am not going to settle for being patted, or my dummy, I WANT BOOBIE!"

Does anyone else have a child like this??? If she was a newborn I would think fine, if it were just going on for a day or two, I would think growth spurt, but this has now been going on for over a week.

I rang the ABA about all this feeding and they were like if she is happy feeding and its not a problem to me then it is fine, but the thing is I dont think its right for a 3mth old to be feeding that much in the night and it is becoming a problem as I am sleep deprived!

So what do I do???

Oh and this is how her feeds go most days:

midnight
2:30am
4:30am
6:30am
8:30am
10:30am
1:45pm
5pm
6:30pm

[Kailani]

Hmm Ali, I'm not sure hun. Seems she has a good day-sleep routine going on - if only she could apply that at night! Maybe it's a growth spurt? L's paed said they have one around 15 weeks then again at around 22-24 weeks...

I hope that's all it is. Sorry I'm not any help, but I hear you on the sleep deprivation!

[fionas]

Hun, I have no clue myself but I'd give the ABA a call back and just tell them honestly from your POV that it IS a problem because you're knackered and in that case, what would they suggest.

[fionas]

Sorry, I've just looked through your feeding times again and it looks like she has a long stint between 6.30 and midnight - so 5.5 hours. In theory, 5 hours is "sleeping through" though whoever came up with that definition needs their head examined obviously. So it looks like once she's had that long stint, she wants to adopt a 2 hour feeding routine so maybe ask the ABA about dreamfeeds - ie. offering boob while DD is still asleep just before you go to bed to maximise the time that she has before her next feed.

DD and I couldn't get the hang of breastfeeding so I feel a tad silly and hypocritical posting ... but I know dreamfeeds worked well for my Mothers Group buddies.

[~Kim~]

Ali, ould love to offer a solution, but just wanted you to know you aren't alone. Nate has fed 2 hourly since birth....some nights it's 45minutely. since this is my second go at a crap feeder/sleeper, I can tell you honrstly that it does pass and isn't forever.

[MrsFabuloso]

since this is my second go at a crap feeder/sleeper, I can tell you honrstly that it does pass and isn't forever.

I had two bad sleepers too. DS fed two hourly or more til about 6ish months. Then slowly it got less and less. It does slowly get better. It's hard, but it won't be forever. I know it doesn't help much to hear it. People tell me all the time, but its true. You do learn to cope with little sleep. I'm still up 3-6 times a night with one or the other. DS is down to 2-3 bfs a night, at 10mths. DD still wakes a few times a night at 26mths. I cosleep, and DD sleeps in our room too. It does help and I do get more rest (if not sleep). I know how hard it can be.

[LaDeeDa]

Ali - no advice but Blue sleeps from about 9.30 - 12 and then it is every couple of hours from there on in - sometimes it can even be hourly so I know how you feel.

[MrsB26]

Sounds pretty normal to me

Yes technically she is 'sleeping through' but obviously not at the times thats best for a tired mummy.

Have you tried a roll over feed at around 9:30pm? That way she might do her 'big' sleep after that and you may not have to get up until 2:30am for the first of 2 hourly feeds.

My ds was the same but it worked better for me as at that age he wouldnt go down at night till 9:30pm so i wasnt having to get up not long after going to be myself.

Big squishy hugs to you cause its not nice being tired all the time.

*edit* skipped over some replies too quickly and yes - i totally agree with Fiona's - i pretty much said the same thing lol