Leasha, I night feed DS until he was 9months old or thereabouts, i stopped becasue he began waking 6-7 times a night and i was back at andjust couldn't function on that much sleep, but until then i was happy to night feed, in the end i had to stop cosleeping as well because i felt like it was too much temptation for DS to wake and smell me but not have me IYKWIM. We had about a week of rough nights while i changed the routine now he pretty much sleeps through from 9pm till 6am maybe waking once for a quick re wrap and dummy. i was determined just like you sound, no formula, no crying it out no matter how many people told me to, it just wasn't right for me/us.
You'll know when you're both ready to stop night feeding and then you'll feel better making the decision, until then just keep doing the great job that it sounds like you're doing.xxx
I don't think a little baby is able to be that manipulative that they can think "oh im gonna wake up more cos I know mums a softie and I can work her". I think it's horrible that people think that about babies. I think it's sad that some babies "learn" to sleep through the night because they have learnt that at such a young age they have to 'go it alone" (I know that some babies will sleep through even though their parents are responsive though, they are lucky!)
My son wakes about 3 times a night now- I don't actually know how many times because I am so sleepy when I respond to him. It just sort of feels like when you get up to go to the toilet at night, you don't know how many times you did that and you usually go back to sleep ok afterwards (and I'm probably up less now to respond to him than I was going to pee when I was 8 months pregnant LOL!! )
I think you are doing the right thing. When DS wakes up at night and I feed him, he goes straight back to sleep, so I think he just needs a bit of food/drink/comfort. When it's the morning he won't go back to sleep.
My only advice is to try and focus on what you can do to help YOU sleep better. That's easier to control than change a baby. I turn the clock to the wall- it really really helps as I don't get stressed thinking about the sleep I'm missing. When he wakes up I try to pee/have a drink before I feed him, if I need to do that, that way when the happy breastfeeding hormones make me sleepy I can drift off. I go to bed no later than 9:30pm so I can get more sleep. I try not to watch TV but do something relaxing and drink camomile tea before bed. Usually if I am sleeping ok the night waking is not too bad as I only actually need to be awake about 10 mins or so.
What time does Jaz wake up? Another that helps isthat DS has been waking at 5:30am during the week, once I change him and stuff DP gets up with him and plays with him for an hour so I can get that little bit of solo sleep. She would have to get up around 7 for work anyway so she just gets up earlier and makes coffee etc and starts getting ready with him around.
Leash in our Mum's group there are I think 7 babies... of those I think 2 still wake at night all the time, and a couple do it on and off. I really believe that some babies just are more wakeful than others. I don't think as mums we are doing things so differently. It's just temperament. Funnily enough the one that wakes up more than 3 times a night always seems to be the happiest most chilled out baby there!
You're doing a great job....
Don't believe that line of thought for a second! It depends on the baby. I am a FOD mum, and so they got fed at night. Lyta, Sam and Haz all slept through since 3m. Course, then Sam got to 3yo and only slept 4 hours out of every 24 for something like a year and a half, which was when sleep deprivation *really* kicked in. Compared to that, waking up for a top up feed seems easy, lol. Ask me again in a few months though, haha!
A neat trick I developed though - turn the clock around. Don't look at the time. If you can't see it then you dont know how much (or how little) sleep you have had. I don't feel as tired when I don't know the amount of sleep I haven't had! Napping during the day while baby is also isn't a crime. I have some neat tricks for getting two kids to have their afternoon nap at the same time too!
It's funny a few of you mention not looking at the clock overnight. We didn't have a clock in the bedroom for the first few months and I found the nights long and disorientating. Since I bought a clock radio I've been so much happier at night as I can quickly see the time and reassure myself I have had an hour sleep or hopefully even 4 hours rather than the 5 minutes it often feels like.
thanks everyone. LOL you know just what to say! I feel good when I know what i'm doing is making her feel safe and secure and loved.
2013 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.
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during the week, once I change him and stuff DP gets up with him and plays with him for an hour so I can get that little bit of solo sleep. She would have to get up around 7 for work anyway so she just gets up earlier and makes coffee etc and starts getting ready with him around.
I have some neat tricks for getting two kids to have their afternoon nap at the same time too!
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