Co-sleeping with a boobaholic teether - I'm just quite tired...

[Melody7]

Well, our DS is about 9 1/2 mths and still has no teeth, however, I know he's having teething rumbles and that's just shot any chance of a decent sleep out of the water lately.

We co-sleep with him and he seemed to have "matured" in his sleep in the last month (have a boob and then roll over and fall asleep for approx 2hrs before another one). Last weekend he was definately in toothy pain and since then has reverted to hardly being able to sleep without the boob in his mouth - and I'm so tired (and SORE) - my arms and shoulders are aching from having them angled above my head or from him lying on them (I feed lying down). He's waking up every 45min - 1hr each night and it's exhausting. I'm no longer feeling refreshed by sleep and am starting to not look forward to my nights! I think he's stopped the teething rumbles now, but the frequent waking pattern and need for boob has remained.

Did any co-sleepers out there find that teething rumbles changed your baby's sleep patterns and/or how you slept with your baby? Any suggestions for what I can do?

He's also on the cusp of walking and I have to remember that, although he has increased his physical activity, he is still a baby and does not yet understand that he doesn't need a boob....

[MistyFying]

Melody no earth shattering advice from me. Both my kids went through a similar unsettled sleep time when they were teething. But just wanted to say well done... he's obviously feeling very safe and secure with Mum and BBs so close by. I hope his teeth settle down for him real soon.

[boomba]

Melody big hugs to you!

I know the feeling of waking up and your whole right/left side is stiff and asleep! Ds is 10 months and he is like this some nights still! I find that by just offering him the boob we both get more sleep!
I cant offer any real advice just that i know exactly what your going through and can offer lots of sympathy! I hope your son settles for you soon.

HTH good luck xx

[mako]

Hi Melody
The same sort of thing is happening here to atm. I just find its sooooo much easier to let DS have my boob so we can both get some sleep. Hope things improve soon for you

[Haydies]

Oh wow, Melody I could so have written that post almost word for work over the past month. Big, big hugs.

We seem to be over the worst of it now that tooth #6 has just cut through, but for the past month on and off I've had exactly what you described. And I feel your pain, literally. I woke up quite a few times with the sorest shoulder/upper arm area because obviously I had slept on it funny. I've also got bruises all over my upper thighs because DD would also kick out in frustration and discomfort. It looks like someone has taken to my legs with a rubber hose...

I too feed lying down, and and went through the being asleep while attached - brings a WHOLE new meaning to 'attachment parenting" Did the 45 minute wakings too... by the end of it all I was a walking zombie...

When I knew it wasn't a teething thing anymore, and more a habit (gee it forms quick doesn't it?) I just started removing the boob as she was drifting off. A technique I learned from the No Cry Sleep Solution Book. It talks about how to remove when falling asleep, etc. A few nights of that and she got back into the habit of feed - roll over and sleep.

No real advice for you I'm sorry though. Like the above posters, I just let her have the boob so we both got at least some sleep. That way, the only real waking I had was to change sides when needed. I found that helped the shoulder and arm pains a bit too....

[Melody7]

Hi Girls,

Thanks so much for your encouragment - it's just so helpful to know there are others going through the same thing!

Bubba still has no teeth, however the super-frequent wakings have eased in the last week. I'm trying the "Pantley Pull-Off" and it works early in the evening, however, DS still wants to frequently feed in the morning hours (well, it feels that way - I haven't managed to see the time on the clock!).

We'd love another bubba at some stage, however I don't want to wean DS just yet so I'm feeling a bit in a rock and a hard place atm (lots of night feeds = no AF = no baby #2!).

Well, he'll be 1 soon so perhaps after that I'll gently ease him off some of the night feeds.

Does anyone co-sleeping manage to just sleep with bubba without feeding? (Elizabeth Pantley said she did). Love some tips if anyone has any!

Thanks

[Haydies]

Does anyone co-sleeping manage to just sleep with bubba without feeding? (Elizabeth Pantley said she did). Love some tips if anyone has any!

Yes, me too please!

[Melody7]

Ooo Haydies! We'll both wait and see if someone has some gold-nuggets of advice for us! If not, I might have to start a new thread!

[jackrose]

We are going through the same thing here, 8 months old and trouble with the co-sleeping. For me it has been going on since about 5/6 months when a combination of teething and then a trip away seemed to throw DD's sleeping patterns out of whack and led her to begin to associate sleeping with my boob. I posted about it and got some good advice (https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...leep-help.html), however, I have not managed to completely solve the problem yet.

It is hell though, the waking every hour or two. At worst we were waking every 30 min here where DD would rouse from sleep and cry for the boob only to fall asleep again without really feeding just comfort sucking, then rouse again within the hour>

My advice is you either have to just roll with it if you can and hope that they will grow out of it (has anyone found that has worked for them??) or try to help your DS learn better sleeping habits, ie find a way to self settle back to sleep.

We decided to go for the latter as my DH and I were at our wits end with no sleep and based on the fact that they shouldn't need a night feed after 5 months (apparently!). Unfortunately for us that meant she is now out of our bed as she finds the smell of me and my proximity too upsetting if she can't have access. It is getting better, after a horrible few nights we are now down to 2 feeds a night. So now we now settling her to sleep in her hammock, getting up to feed once during the night and then co-sleeping from the second feed of the night in the early hours. I can't completely let go of co-sleeping!

So I basically had to succumb to my own version of comfort crying... It didn't appear too traumatic for her and we feel more human again.

HTH

[Haydies]

It is hell though, the waking every hour or two. At worst we were waking every 30 min here where DD would rouse from sleep and cry for the boob only to fall asleep again without really feeding just comfort sucking, then rouse again within the hour

O.o I didn't know you were sleeping with my daughter. I've tried once letting her cry a little bit while I was cuddling/comforting her, trying to get her to go back to sleep without the boob. Horrible hour for both of us. If I'm there, she wants the boobs. And just like you said above, most times it's just a quick suck and she's back asleep.

I love DD beyond anything I could ever imagine, but I'm struggling with no sleep.

[jackrose]

Hee Hee, Haydies! Its weird when you read your own story in someone else's post isn't it? And somewhat comforting.

Now... we just need the the solution...??.!!

Melody7, Thanks for the suggestion of the pantly pull-off, I hadn't heard of it before and have been looking it up and will give it a go. It does sound much nicer than letting her cry... (Its not really what you had in mind by starting this thread, giving all the advice rather than getting it!)

Haydies, It is a terrible hour isn't it? That sob and cry just goes right through you, straight to the heart. Still, I must admit if you can just get one good night sleep, everything feels much more manageable, and in a way, it may be worth doing anything to get that sleep... Now we feel a little more under control, I feel more able to approach this problem with a clear head.

Melody7, what about calling a sleep school for advice? Or try putting your son on your DH's side of the bed after a feed. I had a friend that this worked for as her son was not distracted by her presence and slept much better. With all of these methods, I think it still means a few nights of distress as we attempt to change their expectations and patterns.

[Haydies]

Problem I have though, is that most nights, I wake up long enough to get us aligned so she can attach, and then I'm back asleep lol. It's only the times like now, when I'm going to blame teething lol, that causes the problems. I'm not used to actually being 'awake' over night, and certainly not every hour.

[YoYo]

OMG this is me ATM...thankfully teeth are through now..hope it changes!

[Ginger]

yes.....it's exactly the same around here too...

i'm still trying to master the 'pantey pull off'. ds acts as though i'm performing chinese water torture on him.

melody- just wanted to let you know that i'm breastfeeding, co-sleeping, no af and.........pregnant with #2....so it definitely can happen...

[inlove]

Hi girls,
i just wanted to let you know that i am co-sleeping with my DD and not breast feeding anymore. Unfortunately we fell pregnant by accident (took three years to concieve DD) which we are happy about now but big shock when it happened (fourteen weeks now) this meant that the combination of pregnancy hormones and bad all day all night sickness dried up all my milk and i had to stop BF'ing. Was not happy at the time as was planning on feeding until she wanted to stop and she was a boob machine. So we switched her over to the bottle with goats milk and now no Bf'ing but still co-sleeping happily. She has a bottle before bed and then one overnight if she needs it. She is a bit older than your little munchkins though she is nearly 13 months. I feel your pain i was there a few months ago. It does get better, they are discovering new things eg: walking, teeth etc and this affects their sleep for sure as you have all said. I want to compliment you all on making the decision to co-sleep i firmly believe that if this is what your child needs then that is what they need. It is a hard road to choose especially when you have people around you who think you are crazy and tell you off but it is worth it in the end i am sure.
Lots of love hugs and kisses to you all
Wish i was still part of the BF'ing crew
Hope you all get some sleep soon

[Ginger]

hi inlove, where do you plan for your newborn to sleep?
i am in a similar position to you- ds is nearly 11 months and co-sleeping and i'm 13 weeks pg.

[Melody7]

Hi Girls,
Some very encouraging news there re the pregnany-thing - congratulations to you both!

Just an update on something I've found that has helped DS sleep a bit better lately - I've stopped snuggling him under the crook of my arm all night. I found this caused him to constantly look for the boob (I suppose because it was right in his face!).

Anyway, instead, I'm sleeping him inbetween our pillows in his own little space in the middle of the bed - at our head-height (we have a KS bed...). I then put my Bfing pillow (a milkbar) next to him (as he seems to quite like being snuggled by something - I'm knitting him a teddy, so I'll try that soon instead), and I sleep on the other side of that. It just keeps me a bit further away from him - as I'm sure he can smell me!

I've also kept him covered with a blanket (he's outside of my covers), and when he wakes I sit up a bit and lean over to feed him. When I feel he's finished I pop my pinky in and he often just rolls over or I press under his chin lightly and if he doesn't stir, I let go.

Feeding him this way has meant that I have to wake up a bit more than if I just lay there with him having a guzzle, however, the other night he slept for 5 hrs straight! Amazing! At about 5:30 he seems to want more booby, so I snuggle him into my arm again (that last hr or 2 of morning sleep are really to be preserved at all costs!).

Anyway, hope this helps (sorry it's a bit long).
ps. Very interested to know how I can get pg whilst still bfding/co-sleeping. Inlove, you would be about where I am now when you conceived #2. Any tips?

[inlove]

Hi guys,
hope last night you all got some sleep.
Rainforest have no idea what i am going to do. A friend has bought sara a bed for her first birthday so i think i am going to start with day sleeps in her bed and see how we go from there. Her room is right next to ours and i am hoping that by the time number two arrives she might sleep in her own bed for most of the night and just come in early in the morning. I have heard of people who have had four in the bed but i am hoping to avoid this as much as i love co-sleeping i will have to go back to work at three months with this one and it was hard enough when i went back at six months with sara. Am holding out hope that this one will be happy to sleep in a cot in our room, we tried that with sara but there was no way.

MELODY7 Bit of a funny story really. I broke my leg at start of May and i couldn't do much so was feeling pretty rested for the first time since sara was born (once the pain of the broken leg went away of course) I have only had about four periods starting from when sara was about five months old. We DTD a few times when sara was littler just waited till she was asleep. At the moment we have a double bed mattress and a single mattress next to each other on the floor at the time we got pregnant sara was sleeping in the single mattress on her own for the first half of the night (not anymore since no boobies) so no worries about her being right there and killing the mood. I was so shocked when i realised that i was pregnant, we joked about it at the time but never thought we could be. It took three years and one miscarriage to have sara we did accupuncture and chinese medicine etc so we were like this can't be true. I noticed that month that i had lots of fertile mucus so i guess i was really fertile that month.
Not much help, good luck though.