Terrible nights! | Imamother

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Forum -> Parenting our children -> Infants

Terrible nights!

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sporty

Thu, May 06 2010, 1:06 pm

Here is a sample night for me and my ds.
We used to co-sleep but then he was waking every hour of the night to eat so my lactation consultant said it's possible he just wants that reassurance not for hunger so I ended up moving him to the bassinet in my room so he wouldn't "smell me" but once I was getting out of bed to feed him I decided he might as well go to his own room. Last night I moved him to his own room.
He:
Woke at 10:00
Woke at 12:20
Woke at 1:45
Woke at 3:00 (DH got up at this one and just rocked him back to sleep for me)
Woke at 3:50
Woke at 5:45 (at this point I took him in to my bed)
Woke at 7:00 for the day

What should I do? Every time he woke I nursed him. I tried to stroke his cheek to keep him up so he'd eat a sufficient amount.

I should mention he is 3 months and 3 weeks old.

Thanks for any advice. He just wakes way too frequently...

Nuts

Sat, May 08 2010, 11:15 pm

Maybe try giving him a bottle for the night?

mommalah

Sat, May 08 2010, 11:35 pm

Gas?

MaBelleVie

Sat, May 08 2010, 11:50 pm

I know this is hard to do in the middle of the night, but it worked for me: keep track of when he ate last, and don't nurse again for a set number of hours (I would do a little longer than he typically goes during the day). Let's say you decide you can nurse him every 3 hours. If he wakes up an hour after his last nursing, DON'T NURSE! Give a pacifier, rock, pat, do whatever else you can to soothe him (preferably without taking him out of his bed). Hopefully, he will adjust to a nighttime feeding schedule, and will start sleeping through between each feeding.

Mama Bear

Sun, May 09 2010, 12:11 am

I found co sleeping the best thing.... I'd drift off together with him and wake up three hours later!

mamommommy

Sun, May 09 2010, 12:35 am

I co-sleep with my kids for at least the first few monts, but I did have one or two who really (for lack of a better word) took-advantage of the arrangement and woke up to nurse every hour or so. Babies at that age should be able to go at least 2-3, or even longer without eating. I agree with MaBelleVie that the best solution is probably to set up a feeding schedule and DO NOT nurse if the baby wakes up earlier (with a little flexibility of course). You can do this while co-sleeping, although it may be easier to stick to a schedule with the baby out of your bed. I've always found it harder to resist the urge to nurse when co-sleeping.

Mommy3.5

Sun, May 09 2010, 10:36 pm

Sounds very normal for a nursing baby.

Plonis

Sun, May 09 2010, 10:49 pm

Read "The No Cry Sleep Solution." It may change your life. (without torturing either you or the baby)

sporty

Mon, May 17 2010, 10:27 pm

Hi.
I haven't seen these replies till now so thanks so much to everyone who offered their help. I am back because it's continued and gotten so bad - he's up so often he doesn't even make it to the second hour at night every single night! Mommy3.5 - really, this is normal for a nursing baby? It makes me feel better to hear that! At least my baby is not doing anything wrong. I just - in order to function fully - need to get more sleep.
We were co sleeping since he was born but lately I think even he's not so comfortable in my bed with me so for part of the nights I have been moving him to the crib. He's bigger now...there is less room for both of us. But he loves my bed when I am NOT in it haha. Probably because it has my smell.
It will def take effort on my part but I am going to try to really get him to eat when he wakes up - not just a snack - and then not feed again for 3 hours if I can soothe him by rocking him or giving a paci. I'll see how it goes.

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