We somewhat failed the first two nights because I fell asleep while nursing and he ended up sleeping in bed with me again some time during the middle of the night. It was at that point that I realized I cannot nurse him through the night anymore. One reason being that I would fall asleep before getting him into his own bed and the other reason being that he wasn't getting enough milk to sleep "through" the night. So I prepare bottles before bed and gave that a shot. After a couple more exhausting but somewhat successful nights of doing that, I came to realize that Payton may not be sleeping well in the pack n play because it moves whenever he does, causing him to startle and wake. So we decided to give his crib in his own room a try.
So now Payton is sleeping in his crib and we don't nurse at night. I have to say, I do miss the closeness of nursing my baby, during the day and now at night. Even with the full bottles it was discouraging to see that Payton was not sleeping through the night; he was still waking every two to three hours. It was as if we were experiencing what most parents experience when their baby is a newborn but we were doing it at three months old. Seems like forever ago our pediatrician had recommended us dropping a feeding at night. But I was too embarrassed to admit that wouldn't be possible at the time because we were co-sleeping. Now with Payton sleeping in his crib I can't fathom how I can deprive my crying baby of food when he is hungry in the middle of the night. Still I wanted to get more than three hours of sleep in a row.
Finally yesterday we decided to try something new (to us). I finally got to the library to get a library card and check out the parenting section. I borrowed the DVD for The Happiest Baby on the Block. A friend had mentioned it to me when Payton was just days old but I honestly thought it was a parenting book. Yesterday I found out it was come miracle solution to make your baby stop crying and sleep more. Although we were a little late to jump on this train, we were both eager to check it out. Well.... I totally bought into it! Some of it was information that we already knew or had discovered on our own but this doctor kind of put it together for us. He explains that these "tricks" to calming a baby are simply reflexes, such as the reflex we are born with to suck, swallow, and grasp objects. Not only that, but it re-inspired us to try to swaddle Payton once again. So the next time Payton woke up, precisely three hours after we put him down, I had Carlos wrap him in the swaddle me. We also turned up the volume on the sound machine. To our amazement, Payton slept a full FIVE hours after that! I cannot express to you how happy that made me! That was the best and deepest five hours of sleep I've gotten in a little over three months.
We are swaddling Payton again tonight in hopes that we will get more great sleep. Besides, my time is up. I'm no longer a stay-at-home-mom, I'm now a working mom, because I have to go back to work tomorrow. I have to leave my baby's side... and follow the smell of money (images of Pepe Le Pew following a scent trail dance through my sad little head) to get those much needed pay checks again. Except Pepe Le Pew is happy because he is tracking down his love, I'm sad because I'm leaving my love.
Is Payton the happiest baby on the block? I'm not sure. But I sure think he's a pretty happy boy. And if he can keep sleeping like he did last night. I'll be the happiest mommy on the block!
Your pediatrician told you to stop feeding the baby at night?? weird. and it makes me so sad that you were embarrassed to tell the doc about the co-sleeping! don't be ashamed mommy!! there is nothing wrong with it!! I know a woman who's still sleeping with her 6-mo old. totally normal and ok.
ReplyDeleteWe've moved Q into his crib in his room now too, but he's not sleeping through the night yet (which is probably for the best, since I think my boobs would explode if I went that long without feeding him...) but we're pretty lucky in that he'll usually sleep from 7 til 3ish, then eat, and go back down until 6ish. But there are still some nights like last night when he was up at 12, 3, 5... boo.
good luck back at work!
I should clarify. He didn't tell us to stop feeding him at night, he told us we could drop a feeding. That babies need to be taught that the night is time to sleep, not eat. Of course, I am just hoping he will learn that without me having to teach him any harsh lessons.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I was not embarrassed that he was sleeping with me, but that he was still sleeping with me. We had previously discussed that I didn't want to continue co-sleeping and was going to get Payton to sleep on his own. I loved sleeping with Payton but hated what it was doing to my relationship with Carlos.