On Friday night, I put Iyla to bed at 7pm. I went to bed at 11pm and I didn’t get woken up until 5am. This has NEVER happened before. She even went back to sleep until 7.15am. I was so shocked when I looked at the time that I had to think really carefully to try and work out if she had woken or not but I am 99% sure that she didn’t!
My little baby insomniac has finally slept through the night after 10 months of waking every 2-3 hours to feed.
I had been keeping it (reasonably) quiet, just incase she was planning on reverting back to her old insomniac ways but when I went to bed the next night expecting the worst, I was again pleasantly surprised, she woke up once at around 4am but I put her musical toy on and after about 5 mins of crying she went back to sleep, then last night did the same. So for the last 3 nights, she hasn’t had any feeds between the hours of 7pm and 5am. I wanted to wait three nights as they say that’s how long it takes them to get used to a change. So I think (although I am not getting too confident!) that I have successfully weaned her off night-feeds! FINALLY!!
My health visitor finally phoned me back on Friday and really helped me to realise that she was basically snacking on milk throughout the night and most of the day which was why she wasn’t hungry at dinnertimes. Then because she wasn’t ever having a proper feed or meal, she was needing to feed more often. I know it makes sense and to be honest Dad2babyinsomniac had been telling me that for ages but sometimes I just need to hear it from someone else – yes okay I am stubborn!
She said that Iyla doesn’t need anymore than 3 feeds a day at this age – even though she is breastfed. So I have been feeding her once in the morning, once about an hour after lunch and once before bed which is probably less than half the amount of feeds she was having previously. I now give her snacks instead at mid-morning and afternoon and she is a lot more interested in eating at meal-times because she isn’t so full on milk. It’s not that easy if we’re at home, I have to wear a jumper and a scarf to try and cover my boobs, if she can see them then it’s torments her. A bit like waving a bottle of vodka in front of a recovering alcoholic. I am determined not to give in now though as it has made such an improvement.
So I think my little baby insomniac might be starting to lose her title although I’m not going to get my hopes up just yet, I know how these babies like to change their ways all of a sudden. The only downside is that now she’s not breastfeeding as much, I don’t get to eat as much cake!
Brilliant news.
I know! Never thought this day would come! x
Brilliant news
What a triumph!! You must be thrilled you can now get a good nights sleep! Hope she keeps it up
Thanks! I sure hope so too! Hopefully she will get bored of waking at all soon once she knows I’m not going to feed her…. that’s what I’m hoping anyway! x
That’s great news! K has had a few nights recently where she has slept through too (she is about the same age). I didn’t know that they should only have 3 feeds a day by now, K usually has at least 4. Tomorrow I might try cutting out a feed and see what happens.
I had no idea it could take this long for babies to sleep through the night! I am looking forward to catching up on a bit of sleep and staying up later than 9pm lol!
I know! I think we were just unlucky as everyone else I know had babies that were sleeping through the night months ago! It is just such a relief to have finally got there and not wake up feeling like you want to go back to sleep! She wakes up a bit earlier now but I can get up at six with a spring in my step because I have had so much sleep! I just hope it lasts! For both of us! x
Well done Baby L!! We still have wake ups at random times but he’s managed a few nights through which were amazing!! Hope it lasts now, for good!!
Mcai7td3 recently posted..The Trip, The Too Much Food and The Packing