What is your schedule-nighttime you and DH

MarriedToMyLove

We are working out a prelim routine so when I go back to work, it will flow smoothly. DH does not sleep much. I will go to bed at 8. He will watch her until 2. Then, I will take her till 6:30 when I leave for work.

What works for you? How long did it take you to adjust to the sleep loss and working?

molldoll71

She is so young - her schedule is going to change a zillion times in the next few months.  I wouldn't even vbegin to think about it.  You have no idea if she'll be a good sleeper or not.  I bfed so it was different I did all the night wakings/feedings.  

I will say it took me about 6 months to adjust to working again and to gain back my memory but Billy didn't STTN until he was almost 9 months old.  Although he was only getting up for a 3:00 am feeding from 6 -9 months.

Honestly, if I were you I would just relax and try to enjoy this time at home with your newborn.  The rest will figure itself out.

molldoll71

Also - she will sleep at least a little at night so you guys won't have to be up with her all night.  when I went back to work Billy was going between 3-4 hours without nursing.  You also get to be a pro at feeding while half awake.  I could get up, change him, nurse him and have us both back asleep in 15/20 minutes.

shortee78

I agree with PP.  My DD used to STTN from 6 weeks so we thought it was going to be a piece of cake.  Then, as soon as I returned to work at 12 weeks, she decided sleeping was for wussies and started to wake up 3-5 times per night, each time wanting to eat.  So their sleeping habits will often drive your own sleeping schedule and it will change often, so just take it day by day. 

My DH and I are in "survival mode" until she starts STTN again.  We know it'll happen eventually

Bella427

Ditto Molly.  She's 3 days old.  Just try to enjoy the moment and focus on surviving the sleep deprivation for now!  Congratulations, she's beautiful!

arlegs

congrats to you!  dont worry about that stuff yet...enjoy your time at home and dont try to plan anything cause she is going to change so much in the next few weeks!

Pesky

Congrats and like pps, don't worry too much now!  You still have the 3wk growth spurt ahead of you and the 6wk.  By the time I started back to work, DD was doing great and getting up once or twice a night max.  Once I weaned, we traded off like you said and that worked fine.  As for the sleep loss, you just try to muddle through.  Truthfully, you're in the toughest phase now for that.  It gets better as they get older and can eat more.

roseroseroseroserose

Oh, just sleep now and put this worry off for a few more weeks

When I went back to work, DD went to bed at 10 and woke to nurse only once during the night.  So, you may not really even need to work this one out.  GL and enjoy that sweet baby.

Luckystar2

Agree with the others. She is really young and unless you are going back to work in the next couple weeks (which I doubt) I wouldn't worry about it.  Her schedule now will be nothing like her schedule a month, or 2 from now.

But for us, DD goes to bed at 7:30.  She was sleeping pretty well and waking once or twice.  We've gone through a rough patch lately where she's waking up more.  I BF so I feed her in the middle of the night, but DH will go get her for me once a night.  I got to bed around 10 or 10:30 and get up for the day around 6.  Besides the last week or so when she's been going through a sleep regression, it hasn't been bad at all.

bluecookie

Our routine has changed as DS has gotten older.  Before he started sleeping for long stretches, I would pump for the last feeding and DH would feed DS so I could get a longer stretch of sleep.  Now, DS sleeps for 6 hours stretches and wakes around 2:00am for a feeding.  DH gets DS from the nursery and brings him to me and I feed him.  DH goes back to bed and I put DS down after I feed him.  If DS wakes up again shortly after a feeding, DH takes him and puts him back to sleep. 

I hardly slept during my last month of pregnancy because I was so unconformtable, so adjusting hasn't been difficult.  I get so much more sleep now.

GL!

jlw2505

My DD was STTn by the time I went back to work so I was lcuky but we still have a plan in case either of our girls wakes at night.  Only issue is if the 2 year old gets up, she always wants me so thankfully she only wakes up when she is sick.  I have a feeling it will be the same way with my 6.5 month old.

Like you, my DH goes to sleep way later than me.  I go to sleep between 9 and 10 typically.  Its a toss up on who gets the girls if they are up before then.  My DH goes to sleep around midnight or 1 so he gets the girls if they are up then and I typically get them after that point.  I get up adn shower at 5:30 so he is on duty again until I am ready for work at 6 which is when I start getting the girls up.

It works out really well.  When the baby was up to eat at night, we would do a similar trade off but would switch nights so that each of us got at l4east 1 full night of sleep every other night which really helps.  Your body does adjust to the lack of sleep.