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Need help - Back to work and reverse cycling

*sparky**sparky* member
in Working Moms
Yesterday was my first day back. I was gone 8 hours and DD only took 2 bottles and she took 2 2-hr naps. This is all very different from what she normally does so I figured we were in for a strange evening.

She nursed pretty much non stop til bedtime and then last night she was up at 10, 2, and 5. At the 2 am waking she nursed for an entire hour before I could get her back to sleep. She had been pretty much sleeping through the night and only waking once at 5 am.

So it seems she is obviously reverse cycling. If your LO did this how long did it last and how did you deal with it? I have another child so I can't just park on the couch for hours every evening and I can't function at work on1 and 3 hour chunks of sleep at night.

I did a little reading online and they recommended cosleeping but she makes such a racket in her sleep we moved her to her own room a few weeks ago because we weren't sleeping at all.

 

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Re: Need help - Back to work and reverse cycling

  • emberlee3emberlee3 member
    I co slept with DD in a rock and play next to the bed. I wore her in the Ergo all evening. I took baths with her. I tried to give her as much mama time and skin-to-skin time as I could. I nursed her in my bed so I could sleep (sort of). It's not easy. Good luck.
    DS born 8/8/09 and DD born 6/12/12.
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  • *sparky**sparky* member
    @emberlee3‌ - thanks / that is good advice. Do you remember how long it lasted?

     

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  • Amelia4Amelia4 member
    She may just be adjusting to you going back to work and not keep reverse cycling. My son didn't eat much the first few days at daycare, but then got the hang of it. So he ate more at night the first few days but then it went back to normal. He's never been a good sleeper, so we were routinely getting up 2-3 times a night anyway.  I hope she gets back on track for you soon!
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  • DiveFrogDiveFrog member
    edited July 2014
    I wouldn't  jump to the conclusion she is reverse cycling just yet. I remember the first week or two back at work all DD wanted to do when I got home was nurse. It just took her a bit to adjust to the new schedule and routine and learn to take more milk during the day from a bottle. Also, some of it was less about milk quantity and more about her just adjusting to not being with me. When I got home she wanted to be glued to me. 

    Also, if memory serves your DD is 4 months. A lot of babies go through a sleep regression/wakeful period around 4 months so that could be playing into things as well. 

    If you don't want her in your bed and you don't want to nurse MORE at night, I wouldn't start co-sleeping now. I know a lot of Mom's love it and swear by it. However,  I personally think that it makes for more frequent waking/nursing at night versus doing a feeding and then she's back in her bed.

    I hear you on the sleep deprivation. Hang tough!! I didn't manage to get more then 3 consecutive hrs sleep until DD was around a year old.

    ETA: Do you have a carrier/sling? If your DD likes to be close to you and you want more mobility/flexibility maybe wearing her around the house would let you get off the couch and still make DD happy. After a little practice and some coordination you could even nurse her while she is in the sling. 
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  • *sparky**sparky* member
    @bellaxanthe‌ - you are right, she might not be. I thought about trying to have DH do a feeding tonight but she seems to really just want to nurse vs. bring hungry. She was attached to me for an hour at 2 am and it was not because she was starving. I end up being up for the day when she wakes me at 5 am so only sleeping from 11-2 and then 3-5 is rough. I wish I could go to sleep when she does at night but that is just not happening.

    I wore her in the carrier for a little while last night and that seemed to help but mostly she wanted to nurse and I am not skilled enough to do that in our K'tan while taking care of DS or doing whatever I need to do. I will try it again tonight though.

    I appreciate all the ideas. Thank you!

     

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  • *sparky**sparky* member
    @DiveFrog‌ - DD is just 12 weeks and we just did the 3-month growth spurt last week so we haven't even hit the 4-month sleep regression.

     

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  • Slb22Slb22 member
    My LO is 14 weeks.  I went back to work at 12 weeks and my husband stayed home with her for 2 weeks.  The first week she went from getting up once at night to getting up 2-3 times.  When I would get home from work she definitely wanted to nurse a lot.  However, if I put her on her play mat she would play with me and be happy.  It was only when I was holding her that she would be rooting non stop. 

    The 2nd week it got better and she went back to getting up only once. I made a point to nurse her shortly after  I get home, and then again to sleep 2 hours later and that seems to work okay.  Again, as long as I wasn't holding her right against my chest it was okay, not great, but okay.

     The 3rd week (this week) she started daycare.  Last night was the same thing as the first week I went back to work.  In the middle of the night I try to put her back down around 20 minutes or so of nursing, even though she was still trying to comfort nurse.  Sometimes she falls right to sleep, other times she cries and I pick her right back up and nurse again for a few minutes and repeat until she goes down. 

    She was never the type of baby to unlatch herself, so I have always had to be the one to stop the nursing and she does well with that (and spits up a lot less).

    Hopefully this is of help to you.  I completely sympathize on the lack of sleep.  It is so tough.
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