Back to work and stressing out!

squish143 · December 2014

My lo is 12 weeks and I started back to work on Monday. I mostly nurse with some supplementing. There are a few issues I'm having and need some sort of advice or guidance. First my lo is staying with my grandmother while I work. She is home from tx for the holidays and is staying at our house so she offered to watch ds for us while she is here. I'm only working part time so I'm gone only about 4-5 hours a day. The first issue is that ds is a big comfort nurser. He has been since he was born. I usual don't have to much of an issue putting him down because within 10-15 min of nursing he is asleep. When DH or anyone else tried to put him to sleep he needs a bottle or he will SCREAM until he gets one. We have tried literally every brand of pacifier we can find as well as letting him suck on just the nipple of one of his bottles. This whole situation is making it extremely stressful and difficult for anyone else to watch him. When he does take a bottle to go to sleep he will end up eating sometimes 5oz even if he just nursed, therefor he is now super full and eating way more than he should.

Second issue is his sleep. He is hardly napping during the day anymore or at least not much longer than 45 min but still can't seem to stay awake more than 1-2 hours. Then when he is tired he is fighting it. (Typically for anyone other than myself) which is not helpful when I'm at work and he is home. I'm very concerned about how it's going to be when we have our nanny start. He also is still waking up 2-4 times a night with his first stretch of sleep being them fest. Typically 3-5 hrs. We are having trouble with trying to get him to go to sleep later at night because he is exhausted by like 6:30 because of his lack of naps.

This whole situation is making for a very anxious and nervous mama. I'm seriously considering quitting my job because I hate how he screams when I'm not around. Unfortunately quitting would not be very ideal financially. Sorry for the super long post but if anyone has insight I would appreciate it.

emmylu30 · December 2014

Take a few deep breaths. Don't quit your job. Everything is going to be okay. LO just need a little while to adjust.

As for the first issue I would keep trying with the pacifier. My LO is a big comfort nurser as well. When DH watches him or he's at daycare they will put him in nursing position with pacifier where my nipple would be and rock him. Not sure if you've tried them but Mam pacifiers were the only ones that my LO would take.

As for your second issue I think that is normal. LO was only napping 30-45 minutes at a time at daycare to start and has stretched out a little at this point (been going since 12/1). Some babies just need more shorter naps. As for fighting naps make sure daycare provider is paying attention to his tired cues and is putting him down at first signs or tiredness. I think getting LO to take a pacifier would also be a big help.

Our LO was going to bed at 8 or 830 pre daycare but is also going down at 630 or 7 at night now but he isn't up for the day until 630 or 7 the next morning. Normally has 1 or 2 wakeups in that 12 hour period of time. Your LO will eventually start sleeping longer stretches but if he isn't napping well during the day he needs that long period of night time sleep.

Hang in there! I know it's extremely tough to go back to work and have your LO with someone new.

portentosa · December 2014

I second all of @emmylu30's advice.
Take a deep breath! You guys will adjust! ((hugs))

lmimms87 · December 2014

My LO was having the same napping issues when she started going to my MIL for daycare last week. She is just now starting to adjust and has good and bad days. Hang in there. The first couple weeks are the most stressful.

wieb67 · December 2014

I'm having the same issue - did a couple trial runs with the nanny (I start work on Friday) and LO was a total beast for her - wouldn't nap then passed out in my arms the second I took him. I will be working from home when the nanny is here so it will be tough hearing him cry but I think I'll just have to let them get used to each other...I will share if I find any useful advice!!

Daisy1232 · December 2014

Just wanted to second the MAM pacifiers, they rule all!

kristine618 · December 2014

Our LO wouldn't take a paci at first either and we were going crazy. We kept trying different kinds and the MAM finally took and not until he started daycare. Good luck!

RedBaramid · December 2014

The holding at chest in nursing position with the paci is how we get our little girl into bedtime mode every night. We sit in her rocker with the nursing pillow and the paci just like she would if she was nursing still. Doesn't matter who it is, it works now. As soon as she does her first eye flutter she can usually be put down, even if she isn't totally asleep. It's also helpful when she is really fighting her daytime naps.

Good luck, breathe, and take some of the amazing advice you got from others to heart, I'm sure you'll find something that works.

Back to work and stressing out!

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