Working moms - sleep "regression" when you went back to work?

ashleyhuney · January 2009

Just wondering if this is normal or not, J's sleep has been horrible starting about a week after I went back to work. From 6 week to 3.5 months he was a wonderful sleeper, waking up MAYBE once. All of a sudden about a week after I went back to work he started waking up all night, and hasn't stopped since. He's not eating as much during the day, around wakeup at 6, a top off at 7:45 and then he waits until 11:30ish when I come feed him (she calls and I drive over when he's hungry) then waits till 3 and eats a little from a bottle and waits until I feed him at 5, then a top off at 8 before bed. Then he wakes all night and wants to eat, my DH trys hard just to get him to wait 2 hours!

I read in a working, BF mom book that babies may wake more and want to eat at night at not eat as much during the day, but he's waking up 10 times plus! Thought it was the four month wakeful period, but it's been 2 months, thought it was teething, and I can see little teeth buds, but it's every single night.

Am I alone in this or is this normal?

Mrs.K&C · January 2009

Ugh, that sounds terrible, I'm sorry!

Our sleep issues have been because of lack of any consistency with naps at daycare, but we're working on that. For us it's been an early waking thing, not waking in the middle of the night and wanting to eat.

green*eyes · January 2009

That sounds pretty familiar. I'm not sure if it has to do with going back to work, or if it's just a stage babies go through. Mine definitely woke more after I went back to work (even though it was just for a couple of days) and I know he wasn't eating nearly as much during the day those days, because I was engorged and the pump wasn't getting it all out. So I didn't discourage him from eating all night long. He's gotten a little better since I haven't worked for a few days, but still, I think he wakes more now than he did at 3 months. Not sure what the deal is, but like I explained in my other post to you, we're working on it!

tri-reader · January 2009

I'd have to look back at my journal but I believe it took till about 6 months of age for her to be on a schedule that stuck. Before then I'd have some nights of STTN and others of wakeups. I hope you get some more sleep soon.