July 2018 Moms

Baby sleep thread

24

Re: Baby sleep thread

  • So last night LO fell asleep at about 9pm. He usually does 3-4 hour stretches, but come 3am he still hadn’t woken up. I, of course, was wide awake waiting for him to wake up and starting to grow worried about how long he was sleeping. By 4am I’d woken MH to ask him whether he thought 7 hours was concerning (he’s only 2 and a half weeks old). We basically hovered over the bassinet debating and already thinking about calling the pedi. We decide to wake him, and he woke up fine. I fed him and put him back. He’s been fine all day and now I feel like I’m the stupid new mom who woke her sleeping newborn in the middle of the night because he was sleeping “too long”. But what do you all think? Should I just count my blessings or does that seem like a concerningly long time for a newborn to sleep? Who knows how much longer he might have gone if we hadn’t woken him. 
  • @perhapsitalian I would count your blessings and let him sleep! I get nervous and have woken before too. And I had an especially panicky morning with my middle child when I zonked all night and woke up without getting up with her once. BUT as long as he’s growing well, I wouldn’t worry about letting him sleep long stretches! He’ll wake when he’s hungry
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  • What @hillbillywife said. We also missed alarms/waking times a couple of times and baby was fine. When he is hungry.. it's bloody murder! So I hear him lol. 7hrs is pretty amazing @perhapsitalian!!
  • Thanks @hillbillywife and @kissableviv — my boobs were also just killing me at that point which was the deciding factor in waking him. Sterilized the manual pump today in case it happens again, since that seems like the best solution. 
  • @perhapsitalian if baby is back to birth weight and gaining well, I’d let him sleep for sure. 7 hours is amazing! 
  • And846And846 member
    @perhapsitalian that’s pretty awesome that LO slept that long! I can’t wait for the nights when LO wakes me when she’s hungry. Until the pedi gives me the green light and we pass birth weight, it’s every 3 hours here! 
  • millpemillpe member
    @perhapsitalian So I know I would definitely do the same thing and wake the baby, but I also think as long as he's gaining you can let him sleep. I'm totally jealous because one month in and I still feel really lucky if he sleeps 3 hours! 
    Me: 31 DH: 34 :heart: Married: April 2016
    TTC December 2016
    BFP 2/28/17 // CP 3/1/17
    MFI Diagnosis: Aug 2017
    BFP 11/1/17 // DS born 6/18
    TTC January 2019
    BFP 3/21/19 // D&C (MMC) 5/8/19
  • I know, I’m afraid to jinx it! Like I said, he usually gives me 3 hours and 4 on good nights. Two nights ago he did 5 and I was thrilled, but then the 7 last night freaked me out. Now I’m hoping this is the start of a trend! He went down an hour ago, I’ll report back tomorrow. 
  • @perhapsitalian my first never slept more than a few hours at a time and I seriously thought I’d be sleep deprived Forever. Then suddenly he went 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 hours all within a couple weeks and next thing I knew he was going 10-12 a night by 4 months. It happened so fast. I am still holding out hope this one will do the same. Fingers crossed this is the beginning of lots of sleep for you and your LO. 
  • My DS is 2.5 and still doesn’t sleep longer than 4 hours without waking lol DD is right on track to be just like him when he was a baby. Waking up every 1.5-2 hours. My dream is to make it 7 hours one night...... Fingers crossed lol

    Kylie M.

    Baby #1 Born 12.16.2015

    Baby #2 Due 7.13.2018



  • @kmac103 you poor thing! The only thing keeping me going right now is knowing (hoping) it’s temporary. 
  • Well, the report is that he did 6 hours last night from 9:30pm - 3:30am. This is turning out to be a mixed blessing though — the engorgement gets really bad by then. I tried to manually pump a little before feeding him but I’m not sure I used the pump right because my nipples were pretty sore afterward (it was my first time using it), and then the feed was a tough one anyway. How do other moms whose LOs sleep long stretches deal with the resulting BFing issues?
  • @perhapsitalian your body will adjust, give it a few days. It takes your boobs a few days to get the message that baby’s needs are changing. In the meantime I’d pump or hand express just enough to relieve engorgment and make it easier for baby to latch. If your nipples hurt after pumping, you may be using the wrong size shield. I always need to size up from the standard size, some need to size down. 
  • @perhapsitalian LO slept 6 hours too last night and one of my boobs especially was soooo right. I did not pump and just fed him and it was better. However it's back to engorgement now after 3 hrs (took me 2 hrs between nursing and putting him back to sleep). I'm replacing this coming feed with pumping so I'll try to empty almost completely. We have a bottle ready as DH is feeding him before work so let's see how much I pump now...
  • @acunamatada at this point it’s just normal to me lol My mother tells me that this is payback for how terribly I slept as a baby. Clearly my mom feels terrible for me  :D I’m actually pretty sure I’d have a heart attack if either of the kids slept longer than 5 hours.. I wouldn’t know what to do!!

    Kylie M.

    Baby #1 Born 12.16.2015

    Baby #2 Due 7.13.2018



  • @kissableviv, I’d prefer to just be able to feed him through the engorgement but I’m still suffering from terrible cracks in my nipples that make the initial latch very painful. Being engorged just exacerbates the problem. I’m realizing that I’m starting to legitimately fear feeding sessions, like I sit down with him and have to work up the courage to stick my boob in his chomping mouth. Nighttime feedings are where I feel the most fear, and it’s because it takes so much longer to get a halfway decent latch when my boobs are so full and inflexible. Hopefully @zande2016 is right and my body will adjust. 
  • @perhapsitalian you sound exactly like me (minus the sleeping part lol my baby won’t go more than 2 hours at night). I do the exact same thing, cringing at the start of every feed and fearing the initial latch. if I get too full I have to pump a little to soften them to make it less painful, but even on soft breasts it is still so painful. And overnight feeds are the worst because it’s dark and I’m too tired to get a decent latch. Then I can’t fall back asleep because my nipples hurt so bad from the feeding. Anyway, i am becoming more convinced this pain is due to my baby’s tongue, lip, and buccal (cheek) ties. I thought the chomping was from my forceful and fast flow, but the LC explained the chomping and clamping and compressing is his way of compensating for the ties and not being able to stay on properly. Even though he’s gaining weight and thriving, I may need to get the ties fixed to get pain relief. Anyway....Have you seen an LC to check for any physical reasons for the cracking and pain? (Sorry, you may have already mentioned, I am just horrible at remembering anything these days due to lack of sleep) 
  • @zande2016, yeah, I've been struck by how similar our predicaments sound, though I'm fairly confident I'm not dealing with a tongue or lip tie, since I have been able to have the occasional, miraculously pain-free feeding, and the LC ruled it out pretty quickly and definitively.  My problem is that he'll start chomping even in anticipation of the latch, so I basically have no real window of opportunity.  He won't hold his mouth open long enough for me to get him on widely unless it's because he's screaming.  This also makes me question the LC's original assessment that he does it to control a fast flow, because to me it really reads more as being overly eager.  I can't figure out how to make him calm down and be patient.

    Also, sorry all for hijacking what was supposed to be a sleep thread for BFing issues.
  • @perhapsitalian hmm have you tried latching reclined? The LC yesterday had me latching him fully reclined, basically lying down on my back. Which is kind of tricky for me since I’m large chested but it’s supposed to get you the deepest latch. Also maybe look into a 2nd opinion by another LC just to make sure there’s nothing they’re missing? For example Some babies have suck dysfunction that has nothing to do with tongue ties but has to do with positioning in the womb or how they came out the birth canal etc. If that’s the case there’s suck training exercises you can do to try
    to correct 
  • LO went 5.5 hrs between feedings last night! So i got about 4 glorious hours of sleep. It’s amazing how much of a difference that made. We did a different feeding routine before bedtime. Fed him every hour three hours before bedtime (second feeding was a bottle) and put him in pjs and swaddled with his arms out. We also sized up to a bigger diaper (a 1, he’s still in between sizes). Not sure if any of this made a difference but I’ll be trying it again. 
  • @zande2016 My LC also recommended the laid-back position, which I’ve tried recommitting myself to. It’s just so hard to control LO’s head that way, and I feel like I need as much control as possible over where his head is while trying to latch. 
  • @perhapsitalian same here, I try but find it super hard to get him latched because his head just bobs all around and then he face plants onto my chest. 
  • @zande2016 I think the reason it worked so well when the LC was here was simply that there was another set of hands. It’s much harder when you have to maneuver a baby head with one hand and a boob with the other. Honestly, sometimes I feel like all the BFing resources I’ve found assume you can position baby’s mouth as though they were a doll. But trying to get mine latched is like herding cats. 
  • @wildtot I feel you! I had the same problem when I woke up
    April Siggy Challenge Social Distancing


  • Jealous of your stretches. We've had issues in the past few nights and don't get more than 2/3. Also going through some fussiness because LO is a glutton and then does not want to burp. Ugh last night I was so helpless then he finally calmed down on my chest and slept there for 3.5 hours. Hopefully this growth spurt is over and he sleeps better tonight!
  • We had a 4.5 hour stretch last night, which was nice but I'm longing for 5-6 hour stretches! I started re-reading Precious Little Sleep last night as well as Happiest Baby on the Block. I need to take some pics of the former to share - she has some great, encouraging quotes! 
  • We got the go ahead to not have to wake LO for MOTN feedings. She gave us about 4.5 hours in the first stretch! To get her to fall asleep after feedings at night, I unwrap her out of swaddle for one boob, then change diaper, re-swaddle, then offer other boob. She usually dozes off that way and it’s easy to transfer her to bassinet. If she fusses a bit, then throw the paci in. It’s workes the last few nights! Who knows what tonight will bring
    TTC History:
    Me: 36 H: 40 Married 2015. Together since 2010.
    TTC: Sept 2016-Oct 2017
    BFP Oct 2017. DD born July 2018.
    TTC: March 2020. BFP March 2020
    Due date was Nov 2020
    DS born Sept 2020. DS passed away Nov 2020 due to prematurity and birth trauma.
    TTC: March 2021
    IUI #1 Nov 2021, BFN
    IUI #2 Dec 2021 BFP.  MC Jan 2022
    IUI #3 Aug 2022 BFN
    IUI #4 Sept 2022 BFN
    AMH test came back at .081. Was going to move on to IVF with DE, but have decided not to. Will be leaving it up to the universe now.



  • I hope we get some good stretches soon! DD gave me a whopping 3hr stretch, followed by 2 hours of fussing, a 2 hour sleep, and two more hours of fussing. I would bicycle toots out, she would calm down and then 15 minutes be up again squirming and fussing. After all that she did sleep until 10, so I was lucky to get a couple of hours of sleep while DH was up with the toddler. I don’t remember DS being this difficult at all, but maybe I blocked it out... That whole newborn period is a haze 3 years later. 
  • My twins are cluster feeding but it feels like it’s constant, day or night. We go about 2 hours during the day sometimes but they like to nurse for 7minutes and fall asleep. When I put them down then they’re up and want to nurse again. At night it’s hard to get them to eat at the same time so I feel like I’m just up all night. My dr asked how much sleep I’m getting and I have no idea haha. Ds1 has been waking up at 4 am and unable to go to sleep again, it’s so hard having all the babies awake! He didn’t sttn until 15 months so I’m expecting not to sleep well for a relatively long time anyway 
  • So jealous of all these long stretches. My daughter sleeps 2 hours for her first stretch then will only sleep on me for the rest of the night. Hoping it’s a phase. I think I got another bad sleeper :-(
  • Has anyone dealt with day/night confusion? Jasper eats every hour all night long and is so sleepy during the day. I try to wake him during the day but he will just have a short feed and fall back asleep. I mean he's only 5 days old, but I'd like to adjust this schedule!
  • @limoncat I think we all have just about! Keep the house bright and loud during the day. Undress baby down to diapers for feeds and change diapers before and during feeds to wake em up. Night time keep it dark and quiet. Good luck! 
    TTC History:
    Me: 36 H: 40 Married 2015. Together since 2010.
    TTC: Sept 2016-Oct 2017
    BFP Oct 2017. DD born July 2018.
    TTC: March 2020. BFP March 2020
    Due date was Nov 2020
    DS born Sept 2020. DS passed away Nov 2020 due to prematurity and birth trauma.
    TTC: March 2021
    IUI #1 Nov 2021, BFN
    IUI #2 Dec 2021 BFP.  MC Jan 2022
    IUI #3 Aug 2022 BFN
    IUI #4 Sept 2022 BFN
    AMH test came back at .081. Was going to move on to IVF with DE, but have decided not to. Will be leaving it up to the universe now.



  • Thanks @rachelsogo and @hillbillywife. I don't remember it being quite so bad with my first, but maybe I just blocked it out. Yeah reading the thread makes it sound like everyone is sleeping but it's true that Jasper is still very new.
  • limoncat said:
    Thanks @rachelsogo and @hillbillywife. I don't remember it being quite so bad with my first, but maybe I just blocked it out. Yeah reading the thread makes it sound like everyone is sleeping but it's true that Jasper is still very new.
    @limoncat mine is 3.5 weeks old and is still a little confused. I think it takes 4-6 weeks for them to figure it out. She’s definitely still sleepy during the day. 
  • @limoncat he’ll get there! It’s hard when some of us have older newborns that are getting the hang of things when some of us have brand new newborns still. 

    Afm- LO gave me a 4 hour stretch after a traumatic bath time routine lol. Poor guy does not like being naked... or chilly
    Same here!! But he usually likes bathing. This time he was pissed when we put him in so that's why! But it worked!!
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