Ah the joys of babies and their sweet little bellies being empty in the night. Well I was pregnant I put out to the universe that Lovely would sleep through the night right away, now I of course knew that was going to be a bit of a pipe dream but I sure didn't think I was going to be feeding my sweetie during the night for 6 months.
I am a mommy who loves her sleep, I have over the past 4 years gotten a bit better with less sleep but still no sleepy = grumpy ass mommy!
During these past 6 months I have been trying so hard to remind myself that this is my last time with a baby in my house, that these moments are precious and short lived, that she needs me to be there for her when she is hungry (and she is hungry you can hear her belly when you walk in the room). I tried to remind myself that she eats and goes back to sleep in no time but I still huff and puff each night when that first cry is heard and get frustrated if she gets up again in the night.. I don't like to feel like this and I feel like crap after for feeling that way but 6 months is A LOT of sleepless nights.. A LOT!
I have asked every mommy "expert" I know and even strangers if they have any tricks or ideas to help me.. Finally the other night I got my trusted old Baby Whisper book out and after a long bath and a bunch of wet pages I had a plan.. Switch my sweetie from feeding every 3 hrs to every 4 hrs, give her dinner a bit earlier and try to keep her nap schedule a bit more consistant. And then the let the angels sing, and the harps play a dream feed..
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH feed her between 10 and 11 pm well she sleeps!!
THE DREAM FEED has saved my life! but the best part about this feed is my sweet baby girl, the whole goal of the dream feed is to NOT wake the baby.. so I snuggle my lavendar smelling beauty, make our way downstairs and remove her soother and switch it for a bottle. As she quietly eats, eyes closed she will move her hands around my face, feeling my chin, lips and then my hair she will stop at sections and let her hand sit for a seconds. I love this as I know she is using her fingers to give her comfort, my face has been touched a million times during our feeds and I know in that moment of slumber she is double checking that she is safe. It melts my heart and as I put her back in bed I kiss her and promise her that my face will be there whenever she needs a bit of extra comfort. She will always be able to blindly trust her mom and dad and know that we will protect her always.. Good Night sweet girl!!
AAAAWWWW. I cried a lot and did a lot of things "books" told me to do but never worked. So after a year she finally decided to give me a break and sleeps through the night. So glad it worked for you! Hope you get rest! It's amazing that though it was hard, I actually miss it. Just me and her cuddling.
ReplyDeleteWow, this sounds exactly like me too. My last baby in the house, daughter is 9 months and doesn't sleep through the night. I feel sleep deprived. I've tried a lot of things too, even the last late night feeding but she's getting better at sleeping later, just not all night yet. I even felt and feel the same ways you did and my daughter still feels around my face and hair so she knows I'm right there as she's falling asleep. WOW! Made me cry to read it as I felt like I was reliving the last 9 months and how time flies and soon she will sleep through the night and not need me :(
ReplyDeleteYou wrote it so beautifully! Thank You for bittersweet cry that I soo needed.
Love this and when my son does the touching of my face for comfort awww I melt. I however am in the club of my son has slept 12 hours a night from 3 months or so. It's actually funny because there are times I want to go wake him because I miss him. Soon enough she will just climb in bed with you, you can turn on cartoons and shut your eyes :)
ReplyDeleteVisiting back from Mommy Masters. So glad you figured out what worked for your baby and are now getting sleep. I remember when my now 2 year old wouldn't sleep through the night until he was 14 months old-I was a zomby. My first, now 4 was an angel and slept through the night at 3 weeks. I LOVE your title. I am a HUGE housewives fan so think your blog is adorable! Excited to see the NY one tonight! What is your favorite? Mine changes each season. I am now reading Bethanny's book.
ReplyDeleteHope to "speak" to you soon.
Ellie
Mommy Master (in Training)
The Baby Whisperer!! i annoyed the crap out of my husband with this book when our daughter was a baby. He still hassles me about it today.
ReplyDeleteI love how you say you have to remind yourself to enjoy every precious moment as its the last time you'll have a baby in the house. That is what my focus is going to be for our child coming in August It's definitely my last so I have to enjoy it.
your daughter is just precious!!