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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Decisions, decisions

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Pebble is sleeping.
If you are terminally bored by stories about babies and sleep. Read no further.
I’m trying to get Pebble to have at least three hours between feeds, so that she’s nice and hungry to feed well, and therefore sleep well (and so on and so on). This is because previously I was demand feeding, which resulting in lots of snack feeds, and very little sleep (for anyone!).
After an awesome night last night (10am, 2am, 6am feeds, good sleep inbetween) I woke Pebble up at 10am (it was four hours since her last feed, and I don’t want her to go too long between feeds so that I keep my milk supply up).
She had a lovely feed, a smiley play and then started to show me her tired signs (yawns, agitated movements, buggy stare bear eyes, and grumbling noises), so I put her down to sleep using our new method.
Pebble did her usual droopy eye thing, then closed eyes, so I slowly stopped rocking…. and her eyes opened. Repeat this x 45 mins and I figure I’m fighting a loosing battle. So I pick her up and try to have a cuddle, a quiet chat, a walk around the house, but she’s having none if it, and is very grumpy.
I go to a modified plan and try to put her to sleep in the pram. After a long haul I get her to sleep for 15 mins, but then she’s stirring again. I rock, rock, rock, and she’s asleep again…. but by this time it’s nearly 3 hours since the last feed so I figure next time she stirs, I’ll just feed her……..
Now we’re 20 mins away from 4 hours since the last feed and I’m back to where I started….. having to wake her up to feed! Except this time she hasn’t had a very good sleep.
This whole time I’m questioning everything I’m doing. Should I have let her sleep longer this morning and get into her own natural rhythm? Should I have fed her earlier when she wouldn’t sleep the first time? Should I let her sleep this time? What if it affects (my already questionable) milk supply?
What do you think? Seriously, I need help.

2 comments:

  1. It sounds like she really is just trying to find her own rhythm. If she sleeps best by holding her just go with it for a while. It se sleeps best in the pra
    great. The key thing is she is sleeping. Im not a fan of waking babies for a feed but everybody has their own routines and you just have to play with it and find out what works best for the two of you.

    Good luck xx

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  2. Oh Kylie I JUST wrote a post for tomorrow about all these same things. The second guessing is the worst part. I am still doing it and I have done this all before so should know better. I roughly did the 4 hour feed thing with Daisy and have been far less strict this time with Harper (usually around 3 hours). If Charlotte is only getting to sleep just before her next feed is due I would let her sleep - who knows she could wake up on her own if she is really hungry anyway and you could have woken her for no reason. This time around I have found that I haven't been able to get to Harper as quickly as I would have Daisy (because of, well, Daisy) and she eventually sleeps, eventually wakes, eventually does everything I *want* her to do - just in her own time and usually just after I usually interfere!

    Hang in there - you are doing all the right things. Seeking advice, going to clinics, blah blah blah but the one thing you need to do more of, and is the hardest thing to do, which is TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. Seriously. If you think you should wake her, do it. If you question for a moment whether it's right to wake her or not. Don't wake her. If you know she is fussy and not really hungry - don't feed her. You really do know what's best even if you don't think you do. Promise.

    And if all fails there is vodka. And well done on ALL you are doing. Clearly you are doing a great job :)

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