Ey yi yi. That is what I say at approximately 12:45 a.m. each night. And then again at 2:30 a.m. And then, sometime around 5:00 a.m. These are the times my lil co-sleeper has been awakening and demanding a boob in her mouth!
From about 8 weeks old until about 5 months old, Juliette was "sleeping through the night." It is in quotation marks because I have come to learn that means something different for different mommas. When I say it, it means that once I nursed her and put her down for the night (anywhere from 8 pm until 11 pm) she didn't wake up and require anything from me until at least 6 or 7 a.m. the next morning. Well, I'm glad I enjoyed it while it lasted.
Once she hit 5 months, she started going to bed earlier than she had been (closer to 7 p.m. a lot of nights) and so she would wake up for a feeding whenever I got into bed (around 10:30 - 11:30 p.m.). This was fairly convenient and so I didn't think twice or try to dissuade her. Sometime over the past four months, she has snuck in additional feedings throughout my sleeping hours!
Last night was as follows:
(1) Nursed both sides and in bed by 7:30 p.m.
(2) Woke and nursed one side (momma sitting up) at 10:15 p.m.
(3) Woke and nursed one side (momma lying down) at 12:30 a.m.
(4) Woke and nursed one side (momma lying down) at 3:20 a.m.
(5) Woke and nursed one side (momma lying down) at 6:00 a.m.
(6) Woke and nursed one side (momma sitting up) at 7:45 a.m.
Then, she is up for the day. She eats her breakfast of solids (a puree I make, typically a fruit or a fruit combo) at around 8:30/9:00 a.m. and then she nurses again before her morning nap (both sides for a full feeding) at around 10:45 a.m.
She will nurse whenever she wakes from her nap (typically around 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.) and will have her lunch of purees about an hour afterwards (3:30'ish) . She will then nurse again about an hour later before her second nap for the day. That nap usually lasts about an hour (4:30 - 5:30 p.m.). I then wait a bit to nurse her until closer to 6:30 (so that it has been at least two hours since the last feeding) and then I "top her off" before she goes to bed for the night around 7:30/8:00 p.m. (depending on whether F has her - she gets home at 7:45 p.m. on those two weeknights).
So - I am still a full-time dairy cow, 24/7. My goodness. I love nursing her, I am so glad that she has been exclusively breastfed. I know it is what is best for her. I just need to remind myself of that in the wee hours of the morning ;) But how can I deny her? She is a smart cookie: she knows what she wants and what she needs. The one night I attempted to 'talk her out of" a midnight feeding, it nearly broke my heart. The next day, she woke up with her first tooth and I felt awful that she may have been uncomfortable and looking to soothe herself. So she showed me - never again!
Speaking of which, I hear a lil babbling from the foodie right now...off I go to offer up my milk one more time. Nurse on, mommas! We got this! :)
Love,
Momeo and Juliette
XOXO
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