After a good four weeks of a sleepless child, I figured it was time to drag him to the doctor’s office. I mean, this can’t be normal, right? Waking up five or six times PER NIGHT? Usually I can pull him in bed with us and he chills out. Last night? He started clapping. I guess he was all “Woo hoo! Play time with the ‘rents! Yay!” Oy. I am so tired. Anyway, today’s visit reiterated how much I love our pediatrician. He used to be my pediatrician, and I may or may not have seen him until I was 21. Maybe. He chatted with me for a good half an hour about this sleep problem.
His opinion is that this is purely behavioral, Knox doesn’t have any underlying ear infection, sickness or anything that could be causing this (which is what I was wondering about). He said teething could play a part in things, but not for this length of time and certainly doesn’t warrant waking up that many times a night (especially since I give him Tylenol for teething pain). We talked about his routine, what he does when he wakes up, what and who he wants when he wakes up, etc. Basically, the problem is that Knox likes me too much. What a problem to have, right? While I am quite flattered that he wants to spend every second with me, I am also a very tired person.
I tried to let him cry some again last night, and yet again, vomiting ensued. Dr. T said that this overly-sensitive gag reflex certainly complicates letting him cry and definitely understood why I was not comfortable with it.
He said that at this age, especially with him still nursing, babies love their mamas. Knox wakes up and has separation anxiety, so he wants me and he wants to nurse. Dr. T asked how long I planned to breast feed, commended me for sticking with it for so long. That being said, he told me he wasn’t suggesting that I stop breast feeding, rather making sure that I am aware that if I chose to stop, it wouldn’t make me a bad mother- just a tired one. I know that, but I have to say, I am determined to make it a year. What’s another six weeks in the long run? I really want to go a little longer than a year, but I don’t think I can keep up this sleep schedule much longer. He did suggest giving him a cup of milk, and I do think I am going to start pumping again and start replacing some of Knox’s nursing sessions with a sippy cup of breast milk in hopes that this helps with the night time situation and weaning totally in January. My guess is that this will tick him off beyond belief, but we’re doing it anyway.
The doctor’s main suggestion was that I have a night away every once in a while for 1) health reasons( ie: sleep) and 2) sanity reasons. He said to make sure to say goodbye to Knox and let him see us leave the house so he doesn’t expect me to come pick him up when he wakes up. So, I think my mom and sister may come over Friday while Trevor and I do whatever elsewhere. I like the idea of keeping him at home so he relates waking up in his own room with the fact that I don’t have to be the one to pick him up. The doc thinks this will help start the process and let him know that there’s a new situation starting in our house, and it does not include getting up 45 times in one evening.
Wish me luck, and keep my poor babysitters in your prayers because they’re going to have a hard time!
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi, there-
This is my 1st comment, but I could’ve written this exact post 2 months ago. My daughter would wake up anywhere between 2 & 10 times every single night, and the only way I could get her back to sleep was to nurse. Eventually she wouldn’t even go back in her crib… I’d have to bring her into bed with us, every single night. I thought I was going to go crazy and decided it was time to wean her, because I couldn’t take it anymore. She also just turned a year. I was reading my breastfeeding books about weaning, and one of them said that weaning will definitely not solve your nighttime issues and recommended a book by Elizabeth Pantley, The No-Cry Sleep Solution. I orderd it that day from amazon, and, I kid you not, that a week later my daughter was sleeping in her crib every single night and only waking once or twice to nurse and then go right back to sleep. There’s a whole chapter on the “all-night nursers.” I tell everyone that this book saved my life. Sorry for the long post, but I just could totally relate. Best of Luck! Colleen
My daughter was THE WORST sleeper, I mean WORST!! As soon as I was totally done weaning at 12 months…she started sleeping through the night. Even if I knew that was going to happen I don’t think I would have stopped breastfeeding before 1 year.
My daughter is 15 months old and had never slept more than 4 hours at a time. She is not breastfed ( I had no milk) and is not a good sleeper. She is starving through the night, and has never been a good eater. I think some babies just don’t sleep. It’s rough and I’m exhausted, but I have no intention of letting her cry it out. She will eventually sleep, right?!
I think eventually they all sleep… at least that’s what everyone keeps telling me.
Did Knox used to sleep through the night? This post scares me. Owen acts like he could care less about nursing right now. I mean he still does it 6 times a day, but is all business at the breast. My LLL leader said that, especially with boys, at a certain age they realize they LOVE to nurse and they are much harder to wean than girls. Owen has always slept through the night, I’m crossing my fingers this doesn’t happen to us.
Just my opinion but I too don’t think weaning him early is the answer. If its behavioral you should be able to correct it and still nurse.
I would nurse Owen until he was 3 if he’d let me – I’m convinced we’ll wake up one day and he will be all, “Yeah, about that. I’m DONE.”
Mama sobs…
He did… back in the good ole days. I’m not going to really wean him early. I’m going to start introducing him to milk in a cup so he doesn’t totally balk at it when the time comes. The weaning will start after he’s one. I have really enjoyed it, though, and I’ll miss it!
Good luck………I know that some time with your hubby will be wonderful so enjoy!!
You have done an awesome job nursing/pumping this long! We went through the same thing – I can’t believe how much my son is like yours!
From months 6-8, then 9-12 sleep was HORRENDOUS in our house, and it was summed up that like your son, our little guy just missed his Momma during the day and needed those “check-in” nursing sessions during the night. When he hit 12 months I stopped pumping at work we started whole milk during the day for him. After a couple months we cut down to only nursing right when I got home from work, then a quick session before bed.
Now at 16 months he only nurses before bed. Occassionally on the weekends he’ll “ask” to nurse randomly during the day – and by ask I mean contourting his body to get in position
so I distract him by being silly or grabbing a toy and that usually works. Once we started the weaning process, the nightime wakeups did get less and less – he’s not sleeping through the night, but once a night wake up/quickie nurse compared to four is much better for this family!
alex pulled the “i don’t believe in sleep” thing a few weeks ago.
horrid- but i blamed it on teeth because now she’s rocking a good 4-5 molars.
kids. KIDS!
I also have had noon sleeping babies. It’s important to remember you are the norm NOT the exception. I too like the No-cry Sleep solution book. Sometimes you need to give in a little instead of pulling back. We’re not perfect yet at night time but well on our way.
Have a lovely time with husband.
How did it work doing the breastmilk in a sippy? Kinley still will only do water in her cup. She looks at me like I’m nuts if I try to do breastmilk in it.
He hated it! He will take water or regular milk (just started trying that once a day- Dr. suggested it before we come in for our one year appointment to make sure he can tolerate it) fine, though.