I received such great support from the ladies on the Easy Forum about short naps that I thought I'd see what advice you could offer about the way I've introduced DFs to my LO. I'm relatively new to EASY but the idea of a DF was mentioned by a midwife during our stay in hospital. I tried it a few times when he was younger but he's always been really good about turning away when he's not hungry and at only a few weeks old he'd purse his lips tightly shut in his sleep when he didn't want to feed!
My LO has never slept through the night but until 10 weeks he was going from about 8pm to about 1am and then feeding 3 hourly (he's never woken just because and the times are always slightly different depending on when the last feed was). He then had a growth spurt, daytime napping went squiffy and I noticed that instead of going until about 1-2am through the evening he was waking around 12-12.30 (after 4 hours sleep rather than 5-6). So I tried him again with DF a week ago and this time, perhaps because he's older, he can do it. As he doesn't nap so well in the daytime I had hoped a DF would help him to go longer at night but rather than extending his evening sleep he just seems to wake 3 hours from when has his DF (ie. asleep at 7.30, DF 10.30, awake 1.30 whereas previously he'd almost go that long without a DF). So I'm wondering if it's worth continuing with the DF or whether to just leave it because:
- I'm getting much less sleep and as a result doing accidental co-sleeping and not managing his night wakings. I'll explain: - before introducing the DF I'd go to bed by 10pm so I could get a couple of hours sleep before the night feeds started. Now I'm staying up to DF but when LOs woken for his night feeds the last two nights I've been too shattered to stay awake and consequently LO is obviously only taking small feeds and then waking hungry sooner (he struggles with my fast let down so to get him to go 3 hours at night he needs to feed (which wears him out and he falls asleep), be burped and roused, and then feed again).
- because he's not burped for his DF, unlike all his other feeds, he is more gassy and sleeps fitfully so I get woken a good hour before he needs to feed because he tosses and turns and kicks about so much (often turning through 360 degrees in his cot which is a co-sleeper and attached to the bed). I've tried burping him after DF but it woke him up.
- he's waking earlier due to wind pain and having more explosive nappies in the morning.
Last night he had his BT feed at 7pm, DF at 11pm, then fed at 2am (he was kicking and turning from 1.15am), I was woken by him rooting at 4.15, then at 5.15 he woke crying with wind pain, resettled him then he woke for food at 6am which was short and needed to help him poo, he zonked out straight after nappy change, then woke at 7am for a proper feed.
What would you lovely ladies suggest? Is it worth dropping the DF and going back to my early to bed routine if it's making no difference to LO? I don't get an opportunity to nap in the daytime and the evening is the only time I get to spend with DH or get things done so I struggle to nap before the DF.
Thanks in advance to listening and sharing. N x
