PUPD and breastfeeding

[mtemte]

So after a lot of deliberation, I have started to tackle our major issues of cosleeping, constant night feeds and being a human soother to my breastfed 9 month old!
She is being amazing! No more feeding to sleep for bedtime, she is in her own room and in her own cot. We had already been spending time in her cot so she was familiar with it amd manages to self soothe at the childminders during the day so I think all that has helped. But previous to Fri night she was fed to sleep a lot of the time, woke every 30 mins until I went to bed and from then on I was her human soother where she was constantly latched.
Fri night it took 30 mins to get her to fall asleep in her cot at 8.30pm (i was leaning over her close and rubbing her hair so I need to work on that too as don't want that to become a prop), she woke at 9.30pm, 10.30pm, 12.15, 1.30, 2.15, 3.30, 4.20 and at 5.30 I took her into our bed. I only fed her at 12.15 and 4.20am.
Sat night it took 5 mins to get her down and she woke 3 times between 11.45pn and 6am when I took her into our bed. Last night, it took about 10 mins to get her down at 9.30pm (but we were out and she had a late afternoon nap), she woke at 12.15 and 4.20ish. I took her into the bed at 6am when she woke.
My questions are the following:
- What advice do you have wrt night feeds - how often (last few nights o was trying to get at least 3-4 hours in-between feeds)
- At nightfeeds, she falls asleep at the boob. Is this OK? I'm way about waking her too much in the middle of the night as I don't want her to get in a play mood!
- is it OK to be taking her into the bed early morning? Otherwise she keeps waking and is harder to get back to sleep. I don't mind having her in with us from 5.30/6ish as I know she will sleep later that way
- Last night she cried out a lot in her sleep - is this typical for early stages of PUPD or could be developmental ?
Thanks so much. Am still wrecked but happy with the huge progress she ha made already!

[Skadiver13]

Great job mom you are doing amazing.  Here are my thoughts.

What advice do you have wrt night feeds - how often (last few nights o was trying to get at least 3-4 hours in-between feeds

The general rule of thumb at this age is she can go at night at the very least what she does during the day. At this age at least 4hrs I think. But I do think if shes getting enough during the day she should really only be waking once at night. If you've introduced solids just make sure her milk intake hasnt gone down during the day or she'll try to makeup for it at night.

At nightfeeds, she falls asleep at the boob. Is this OK? I'm way about waking her too much in the middle of the night as I don't want her to get in a play mood!

Generally no especially if you are trying to get her to self settle. She's used to falling asleep that way and if she wakes at night might continue to look for your breast to help her settle. I would just gently rouse her  by stroking her cheek or  burping etc. But some babies are just naturally sleepy at night and there is nothing to be done. Mine falls asleep at the breast no matter what i try so I just feal with it.

is it OK to be taking her into the bed early morning? Otherwise she keeps waking and is harder to get back to sleep. I don't mind having her in with us from 5.30/6ish as I know she will sleep later that way

This is considered accidental parenting on purpose (apop) it is a prop and again shes going to start habitually waking at that time wanting to come into your bed. My personal opinion is if you aren't co sleeping anymore dont do it. But I also say we need our sleep just know you'll eventually have to tackle that issue. It could be a routine issue. Could you post a few days of your EASY? maybe take a peek to see if some tweaking is needed to tackle yhe early waking.

Last night she cried out a lot in her sleep - is this typical for early stages of PUPD or could be developmental ?

If it was a one night thing I wouldnt worry, it happens she could also be OT from all the wakings over the past few days and was just wimpering it out. My son did that. Just give it a few days to see if it continues.

[mtemte]

Tnx so much for your replies. Wrt solids yes she is eating most days pretty well but her milk intake has gone down as I'm back to work and she refuses to take a bottle (since surgery she had on her mouth at three months). That's why I was happy for her to feed at night up to now as I was so aware (and guilty) of the fact that she prob isn't taking enough milk during the day and was making up for it at night. She now is extremely sensitive to waht goes near her mouth and her food intake.
She is extremely sleepy at night and at the same time, as she went from cosleeping, constant feeds at night and falling asleep at the boob, I didn't want to change too much too quick. Plus of course, it's the easiest option. I'm almost inclined to leave it for the mo at least for a few weeks until she settles in the new routine, bed, etc and them tackle that? Any thoughts?
I'm not sure if this is considered an early waking or just a continued corse of wakenings? Again, it allows me to stay in bed longer in the mornings which at the moment is precious sleep with all the wakenings and work etc. Not ideal but may consider tackling this a little later? Again any thoughts?
Her routine is as follows:
7.45/8am WU and breastfeed
No breakfast - not hungry enough mouth clamps shut
11am lunch - up to 300g including pumped milk of up to 150mrs
12.30 Sleep
3.15/3.30 WU
3.30 snack - fruit puree and yoghurt
5pm breastfeed
6/6.30pm Dinner
7/7.30pm bath
8/8.15pm bedtime
I try to get a quick feed in before her bath and then one at bedtime also. Intake can vary depending on lots of things.
Down to one nap but she fell into that routine herself and 99.99% of the time sleeps 2.5-3 hours at the childminders. At weekend,I feed her more myself.

[Skadiver13]

Wrt solids yes she is eating most days pretty well but her milk intake has gone down

Then if you are ok with the two night feeds it maybe that she's making up for at night what she's not getting during the day?

So she's waking 2 X at night between 815 and 745? What times usually? When does she feed at night?

[mtemte]

The last few nights she has been waking at the same times - so bedtime about 8is, WU between midnight - 12.30, again around 4/4.30am and at both of these wakings I feed her and she goes back down easily (generally already asleep or very sleepy). She then wakes again between 6am - 6.45am and intake her into the bed with me. I generally get up at 7am but it gives her that little bit of extra sleep. That's what she has fallen into herself.
Am wondering if I should try to phase out the midnight feed ams try to settle her without a feed button again am conscious that she may be making up for loss of milk during the day at these feeds. What do you think?

[Shiv52]

I just wanted to say well done!!!! You've made amazing progress with your LO!! What a brilliant little lady 😄😄

You could attempt to phase out that midnight feed. When I phased out NFs I decided no feeds say before 12 then after a week I moved it to 1 and so on. I'm sure we'd still a NF at 9 Months. That gradual approach worked well. And maybe just see does she resettle for long. If she wakes again pretty quickly then she is likely hungry. I tended to feed to sleep at night as I think so long as they are settling properly during the day it doesn't interfere.

I always took mine into bed in that hour or so before wake up and they went back to sleep otherwise that was them up as they'd had 10 hours or so. You just need to decide though that before a certain time you will
Resettle otherwise that time could start creeping back further and further.

But really really great progress so far!!!! 😘