A Pleasant Sleep Surprise
I've heard from moms at the LLL meetings that 6 months is the magic number when baby really starts to "be fun." They can sit up and use their arms better, etc. Well, so far...4 months has been a magic number for me.
Two nights ago, we took W to the NC Museum of Natural Sciences to meet some new families through a Meetup group. This turned out to be a great decision. He had so much to look at, and he ended up napping while we were still at the museum. By the time we go home, he nursed and napped sporadically for another few hours, but ended up passing out around 7:30 or 8:00. He "slept" until 8:30 or 9:00 the next morning. By "slept," I mean he still roused to nurse at 11:20, 2:45, 4:30, 6:ish, and finally at 8:ish. I know that seems like a lot, but there were some long sleep spans in there for the momma, so I woke between the 6: and 8: feeding.
Anyway, last night, he passed out at 8:00 p.m. It took me about an hour to follow, but I zonked out a little after 9:00. The next thing I know, it's 1:00 a.m. and I am surprised and excited at the same time. My child slept for 5 hours straight! He probably would have gone longer if I had let him, but 1) my breasts hurt from the built-up milk. (They're used to being drained every 2-3 hours); 2) he was already starting to fidget; and 3) when I put my finger to the baby's lips, he opened them immediately. It was time to feed da bebby.
Well, I was so amazed and excited about this 5-hour stretch that I couldn't sleep. (Well, that and my boobs were still uncomfortable.) So I got back up, did a little hand-expression (got almost 2 oz.), and then went back to sleep. He began to stir around 4:40ish, so I fed him again, and here it is nearly an hour later, and I'm still reeling from the night's unusual transgression.
Needless to say, I truly hope that this pattern continues, but I'm not holding my breath (and I have no desire to jinx it either).
I have been chatting with another mom about her child's sleep pattern (her daughter slept 6 hours at night from a very early age) and began wondering if I should start some kind of sleep routine with W. Last night, I took a warm wash cloth and wiped down his face, chest, hands, and feet. Then, I massaged them and his legs and shoulders. He was quite fidgety when I started, but by the time I finished, he did seem more relaxed. I will try again tonight and see if that helps settles him again. If it does, I can totally see myself starting this routine at 7:30ish, him sleeping by 8:00, giving me time to shower, wind down, and get ready for bed, and be laying myself down by 9:15. Oh! I am SOOO hoping this works. Maybe I won't be so excited that I stay awake in the wee hours of the morning.
Hehe...well, all this computer time is making my eyes tired again. Hmm... Might be time to load up baby with some food again first though!
Two nights ago, we took W to the NC Museum of Natural Sciences to meet some new families through a Meetup group. This turned out to be a great decision. He had so much to look at, and he ended up napping while we were still at the museum. By the time we go home, he nursed and napped sporadically for another few hours, but ended up passing out around 7:30 or 8:00. He "slept" until 8:30 or 9:00 the next morning. By "slept," I mean he still roused to nurse at 11:20, 2:45, 4:30, 6:ish, and finally at 8:ish. I know that seems like a lot, but there were some long sleep spans in there for the momma, so I woke between the 6: and 8: feeding.
Anyway, last night, he passed out at 8:00 p.m. It took me about an hour to follow, but I zonked out a little after 9:00. The next thing I know, it's 1:00 a.m. and I am surprised and excited at the same time. My child slept for 5 hours straight! He probably would have gone longer if I had let him, but 1) my breasts hurt from the built-up milk. (They're used to being drained every 2-3 hours); 2) he was already starting to fidget; and 3) when I put my finger to the baby's lips, he opened them immediately. It was time to feed da bebby.
Well, I was so amazed and excited about this 5-hour stretch that I couldn't sleep. (Well, that and my boobs were still uncomfortable.) So I got back up, did a little hand-expression (got almost 2 oz.), and then went back to sleep. He began to stir around 4:40ish, so I fed him again, and here it is nearly an hour later, and I'm still reeling from the night's unusual transgression.
Needless to say, I truly hope that this pattern continues, but I'm not holding my breath (and I have no desire to jinx it either).
I have been chatting with another mom about her child's sleep pattern (her daughter slept 6 hours at night from a very early age) and began wondering if I should start some kind of sleep routine with W. Last night, I took a warm wash cloth and wiped down his face, chest, hands, and feet. Then, I massaged them and his legs and shoulders. He was quite fidgety when I started, but by the time I finished, he did seem more relaxed. I will try again tonight and see if that helps settles him again. If it does, I can totally see myself starting this routine at 7:30ish, him sleeping by 8:00, giving me time to shower, wind down, and get ready for bed, and be laying myself down by 9:15. Oh! I am SOOO hoping this works. Maybe I won't be so excited that I stay awake in the wee hours of the morning.
Hehe...well, all this computer time is making my eyes tired again. Hmm... Might be time to load up baby with some food again first though!
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