Saturday, 21 June 2008
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I'm Gonna Miss That 3am Call
by Mama Hippo
I know it sounds crazy, but I'm realizing that I actually kinda like that middle-of-the-night feeding, and will miss it one day when it's gone. Now, it helps that D's gone from 2-3 wake ups to only once lately. That's been really really nice. It also helps that he's never been one to want to be awake much at night-- he'll eat and be back to sleep within half an hour at most. And sure, it'd be nice to get 8-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night... But I'm not sure I'm in much of a hurry to get rid of that last nighttime feeding.
The thing is, it feels really nice to nurse him to sleep. It's a satisfying feeling, and he looks so sweet nursing with his eyes closed. And then when he's done and he pulls away, still asleep, well I think that's my favorite moment of all, a look I wish I could capture with a camera but will have to settle with engraving it to memory. He'll have his jaw kinda clenched, bottom lip sticking out a bit in almost a pout, all of this making his cheeks and double chin puff out to their most round. Then his face relaxes, and his mouth will sometimes gape open just a little, and he looks just so adorable, peaceful, hilarious, and sweet, all at once.
I've been working on establishing predictable routines for nap and bedtime, and haven't incorporated nursing into them partially b/c I don't want to have to be the only one to ever put him down to sleep. And so, one of the only times when I get to nurse him to sleep is when he wakes at 3am. It's one very nice reward for stumbling down the stairs in a sleepy haze in those wee hours of the morning.When did you cut out the last nighttime feeding? Did you miss it?
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Comments (8)
my children were bottle fed by that time in their lives - with my oldest she was 14 months old and still waking for her feeding. I would get up, put her in her swing, add water to her premeasured powder, give her the bottle and crash on the twin bed in her room. When done she would toss her bottle to the floor and hearing that I would wake, put her in her bed and go back to my bed. One night I decided to see if it was for nourishment or just habit she was waking up. I gave her straight water, not formula. Figuring that if she needed actual nourishment she would not get full and want more - I'd give it to her. But if it was comfort and habit she'd tire of just water and sleep through the night -- sure enough it worked after only 2 nights of water only bottles she was sleeping throught the night. Oh and by 14 months I didn't miss the nightly feeding. we had a bedtime routine that I missed much more when she chose to give that up a year or two later..
When they stopped waking to be fed, I stopped the feedings. We've always been a demand-nursing kinda family. I miss nursing, period. Our 6th (and last) baby weaned last month, at age 15 months. Her choice, not necessarily mine, and I think that's the way it should be. I don't like to rush what I won't get back.
My daughter is 10 months next week. She still wakes up around 3am to nurse. I have to admit, there are nights when I am beat and wish she would sleep through... but like you ... I love the closeness, the comfort and seeing her so completely satisfied, feeling safe and relaxed that she can just go to sleep.
I have to say, I commend you for not incorporating nursing into the bedtime routine. I wasn't that thoughtful... now we have a bedtime feeding. Oiy. I love seeing her one last time before she goes to sleep ... but I don't like being the only person to put her to bed. We are moving back to the US from Germany in 4 days. I'm hoping the disruptiong in the schedule will allow us to establish some new routines.
We'll see.
I didn't stop the late night feedings, my little ones stopped their late night wakings. When they were no longer needing a feeding in the night, that was when I knew that much was done. 3:00 a.m. was a terrific time for me though, for after babe in arms would fall asleep and I could put them down, I could get two more loads of laundry done with little effort at all, see two consecutive Star Trek: Next Generation shows and be ready for the house when they got up with the sunrise.
I am privileged to have been able to nurse our four, and treasured the time and closeness. I don't miss how tired nursing had me feel, I just needed to be very protective about my energy and nutrition. I wouldn't trade it for the world, and love the sweet smell of a just satisified milky smile.
It isn't the middle of the night wake-ups that I miss now that my "baby" is nearly 3 years old. It was rocking him to sleep each night. As a full time worker and a part-time college student, my time with my infant absolutely flew by each day. That last little bit of evening that he and I spent in the rocking chair together was precious to me. I clung to the routine comfort of it until he was nearly 2, against all practicality, just to get the chance to hold him close for atleast those few minutes a day. Now that he's sleeping in his big boy bed and our routine consists of a sweetly said "See you when the sun comes up!," I secretly enjoy the cuddling we get to do on the off occasion that he has a bad dream in the middle of the night. :)
aww that was such a cute description of a sleeping/nursing baby. That's exactly how my daughter looks too when she nurses to sleep at night! It's the cutest thing! I usually don't mind one middle of the night feeding either. For me it's usually no longer than 10-15 mins which is nice! I just don't like more than one feeding overnight...those are hard!
I actually do miss those feedings, I miss breast feeding all together now that my youngest is 18 months.
I let my kids stop...I can't remember the ages now! LOL I know it probably averaged around 6 mos of age. Cosleeping worked for us and nightwaking wasn't an agonizing, sleep depriving thing.The only nursing session I did stop was when my youngest was 2 1/2 and I wanted her to fall asleep on her own, and not rely on nursing to get to sleep.