Since I was the Stay At Home Mom it was primarily my job to handle nighttime feedings. I had the whole schedule down. The pillows would be arranged in the right spot to support my arms and back, the bottles were always premade in the fridge and the tv remote was handy as was the notebook and pen to track time and ounces consumed.
While I was organized to make 3 am feedings effortless that didn’t mean they were easy. I often feel asleep during the feeding only to find a zonked out but soaking wet baby in my arms. The worst moments were when I just gave up the organization and stayed in the rocking chair with the baby and slept straight through to the next feeding.
Evenflo has been bringing humor to the plight of parenthood and compiling some statistics so we all know we aren’t battling alone.
- 27% of moms are so tired that they’re actually concerned they might fall asleep during the feeding itself. Thirty-five percent of women surveyed admitted to waiting only about 10 minutes after feeding (vs. the recommended 20) to lay their babies back down if they hadn’t burped, and an additional 23% say they were too tired and waited only a few minutes.
- a whopping 74% of moms reported the responsibility lay with them, while only 5% reported having a set schedule with their spouse to share the responsibility.
While Rob may not have been big at nighttime bottles he’s making up for it now with the kids early morning wake up call on the weekends. The one trait that I don’t mind them getting from him is the ability to rise at the first show of sunlight; that’s only because Rob does the same thing. How did you handle the dreaded nighttime feedings? Got stories or advice to share?
My only advice would be to somehow remember that in twenty years…you’re gonna miss it.
I guess it’s about perspective, even though it’s hard to maintain while going through it.
Sabreena is 15 and I still don’t miss them LOL
I remember those nighttime feedings. I felt like I was a zombie and like you could barely stay awake for them. That’s great that your husband gets up with the kids now, hopefully you are using that time to catch up on some sleep!
he’s an early bird too so it just works out. He throws them some cereal and they usually leave him alone till I get up LOL
Since I am the SAHM and my husband gets up early for work, I get up for those feedings. But I bf, so the hubs cant really do that for me anyway… LOL! With my first 2 I stayed wide awake the entire time, but I’ve found with the last 2, I dont mind going to sleep. When I’m up early in the morn with the baby to feed him, I sit in a comfy chair with a pillow behind my back, and rest until he’s done or until I wake up. =) The good thing is, those early morning wake up calls will be over all too soon; It will be bittersweet!
the baby stage I miss sometimes not the zombie state of mind for those first 3-4 months
Oh gosh I’m with you on waking up with a soaked baby. This is true. I breastfed both children, but with Zoe I guess everything had caught up with me. I would wake up with Zoe drenched with boob juice. I always thought to myself, OMG she could suffocate. Those nighttime feedings were rough and after the few instances of falling asleep I never did again in fear of drowning her. How scary!!
milk all dripping down the neck and in their hair and a soaked onesie, fun times LOL
Your time of babys total dependence on you will last for a..very short time although it can seem like forever when you are overwhelmed with..the twenty-four seven responsibility for this little person at a time when you..are physically exhausted emotionally drained and sleep deprived…Nobody ever said it would be easy and if they did they were either..lying or they never nursed a baby………Use of pacifier in the early weeks can also cause problems…If you want your baby to take a pacifier I would introduce it by the time he is..one month old but preferably not during the first two weeks of nursing.