> I can't count how many moms over the years have told the same
> story-They faithfully got up for all night feedings with their
> first.
I guess I am one of the rare breeds. Unlike many I was bound and
determined that I would nurse for at least a year before my daughter was
born, and was determined that I would co-sleep, as this would help at
night (I was well-read-up on the subject). My husband was not keen on
co-sleeping, but eventually was swayed by the midwives at the birth
centre, by the baby crying in her tiny bed RIGHT BESIDE our bed, and me
a nervous wreck not being able to see over the edge of it to see if she
was ok, still breathing, etc. (of course she was when crying, but
otherwise...) The first night home he grudgeingly said to me "OK, put
her in bed next to you, but she stays on your side". Gradually he
accepted her in the middle (as she grew older, as he was scared he'd
squish her) and accepted her feet in his back, or her bum near his nose,
etc. Now we finally have a king-sized bed after over a year with an
Arms Reach Co-sleeper, which might have been great for some families,
but was a disaster for us (I couldn't "climb into it" as it was too
unstable, and she wouldn't stay asleep longer than 20 minutes if she
didn't have her nose stuffed up in my armpit all night long!).
I did get up for all night feedings for 3 weeks. This was because my
husband had no paternity leave at all (a part-time job and school all at
once gave him that treat), and needed his sleep if he were to work, in
order to bring home his meagre salary in order to pay the bills. I knew
I could sleep during the day with her (luckily, as a first baby, I
could). During the day I practiced latching her on lying down, until we
got fairly good at it, and then I progressed to (at 3 weeks) insisting
on staying in bed for night nursings. I said to my husband that I no
longer needed to have the light on in order to get her latched, so that
wouldn't bother his sleep (he is a NO LIGHTS AT ALL person), and he'd
quickly grow used to the noises she might make while nursing (snuffling,
swallowing, sputtering, etc.), as he got used to the trains that came
every 20 minutes through the night where we lived.
I did almost have her fall out of my arms while dozeing off a couple of
times, and that was scary, and I knew I wouldn't last much longer
getting up at nights, I need a good sleep at night. Luckily I DID have
a nice lazyboy chair and even though I did fall asleep sprawled in that
a few times, she didn't ever fall anywhere. :-)
Fio.
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