Sleep through

Last week at the checkup, the nurse asked if the baby was sleeping through.

After I finished my snort and eyeroll, I explained that as an example, she had been putting herself to sleep between 6pm and 8pm, then waking at 1am, 4am, 7am.... she told us that the baby didn't need that 1am feed. And if we give it to her, her stomach will expand and she will come to expect it.

She told us to try settling her instead. And that the husband should do it, as she'll smell me and it will be game over (I'm guessing she'd hook on to my milk smell and not let up until I fed her). And that if didn't work, then at least we'd tried and could just try again later.

We put together a routine (well, I've been putting her to bed and this is what I did the first time, so I copied it) as follows:
 - change her nappy
 - feed her in the chair in her room
 - sit her on my lap facing outwards and read a book
 - put her in to bed
 - kiss on her head and 'nigh nigh' baby,
 - turn the lamp off and leave.

Thursday night she went down at 9:30, the husband settled her at 2.30am and 3am (although she cried for 45 minutes so it doesn't really count), I fed her at 4:30am and then she slept through until 9:30am for a feed.

Friday night she went down at 7pm, he settled her at 8.30pm and 915pm, I fed her at 12.30am, I fed her at 5am, I fed her at 7.30am, I fed her at 10am (then the husband took her and I slept until 1pm).

Saturday night she fed at 7pm, 12.30am, 4.30am, 9.00am and was begging to start the day at 10.30am. Again, the husband took her and I slept for a few hours.

Sunday night, I refocused and remembered that we were trying to get her to skip a feed. She went to bed at 8pm, woke up at 11pm in a FURIOUS mood, we gave her some panadol and she slept until 4am for a feed, then was up to start the day at 8.45am.

Last night she didn't get to sleep until 10pm (we were at family tea until 9pm), then woke at 1am (I had to get her out of bed to settle her before putting her back in to bed sleepier), then woke at 4am for a feed. Then it took me two hours to get back to sleep, and she woke up an hour later. And then again 45 minutes later.

So she is getting the hang of not having the feed, but has just entered a clinger phase.

Tonight, I fed her at 6.30pm and again at 7.30pm after she slept for 30 minutes and then freaked out. Then we spent the next 90 minutes settling her - she started to cry as soon as we put her down, or as soon as we left the room.

Tonight I might sleep in the chair in her room....