5.5 mo old has day/night feedings backwards

[natural4mybabies]

Over the last couple of weeks, DS has progressively started eating less and less during the day at daycare and waking for more and more night feedings to nurse. One day last week he only took 4 oz the entire day!!! Then of course this means he is making up for lost feedings AT NIGHT every 3 hours!!

I work full time and have a 4 year old and I am exhausted to say the least. I am not a fan of CIO and I try to wait until I know he is really awake and hungry before I go in to nurse, so I am not jumping at every little peep.

How do we get back on track? He is almost 18 lbs, so not thriving is not an issue

TIA

[Aufilia]

That's known as "reverse cycling" and isn't uncommon in babies with working moms. My DD reverse cycled pretty much as soon as I went back to work and did most of her nursing at night until probably 18 months.

The best thing I found to do about it was to switch to side-lying nursing at night so I could doze through her sessions. We did not cosleep and before that I nursed her in the glider at night, but I started to put a blanket on the floor in her room and just lay down with her.

Because really, nothing else ever worked. Sending in DH did not work; she was HUNGRY and didn't want him. Shortening sessions did not work because again, she was hungry. That leaves CIO, which was right out.

On the up side, I'm pretty sure all that night-nursing really helped keep my supply up. I never had supply issues even though I worked FT and relied on the pump while working.

[asoulunbound]

Originally Posted by Aufilia

That's known as "reverse cycling" and isn't uncommon in babies with working moms. My DD reverse cycled pretty much as soon as I went back to work....
The best thing I found to do about it was to switch to side-lying nursing at night so I could doze through her sessions.

yeah that! My dd will wait for me to come home to eat, and eat all night. I actually sleep through almost all of it.

[natural4mybabies]

Thanks for the replies ladies, I figured this had to be a common issue with working bf mommies, glad there is a term I can search now!!

Amazingly enough, he slept 11 hours straight last night out of the blue, first time ever. maybe the good lord just had mercy on my poor sleep deprived soul, ha!

He could be going through a growth spurt I suppose...I have noticed with him and growth spurts...they say babies eat and sleep more but with him, it is one or the other, never both.

I really don't know how you do it though...there is no way i could sleep through nursing. I used to nurse him in bed at night when he was a newborn and I never slept through it. At least i could nap with him during the day while on mat leave, but now I have zero reprieve and feel like a grouchy zombie all day long. I can't even concentrate on work and focus on one task at a time, my mind just keeps wandering....what was I saying again? lol

[SariRae]

My 5 month old DS does the same...maybe not quite so extreme. I'm home with him, but he has an older brother who entertains and distracts him most of the day, which makes nursing very challenging when big bro is around. So, I think he makes up for it at night. We co-sleep and nursing in the side-lying position. I do wake up a little, but fall right back asleep generally.

Good luck!

[JessicaTX]

my youngest reverse cycled, but we co-slept. I thought she was almost weaned till I spent a night away from her when she was 18 months old...and my boobs went from large orange sized to watermelon sized the next morning. Apparently I'm really good at sleeping through nursing

[alegna]

I would bring him to your bed and try again to teach yourself to sleep while he nurses.

-Angela

[justKate]

Originally Posted by alegna

I would bring him to your bed and try again to teach yourself to sleep while he nurses.

-Angela

Yep. It sounds weird but you will get used to it. My Huz makes fun of me--he says he hears DD (8 mos.) move, sees me grab her and put her to the breast, and hears her settle to nurse. My eyes don't open and I'm not aware of any of it. It's the only way we've survived reverse cycling.

You will get used to it and so wil your LO, and then it will be like breathing.

Which I think is an expression I'm stealing from Angela...

[natural4mybabies]

Well, I can tell he is getting a lot more on the weekends with nursing during the day because he is now only waking up 1-2 times a night vs. every 3 hours for the last two nights.

I am ok with bringing him into bed with me, but I don't think DH is going to go for it Anyone else have a DH who is the same way?

He has no problem pulling 4 yr old DD into bed when she comes in the middle of the night but he thinks DS will become dependent on sleeping in our bed and does not want to co-sleep permanently. I don't think it would be fair to get DS used to this and then put him back in his own bed once he is weaned...or do you think the transition is relatively easy?

[JessicaTX]

If you have him bring you the baby in the night everytime he needs nursing, he'll totally go for co-sleeping! Well...it worked for me

[alegna]

Well... you could always wait to wean too dd moved out of our bed for a bit (she's back now.... ) but she's still not weaned at 5yrs old

But really- I think dh needs to understand how much harder he's making things on you. In infancy it's all about whatever works.

-Angela