maybe it's just sleep deprivation, but...I'm feeling okay about not sleeping

[lisavark]

I've been trying to nightwean DD for at least six months now with basically no success. The few times I thought she had slept all night, I would wake up all excited that I had gotten five straight hours of sleep, and then I would look down and think, But why is my boob out if I didn't nurse her all night?--because I had nursed her while half-asleep and didn't even remember it. I have tried so many different things, and now finally I just...I don't care. I think I'm just okay with her waking. It will all work out somehow. She's down to only a couple of wakings a night--11ish and then 3 am--and usually she only needs to nurse at 3 am. Sure, I never get to sleep more than four hours at a stretch, and that sucks. But...well, it's okay. It won't go on forever. Really, it won't. Two or three years is not forever, even though it feels like it is.

And last night I finally decided to attempt EC'ing at night, which I've never really done, and I realized that she was peeing at 3 am. It's not really fair to expect a potty learning toddler to go back to sleep easily in a wet diaper, is it? I mean, I've put all this effort into teaching her to be aware of being wet and to be uncomfortable with it, so how can I protest if she doesn't like it at night? And if I manage to get her up to pee at 3 am, I'll still be waking up.

So...yeah. Just wanted to share that I think I'm okay with this. It's really not so bad. I don't feel that tired.

Now, if I have another baby like we're hoping to soon, then I don't know WHAT I'm gonna do, because I really do not want to nurse two babies in the middle of the night. But hey, I have lots of time to figure that out, right?

[VeganCupcake]

You know, I feel mostly the same way--most days. I have just come to accept my sleeplessness, and I really manage pretty well. I'm constantly amazed at the strength of the human body, mind and spirit.

[Louisep]

Sleep deprivation is becoming a badge of honor for me! I'm honestly totally okay with 2-3 wakings a night as long as I've slept inbetween. 6-7 hours of broken sleep feels good after months of being woken every 1-2 hours and sometimes only getting 2 hours of sleep bc of insomnia. I sometimes think of mothers who expect their babies to sttn with total disdain

Us middle of the night mamas rock

[sgeiger]

same here!

After months of waking 7-10 times each night, now that I don't look at the clock or even open my eyes to register the wakings, I feel so good! I think my son is waking 2-4 times now, or maybe he's just finding my boobs somehow without waking me up (thanks, buddy!). either way, I manage taking care of him and my toddler, and we're getting along ok.

I just don't care anymore either....now if only he'll sleep a bit and give me some time to myself and share me with my husband before I join the little one in bed. now he wakes up every 45 minutes until i stay with him!

[NEastMomma]

Good for you! I think "radical acceptance" is key. Though it took a while, once I: 1.Accepted that it is *normal* for babies to awake through the night (for a myriad of reasons, and a wet diaper seems as good as any), and 2. Stopped looking at the clock (really - don't do it) at wake ups, my perception of sleep changed. Suddenly I seemed to be okay with how much I was getting.... or um, not getting.

Anyway, we all are in very good company with each other!

[pianojazzgirl]

Count me in!

Well, my ds is 2.5 yrs old and has slept through the night a handful of times (only in the past couple of months). Before the age of 2 I don't think he ever woke fewer than 4 times per night, often more like 10. At a certain point, actually surprisingly early on, I just decided to give in to it - not to expect anything but the inevitability of waking a few to many times through the night. And I stopped looking at the clock. Everything became so much easier when I made that mental shift. Even when I wasn't getting any more sleep, I was at least having less stress about all of the night-wakings!