Co-sleepers! Come settle an argument.... - Page 2

[roxyrox]

I would check what her definition of "all night" is. For me that means 12 hours but when I questioned some of my friends whose babies slept "all night" I found they meant from 12-5am or something - that is no where near "all night" imo!

My lo only ever really woke once at night-about 4am from birth really. To start with he went to bed at midnight with us (after cluster feeding for 5 hours straight )and we gradually moved his bedtime back to about8/9ish. He continued to wake at 4am until he was about 21 months when he started reliably sleeping through (ie 11/12 hours).

[KayCSmommy]

The defination of sleeping all night for an infant, is 5 or more hours through the night with unirrupted sleep.

[roxyrox]

Originally Posted by KayCSmommy

The defination of sleeping all night for an infant, is 5 or more hours through the night with unirrupted sleep.

From where? I think if your baby "sleeps through the night" that means that they sleep from when you put them to bed at night so 7/8pm until 7am in the morning say. Now I think that is unusual (although not unheard of for 4 months olds) but most babies I know would definatley sleep for at least 4/5 hours at a time by 4 months old. So I guess it depends what your definition is - that's why I suggested the op ask her friend because when I asked mine their definition differed a lot from mine! lol

[The4OfUs]

Both of my children slept "through the night" from about 3 months old until about 6 months old. DS was at about 6-8 hours at a stretch, and DD was 10+ hours at a stretch, which blew my mind...but I knew it wouldn't last...

...cause then, they started teething. :.

DS stopped nursing at night by his own choice (would actually refuse the breast) at around 9 months old ...he'd just wake up and snuggle, and then go back to sleep.

DD is up anywhere between 1 and 3 times at night now to nurse for a few minutes and then drifts back to sleep for a few more hours.


Darn teeth.

[SandraS]

My three were tummy sleepers, and slept 4-5 hour stretches from birth, then about one month old extended that to 6-7 hours. So yes... but I think the tummy was the reason - just so much more comfy and warm.

[maliceinwonderland]

Mine slept through the night from about four months. She was EBF and coslept from day one. Imagine my surprise when she ended up with huge sleeping problems from about 3 years on :

Edit: Wanted to add when I say "slept through the night" I mean an 8-9 hour stretch.

[the_lissa]

I definitely don't think her kids are the norm.

My second baby slept at least 6-8 hour stretches at night from about a month old, but my daughter woke up at least every three hours.

[curlygrrl]

I don't remember the particulars now but my now 6 year old did stop night nursing pretty early, not 4 months but probably about 9-10 months. Just like everything, I think it's totally individual. I do think that stopping night nursing at 3-4 months is the execption from the norm rather than the norm. Don't waste your energy discussing it with her any more, just be happy for her and move on!

[TattooedMama]

Originally Posted by attachedmamaof3

Not a SINGLE one of my three children have EVER slept through the night while they were nursing/co-sleeping...In fact, we're going through the 2.5 yr old who wants his own bed but still wakes up between 12-2a and climbs into bed with us every night phase right now...Is she for real? Or is she exaggerating???

No, she swears that's how it was for her kids. And I think that's great, and I believe her. I just haven't found that to be the case for anywhere even close to the rest of us. I don't think she was exaggerating either. I agree that sleeping through the night is a five hour stretch. I have to respectfully disagree on one other point though. I don't consider it to be "sleeping" when a baby rouses and wakes to the point of needing to switch sides, or nurse or take a bottle or whatever they need for soothing back to sleep. If I am wakened every 2 hours by my restless baby that needs latched on to the breast, that's not sleeping. That's night waking. And that means that I haven't had a stretch of sleep longer than 2-3 hours for most of 8 years now. I absolutely agree that co-sleeping results in more CUMULATIVE sleep for mom and baby than sleeping separately and having to get ut of bed to feed a baby. (UGGGHH!!! I co-sleep because I'm lazy! ) And while co-sleeping children probably don't rouse to the point of needing to escalate to crying to get their needs met, or get up and play at odd times of night.... it's still not "sleeping through the night". I think either my friend's memory is a little hazy and she has some mild anxiety about having a new baby soon (that according to all her friends around her will night wake every 2-3 hours like all the rest of ours do) or she had perfect children!!

[TattooedMama]

Originally Posted by curlygrrl

I don't remember the particulars now but my now 6 year old did stop night nursing pretty early, not 4 months but probably about 9-10 months. Just like everything, I think it's totally individual. I do think that stopping night nursing at 3-4 months is the execption from the norm rather than the norm. Don't waste your energy discussing it with her any more, just be happy for her and move on!

Oh I actually totally agree. We don't argue until she says "I just don't understand how these kids don't sleep! Mine slept through the night...... blah blah blah."

[Ruthla]

I think DS started sleeping through the night consistently around age 4 YEARS. I don't remember when the girls did it but it was long after weaning (14 and 30 months.)

DS did sleep through the night at about 5-6 weeks old but then stopped when I went back to work when he was 7 weeks old.

[Ruthla]

Originally Posted by TattooedMama

Oh I actually totally agree. We don't argue until she says "I just don't understand how these kids don't sleep! Mine slept through the night...... blah blah blah."

If she keeps on bringing it up, I'd be hard pressed to keep myself from responding "well, it's because your kids were freaks!"

Not that I think her kids were really freaks or anything- just that if she's going to imply that there's anything "abnormal" about your kids sleeping habits, I'd be tempted to point out that it's actually her kids who are "abnormal" in their sleep patterns.

[momuveight2B]

All of mine woke up through the night through age five and beyond BUT I will side with your friend a little bit because many times I have woken up to find an attached nursing babe and they found their way there! She may be a very deep sleeper who didn't wake up when her children nursed.

[mamadelbosque]

I co-sleep, and DS has been sleeping incredibly good the past few nights - a good 3 hour stretch, followed by nurshing and hten a good 5 hour stretch - though last night it was *TWO* 5 hours!! ::dance:: Of course, then again, other nights its ever stinking hour, so...

[TattooedMama]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

If she keeps on bringing it up, I'd be hard pressed to keep myself from responding "well, it's because your kids were freaks!"

Not that I think her kids were really freaks or anything- just that if she's going to imply that there's anything "abnormal" about your kids sleeping habits, I'd be tempted to point out that it's actually her kids who are "abnormal" in their sleep patterns.

Ruthla a BIG :
That's the whole issue right there, I couldn't have summed it up better myself. I truly believe that everyone that has posted; as well as my friend and myself, have kids that are NORMAL. Everyone is within the realm of normal. I have never thought my kids sleeping was so UN-normal until it has been pointed out to me. :

[TattooedMama]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

DS did sleep through the night at about 5-6 weeks old but then stopped when I went back to work when he was 7 weeks old.

Yeah me too with my last kids they actually did sleep for a 3-5 hour stretch several nights a week until I went back to work at 12 weeks. And then like PP have said you start getting into pre-teething and developmental milestones and whatnot and who knows why else kids start waking.
I just say blessings to anyone who gets a fair amount of sleep and you have my complete sympathy to anyone that doesn't.

[TonyaW]

My babe is 4 months and wakes at least twice a night which is rare and at most 5 times a night. He will give me a 4 hour stretch when things are going well and then wake about every 2 hours after that. I plan to start working on getting him to sleep longer though. I think it also depends on the personality of the baby. My guy is very active and alert and easily wakes. He is a poor napper. He also only nurses for 5 minutes at 1 breast, so I think he needs to nurse more frequently to keep up his calorie intake.

[HollyBearsMom]

My co-sleeping/BF baby slept "thru the night" starting at about 7 weeks. To me "thru the night" was defined by 5-6 hours stretches. I would nurse him and put him down around 7:30-8:00 pm, he would wake at around midnight and start nursing and we would both fall asleep until 6:00 or 6:30 am. To this day (he is 5 1/2) he continues to be a "good" sleeper.

[Cinder]

My dd slept through the night from 12 weeks old till 16 weeks old, no clue why, and no clue why she suddenly stopped, but she did it. After 16 weeks old though she woke up every single hour to nurse...we night weaned her at 12 months (stupidest thing I've ever done...but in retrospect it was probably the best for me and ds since I had severe hyperemesis). She nursed till she was 4 and co-slept till she was 3 1/2.

My ds slept all night long the first time at 9 months old, and was sleeping all night long 50% of the time at 1, 75% of the time at 15 months, and 100% of the time at 18 months old. he nursed till 23 months old and co-slept till 18 months old (but he had been sleeping all night long for a couple weeks before he insisted on sleeping with his sister instead of mommy and daddy...DD requested her own bedroom at 3 1/2...if I had known she was serious and it would of been a permanent thing I would of said no ).

[Bindweed]

Well, for us "through the night" means, as long as we sleep. We always went to bed together (still do with our youngest) and get up together, so we're talking 8 - 12 hour steetches here.

Also I need to correct myself about my earlier post, their father just reminded me about how our second would nurse himself at night. Sometimes I would wake up with little hickies and sometimes he would actually find the nipple! But even he deffinetly stopped this before four months, I clearly remember him sleeping through the night at four months.

I comepletely agree with Ruthla about a response to your friend.