How long of sleep stretches are you actually getting?

[snowbunni]

Hello! My LO is 7 months and wakes every sleep cycle for boob. If he doesn’t get it, he cries. The odd time I will pick him up and rock him back to sleep. Either way, I’m exhausted and even with cosleeping I’m hardly getting any sleep.

It was like this since his 4 month regression for about 10 weeks then around 5.5-6 months we started to see longer sleep stretches and only 2-3 feeds per night. During this heavenly time, he maaaay have stirred or woke lightly each cycle, but it was unbeknownst to me cause a simple cuddle would get him back to sleep easy and it felt like I was getting 3-4 hour stretches of sleep. I was just starting to feel human again when…

Around 7 months (the last 12 days to be precise) we’re back to hourly wakings settled only by boob.

I’m curious for others who are cosleeping, how often do you feed baby at night? Do you settle other ways? Have you experienced ebbs and flows of many waking’s to just a few?

He’s a month into solids, probably teething, starting the 3-2 nap transition and so many other developmental milestones are happening so I know other things are a factor here but needing boob every sleep cycle is rough. I’m hoping for some solidarity or advice from people who are in the same boat or have been there

(P.S. He sleeps with his mouth open so I am seeing a pediatrician to rule out any medical conditions like sleep apnea)

Thanks all

 

[jmssmith317]

@snowbunni At around 8 months old (sooner for some babies, later for others) there's a "crisis" (I hate calling everything a crisis) in which babies get clingier to their moms. It's when they start understanding distance and develop some separation anxiety, so when you disappear from their sight they think you've stopped existing. It's a phase and it'll pass, especially if you have already had better times with sleep. It'll get better and you'll rest soon! Hope it's fast for you!

 

[snowbunni]

@jmssmith317 Totally but I am in his sight, literally cuddling him, and he still starts crying unless he gets the boob. I guess he forgets where he is when he wakes up? Lol

 

[jmssmith317]

@snowbunni Hahahahahaha that's pretty much it! He has to feel you with every one of his senses to be like COMPLETELY SURE you're there lol

 

[whalefood]

@snowbunni My LO was going 5-6hr stretches prior to 4mo regression. Then it became needing resettling every sleep cycle including false starts at bedtime and then 1/1.5hr wakes all night. Now at almost 5mo he needs the boob every 2-3hrs I’d say haha I feel you lol

 

[snowbunni]

@whalefood Ahhhh interesting. I’m glad I’m not alone. My guy was also 16 days late so his regression started at 3.5 months. I remember the day it hit and it was like wwwtttfff 10 weeks later (not 2-6 weeks for us ) it got better and I thought we were over the hump…but I guess not… if you don’t give them boob, how do you resettle?

 

[whalefood]

@snowbunni omg, i dont think ours is over yet and its been 6+ weeks!! I thought we were the only unlucky ones

for the first cycle i know for sure he isn't hungry so I end up either holding him the entire first hour before putting him down, or alternatively if i put him down before 40min mark then i often need to pick him up again and rock him till he dozes off to be put back down. if that doesn't work i offer boob... and all subsequent night wakes unfortunately im too lazy to make myself get up to rock him so i just give boob.

he also just recently started fully waking - like eyes open babbling haha - between 3-4am (like wtf, i thought regression was over?!!!) and nothing except letting him be awake for an hour or so, and then sometimes rocking him works. i don't know weird sh*t to say the least lol