I Wish I Would Have Done This Sooner!

Ever since the boys were about 10 weeks old, we started getting them used to a schedule. This encouraged us to put them down for short naps throughout the day so they would eventually sleep longer at night. They've really been doing well.

One of the things we've learned through this process is how to tell when they're sleepy. I wait for these signals to know they're tired so I can feel confident letting them fuss for a minute or two afterward. For my boys, those tired signs are red eyes, yawns, and digging their head into my chest. When I see those signs, I put them down (followed by their brother within 10 minutes) and thet fall asleep quite nicely. This is what I've been doing for the past few months... but only during the day.

At night, I have been sensitive to the amount I'd let them fuss because I wouldn't want Andy to wake up. He works hard for us during the day and I want him to be rested. Nighttime feedings usully took around 75-90 minutes... or longer. Here was my routine: I'd wait for one of them to wake up, then I'd wake up the other and then feed them at the same time. When they had had their fill, I'd change one diaper and then the other. After I'm confident they had had enough to eat, I'd hold them (one at a time,) waiting for them to fall asleep in my arms so I could put them down. This is the time-consuming and exhausting part since I'd want to fall asleep myself! After they were asleep, I'd get a snack and a big glass of water and pump or express more milk.

Do all of that twice or three times a night and you're exhausted!

Two nights ago, however, I added a twist. I put them down awake, just as I do during the day... and they did great! The night before that it took about two hours JUST to get them to fall asleep in my arms, so that when they woke up again, I had only been sleeping for a few minutes! Um, no thank you! So I figured I'd try my daytime routine at night. Last night they tossed and turned for about 8-10 minutes, making faint noises as they settled in again. But tonight they didn't even fuss at all! Now I'm kicking myself I hadn't done this sooner!

I still wait for those tired cues, but they come quickly at night. Our new routine (which I only do once at around 4-5am) takes me about an hour. And it would be even faster if I didn't spend 20 minutes of that pumping! Oh, well. I'll take whatever I can get!!