Emily Lipscombe – Breastfeeding World http://breastfeedingworld.org Spreading the Breastfeeding Love, One Latch at a Time Wed, 17 Jun 2020 03:52:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8 https://i1.wp.com/breastfeedingworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cropped-BFWorld_logo-16x16.png?fit=32%2C32 Emily Lipscombe – Breastfeeding World http://breastfeedingworld.org 32 32 96133341 And Then You Were Two: How Breastfeeding Changes As Your Nursling Grows http://breastfeedingworld.org/2017/11/and-then-you-were-two-how-breastfeeding-changes-as-your-nursling-grows/ http://breastfeedingworld.org/2017/11/and-then-you-were-two-how-breastfeeding-changes-as-your-nursling-grows/#respond Wed, 29 Nov 2017 13:00:40 +0000 http://breastfeedingworld.org/?p=7185 As I sit on the eve of my sweet baby’s 2nd birthday, a thousand thoughts flash through my mind. How quickly the time has passed, how big he has gotten, and how our lives continue to grow and change shape, while being all the richer for having our baby boy in it. I often think about how breastfeeding has become so integral […]

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As I sit on the eve of my sweet baby’s 2nd birthday, a thousand thoughts flash through my mind. How quickly the time has passed, how big he has gotten, and how our lives continue to grow and change shape, while being all the richer for having our baby boy in it. I often think about how breastfeeding has become so integral to our relationship, and the many ways it has evolved over the course of his life.

newborn nursing

We first met in September 2015

Newborn

I remember the heady, sleepless days of his babyhood. How he would nurse with vigor: constantly, incessantly, hungrily. It used to feel like I might never satisfy his need for milk, but still, we continued. Through tongue ties, vasospasm and mastitis (on Christmas Day!), breast milk seemed enough to get us through it all.

I remember the first time I nursed in public: the anxiety coursing through my veins, expectantly awaiting a rude comment. How funny, two years on, and we still have never received a wrong-word.

nursing under a blanket

Mama’s milk

I think about when, at 3 months old, breastfeeding had become ‘easy’ – the pain of the early days had ceased. And, I had begun to enjoy it more. It was then that I began to feel a strong passion for breastfeeding. How my initial goal of reaching a year had changed to getting to the WHO minimum recommendation of 2. Funny, now we’re there, and my goals have changed again. After all, children really do only get older a day at a time.

breastfeeding during a hospital stay

Through sickness and hospital stays

Changes

At 4 months, so began the sleep regression, still engrained in my mind, as a time straight from hell. I remember so vividly wondering whether I would ever sleep for more than 20 minutes again. But still, we continued to breastfeed.

At 6 months, with his first taste of food, I remember being worried that food might replace milk very quickly. I was wrong: my hungry boy seemed to have two separate stomachs – one for milk and one for food.

toddler nursing in crook of mother's arm

Comfort, nutrition

At 7 months, I recall how those first 4 front teeth burst through his gums, and my fear of being bitten. It rarely happened, and I laugh at my worries now as I nurse a toddler with all 20 of his baby teeth.

I remember, at 8 months old, I returned to work. I recall the devastating feeling of loss I carried with me as my engorged breasts swelled every time I thought of my son. The evenings brought with them reconnection; nursing sessions which lasted whole nights, that helped us to stay close despite our day time separation.

toddler nursing

The perfect connection

Into Toddlerhood

I remember, we survived a nursing strike when he was one, following a nasty bout of hand, foot and mouth. How I cried at the thought of never nursing my little love again. The strike was brief, fleeting really, in the timeline of our journey, but oh so worrying. How would I ever have known that this would be the first of 3 nursing strikes (to date) and that we would overcome them all?

young toddler nursing

Little, yet determined

At 14 months, I recall how my gorgeous boy found his feet – and with the realization that he could run off, came a new-found air of independence. But still, we found ourselves nursing on, breast milk always the ever-still calm after the toddler-storm.

dangle feeding toddler

Sometimes breastfeeding looks like this

At 15 months came the language explosion, and I remember my initial embarrassment at my fierce, loud boy shouting ‘boobies mummy!’ at my chest at the top of his voice in the supermarket. Who would have thought that at two, I’d be engaging in public negotiations over when would be a good time to nurse, and how mid-hair cut might not be the best opportunity.

I remember how all the events, the big ones and the little ones, have been peppered by nursing sessions. Every day, every single day, for the past 2 years, I have breast fed my son.

‘And beyond’

As I sit here, on the eve of his second birthday, I cannot believe how far we’ve come, how important nursing is to our relationship. Yes, it’s changed: no longer is my boy a small, quiet, suckling babe in arms. More often, I am breastfeeding a child who sincerely wishes I could detach a boob so he could play and nurse. But, as the light draws in, sat in the comfort of our old, familiar nursing chair, I realize that although he’s grown, and will continue to grow and change and evolve, one thing remains the same for us: breastfeeding is important. Breastfeeding is pivotal to his childhood years. Mama milk keeps him growing: healthy and strong. It’s always been the same, and it always will.

toddler and mother breastfeeding under an umbrella

And then you were two

And then you were two- how nursing changes through the years and into toddlerhood- an emotional MUST READ. | Squidmama | Breastfeeding world | Full Term Breastfeeding | Toddler nursing | Breastfeeding after 1 | Natural term breastfeeding | breastfeeding older babies | WHO Guidelines | extended breastfeeding | normalize breastfeeding |

Read it, love it, share it, pin it- but whatever you do, keep sharing the breastfeeding love!!

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And then you were two- how nursing changes through the years and into toddlerhood- an emotional MUST READ. | Squidmama | Breastfeeding world | Full Term Breastfeeding | Toddler nursing | Breastfeeding after 1 | Natural term breastfeeding | breastfeeding older babies | WHO Guidelines |

Read it, love it, share it, pin it- but whatever you do, keep sharing the breastfeeding love!!

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Boundaries for nursing toddlers: How to maintain a harmonious nursing relationship http://breastfeedingworld.org/2017/09/boundaries-nursing-toddlers-maintain-harmonious-nursing-relationship/ http://breastfeedingworld.org/2017/09/boundaries-nursing-toddlers-maintain-harmonious-nursing-relationship/#respond Tue, 05 Sep 2017 16:05:31 +0000 http://breastfeedingworld.org/?p=6294 Nursing etiquette – breastfeeding your child past infancy Let’s face it, anyone who is breastfeeding a toddler knows that it is a totally different ball game to nursing a tiny, squishy newborn. Gone are the days where there’s no need for nursing boundaries. Forgotten memories linger of quiet, still, cozy breastfeeding sessions. No longer can you scroll through Facebook, or […]

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Nursing etiquette – breastfeeding your child past infancy

Let’s face it, anyone who is breastfeeding a toddler knows that it is a totally different ball game to nursing a tiny, squishy newborn. Gone are the days where there’s no need for nursing boundaries. Forgotten memories linger of quiet, still, cozy breastfeeding sessions. No longer can you scroll through Facebook, or watch Netflix whilst your sleepy baby guzzles milk. No, nursing a toddler is not a quiet, calm and still exercise. More often than not, it involves a toddler-bottom in your face, some Super Stretch Armstrong nipples and lots of wiggling around.

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newborn holding hands, Boundaries for nursing toddlers: How to maintain a harmonious nursing relationship

Nursing used to be so calm

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We all know that toddlers are active little things. They are never still for more than a couple of seconds before charging off to explore. In some ways, breastfeeding has never been more integral and important to your child as in their toddler years. A quick breastfeed and mama cuddle can calm the most difficult of emotions, as well as scare away the monsters from under the bed. And those benefits are let alone any of the other many perks that breastfeeding brings.

Toddler breastfeeding standing up. Nursing boundaries

Just cannot keep still!

Ground Rules

But the thing is, whilst breastfeeding is wonderful, and for our family, it’s a huge part of how we raise our child, it can still be hard going at times. Toddlers, who are so fiercely independent with most things, still need regular breastfeeds in order to feel secure. At times, this can feel relentless, and there are days when I nurse my almost-2 year old more now than he nursed as a new born!

Toddler having milk and cat sitting on toddler. Nursing boundaries

Super-stretch nipples!

This is why, for us, it was so vital to introduce some ‘nursing manners’ in order for us to maintain harmony in our breastfeeding relationship. I suffer quite badly with nursing aversion (LINK TO NURSING AVERSION BLOG POST WHEN IT’S PUBLISHED) at times, and so introducing these ‘rules’ helps me to maintain control when I’m struggling. I truly believe that having this nursing etiquette is enabling us to prolong our nursing relationship, and to reach our goal of weaning at natural term.

Toddler pretending to breastfeed a toy duck. Nursing boundaries

I don’t just breastfeed my toddler…

When is the right time to introduce the concept of nursing boundaries?

Toddler nursing with toy cake wearing sunglasses. Nursing boundaries

Cake, sunglasses and milk!

Of course, each child is different, but at around 10 months, I knew that Squid had a level of understanding which meant that I could begin setting some small boundaries. I’m a believer in breastfeeding responsively, and so he is allowed to have milk whenever he wants it *

We started with the rule that ‘mama gets the milk out’. This came about because Squid was insistent on ‘helping himself’ – literally removing my boob from my top and latching on. Now, we are huge advocates of teaching bodily autonomy and so this was something I needed to address. ‘Mama gets the milk out, because they are mama’s boobies’ – every time Squid tried to help himself, I gently held his hand and said this phrase. Yes, it’s Squid’s milk, but they are MY breasts. It didn’t take long before Squid picked this up – and soon he was saying ‘Mama’s boobies!’ Loudly. In the supermarket… but never mind.

Toddler looking down top. Nursing boundaries

MY milk, mama!

*Now Squid is approaching 2, occasionally if it’s not convenient to breastfeed, I will offer water or a snack as an alternative to nursing.

Keep it simple

When setting your boundaries, keep them simple. Explain your boundary, and the reason for it, and be consistent. Say the same phrase every time your toddler needs reminding. Soon it becomes ingrained!

As well as the above rule, my other boundaries are:

  • ‘Kind hands’. No pinching or scratching. (I also find that a fiddle necklace is great for helping to curb this habit!)
  • ‘Be still’. Squid had a habit of twisting and turning and seemingly trying to take a porta-boob off with him to play! So now he knows that if he wants milk, he has to sit nicely and have it.
  • ‘Unlatch please’ and ‘other milk’.  This one I have had to introduce more recently, and for my own sanity. As mentioned above, nursing aversion really bites my bum at times. Being able to quickly unlatch Squid when it gets too much is really important to me. He’s excellent at unlatching straight away when I need him to. He knows he can have the ‘other milk’ if he unlatches, which is enough of an incentive when you’re nearly 2!

I am sure these boundaries will evolve as we continue, and they really help to keep our nursing relationship a positive one. These rules mean that we can go on nursing knowing that we are both happy. Squid has a developing respect of other people’s bodies and personal space, as well as knowing that his body is his own too.

Every Mom of a breastfed toddler knows- it's time to set limits. Here's how. Share and Pin for the toddler mom in your life. | Setting Limits | Peaceful Parenting | Natural Parenting | Breastfed Toddler | full term breastfeeding | extended breastfeeding | toddler nursing | toddler discipline | Breastfeeding tips | Squidmama | Breastfeeding World

Do you have any ground rules between you and your nursing toddler? How have they changed over time? I’d love to know!

Toddler nursing on a tumble dryer. Nursing boundaries

Milk is love, warmth and security. Milk is mama.

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Breastfeeding Aversion: How to cope when you’ve reached your limit http://breastfeedingworld.org/2017/08/breastfeeding-aversion-cope-youve-reached-limit/ http://breastfeedingworld.org/2017/08/breastfeeding-aversion-cope-youve-reached-limit/#respond Sat, 26 Aug 2017 23:06:52 +0000 http://breastfeedingworld.org/?p=6226 I love breastfeeding. I love the warm, milky cuddles; the stare of utter love and bliss that Squid often gives me as he feeds; the fact I grew this entire human and I am still nurturing him with my body almost 2 years after his birth.  But I have a secret: sometimes, feeding my son makes my skin crawl. Sometimes, […]

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young baby nursing

Breast milk is the food of love

I love breastfeeding. I love the warm, milky cuddles; the stare of utter love and bliss that Squid often gives me as he feeds; the fact I grew this entire human and I am still nurturing him with my body almost 2 years after his birth. 

Toddler breast feeding

Time for a pit stop!

But I have a secret: sometimes, feeding my son makes my skin crawl. Sometimes, I feel like I can’t breathe, and that I want to be as far away as possible from my nursing toddler. Sometimes, the small voice asking for ‘mummy’s meeelk’ sends a shiver of dread through my entire being. 

 

You see, at certain times, I have nursing aversion. 

Nursing aversion is a phenomenon which is experienced in different ways for everyone. For me, it feels like my skin is crawling, like I could rip my breasts from my chest, and at its worst, it makes me want to expel Squid from my body and run away. Personally, it’s triggered when I can hear the milk coming out, and it makes my toes curl until I feel physically sick. Coupled with Squid’s insistence at playing with my hair, I feel claustrophobic and trapped.

 

It is always at its worst when I ovulate: this is really common. For about 2 days before and after ovulation, I experience this aversion. I really, truly dread breastfeeding Squid at this time. For me, it’s always worst in the evening. There are times when I have to get my husband to take over, before it feels like I’ll lose the plot. I then experience another episode around 2 days before my period: I can tell my cycle to the day by this aversion! It’s worsened by the fact that I experience a slight dip in supply around ovulation and the start of my period, which in turn makes Squid nurse more often, and with more vigour, making the experience worse for me. 

Though this aversion is usually predictable, and largely hormonal for me, I’ve always, always experienced it to a degree, but to begin with it was only in one breast.  

Mother nursing toddler

Lazy toddler latch!

When I was 19, in the wake of a messy break-up from my first serious boyfriend, I got my left nipple pierced. Even then, I remember asking the piercer if I would still be able to breastfeed, and was assured I would be able to. Fast forward nearly 6 years to Squid’s arrival, and breastfeeding didn’t come easy to us. I had long since removed the piercing, but now my baby boy was catching the scar tissue at every feed, making everything so painful. This, coupled with a severe tongue tie, and my poor nips were pretty damaged! When we had finally fixed the boobing issues, and it was largely pain free. However, I would experience these episodes of dreadful aversion, but only when Squid nursed on my left breast. The noise of the milk, and the tickly feeling would nearly send me over the edge. 

I’m not saying that the reason for this was the piercing alone. However, I think it makes that boob extra sensitive, and therefore worsens the aversion. It’s always worse on my left side, and I only nurse about 30% of the time on the left for this precise reason. That said, I experience aversion on both sides, especially around ovulation. I just find it more bearable on the right side!

Toddler laughing whilst breastfeeding

Gymnurstics

My top tips for dealing with aversion

Practical changes

  • Stay hydrated. It’s always so much worse for me when I’m dehydrated! I make sure I have a pint of cold water with me whenever I know I’m going to suffer! 
  • White noise. Because the sound of the milk being ejected is a huge trigger for my aversion, I have to have white noise playing when I’m struggling. It really helps as I can often concentrate on the sound of the white noise rather than the milk. I use an app from the App Store, which was free!
  • Take a magnesium supplement. This has helped me HUGELY. I know that my aversion is at its worst when I ovulate and get my period. Magnesium really helps me to deal with the dip in my supply at these points in my cycle. So I take a supplement when I ovulate and then until the first few days of my period. The aversion becomes so much more manageable!

Changing your mindset 

  • Breathe slowly. Concentrating on my breathing, slowly in and out, really helps to regain control for me. 
  • Set limits. Now Squid is older, I am able to explain to him that it’s uncomfortable, and I can ask him to unlatch. I often have to ask him to have the ‘other milk’, when I reach the point where I can’t let him have that side anymore. Unfortunately, the dreaded ‘lazy toddler latch’ can really worsen the aversion for me. Making sure Squid does a really wide mouth to latch with can sometimes lessen the sensations.
  • Talk about it. It feels like a huge taboo: admitting that feeding your baby puts you on edge. Until I spoke to others about it, I thought it was just me, that there was something wrong with me. Now I know that there’s not, and this fact alone makes me feel less isolated. 
mother breastfeeding young child

Milky love

All of these tips really help me out when I’m struggling. And sometimes, I just have to say ‘no’ to Squid. 99% of the time, he comes first but occasionally, I have to look after myself too. All this being said, one thing that really helps me to maintain a rational sense of thinking is to consider my long term goals. I know that Squid will nurse until he doesn’t want to anymore, and so remembering this helps me to focus on why I’m doing it.

Do you ever experience aversion? How do you cope with it? Do you recognise your triggers? I’d love to hear from you! You’re not alone, mama, no matter how hard it is. 

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Everything You Need to Know About Bed Sharing- The Bed Sharing Bible http://breastfeedingworld.org/2017/07/everything-need-know-bed-sharing-bed-sharing-bible/ http://breastfeedingworld.org/2017/07/everything-need-know-bed-sharing-bed-sharing-bible/#respond Wed, 19 Jul 2017 14:51:14 +0000 http://breastfeedingworld.org/?p=6099 Bed Sharing & Co-Sleeping- What’s it all about? Co-sleeping is defined as sharing a room with your child, and bed sharing is defined as sharing a sleep surface with your child. In the U.K., it is recommended that you share a room with your child whilst they are sleeping (including for all naps), until they are a minimum of 6 months old, with longer […]

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bed sharingBed Sharing & Co-Sleeping- What’s it all about?

Co-sleeping is defined as sharing a room with your child, and bed sharing is defined as sharing a sleep surface with your child.

In the U.K., it is recommended that you share a room with your child whilst they are sleeping (including for all naps), until they are a minimum of 6 months old, with longer being optimal.  

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bed sharing

Not much room for mama!

 

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Mama makes the best pillow 

 

The World Wide Norm for Bed Sharing

Around the world,, many families not only share a room with their infants, but also a bed. Often, the whole family will all sleep together in a large family bed – and what a perfect way to stay connected and warm. Studies show that sharing a bed with those you love is good for your health – because it can help with the production of oxytocin, the ‘love hormone’ and can really lead to a better night’s sleep.

bed sharing

The family bed

When I was pregnant with Squid, my midwife did one of my appointments from home, and we got to talking about where the baby would sleep when he arrived.

I showed her our set up – a co-sleeper crib, side-carred to our bed, and she was horrified. She told me that our baby might roll into our bed, and that bed sharing is fatally dangerous. I was terrified – I didn’t want my baby to come to any harm! 

Over the following months of pregnancy, however, I did my own research, and when Squid was born, I was comfortable that we knew how to safely bed share with our small person. And when he was born, I did not want to be apart from my sweet baby for a second, and sharing a bed with him felt like the most natural, normal thing I could do. 

To bed share safely, we followed these tips!


1. Baby flat on the bed – not on your arm!

2. No quilts and duvets, pillows or covers anywhere near baby’s head. They can have a light blanket, shared with you, from their waist height downwards. Before Squid turned one, I would sleep with a blanket over my bottom half, wrapped around me so there was no loose bits, and wear a cardigan if I was chilly.

Baby can wear their own sleeping bag, or be uncovered and your body heat will be enough to keep them warm! Don’t forget that your body can help them to regulate their own temperature.

3. Nursing mother. There are studies which show that breastfeeding mother have specific instincts not to roll and therefore keep their baby safe.

Bed sharing

Ain’t no milk like my mama’s milk

4. Baby at breast height. This means they’re nowhere near pillows and also makes it easy for babe to nurse frequently throughout the night (which is essential for milk production!).

5. Bed guard or side carred crib on the side of the bed. This helps prevent baby from falling out!

6. Baby sleeps on the outer edge, next to mama – NOT in the middle of the bed between parents! This is because non-breastfeeding partners do not have the same responses and instincts as breastfeeding mothers.

7. NO alcohol, drugs (illegal or prescription!) and no smoking. These 3 factors are leading causes in bed sharing related SIDS.

8. Bed sharing should NEVER be done on a sofa or anywhere other than in a bed, and you should always plan to bed share, rather than accidentally fall asleep with your child.

bed sharing

Co-sleeping crib attached to parents’ bed

Bed sharing myths

  1. Increases SIDS risk – NO! In fact, studies have found that PLANNED bed sharing, when done safely and correctly, can actually help to reduce the risk of SIDS.
  2. Bed sharing parents don’t have sex. Well this is simply untrue, isn’t it? This claim works on the assumption that sex only happens at night, in bed. And let’s face it, there are plenty of other rooms to conduct ‘marital relations’ in! How else do you think siblings get made?!
  3. Babies should learn to self-settle and be independent – learning to sleep alone is a developmental milestone – one which all children will reach at different ages. At some point, your little bed sharer WILL ask to sleep separately of you! How many teenagers do you know who still share their parents’ bed?!
bed sharing

Boobin’ all day, boobin’ all night

The long and short of it is that bed sharing absolutely guarantees me the most sleep.

Because if I did not share a bed with our baby Squid, I would probably be up and down like a yo-yo all night. Bed sharing can also help to prolong the longevity of breastfeeding – and we all know the benefits of that! And there really is nothing I love more than cuddling up to my baby boy, drinking in his warm milky breath, and falling asleep to the beat of his heart.

bed sharing

The bond that bed sharing gives lasts a life time

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Sleep Regression: How To Survive When Your Baby Won’t Sleep http://breastfeedingworld.org/2017/07/sleep-regression-survive-baby-wont-sleep/ http://breastfeedingworld.org/2017/07/sleep-regression-survive-baby-wont-sleep/#comments Mon, 03 Jul 2017 13:00:27 +0000 http://breastfeedingworld.org/?p=5924 Help! My baby is broken! How to survive a sleep regression – when your baby just. won’t. sleep! Parenthood and sleepless nights go hand in hand – everyone knows that. You sort of sign up for less sleep, regular wakings and early mornings, right? The early months of our small person’s life are a bit of a blur to me now […]

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Help! My baby is broken!

How to survive a sleep regression – when your baby just. won’t. sleep!

exhausted mama and baby sleeping, sleep regression

The nights are long, but the years are short

Parenthood and sleepless nights go hand in hand – everyone knows that. You sort of sign up for less sleep, regular wakings and early mornings, right?

The early months of our small person’s life are a bit of a blur to me now – I vaguely remember the first night we brought him home, and falling asleep for what I thought was hours, but turned out to be about 47 seconds, and wondering if we should perhaps call the emergency services because we had no idea what we were doing. Luckily we did not call an ambulance, and slowly, over the weeks, we began to get into a bit of a rhythm. 

baby sleeping

Sweet sleep

 

Every evening, we’d eat dinner and Squid would happily cluster feed until we went to bed, and I’d get about 90 minutes of sleep before he’d snuffle around and find a boob again. It was tiring, but predictable, and the sleep I did get was pretty solid. 

And we ambled along in this happy little routine for a while. Until December 2015, when Squid was nearly 4 months old, and sleep changed quite dramatically. 

The four month sleep regression had hit us 

I had heard of it, but was unsure if it was just an urban myth, or something that genuinely happened to babies. The night in question, Squid went to sleep with us as usual, and we all traipsed to bed. And then Squid woke up. I fed him back to sleep, but he woke again, and again, and again. And this continued all night long – my longest stretch of sleep was about 30 minutes. 

So, what exactly IS a sleep regression?

wide awake child, breasfeeding

So many hours spent latched on and wide awake.

At certain points in the timeline of your baby’s sleep, they stop being quite so predictable with their slumber, and become much harder to settle, and more restless when they do sleep. A sleep ‘regression’ really marks a ‘progression’ for your baby – this sudden disruption to the usual sleep schedule is invariably because some major development is going on with your ray of sunshine. At 4 months, this is usually because your baby is learning to roll, starting to babble, and suddenly becoming aware that they are a separate person from you. The fourth trimester is over. At 8 months, separation anxiety sets in, and your little one is learning a new skill by the day. 12 months sparks developments such as walking and talking. At 18 months, your baby’s busy brain is concentrating on chatting away – far too busy to sleep!

This sleep regression lasted for weeks

The pattern was the same: feed, sleep ONLY in my arms, wake. Day time naps disappeared: long gone were the days of napping every few hours – this child just wanted to be awake and enjoy life! 

I didn’t sleep for more than 45 straight minutes for nearly 2 months, and then, at the point that I felt something close to insanity, Squid began to sleep for longer stretches again. It was over. 

That was, until the 8 month sleep regression hit. I was more prepared then, but it was still so very difficult. Another bout of sleeplessness hit at a year, and more recently again at 18 months, but still nothing compares to the 4 month sleep regression, where I thought my eyeballs had melted from exhaustion and I might never recover. 

My top tips for coping:

1 – call in your village. You do not have to do this alone. If someone wants to come and hold your (wide awake) baby for an hour so you can sleep, let them.

baby sleeping on mama

Close isn’t close enough

2 – forget the house work. Seriously, the dishes will wait. The choice between a 30 minute nap and a hoovered living room is a no brainer for me. 

3 – bed share (safely) if you can. This was a game changer for us. Before the 4 month sleep regression hit, Squid was in a ‘Snuzpod’ co-sleeper bedside crib, which worked well for us. In the midst of the sleeplessness, he needed to be even closer, and so sharing a bed worked for us. We did this safely, of course. For more information, see here, here and here.

safe bed sharing

Bed sharing safely can really buy you more sleep.

 

4 – ALL the chocolate (or any other sugary snack)! Sure, sugar gives you false energy, but any energy is better than none, in my opinion!

5 – go for a walk. In the day times where I’d spend such a lot of my time trying to get Squid to sleep, sometimes leaving the house and going for a walk really broke the day up. The fresh air is good for you both, and hey, who knows, maybe a brisk stroll in the sling or pram will send your little love off for a kip! 

6 – trust your baby. Know that it is normal, try and roll with it (as hard as that is!) and don’t give in to the well-meaning in-laws who insist your baby needs to learn to ‘self settle’ or that crying alone might be ‘good for their lungs’.

 

sleep regression Baby sleeping whilst mama eats flapjack

Snacks!

How have you coped with changes in sleep? What are your top tips for any sleep deprived and desperate parent? 

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‘You’re Not The Woman I Married’ – How Motherhood Changed My Marriage http://breastfeedingworld.org/2017/05/youre-not-woman-married-motherhood-changed-marriage/ http://breastfeedingworld.org/2017/05/youre-not-woman-married-motherhood-changed-marriage/#respond Thu, 25 May 2017 13:00:21 +0000 http://breastfeedingworld.org/?p=5698 We had taken Squid to have his feet measured and he was having none of it. Shoulder to shoulder, the shop brimmed with families. Of course, there were no available shoe fitters- and I’d had enough. I grabbed our small person and walked out of the shop, leaving my husband behind in the chaos. And, when my husband caught up […]

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We had taken Squid to have his feet measured and he was having none of it. Shoulder to shoulder, the shop brimmed with families. Of course, there were no available shoe fitters- and I’d had enough. I grabbed our small person and walked out of the shop, leaving my husband behind in the chaos.

And, when my husband caught up with me he uttered those fateful words: ‘you’re not the woman I married’.

It hurt like a knife.

On the sullen drive home I held back my hurt tears, and mulled that sentence over and over. Truthfully, he was right. I am not the woman he married. I don’t recognize myself half the time either.

We got married at 23

Young, but sure. Emotionally, we were happy, determined, carefree, and considerably better off financially than we are now. We laughed lots, ate out, saw friends, had holidays and weekends away, spent money on frivolous things we didn’t really need. Physically we were different too. No signs of age had crept across our faces, there were no grey hairs, I was certainly thinner, I always had time to shave my legs.

We were happy, most of the time.

We wanted a baby. It felt like the logical next step to our relationship. A mini human of our own, a bit of both of us. So when Squid arrived, 18 months after we got married, we were ready, prepared to tackle this parenting lark together. How hard could it really be?

Oh, how little we knew.

Motherhood has changed me. Motherhood is the single hardest thing I have ever embarked upon, bringing up a child. It is all-consuming: physically, mentally and emotionally. But, It is also the most wonderful and inspirational thing that’s ever happened to me.

Motherhood means that there is very little left of myself to offer my husband when he walks in from work each day.

We fell into a steady rhythm. No doubt, our child became the central steering mast of our relationship.

‘Where are the baby wipes? ‘Whose turn is it to wash up?’ ‘We’ve run out of nappies’

“These sentences narrated our home life. It was so easy to get swept along by the rigmarole of life, by the mundane and the every day. There was very little time for each other – and I don’t mean physically, though of course that’s important too. I mean, that I am sometimes so wrapped up in how mine and our toddler’s day has been, with its trials and tribulations and wonder, that I forget to ask my husband how his day was. It’s not that I don’t care. I just don’t have the brain space.

The sleeplessness and the mental fog can make you forget that you’re a team. You and your baby’s daddy. It makes us bicker over who has had more sleep or who works longer hours. It makes you irrational at times. I have to remind myself, often, that it’s not a competition.

We’re in this together.

Even when I feel tired, and he’s worn out too. When I work hard, he works hard. We both do it for each other, to support our family.

But, today made me realize. Today made me stop, think and understand things from my husband’s perspective.

I am NOT the woman he married.

And, actually, that’s okay. Our marriage has evolved, from the fun and frivolous, to the ordinary and every day – that’s a normal progression, I think. But I also think we need to remember to make time for each other.

At the end of a busy day, it’s so hard to switch off,  ignore the housework and the mounting to do list, but it’s also so important. Yes, becoming a parent can change you. And, it can mean a shift in your relationship, but I think it’s so important to remember how you got here.

How much you really do love your other half.

Sometimes, I think our child is the only thing we have in common. But actually, that’s not true at all. We have a lot in common: we both love wine (white for me, red for him), we both love eating out, spending time with family, holidays, clothes, discussing politics, we both love animals.

So as I type this, one-handed whilst I nurse our toddler to sleep, I am making a promise. When I leave this bedroom, our phones will go away, the TV off, the dishes can wait.

My husband needs me. These days, I’m NOT the woman he married. But… I’m the woman he’s married to. We’re not young and carefree, but we ARE a family. He’s the man who kisses me before we sleep, who doesn’t care about my hairy legs, and who knows I’d rather have a pint of lager than a glass of wine. At my best and at my worst, he’s still here.

I loved him on our wedding day, and now I love him infinitely more, in a million more ways

Has motherhood changed your relationship with your partner? How do you make time to stay connected? Let’s talk about it in the comments below!

Is your marriage struggling after children? You aren't alone. Read now, or Pin later, every mother and father must read! | Breastfeeding World | Squidmama | Marriage | Relationships | Marriage Quotes | Marriage Advice | Struggling Marriage | Married Life | Marriage Goals | Relationship Goals | kids marriage advice |

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