So, Iyyar nursed all morning yesterday, and slept all afternoon. Then he nursed all evening.
And--wait for it--slept all night.
Well, close to it, anyway. He went to sleep at around 10, and I intelligently got into bed the second he was out. (I am not always bright enough to do this.) Then he slept till 2:15, nursed, went back to sleep till around 5, had a quick snack, and slept until EIGHT.
Yes, as in 8 AM.
How 'bout that?
I am not foolish enough to think that he will now do this forever. But boy, do I feel better today.
Barak didn't sleep like that until--well, I don't know if he ever did. He still wakes up at night a couple times at least (not to nurse, though, obviously). And when he was a newborn, the sun would go down and come up and go down and come up and I would never get to lie down in an actual bed. He absolutely refused to sleep anywhere but in my arms or on my husband's chest, so we just had nursing and/or screaming until dawn, unless I caved and held him while he slept or fell asleep nursing so he got what he wanted that way. No matter how asleep he seemed in my arms, four minutes after I put him down he'd be howling. I remember a few times at 4 am waking MHH up, handing him the baby, and wailing, "You have to take the baby. If I don't sleep I'm going to die."
Eventually I got him (Barak, not MHH) to sleep in his carseat, by way of putting him in there with both arms around him and sneakily removing them once he was out. At which point he would, of course, wake up and cry, and I'd put my arms back. Lather, rinse, repeat. It took about two weeks of this before he was okay with the idea of sleeping without being held, when he was about three months old. I don't know if it was just his nature or aftereffects of his evil NICU stay, but it was sleep deprivation as I have never experienced it.
Iyyar seems like a very different kid. Obviously his preference is being held and nursing forever, but he is okay with hanging out in the carseat/bouncy seat/a blanket on the floor at least part of the time.
For now, anyway.
3 comments:
I believe I slept the first night I was home from NICU and never ever again (ok now I do, sometimes). I don't think I was big on being held though. I was independent at quite an early age (much to my mother's [there is no word i know that works here.. sadness? no, that doesn't work. it's a mum feeling that i can't describe in words]).
*hugs*
Barak is now extremely independent, as 2 yos go anyway. He doesn't like to cuddle much (he'll run up to me, yell "hug!" and run away again giggling), and has zero stranger anxiety. He pretty much just forges ahead whatever, only periodically looking back to check that I'm still there. I'll take it as a testament to his secure attachment...
woohoo! So very glad you got some sleep. I'll hope that it continues for you - even if not at this level, then at something that allows you to feel good!
Such a good boy, that Iyyar ;)
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