Baby Steps…
Last night, my need for sleep won out over my attempt to get Sara through another full night in her crib in the nursery. I can’t remember when I finally got her to sleep last night, but when she awoke at 2:30 AM this morning needing a feeding that was that. I was nodding off while nursing her sitting up in bed, and quickly opted for what’s gotten us through every night prior — side-lying position breastfeeding, in bed, co-sleeping.
I still consider it a success — that’s at least three more hours of sleep in her crib than she’d done before we started this process, and had I not been so bloody tired, I don’t doubt she would have fallen back to sleep in the crib between feedings (and there were many last night, but with side-lying nursing at least Mom doesn’t have to stagger out of bed, to baby, and back continuously throughout the night!)
We need Sara’s overnight feedings to space out a bit more, as they had been. She’s either on a more frequent feeding kick in part for “comfort nursing” because being alone in the nursery and crib is new to her and she requires reassurance… or the simpler, less over-analytical reason is likely that she’s undergoing another growth spurt.
I’m pretty zonked tonight, too, so we’ll see if I cave in or try to work with her throughout the night after each feeding to go back down in the crib. I need to pump more frequently anyway — which I can do with my electric pump while nursing Sara on the other side, with some coordination — so I can build a stockpile of breastmilk for short bicycle rides with Justin or the very rare but blessed, “Honey, you’ve got your daughter for several hours.” solo excursions sans-Sara. But sleep is so primal a need that it generally overrides even my practicality and desire to plan, relegating pumping to something I do only during Sara’s one “long” (2-4 hours) daytime nap.
My thanks to my parents, Grandma & Grandpa Blackburn, for the open door policy that’s allowed me to drop in on them throughout this week while Justin’s been working late or otherwise occupied after work (teaching a community education photography class he’s done for years, etc.) It’s always good to visit with you both and enjoy a home-cooked meal, and have a few extra hands that can hold and entertain Sara so I can go to the bathroom, fix a snack or whatnot without disturbing Sara. If she could talk yet, she’d be saying how much she enjoys the visits, I am certain.
