I'm going to be breastfeeding him till he's old enough to vote..
That's how I feel at the moment - just spent the best part of an hour trying to get him off to sleep, most of it involving fighting off his little hands as they tried to get down my top. It's so frustrating listening to him crying, knowing all I have to do is breastfeed and he'd settle down.
I was strong though, didn't give in and he has, at last, settled down, although I did have to sit there for ages stroking his hand. Every time he seemed to be asleep I'd go to creep away and his baby spider-sense would alert him to the fact that he was about to be abandoned and he'd start screaming again.
Also he was really congested, so I'd sprinkled some baby olbas... which started to make my nose run. But I couldn't so much as sniff, let alone go and get tissue as it would have woken him up. Torture. You have to have the patience of a saint when it comes to dealing with little ones.
Hopefully tomorrow won't be as hard work being as I've held firm today and not breastfed him. He should be getting used to the idea that it doesn't happen anymore.
I think looking back now I should have just knocked the feeding on the head when he turned one. Dragging it out like I have done hasn't done either of us any favours.
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Emma Deadman - is a first-time mum-to-be. She gives her take on life... from bump to beyond.
Routine!
Routine!
Easy enough for me to say (Lisa will call me a hypocrite for this) but one of my worst habits was giving in. "All I have to do is pick him up, give him a cuddle and he stops crying."
Now I just let him cry.
Sounds harsh, and of course we monitor and listen for the *type* of cry, and whether or not we intervene.
You should just do one boob (or half from each, however you measure/distribute it - I'd imagine it's what we geeks call "load balancing"), put him down, say "night night, see you in the morning," and walk off.
If he cries, he'll learn the hard way that you won't come back if he does.
I find that doing little things in the right order - bath, then into his room and lower the blind, then close the curtains, then dry & clothes, night-light on, main light off, bottle, cot, blanket, walk - works quite well.
I was introduced to this by my mate Richard a long time ago. "Poppycock*" I said to him, but it really does work, and he swears by it.
Now, so do we.
Good luck. Cruel to be kind!
* word substituted for a mid-1800s placeholder
I am still breast feeding and my son will be 1 in 3 weeks time. I am attempting at the moment to cut him down, as my plan come the new year is to stop.....but just like you, i love to sleep and it is so easy to just pick him up, pop him on and within minutes he's back off to sleep....and so am i!!! My laziness has created the 'rod for my own back' but when there is a solution to hand when you're so tired....wouldn't anyone do the same?? Oh well...i'll let you know how i get on in the new year!!!
Before you know it they'll be 16 and you'll be desperate for any lovely time you get with them! Enjoy these moments, it wont last forever!