[tela]

this question may be more for the BF/pumping moms, but i'm looking for any advice. jacob finally got this sleeping thing down! it only took 9+ months! he goes down at 8:30/9pm, wakes up for a feeding at 3/4am, then is up for the day at 7/8am. problem is ... i leave for work at 7am 4 days/week. if i wake him to BF right before i leave, he often won't go back to sleep. i'm very gentle - he's not the type of baby who can "dream feed." he seems to be up for the day once he realizes that he's eating! if i don't wake him, he'd need a bottle when he woke up. i already pump 3x at work to get enough for his 2 daycare bottles. i can't possibly add in another pumping session. so should i continue to BF right before leaving and then just go with his schedule on days off?

[CalFan]

I would continue to BF him before you go to work. Besides, DH has to take care of him after you leave, right? So if he's up, he's up!

[pumpkinpie24]

I say wake him, he's been sleeping for 3-4 hours and would wake up roughly then anyway. And it may nudge him into that as a natural schedule.

[mgm78]

I would wake him. Saturdays I go into work quite early and I always wake DD to feed if she is sleeping (rare, but has happened).

[Pitridge]

I wake Alex up at 5:30 am to feed him before I leave for work.

[lindsayb63]

1. I am soooo jealous

2. How about if you try to get him down to bed earlier, so then he is up earlier and you can see him before work?

[kerian]

i agree with the others to wake him up. that way you can also see him a bit before work.
and yay for finally getting sleep!!!!!

[tela]

thanks ladies. it is wonderful to finally get some sleep. it's been 9 LONG months of exhaustion! he still has 1 good feed in the middle of the night, but i feel that nutritionally he still needs it, and i'm functional and happy waking up only 1x! of course nights he's teething (like last week when he cut #7) are still unpredictable, and he wakes every 2-3 hours to comfort nurse. but at least we have progress!!!

i will continue to wake him to BF right before work. cheryl - as you know DH doesn't have a job, so he likes to "sleep in" til 7:30am. too bad - looks like he can get his a$s out of bed 30 min earlier so i can leave for WORK. lindsay and kerian - i actually like this schedule and don't mind not seeing him in the morning besides our BFing time. i have to be out the door by 7am at the latest, so i usually snooze til 6am and then run around like mad getting ready! but i'm home with jacob by 5:15pm, and i like my evenings with him. i wouldn't want him in bed any earlier. he's set his bedtime of 9pm (it used to be even later!), and i like that i have those 3-4 hours in the evening with him. he's so happy in the evenings now!

[amberrose22]

We have the same situation! DH is laid off and stays home with Libby. And I do wake her up. At like 6:15ish. I get up and get pumping stuff ready for when she's done eating and for work, and then I go get her up and out of bed and feed her and then wake DH up when she's done eating, then I pump and get ready for work. If I just let her sleep and pumped instead, she would still be up before I left for work most mornings and I'd rather BF then pump anyday!

[kerian]

if you dont wake him up, you could also just pump before you leave.
but i know us part time pumpers would rather just BF.

[Bella_Luna]

^^ yeah I was going to suggest that too. But if you'd really rather breastfeed I don't see anything wrong with waking him. If its an issue with wanting him to continue to sleep as long as he can, then I'd say pump. But I don't BF so I can't really give an objective opinion.

[Astrid]

Sounds like you have figured it all out! I think it is great to wake him before you leave. Gives you a wonderful send off to work & the 9pm bedtime works for you to spend time w/ him.

[ashleighgurl]

I agree about just waking him up to feed!

[countryjewelsc]

I agree to wake him up. I'm a SAHM but if I have to go out and its almost time for DS to eat, I will wake him up instead of pumping.