Sometimes it's helpful just to know that what you're experiencing is has a name.
That's how it is, sometimes, with the feeding/sleep pattern called reverse cycling. Here's a typical pattern:
You have a 3 month old baby. Things are going well. You're nursing on cue, and you can count on some good sleep stretches at night - maybe 3 or even 4 hours sometimes - which feels great considering what it was like when your baby was a newborn.
Then you go back to work. And suddenly you have a newborn again at night. She wants to nurse every hour. You are a zombie during the day.
Sometimes it looks like that. Sometimes the all night buffet starts when your baby is teething, or during the holidays, or when you're chasing older kids around all day. Sometimes your baby is so distracted by every little sound that he barely nurse during the day. I can say anecdotally that it's more likely to happen around growth spurts (2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, etc.).
Sometimes it's about eating (especially for those babies who "sip" at their bottles during the day and so don't take much while you're at work), and sometimes it's about comfort and connection. We tend to focus in on the food part of nursing more than the comfort part, and in doing so I think we miss the need that babies have to be held and comforted - and nursing is at the top of the list when it comes to comfort. It's hard for them to be away from you, too.
I like the term reverse cycling because describes the reverse sleeping pattern, but it also sounds like bicycling backwards, which is a lot like what it feels like. Kellymom has some nice suggestions on how to cope with a reverse cycling baby. Just remember, this too shall pass.
Does this sound familiar to you? Hey, wake up!
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