After a week of excessively disrupted sleep, courtesy of my little, restless angel, I bundled him up in the pram and walked up to the Oatley ECHC yesterday. I gave the nurse a history of his sleep patterns, and the various tactics we've employed with mixed success. She was lovely — non-judgmental regarding the co-sleeping, direct and specific. This Friday night, I am NOT feeding him AT ALL overnight. I may give him one final feed at around 10, but I'll then pop him back in his cot, and Phil will re-settle him in the cot as many times as is required, until around 4 or so when I'll bring him in for the morning. No milk! He'll freak! But, as the nurse said, he's only feeding overnight because he knows no other way of calming and comforting himself.
When we re-settle him, we are NOT to pick him up or stay in there for more than a minute. We can let him cry for up to 5 minutes at a time, no longer. I can do that. I think...
I am petrified! But we have pre-emptive plans in place... I am going to give him a extra meal during the day, I am going to offer the breast every 90 minutes or so, all day long. I am going to stock up on Coke and DVDs to keep us awake, occupied and entertained. Phil is to do the settling so as to break the wake=feed association. The poor man will be so tired the next day, as he isn't used to having the erratic sleep that I am so accustomed to.
Stay tuned! I am hoping for results within days.
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