Suggestions on waking my DH up

[TiredMom]

I need help with logistics of 2AM feeding. Our DD is EBF, and my husband wants to give her a bottle (EBM) around 2AM, so I can get some sleep. The problem is timing.

Depending on when I fed her last, it can anywhere btw. 1:30 to 3:30 AM. By the time by DH hears her cry, wakes up, gets to the kitchen to warm up frozen milk, the little poor thing is crying her lungs out. So, I need to get up to to calm her (which defeats the purpose of my husband trying to help).

Any suggestions on making it work better?

Thank you.

[Ceepa]

When it's DH's turn to get up with DC but I hear them first, a gentle nudge awake usually is all it takes.

That's very nice of your DH to volunteer for the 2 a.m. feeding so you can rest.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I gave up on the idea of having dh do a feeding in the middle of the night (which I toyed with only after bf'ing was well established- 6+ weeks) because of the logistical problems you described. It just wasn't worth it. I found that what helped most was having dh bring the baby to me so I could stay warm and snug in bed and nursed the baby in there. It was even better with ds1 and he would also take baby back to his crib. This time around I have been doing it all on my own wrt feedings and it hasn't been that bad. But, I make him take care of anything not feeding related in the middle of the night (diapers, extra soothing..).

Beth

[npace19147]

When we did this with DD1 we would have the milk already defrosted and keep it in a cooler in our room in a bottle. Then we would just have to warm it under the hot water tap in the bathroom for a little while. Takes a lot less time.

[niccig]

Middle of the night feeds didn't work for the reasons you have. DH can leave for work at 9am, so I had him do the 6am feed and the morning. I would stay in bed until 8am. A friend's DH would stay up and do the late evening feed (around midnight) and his wife would go to bed around 9pm and sleep until the early morning feeding.
Hope you find something that works for everyone.

[hillview]

Could you defrost it before hand? We used to just warm it from the fridge and that way it was a lot shorter. DH would get up put bottle in warmer (already in bottle with nipple in fridge). Then he'd go to DS and change him etc. Then he'd get the milk and feed.

GOOD LUCK!
/hillary

[Clarity]

Ditto the pp. I found it was just quicker and easier to do the middle of the night feeds myself. Dh is first thing in the morning man, which means a I got to sleep in a bit. 2 years later, that's still the way it works!

[Piglet]

Middle of the night feeds were my feeds for the reasons you described. DH was the last feed of the night. We had a routine where I would feed the baby around 9:00 and go to bed. DH would stay up until 12:00 and do the feed. I would wake up for the 3:00 feed and DH would bring me the baby for the 6:00 feed (all times approximate). That way I got my 5-6 hours and DH got his 5-6 hours of uninterrupted sleep. It was the best system for us (too bad we only figured it out with DS2 - we were zombies with DS1).

[brittone2]

I just find it easier to have baby nurse in bed w/ me. I couldn't sleep knowing baby was crying, etc. and waiting for DH, and I'm a light sleeper anyway.

The other catch, and YMMV with how much of a concern this is for you, is that nighttime nursing does a lot to keep supply up.

[mommyp]

DH did middle of the night feedings for me pretty regularly. We would defrost milk and prepare the bottle before we went to bed, then all he had to do was get it out of the fridge and quickly warm it. Sometimes it wasn't even that warm, she wasn't too picky about the temperature. Now he still gets up and does the first diaper change and brings her to me in bed in the am.

[sidmand]

We have one of those cooler packs and put a bottle in it before we go to bed (a bottle with EBM, but it could be anything). And then DH sleeps in the room with DD and I sleep in our room with the monitor off. It's the only way it works for us. I don't know if that's an option for you?

If not, we have tried putting the monitor RIGHT next to DH's head and as far away from me as possible. Usually I hear it first anyway, but that gives us a better chance.