Dear Mother Ship - Part Deux!

First let me thank y'all for the feed back on the last post and here are some answers to your related questions.

Dear Mother Ship:

Jen512:

I found this very interesting (being preggo) and I've got a couple of questions!

I don't think I'm going to be able to co-sleep because our bed is too small (full sized) and I've been looking for a co-sleeper crib here in Turkey without luck. But I plan to keep the baby right next to my bed, probably in one of those packnplay convertible bassinets for as long as it is safe for her.

We have the ARM'S REACH Mini Co-sleeper. That is where Finley slept until she was 4 months old. Then she was rolling over and pushing up and I felt she would fall out of it. We converted it to the pack and play and it's still attached to our bed. pop he in there to play when I need hr to be safe while I am doing other glamoorous things like refilling the wipe warmer, making the bed, and showering. Getting a massage having a pedicure or roller setting my hair are just ghosts from my past....

I'm hoping this will still make night-feeding manageable.

YES! It will! And hopefully you will have a baby who will continue to sleep in the pack and play when it is converted. Our baby only slept in the swing, ergo and only at night in the co-sleeper! She is what one might call a HIGH NEEDS sleeper.

What I've always wondered is how do you feed the baby without being fully awake, isn't there some mess involved? I'm worried about burping, spit up and breast leakage. Do you find this is simply less of an issue when you are both asleep or is it something you have to deal with from time to time?

When I say we are still mostly asleep I am referring to more recently. From 6 months to now at almost 10 months. When she was a newbie I sat bolt upright WIDE AWAKE to feed her, which took upward of 45 minutes. Then burp her, change her and settled her back to sleep before I tucked my new found monster boobs back into the bra with new dry breast pads ...oh gawd I hated the new leaky boobs. By four months the boobs go back to normal and stop leaking (as much). Some nights FIn wouldn't settle and I would lie with her on my chest until she was sound asleep then transfer her to the co -sleeper. If she stirred I would place my hand gently on her chest or stroke her head and she would settle ... which was easy to do because she was right beside me. At night I would lie so tight to the co-sleeper just so I could look at her. I was so excited at her arrival. Jen you'll instinctively know when to bring her into your bed to nurse. You will have a chance to place a hand on baby and comfort her before she becomes very upset. Just being that close is great for night waking and you will comfort instinctively without becoming fully awake after a few months. It's natural. Most mammals sleep with their young. I love it and I sleep better with her in our room and bed than if she were in another room.

Twwly:

Dear MotherShip,

If I remember right, your little lady and my little lady both suffered fromCarSeat-Screamitis.

My little lady outgrew her Screamitis, but I have noticed as she grows that her penchant for the dramatic has continued. I feel that the carseat screamies were just a part of her now developing personality.

Wondering if your wee lass is similar?

Ohhhhh Ashley! Yes, she has relaxed in the car seat and we do enjoy driving - she napping while I drive. It's part of our week now! Hahah, I plan for the car ride naps. YEAHHHH. When she doesn't get to have her own way now she has begun to arch herself into a FULL ON BACK BEND while screaming. Honestly, I should not have done so much yoga while pregnant the kid is a rubber band in all directions. She has even taken to nursing while standing in down dog on the bed...

A scene from my week:

"Finley, no thank you we don't climb on the open dishwasher door" ... I lift her to remove her from the dishwasher and she immediately throws herself into a back bend whilst screaming. I protect her head and set her on her back on the floor. She then kicks her feet a few times, gets up, climbs up my pant leg while I close the dishwasher. I lift her up and squeeze her little snuggle body and we're off to distract her with a safe fun new game. REPEAT. This goes on ALL day now. Man good thing she's cute - cuz she sure is WILLFUL.