We are in molar hell. Due to the onset of the 12 month molars, my poor sweet baby boy has had is just-starting-to-regulate-his-sleep-pattern turned up side down.
Night weaning was huge success. That was about six weeks ago. I’ve spent the last three nights up from 1:30-3:30 trying to comfort him (And multiple night waking began about 2 weeks ago). I’ve done everything I could thing of to help him get back to sleep. After hours without results, I caved on two of the three nights and nursed him. He immediately entered the land of nod.
Last night after losing the two hour struggle, I offered him my breast, while I began to cry. I felt defeated. I worried how nursing would impact the next night and the next night and… I am so desperate for sleep.
A very graciously got up with him at 6AM. Apparently I was unresponsive the first time she tried to wake me so she could get ready for work. In all she gave me an hour of sleep. It was blissful. I had planned to attend a social group today but it was canceled due to illness so I decided to go to a breast feeding support group. [And I was surprised to arrive and learn today is actually Wednesday and the BF support group is on Tuesdays...see I am so tired I can't tell what day it is.]
I had a chance to talk to a Lactation Consultant. I explain our entire situation- and she very calmly listened and echoed what I already knew: E is teething. Molars are really effing painful. But what I didn’t know is that breast milk actually has a pain relieving effect, so this is likely why all he wants when his teeth hurt is to nurse. It also explains why he recently started nursing up to 10 times a day. He is constantly signing for milk, he is not always nursing long enough to bring a let down, but he is comforted just by sucking.
So I am some what reluctantly returning to night nursing. If this is the one thing that will help relieve his pain, then how can I deny it? I just really hope we don’t end up back on the nursing every-hour-over-night-schedule. That was awful for all of us.





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April 15, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Kathleen
Well, that Jay Gordon article does say not too feel bad if you go back during times of teeth or travel or illness, although I can imagine how much it must SUCK to have seen the light at the end of the tunnel and then get it snatched away. We have, well, never seen the light of the end of the tunnel but things had gotten totally manageable (once when I went to bed @10:30, once around 3:30 or 4 for like five minutes and then maybe on and off from 6:30-7:30. I felt like I could do that forever (well, not really, but it was totally do-able).
Lately, though, things have been not so hot for the first time in months and I’m thinkin’ it’s the two year molars (she has all the rest of her teeth). I too am desperate for sleep. Whick maybe I should go do right now. Anyway, hope the teeth come through quickly and you can get back to sleep progress. I’m sorry things are rough.
April 16, 2009 at 12:20 am
myra36
I can relate! My son is going through the same thing now too. He is just so freakin’ miserable. I try to give him teething toys but all he wants is to be held. He refused his dinner tonight. I suppose it hurt too much to chew. Luckily, I was able to give him cereal and yogurt. I’ve found that nursing helps but I’m going back to work. So, we’ll see..
Anyway, take care!
April 17, 2009 at 9:16 am
Erin
Molar teething is terrible, terrible, terrible. I can so vividly remember when my oldest was going through it– only in hindsight did I really understand just how much pain she was in. And they can take a long time to come in. Unsolicited advice? Let him nurse at night if you can stand it. You will have to night wean him again, and that part will suck, but it will be faster than it was last time.
April 18, 2009 at 1:01 pm
sandra
I returned to night nursing when C’s molars came in and she had been night weaned for awhile. It turned out to be very temporary. When the molars came in she stopped wanting/needing/asking for it. I was worried that we would start a habit or something, but we didn’t. Hang in there.
April 20, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Premalatha
I have tagged you.
http://thenormalself.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/around-the-world-in-80-clicks/