Saturday, January 10, 2009

What would you do?

My mom is coming over this afternoon for a visit (as she does most Saturdays now).

Tonight she is staying overnight and she has suggested that Steve and I use our Keg gift certificate that we got for Christmas and go out for dinner. Oh yeah! We're going for an early and probably fairly quick dinner but still, it will be sooo nice to get out of this house and see other adults and also have a reason to put on makeup and do my hair. And also I've been craving a big juicy steak and our bar-b-cue has been buried in snow for weeks.

Ok, but that's not the "what would you do" part. This is: Since she is staying the night she has also offered to get up with Ruby in the night and feed and change her as needed so that I can sleep! I would still have to get up and pump milk once or twice but I would be able to go straight back to bed and sleep. It would be really, really great to get some much needed sleep, but here's why I'm not sure about it... I have worked out a really awesome routine for Ruby during the night and I'm afraid of throwing her out of her routine.

It goes like this: She wakes up and fusses. I feed her a pre-pumped bottle of breastmilk (which I have to warm up from the fridge). I burp her (3 times). I change her. I put her in her swing while I pump milk. By the time I'm done pumping she's back asleep and we go back to bed.

Rinse. Repeat.

And she has been sleeping about 3 hours between feeds, so I get to sleep about 2 hours each time, sometimes more.

I'm worried that if I get my mom to take care of the feeding and changing in the night, that it might throw Ruby off and we'll have to start all over again. Could that happen? I'm not sure what to do. I'd LOVE the extra sleep but I don't want to pay the price for it later on. I've seen my fair share of walking around the house at 3,4,5am shushing and rocking and willing a wide awake baby to sleep.

What would you do? Would you take the help offered and get some much needed sleep? Or would you stick with what you know and what works?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Tara Bara
I say, let Gramma at it and have the sleep. Routines will change regardless. But honestly I don't think it will make a difference. My vote.... take the help, get the rest, happier, healthier, Mommy, happier Baby.

Candi said...

TAKE THE HELP!!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!! My mom lives with us and gets up with Carter once or twice a week. It doesn't throw him off because she goes by the same instructions we do. It is great to have the relief!

Spacey said...

Ok, I'm late here in my reply, but I hope you took the help. Instruct grandma on the same routine and take the much needed sleep.

Somewhat Ordinary said...

That is awesome that your mom is doing that. She seems to really be making progress! I have to say that my mom are very close and she is pretty much a dream grandma, but she hasn't offered anything like this yet and Baby M is 10 months today...