https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:34:58 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help/page/2#post-2590168 Thu, 21 Jul 2016 17:14:16 +0000 hellobeeboston 2590168@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not really, but mainly because both babies were breast fed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help/page/2#post-2590098 Thu, 21 Jul 2016 15:41:16 +0000 codeitall 2590098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH is half deaf, so he never heard the baby (or the toddler) till after I'd already been listening to the whining/crying for 5 minutes. And DH just wasn't as good at putting him down to stay down.</p> <p>However, DH really wanted to be contributing, so half the time, I would wake him up and then resign myself to doing it again a little later. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help/page/2#post-2589197 Wed, 20 Jul 2016 15:04:02 +0000 QBbride 2589197@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No, never. But honestly I never expected him too. I am breastfeeding, so if I'm getting up to feed I might as well change the diaper etc. Plus I was on maternity leave, so that's the whole point! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help/page/2#post-2589160 Wed, 20 Jul 2016 14:14:06 +0000 looch 2589160@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I insisted he didn't help. There was nothing to do, if he did help we just ended up arguing and he would end up more sleep deprived than he already was. I was staying at home so I slept during the day when needed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help/page/2#post-2589135 Wed, 20 Jul 2016 13:48:23 +0000 sotofamilia 2589135@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, definitely. I EBF both babies -he brings the baby to me, I feed her in our bed, and then I put her back down. We don't change her anymore in the middle of the night. </p> <p>I sometimes will get her too if he's had a hard day or I wake up first, but I absolutely need to feel like we're on the same team in the middle of the night, and that means I poke him awake and he gets her. This is our second baby and we did the same thing with our first, so we're in a good groove with night wakings. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help/page/2#post-2589050 Wed, 20 Jul 2016 12:19:44 +0000 alphagam84 2589050@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We split it 50/50 while he was home on leave with us. DD was formula fed. We'd split the night and each be on for a 5 hour shift so the other one could get a decent stretch of sleep. I actually slept in the other room when it wasn't my turn since I'm such a light sleeper. I'd normally sleep from 10-3 and then take the 3-8am shift. Worked pretty well. Then once he went back to work he'd be up 'til her midnight feeding so I could go to bed early and be guaranteed a decent chunk of sleep by going to bed at 9:30 then I'd be on call the rest of the night. Once we were both back at work we ended up taking turns each night which has worked so well. One night will be completely my night and then the next night is all him. Works out really well because even if your night is terrible you know that the next night is a great nights sleep! Now that DD is 8 months old it basically means doing a dream feed at 10 before bed and then going in sometimes between 5 &amp; 6am to give her another bottle and try to get her back to sleep 'til our alarm goes off at 6:45. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help/page/2#post-2588541 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 14:44:48 +0000 Mrs. Toad 2588541@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>He got up for a few days, but mostly me. I only had one wake up by five weeks and he STTN at 10 weeks. He only ate and went right back to sleep. I was only up for 20 minutes or so. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help/page/2#post-2588533 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 14:38:19 +0000 keepcalmcarrie 2588533@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For the first maybe week he got up to change diapers MOTN. Other than that, I handled them all. That's okay with me, as long as he helps when they're sick and I get to sleep in sometimes. It works for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help/page/2#post-2588393 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 11:48:37 +0000 JenGirl 2588393@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In the first few weeks, the baby was by my husband's side of the bed and at wakings, he would change the diaper, reswaddle and give baby to me to nurse. </p> <p>Once I got a better handle on breastfeeding, I took over night wakes for the rest of my maternity leave. </p> <p>When I went back to work and the pedi said that he didn't need to eat overnight, my husband started getting him if he woke up before 3-4 AM, I got him after that. After a week of that, he started sleeping through, so my husband wasn't getting up. </p> <p>We mostly keep to this schedule. He has a tendancy to sleep through for a while, then he'll get sick/teeth/be in a strange place/get off schedule and he'll be back to having a couple wake ups. While he's sick, teething, or we're visiting people, I do most night wakes. Then we switch back to hubby doing early shift and me doing late shift, until he's sleeping through again. Repeat. So I do end up getting up more overnight, but my husband does most of the early mornings on weekends, so I get to sleep in, which works for me! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help/page/2#post-2588268 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 09:38:55 +0000 snowjewelz 2588268@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes he got up with me every single time in the very beginning, and still regularly woke up and made sure I didn't need help till probably 6+ months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help/page/2#post-2588267 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 09:38:49 +0000 catomd00 2588267@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>He helped in the early days/was up with me for solidarity lol. Did it longer with #1 than #2. But if #1 wakes up, she's all his! I don't mind, I don't really need him for anything. If it's a Rough night I just wake him up to help. (EBF) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help/page/2#post-2588264 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 09:36:49 +0000 Rocker2014 2588264@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Corduroy: I get it, we pretty much did the same thing. DH cannot function with little sleep, while I can manage it fairly well. We both WOH, and for us the best division of labor was for me to do all the overnight wakeups, but for him to do most of the chores around the house (dishes/vacuuming/bathrooms/etc.) during the day. It allowed me to focus on resting during the times LO did sleep, and him to get the overnight sleep he really needs. </p> <p>LO is 21 months now, and this system has worked well for us since the first week. Fortunately, after a crazy no sleeping first 7 months, we've rarely had wake ups overnight since then! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588220 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 08:26:33 +0000 runnerd 2588220@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I bottle feed, and I do most of night waking during the week since I'm off right now (he helps out when things get out of hand, or going and making a bottle sometimes), and we split it up on the weekends. When I go back to work after maternity leave, he will help more during the week as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588219 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 08:25:57 +0000 pastemoo 2588219@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Alba4: with our son he never helped and I got the feeling he wouldn't ... with our daughter he offers to help but I don't ask very often because I'm already up to nurse. Anytime I ask, he does help and sometimes he wakes up to ask if I need help </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588215 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 08:16:43 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2588215@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nope. He has a super stressful job right now. He sleeps in a different room while we have a newborn. I do baby wake ups (she's 3.5 weeks) he gets up with the toddler in the morning before he goes to work giving me an extra hour or so of sleep, longer on the weekends. </p> <p>If I needed him he would get up, but I don't. It works for us! He tried sleeping in our room this weekend when we had company using the guest rooms. He left for the couch after realizing our newborn is the loudest creature.</p> <p>ETA: both kids ebf. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588199 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 07:53:35 +0000 Alivoo01 2588199@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Only if I wake him up to because I'm literally dying from exhaustion. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588195 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 07:38:35 +0000 SweetiePie 2588195@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I said rarely, but it's probably between rarely and sometimes. There was usually an explicit reason for him doing it, like I was sick. </p> <p>In the very early days, I would go to bed really early and he'd do any wakings until midnight or so. I don't necessarily consider those night wakings since they are during our normal awake hours (i.e. he didn't have to wake up). But it was certainly helpful for me to get a nice stretch from 9pm - 3am or so. </p> <p>And when LO was about 4 months he was waking once a night (on the verge of sttn), I got the flu. So DH took over then, until he got it (or he claims he got it 😜. He didn't test positive like I did so I still internally roll my eyes when he says he had the flu). </p> <p>I'm sure he also randomly helped here and there and I don't remember. But the vast majority was me. And I'm ok with it since I SAH. He's helpful in so many other ways.</p> <p>ETA: I EP'd for the first month and then supplemented and eventually FF. So he was always bottle fed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588188 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 07:11:25 +0000 ValentineMommy 2588188@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With DS1, DH did all of the night wakings after the newborn phase. I'd say, once DS1 turned 3-4 months, DH did 95% of them.</p> <p>We had planned a similar agreement with DS2, but he had his own ideas. If DH went in there at night, and not me, he would scream his head off until I came in the room. Once I came in, he would settle down. That was until at least 6 months old. It's better now that he's almost a year old, and DH has resumed nighttime duty. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588187 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 07:00:34 +0000 yellowbird 2588187@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes! Always! I breastfed both babies, but as soon as they were taking a bottle consistently he would take over at least one night feeding. If they weren't on the bottle yet he would get baby and hand him/her to me in the bed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588186 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 06:55:08 +0000 Ajsmommy 2588186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD was ebf so he did not get up for feedings. The only time he gets up to help is if it's an emergency such as throw up in the crib or some other issue where I need him to calm DD while I attend to something else. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588178 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 05:47:48 +0000 Cherrybee 2588178@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I bottle feed but I still handle all night wakings for both children. DH has given one night feed in 15 weeks. DH is a heavy sleeper and doesn't wake up unless one of the children is full blown crying, enough to wake the other. I, on the other hand, wake at the slightest snuffle..... it just seems silly to wake him up when I'm already awake. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588170 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 04:50:09 +0000 imbali 2588170@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Both babies breastfed and DH gets up with me for every feeding </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588162 Tue, 19 Jul 2016 03:08:17 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2588162@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In the NB stage he was right there in the trenches. We took turns in 4-5 hour shifts when the baby was very small. At that time I was pumping, so we were both able to participate in feeding and changing the baby. It wasn't until I stopped pumping and exclusively breastfed that I took over night time duty all together. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588138 Mon, 18 Jul 2016 23:31:57 +0000 ALV91711 2588138@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS was EBF and DH helped when asked. </p> <p>In the first 2-3 weeks he would usually do one MOTN diaper change. For a couple months DS would wake early but in between feelings. DH handled all these wake ups. </p> <p>Then DH was working out of town for a few months and I was home for a year. Since I could rest in the day I just did the wake ups. </p> <p>Once DS was weaned DH would handle anything until around midnight and I'd take anything after. </p> <p>Now at 3 DS usually only wakes if he's sick and we take turns, or we both are up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588134 Mon, 18 Jul 2016 23:05:01 +0000 BabyTsMom 2588134@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH did most diaper changes, even when LO was exclusively breastfed. I'd often have to nudge him awake when LO woke up, but he'd get up, change the diaper, reswaddle, then hand him over to me to feed. It worked out pretty well. There were a handful of occasions when I didn't bother waking DH up and took care of the diapers myself. LO started STTN before we switched to exclusively formula, so I guess DH was pretty helpful in those early months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588133 Mon, 18 Jul 2016 22:58:52 +0000 Corduroy 2588133@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH helped in the first week or so for both LOs. We EBF and I just preferred to have a rested husband over having help at night.</p> <p>ETA: that sounds really martyr-y of me but I really just hated hearing DH whine about being tired when I was exhausted. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588126 Mon, 18 Jul 2016 22:25:37 +0000 youboots 2588126@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes unless he had a really early meeting or flight. He worked from home for the first six weeks on his bosses suggestion- so that was really nice. T was ebf for a year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588123 Mon, 18 Jul 2016 22:19:50 +0000 Anagram 2588123@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>yes always, even when I was BFing. He would change the babies, or get them back to sleep, or give them a bottle (pumped) for a feeding so I could get some extra sleep.</p> <p>In my mind, it's not even framed as him "helping me" with night wakings--we are just both doing our share of night time parenting. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588113 Mon, 18 Jul 2016 21:33:08 +0000 PawPrints 2588113@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We EBF but in the beginning there was still plenty for both of us to do. I think for those very early first few weeks DH would do the diaper and bring her to me to feed her. As we went along we stopped doing MOTN diapers and then yeah for a long while the nighttime wakeups were just me hauling her from the cosleeper up next to me, letting her eat, then plopping her back into the cosleeper. </p> <p>These days on the rare occasion she needs us in the MOTN, it's a toss-up which of us will get up to go help her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/middle-of-the-night-wakings-does-your-so-help#post-2588109 Mon, 18 Jul 2016 21:17:09 +0000 Charm54 2588109@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At the beginning , yes . We bottle fed so we did shifts.</p> <p>As they got older and wake ups become more infrequent, I did 100% of them. I had year maternity leaves and he was working full time so it only seemed fair. That being said, if we had a particularly rough night he would come and take a turn . </p>