BLOGMAS #10 | The Reality Of Night Feeds

You know those baby milk adverts, I think they're by Cow & Gate, with the baby sleeping soundly on Mums shoulder, and she blissfully rocks him back and forth during the early hours, looking perfectly together? I'll tell you now, that isn't a night feed, I don't know what it is but it's no kind of night feed I've experienced. I feel like there is such a romanticised view of feeding your baby during the night, of course you love your baby and would do anything, but we don't need to pop on those rose tinted glasses, night feeds are hard.


During those first few weeks, even the first month or two, your baby is extremely likely to not distinguish between their arse and their elbow, so you really cannot expect they're going to wake up, have their bottle and think 'Ooo night time, back to bed for me'. If only. In actual fact, they're probably thinking Whaaay, party time, and your chances of going to bed before sunset are suddenly looking slim to none. You don't spring out of bed, minus the first month when you definitely spend a lot of your babies sleep time staring at them breathing, chances are you are going to be absolutely sparko when baby wakes, thus feeling like someone has ripped your eyeballs out and placed them into acid. It's not fun, you're exhausted, you hope it's just a rouse and they'll nod back off, it's not, get up and make that bottle. Invest in a dressing gown, if you haven't already because you are going to need it. It doesn't matter if it's the height of summer when babys born or the depths of winter, houses are not warm at night. Babies wake unpredictably, so chances are you wont have time to pop the heating on, your living room may resemble the north pole, but it's ok, you'll be back in that warm bed in an hour or four. The sight of your other half, sleeping sounder than your baby ever has, will make you consider if a life sentence isn't so bad, I have definitely actively hated John during night feeds, particularly when he perkily says in the morning 'he slept well last night didn't he?' if looks could kill right?

It seems to be a false sense of reality that night feeds are glorious, we love them and just fall deeper in love with your baby during those hours. That isn't true for me, I loved my son when he was born, before hand even, it doesn't grow or diminish, my love is infinite, my love for waking up at 1, 2 and 5 however, is not. Don't get me wrong, night feeds are a special bonding time between you and baby, and this time with P I can hand on heart say I've never asked John to do one, from the off I said it was something I always wanted to do each night. Thank god he slept through from five weeks (I know, I hate me too) and I didn't really have to persevere for too long, as they are incredibly hard. Like I said, they are massively romanticised, it's ok to not enjoy night feeds!