Midnight Mamas ( or Papas)

To my midnight Mamas ( or Papas) who are still getting up with their little ones... YOU are doing a great job! 

As I sit here at 2:15 am, I thought things would be different once my daughter reached the 3 month mark. I mean at this age my son was sleeping through the night, my friends baby is also sleeping through the night, and the lady that posted on Facebook says that her little one the same age is sleeping through the night. Then why oh why isn’t my daughter? Simple answer,  she isn’t that baby. She is her own unique little self. 

My son was very laid back and went with the flow as a baby. He barely cried and was a great sleeper. I could usually lay him down to sleep around this age and he would sleep a solid 8-10 hours. 

My daughter on the other hand came out screaming and knowing what she wanted. Her little personality is starting to shine through and she is very determined. She has put herself on her own bedtime routine and will get fussy if not put down in time. Yet, she is still getting up during the middle of the night to feed ( and cuddle). 

So as I sit here with her, I remind myself that she isn’t my son, she isn’t my friends baby, she isn’t the baby on Facebook. She is a baby that needs different attention than the others. She still needs to wake up in the middle of the night to eat, or just cuddle. She is different in every aspect of her little being. As her mother I need to accept that she may not be ready to sleep through the night. As her mother I need to stop comparing her to other babies. As her mother I need to comfort her when she is crying, smile along with her when she needs a smile, cuddle with her at the wee hours of night, when she needs that extra feel of security. I need to remember that she won’t meet those milestones at exactly the same time as my son or the other babies. She will meet the milestones when she is ready. I am here to help guide her to meet those milestones, but I will not worry if she is a day or a week off. I will continue getting up with her throughout the night, because right now that is what she needs. 

Again, to my mamas ( or papas) still getting up with your little ones, snuggle them a little more, and know that you are doing the best you can for them.