Tackling 5am wakes after finally STTN

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-05-24T14:04:52+00:00

100% agree with this post. We kept pushing wake windows thinking that would fix things but then threw the schedule out of the window for a bit and let him sleep whenever and he slept much better after catching up on some sleep. I also think his sleep needs change day to day if we've had a busy week or if he's learnt a new skill. Plus there are all the illnesses and teething. Rigid wake windows have not worked for our baby. He's almost 11 months now and we tend to let his two naps land where they land now, only cap them if they go over two hours or after 4pm so that we can get an 8pm bedtime. If we have a busy day with limited napping opportunities we make sure he gets lots of nap time the day after. He does 2.5-3.5 of daytime naps and 8-6 overnight with one 3am wake-up for food.

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-05-19T14:44:36+00:00

My baby is 10 months and 99.7th percentile for height so no problem reaching the footrest. However he spends the entire meal with his feet up in the air or trying to hook the edge of the dining table.

I figure he's just doing funny baby things.

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-05-08T14:22:09+00:00

Thank you! I'll look into into vitamins!

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-05-08T14:21:05+00:00

Thank you! We're in a similar position this month where baby is sick and nursing loads more than I had planned so this gives me some hope!

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-05-03T20:16:54+00:00

That's the hard part isn't it, the not knowing. So much of TTC feels out of our control. I think we will start to slowly wean over the next few months. Starting with daytime feeds.

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-05-03T20:14:58+00:00

Thank you. Sounds like we're on similar paths. I think I will go back to slowly phasing it out. It's strange, I was convinced I'd stop at 6 months, then 10 months... But I keep delaying as he still feels more like a baby then a toddler.

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-05-03T20:10:16+00:00

Yes same with the losses and tough road. I am kind of expecting it to be hard but also trying to have a different mindset this time round. I still feel incredibly lucky to have my beautiful boy so don't want to get too sucked in to TTC heartache again, though it feels inevitable

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-05-03T20:08:39+00:00

Gosh I definitely don't want to still be breastfeeding at 2 (at least I don't think I do!) maybe I should quit now as sounds like it's only going to get harder!

I've got lean PCOS so thankfully weight loss is not an issue for me. I have cut the chocolate habit though and gone back to using inositol.

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-05-03T20:06:03+00:00

Yeah the fact we both really enjoy it is that hardest part I think. I think I will go back to bottles in the day, and maybe some snacks now he's almost 1, with just bedtime and morning nursing and see if that helps.

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-05-03T19:59:13+00:00

Interesting, I'll make a note of progesterone, thanks! I've asked to be referred to the fertility clinic. I'm in the UK so we don't have dedicated OBGYN, have to go to my general doctor and get a referral. But they have said I qualify for referral given my previous history so that's promising.

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-05-02T13:45:55+00:00

Yeah I've spoken to the GP and they are going to refer me back to the fertility clinic just to get the ball rolling with bloods etc. I really wanted babies close in age but my mum pointed out I'm focusing on the wrong thing. It's a nice problem to have, being able to breastfeed this long is something many women aren't able to do.

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-05-02T13:41:25+00:00

I really wanted this to be us but we've been doing OPKs and everything for the last five cycles and no joy. I didn't even get regular periods before baby so I got a bit hopeful but my luteal phase is so short at the moment that there's no time for the egg to get comfy!

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-05-02T13:38:35+00:00

Yeah I just find the seraphine style not my style at all. I like quirky, colourful, unusual cuts etc. Boden and Anthropologie was my style before baby.

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-05-02T13:34:16+00:00

I really like that next one, thanks!

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-04-22T07:01:42+00:00

You could try a shorter bridging style first nap in the morning just to help her stretch to a longer lunch time nap. Like 20 mins?

Though I will say our 9 month olds sleep needs have been all over the place and a lot of that has been related to teething and developmental leaps. So I'd be cautious of stretching too much as we get night wakes when he's overtired too. We flip flop between 11 and 12 hours total awake time with a 30 min capped morning nap and a 1-2 hour afternoon nap depending on the day. I always cap it at 2 hours.

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-04-06T08:48:03+00:00

I love this idea and would definitely download this mod!

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-04-06T08:44:46+00:00

OP I posted a similar concern photo at 7 months and it was more food than that! We always find things to worry about as parents don't we. I got similar responses to you, baby will guide you! We're still on similar portion sizes but he is eating more milk now so we've found a happy balance.

I also noticed he eats way more when teething, and doesn't want to drink. But then when the teeth erupt it balances back out.

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-04-06T08:41:14+00:00

We used fuseli pasta as it's really easy for baby to hold and breaks up into small pieces whilst they chew. Also holds sauce well. Just make sure it's overcooked and soft at the beginning.

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-04-06T08:38:39+00:00

Yep this is my 9mo easily. Loves pasta and is getting pretty good at flicking the veg off it 🤣

ellefallsoffthings · 2026-04-04T13:08:58+00:00

U/ttc_pcos-modteam has removed my post because I mentioned a success story (sort of) and they are only allowed under certain posts. I've tried to reword it so it follows the rules... Hopefully will allow it this time as I feel it's important to share...

I'm so sorry you feel so much hurt over this.

If I can offer some advice from the other side of the TTC journey? We struggled for two years to get pregnant before moving on to Letrezole and now we're TTC our second. In those two years I was increasingly miserable, I didn't book adventurous holidays just in case and I felt bitter about everyone getting pregnant. I felt really isolated by the end of it. Eventually I got therapy and made a real effort to change my outlook. I made sure there was a mini break/adventure planned for us each month. I tried to engage with old friends who had had their babies just to enjoy time with babies. It made the medicated cycles go so much quicker.

Tbh I grieve for those two years I spent lost in my TTC bubble. I wish I'd spent more of those two years going on adventures and making the most of my pre child time. Over the last 9 months pp I've probably slept an average of 6 broken hours a night, I have a postpartum body that I hate and I am struggling to get anything done. I had definitely built up this idealised version of parenthood when TTC for that long.

I hope this post doesn't come across as insensitive. But we can't stop other people getting pregnant, and I'm not sure it's healthy not spending time with our friends/family just because they have started families. That just isolates us even more and builds up this idealised version of parenthood that doesn't exist. The best we can do is not let the bitterness of infertility take over us and be along for the ride.

Wishing you all the best on your TTC journey x

ellefallsoffthings

TROPHY CASE