Dear Cake or Sleep?
Cake or Sleep is bigger than the 90’s Daddy or Chips dilemma. (Totally Chips won by the way- my dad always nicked our chips- grrrrr!).
Currently I can eat cake, ALOT of cake. In fact I eat at least a Jamaican Ginger Cake a day, plus the odd glass of wine, a fair amount of chocolate and not enough fruit or veg. I’m not putting a jot of weight on, in fact I am losing it because of the breastfeeding. I am currently lighter than I was when breastfeeding Oddler (she was mixed fed but predominantly breastfed, Omble is pretty much exclusively breastfed as she keeps bottle refusing but we do offer her the occasional bottle top up as her weight gain is a bit crap).
Generally I am not all that bothered by my weight, it fluctuates and I have a pot belly and big old childbearing hips, but heck I have had two kids neglects to mention the fact the pot belly was pretty much the same size before kids if not bigger but I must admit am rather enjoying the compliments (and the “you need to eat more cake you are too thin” comments) and the fact I have brought new clothes that actually look good on. I haven’t been this slim since I was about 14!
If I remember correctly Oddler weaned early and fast. By 7months old she was down to 3feeds a day by 13months she had lost interest completely- in those 6months I did put a bit of weight on (I was living on my own with Oddler in Somerset knowing no-one, while LordCurd commuted while we tried to find CurdHall- it was a tough and lonely time and I think I probably also comfort ate as well as continuing the eating pattern I had established while breastfeeding.)
Then I fell pregnant again, it was ectopic, then pregnant again and in the ensuing vomitous months my pregnancy body did its usual trick of losing weight from everywhere except the bump- my legs, arms went slim, my cheekbones verged on emaciated. Omble Baby was eating me alive, just as Oddler before her. I know I am a bit of a freak of nature to be at my thinnest when at my belly is fattest!
So now here we are- Omble is almost 20weeks old- we are miles from weaning her- Oddler was far more advanced (much bigger so was rolling and grabbing and was nicking food). Definitely won’t be starting weaning until the 26weeks reccomended and even then I have a strong suspicion she won’t take to it like Oddler has. Let’s say Oddler has inherited my appetite and frame and I think Omble is going to be a different kettle of weaning fish entirely.
I know once Oddler started weaning life got so much easier – suddenly my life had a vague structure to it, breastfeed, breakfast, nap, breastfeed, lunch nap, breastfeed maybe a snoooze, dinner, breastfeed, sleep, nightfeed (just the one if lucky), and Oddler’s sleep got so much better. So part of me can’t wait, but then also part of me wants to breastfeed her til she is 18 so I can still eat this much cake and still stay slim! Have I mentioned I love cake?
However currently I am getting bugger all sleep , as Omble literally feeds all night, so I am tempted, before we started weaning, to add a bottle to her night feeds to try and tank her up so she sleeps for a longer stretch (at the minute she wakes every 40mins or so!). This does involve effort and I am quite lazy plus the knock on effect will be on my milk supply, if she is feeding from me less then cake will stop being calorie free. I like calorie free cake, but I also like sleep.
So help- what do I decide- cake or sleep?
At the minute Cake is winning to be honest. Mmmmm cake…
Love
LadyCakeLovingSleepDeprivedCurd
Cake?
Sleep?
Letters From LadyCurd 