Fathers: Tips for sleepless nights with baby

Everyone who has ever raised children thinks they are an expert. Isn’t it funny how most experts on children have never raised any themselves? For my part, I’m just an ordinary dad. I was one of the pioneer stay at home fathers who, 21 years ago, gave up a career to bring up a daughter then later on, a son.

My wife and I had a deal when the children were born. She went back to work when the babies were five weeks old (we had two, four years apart). I stayed home and was responsible for both of them from the time they woke up until she got home. Her part of the arrangement was to take over as I served supper then in the evening she would bathe both and read to them. It was her bonding time. I was only too happy to kick back and watch some real TV or get out of the house to visit some friends. With the first child all was well.

After the second child things changed and as time wore on, my lovely wife began to wear out. Working all day and having two kids at night began to take a toll on her. She was a trooper but it was clear, another deal had to be struck. So, after the evening routine and the kids were put to bed, I offered to take on the midnight feeding and the odd bouts of night terrors. I must admit, it was hard at first.

I’m sorry, did I say hard? I meant agony. You might have called it a living hell, but hell would have been a vacation. I was up at the crack of dawn and still awake until after the midnight feed, I was becoming the walking dead. Then one day I gave up. I stopped fighting and just gave in. It was the smartest thing I could have done.

My return to sanity began when I decided that if I was going to be forced to stay up I would be comfortable. I brought a rocker into the baby’s room and kept a blanket and a pillow nearby. It was awesome! In the beginning I would turn on the light, change the baby and then drop into the rocker with a blanket to keep us both warm. It was easy and relaxing for me, but I soon learned that babies think light equals play time. This wasn’t so good so I began the midnight operations by night light alone. The little guy responded nicely, but getting him back to sleep after a change, food and burp was hit or miss. So to ease “my” suffering I began to listen to music as I rocked the little one to sleep. I figured if I had to be there I might as well enjoy some tunes. It turned out, my kids like music too. Not lullaby’s and classical stuff, you think that would sooth the