sanity and sleep deprivation

I so wish there was a magic formula for getting a full night's sleep. Oona was up every hour and fifteen minutes last night and would not go back down without nursing. So far, I've been on the attachment parenting side of things. Oona will sleep through the night when she's ready and the best solution is the solution that works for everybody. But cursing at your daughter in the middle of the night is a sign that something isn't working. Resenting your daughter is not a good thing. Now, is the solution a change in my own mind-set? Or do I need to pursue night-weaning? Is this a need or is it a manipulation? Do I let her cry it out - with me there? I personally just can't let her cry by herself. But that is even more sleep deprivation, at least on the short term.

Kellymom.com says that the night nursing is a need - if not a nutritional one than an emotional one and each baby will start sleeping through the night when he or she is ready. Here's my reference on their site. She also suggests nursing more during the day. Now, I know I have this problem but don't know how to fix it. Oona doesn't nurse well during the day. She gets distracted, latches on, latches off and I have very low patience for that. For one thing, it hurts! And I can't go in to a separate room because my older child isn't old enough to be by herself while I try to get Oona to nurse. If she was three or four, it would be different but she's not even two and a half.

Overall, I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. I either tough it out and be okay with it (I am okay with night nursing but not at an hour a part) or I let her cry. All I really want is to sleep and it's hard to decide which one will give me more sleep. I also don't want to be the subject of my daughter's psychotherapy sessions but perhaps that is unavoidable? Cursing isn't a good thing. Are tears better? See, rock and a hard place.

Thank you, blog, for giving me a place to write this out. I have had one idea. Oona gets fussy and hungry around 4:30 in the afternoon or so. Usually either the boys or Eric are home by then. I could leave Gemma with them and try to get a good nursing in while in another room. I haven't been doing this because I've wanted Oona to eat more solids around dinner time in the hope that that would get her sleeping longer. But maybe it could work. It is definitely worth a try. More painless than listening to her cry or getting mad at her. Fingers crossed.