Cosleeping and nursing = compromised immunity?

[@llli*josiewales]

My DD is 17mo. We've always coslept and she still wakes up most nights 3-5x times to comfort nurse herself back to sleep. I've been sick--not colds, but flattened in bed for at least 24 hrs at a time--at least six times this school year. My
Mom and a close friend both think my interrupted sleep may be the culprit; I don't get solid sleep much.

Full disclosure--I teach HS, so I am exposed to 120 kids every day, plus I have a kindergartener and a 4yo in preschool. (DD goes to an in-home sitter w one other baby.). But I haven't been sick like this so often, at least not that I can recall.

Any thoughts? I think I may need to tell DD her neh-neh is sleeping at night, too. She will not be happy!

[@llli*auderey]

eh, maybe you're just overworked/overstressed? do you FEEL tired? i don't necessarily think that interrupted sleep is bad sleep, if you're getting enough of it. but you could cut down on that 3-5x/night nursing for a 17 month old ... you could cut back on that. i did the same at 21 months and it was relatively easy, drama-free, and we both got dramatically better sleep. but i also think at 21 months DS was kind of ready for that move, and i'm not sure he would have been at 17 months. he also had a terrible illness at 18 months and nursing around the clock kept him out of the hospital for at least 3 days (before he ultimately went to the hospital). so. all that germ bombardment (hs, k, and pre-school) is a LOT too. so i guess the question is, do you feel she's ready to cut back, and/or are you at the end of your rope?

[@llli*lllkaren]

Honestly, I'd say it's probably just from having young children. When my DD was in kindergarten and my DS was 2 and 3, I kept getting strep and bad viruses and one really horrible case of bacterial pneumonia. After they'd been in school a few years they stopped getting sick so much and so did I.

My husband said at the time that I probably got sick when he didn't because I had a "weak constitution." I pointed out that he was not the one that the children slept on and used as human kleenex.

[@llli*pteroglossus]

I'm also sick and had the same thoughts as you. I have this stupid flu that keeps coming and going. When I was really sick I do think that DD nursing at night was compromising my recovery because when she woke me up I could not get back to sleep and started having insomnia. When I got a bit better I tried Jay Gordon method which you can read about in another post. But then we travelled to another country for 24 hr, 5 hr time difference, and now she is doing crazy stuff at night like waking 2-6 AM (NOOOO!!!). DH and I are going crazy. We got all thrown off with the night weaning. And I am still coughing like mad and have some nasty sinus thing. However, DD only had a very mild form of this flu (I think she gave it to me) and I figure nursing kept her from getting sicker. Hard to know.

I think Jay Gordon would have continued to work if we hadn't interrupted with a major trip right after getting things down. We are trying to go back to it but just don't even know how to start since she wakes up and wants to PLAY. First we have to at least get her sleeping at night!

[@llli*josiewales]

For a long time I didn't feel tired, auderey. Or at least, just normal-tired! But these last few months I've been absolutely whipped, and sometimes when she nurses I think, I just don't have it in me. Like I'm being sapped dry. Of the last 3 nights, she's slept through twice. And I still love that early-morning nursing session! The drama when I tell her that her neh-neh is sleeping hasn't been too bad, so I'm going to stick w/that.

Thankfully, school is out the 17th, and we will hopefully get a break from everyone else's germs.

In regards to her being ready to cut back, no, she's in love with her neh-neh. In fact, the last 3 weeks she's started popping off the breast, pointing tenderly at my nipple and murmuring, "Neh-neh..." in a dreamy voice, then does this big silly cheesy toothy grin with her eyes squinched shut. Which makes me laugh and melt all at once!

[@llli*auderey]

awwww!

still, you have to set limits to take care of yoruself, too, and if you're at the "sapped dry" stage, i think it's time. sometimes just a few limits can give us the energy & space to feel happy about the other remaining nursing sessions!