help re baby sleep (merged)

demonicangel

Babies will sleep through when they are ready. IMO theres not much point trying to make them before they are ready, CC only works because they learn that you wont go into them to see what they want/need so they dont bother anymore.

My nearly 5 year old has only just started sleeping through, before she was waking between 2 and 4 times a night.

My nearly two year old still doesnt sleep through, she wakes about 5 times a night and some nights its very hard to settle her back off. I am glad we co sleep with her as it makes things so much easier.

I make up for the lost sleep by going to bed early, most nights Im asleep by 10pm!

squashy

Is your baby still getting plenty of milk with her feeds? At 5 months and up to about 12 months it is reccomended that their diet should consist mainly of milk, any food given should only be as a top-up/taster. I am also not a fan of controlled crying methods at all. I bought a book called The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley which is excellent.

I have a 3 month old baby and she still wakes once or twice for feeds in the night, but I feel fully rested as she sleeps close by and so i barely have to open my eyes! a 10 minute reclining or lying down breastfeed and she is settled again. I am also going back to work soon but not in a rush to get her sleeping through, she will when she's ready.

LilMissEmmylou

13 month old - still wakes once a night and just wants reassurance to go back to sleep (hold her hand, touch her face etc). I think she just likes to know she isnt alone as she isnt hungry, thirsty, dirty bum etc. Each baby will have their own individual pattern, but i do find its best to let them/you find the pattern rather than force it. And before people say "oh but i have to get up early etc". Snap, im full time at uni 5 days a week

Cyee

... there's lots of good advice on here from people with more experience than me. But for what it's worth...

While sleeping through might not happen for a while, my only advice is to try not to worry:
a) your worry/stress will transmit to the baby and won't help the sleeping stuff
b) you're not going to know how you'll cope at work until you're back. If you're like me, you were panicking when you were pregnant about a lack of sleep. However you've coped and if your baby isn't sleeping through when you go back to work I'm sure you'll cope admirably as well.

My LO is just over 6 months and has been waking once (or 5 times when growth spurting!) for breastfeeds in the night. I thought formula might help... don't think it did. Then I thought weaning would do it... and not sure that it has. However she has just started to sleep through, well, with a little dummy help from about 6am.

Good luck. You sound like a lovely Mum and your baby is lucky to have you!

Cyee

Oh and I meant to say that I did try a few things: cooled boiled water etc., but the easiest and quickest thing was just to go with her. The weird thing is that the moment I decided that if the worst thing (when back at work) was a nightfeed, in bed, then that wasn't so bad. Defo not as bad as sitting up for ages.. Good luck again

carolan78

Our 22 month old dd refused to go in a cot or moses basket so we co slept with her. I have just given birth to our ds (18th Dec), because dd seems to have an issue with cots or been enclosed (you could lay her on a bed or sofa no problems awake or asleep but pt her in a cot she would scream was like a built in alarm within seconds she would wake) we changed the cot into the bed. About weeks before ds was born we puthr into her own bed and she went off with her bottle of milk no problem.

Fast forward a week and she started waking after half hour, we tried everything suggested on hr but the softly softl approach just did not work.I was always against controlled crying but we gave it a go. It was hard and she stood at her door (we have a aby gate there) for 3 hours on and off shouting us. We went up every 15 minutes gave her a kiss calmed he down and put her back into bed. The following night we had no problems at all and still don't. When Daddy wakes for work she comes into bed with mummy and little brother for cuddles and a snooze.

Anyway mypoint to this was don't rule anything out until you have at least tried it no matter how ghastly you think it maybe. As people keep saying all children are differant, therefore differant approaches are needed. Hope it gets better for you soon, I have it all to come again shortly lol

cobbingstones

My advice would to get a copy of The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg from your library. Excellent well thought out book.

MM

Welshlassie

Thank you all for your comments.
HE still isn't sleeping through although we definately have an improvement, he is now going down awake and has learnt to settle himself.
I did try CC, but lasted 8 minutes before getting upset myself and going in to pick him up.
I have borrowed Tracey Hoggs Baby Whisperer and been very impressed so far and have started the picking up and putting down technique, also have given a dummy/cooled boiled water during the night.
Last night he woke 4 times, but the first 3 he settled himself without crying, just a few whimpering noises, that he always makes when settling himself to sleep with me there.

Just a thought, but why do you give him this bottle if he is asleep? You may be disturbing his sleeping pattern and perhaps he waits four hours later as he is just expecting to be woken agian then?

Apart from that it would seem you are doing everything right - not much help I know but true

This is known as a dream feed and alot of the books I have read recommend this along with several of my friends.

I also spoke to my HV yesterday who has said that he is old enough to be sleeping through, especially as he no longer requires his night feeds. I'm going to speak to her further next week if we haven't cracked it by Monday.

Can I ask - why isn't daddy getting up to help? It sounds like you are doing it all yourself? What about sharing the load? Then some nights you can sleep, and others he can. You can nominate who will be on 'duty' for a particular night.

He drives alot during the day for work, so needs to have had a good nights sleep he does his share on the weekends and if I'm really struggling in the week, will help out. He is very good.

With regards to co-sleeping, this isn't an option as we have a waterbed and SIDS/suffocation is a much higher risk.

He has been in his own room for several months as he outgrew his moses basket.

Although he is on 3 meals a day, these are spread throughout the day and he doesn't have a huge amount of food. He still has a large amount of milk after each meal and at either end of the day. He is a big boy and a huge appetite.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed. Sorry if I have missed any questions. Hopefully our nights will continue to improve.

Amanda65

Welshlassie wrote: »

This is known as a dream feed and alot of the books I have read recommend this along with several of my friends.

Well I must admit to being a bit out of touch - my DD's are 16 and 14 and DS 12 - but can honestly say I have never heard of a dream feed. I woudl be really tempted to leave it out and see what happens, whilst maybe trying to increase what he eats at teatime.

It sounds as though you are really persevering though and I am sure that he won't be long before he lets you get a whole nights sleep

Welshlassie

Amanda65 wrote: »

Well I must admit to being a bit out of touch - my DD's are 16 and 14 and DS 12 - but can honestly say I have never heard of a dream feed. I woudl be really tempted to leave it out and see what happens, whilst maybe trying to increase what he eats at teatime.

It sounds as though you are really persevering though and I am sure that he won't be long before he lets you get a whole nights sleep

We tried leaving it out just before Christmas, he just woke up at 1am instead, starving hungry.