help re baby sleep (merged)

SaveTheCheerleader

Hi there, my baby is 7 months old and still wakes up 3-4 times a night for a breastfeed. It's tough but I'm going with it as I can't face the idea of controlled crying in the middle of the night, far too noisy! I find that I can feed him and doze at the same time so it's not too bad. I also find that sometimes if he stirs I wrap him up in a blanket and goes straight back off with no need to rock or soothe.

I've not heard of the dream feed either, I'll be honest if baby is asleep i'd be tempted to leave him.....

SaveTheCheerleader

I'm slow at sending messages - just seen that you have tried dropping it!

IWasWondering...

My DS had a lovely routine - awake 3 hours - asleep half an hour. 24/7 for months. I was absolutely knackered. And I went back to work after six months. But gradually, he stayed awake for longer and asleep for longer and one morning I suddenly realised he'd slept through the night. He was about 18 months old before he slept through regularly. The only thing I missed when he got older was the afternoon nap - 'cos I had one as well.
I'm afraid I couldn't do the CC. Never even tried. If he wanted me, he got me, and I might have been tired but I had a lovely happy child, who always had a smile on his face. And the biggest benefit of all was that he rarely cried. Eventually he slept through. And it was wonderful.
You do get through it. It does get better. Good luck.

seatzie

the only thing we found worked for our DS was putting him to bed later at night, when he used to be in bed between 7.30 and 8 you could guarantee any time from 5am on he was ready to go, he's now almost 2 and a half and I'd say for the last year we've been putting him to bed at 9pm, generally he sleeps till after 7 sometimes 8, it kinda seemed obvious for us if he was waking at 5 move his bedtime back. He still sleeps during the day for a while, but I actually enjoy having extra time at night with him. When he was in bed between 7.30 and 8 by the time I got home from work, had dinner, took the dog out etc, I was maybe getting an hour with him, whereas I get longer now

ramellous1

I am a daddy to 18 month old and 4 month old girls. Can I ask what you mean by sleeping through. Our aim is for them to sleep unbroken until 6am because this is when we need to be up for work. DD1 has done this for ages but we are having the same probs as you with dd2. At the mo she goes to bed at 7pm. DW gives her a feed at 11pm (she would wake up around this time for it anyway). The trouble is now she is wide awake about 4am every morning. What we do is I go to bed early.(with earplugs) and get up at 4am with dd2. We have some nice quiet time together and I will give her a bottle at 5am and do the nappy change and get her dressed. DW gets up at 6 with dd1 and our day together starts, We are just hoping as she gets a bit older she will sleep longer naturally. I found it much easier to just get up with her and start the day earlier cos we were both kept awake trying to sooth her and get her to go back to sleep again. After a few days of this going to bed at 9pm is not hard. zzzzzzzzzzz

dad-of-4

never had any problem with our 4 sleeping thru, bit of baby rice in the bottle does wonders, and is much easier than cutting the teat and using weetabix as was the way when i was a lad. lol

we never let them have dummies either. dummies are like chewing gum, and just make you more hungry, they had a bottle while there going asleep and while there asleep, they grow out of that one eventualy.

cooled down boiled water, haha, thats health visitors advice, and i have never met anyone who found it works,
and i would never believe that anyone who came on here and said it does isn't a health visitor!!

think about it would any of you be happy if you came in from work hungry sat at the table only to be given a glass of water or a piece of chewing gum.

juat talking about my own experiences here, not trying to say you should do it.

Woby_Tide

dad-of-4 wrote: »

cooled down boiled water, haha, thats health visitors advice, and i have never met anyone who found it works,
and i would never believe that anyone who came on here and said it does isn't a health visitor!!

think about it would any of you be happy if you came in from work hungry sat at the table only to be given a glass of water or a piece of chewing gum.

erm exactly, if you came home hungery from work everynight and got given some water or chewing gum you'd stay in work longer thinking it's not worth going home..I may aswell go to the pub...or have a kip.....actually yeah a longer sleep will help me get past it till food is on the table...;)


(and I'm not a health vistor)

squashy

dad-of-4 wrote: »

never had any problem with our 4 sleeping thru, bit of baby rice in the bottle does wonders, and is much easier than cutting the teat and using weetabix as was the way when i was a lad. lol


think about it would any of you be happy if you came in from work hungry sat at the table only to be given a glass of water or a piece of chewing gum.

baby rice in a bottle is a huge no no and frankly dangerous. PLEASE DONT DO THIS

Your second comment above hits the nail on the head though, if you baby is crying for a feed then really feeding it is the only kind thing to do! Sometimes a baby has a growth spurt and needs extra milk, and around 5 months is prob about right!

dad-of-4

in what way is it dangerous? Proof please.

jannyannie

Hi Welshlassie

I feel for you so much, there is nothing like that feeling of tiredness. I breastfed our Son and I did controlled crying when he was 7 and a half months old. I had to go back to work when he was 3 and a half months old doing nights so sleep was so precious. It took three days, I told my neighbours, Step-Sons and OH what to expect and it wasn't that bad. The book that I read recommends starting at 6 months. You can make the periods where you go in as little as you want. I also recommend Toddler Taming by Christopher Green, very re-assuring and down-to-earth.

Good luck :A xxxx