HELP, HELP, HELP!!!!!! Tried to cut out night feeding resulted in over 3 hours crying!!

[pevie]

Just had night from hell. Tried not to feed 8 mth old when woke at 11.30 pm. DH went in cuddled a few times then tried to do some form of CC by leaving for few mins at a time. She seemed to calm at about one and a half hours in and went quiet for 10 mins then started from scratch again. Two hours later, he eventually just rocked her to sleep and she slept till 7. I feel so awful that we put her through that, it was on advice of all professionals!!! Thought it might be 2 hours at most, but she seemed to have 10 min power nap in middle and start again. What do we do now? Only thing we achieved is that we didnt feed her all night. Did try water, etc but didnt want it. Should we try DH rocking her to sleep or me going in but not feeding. Cant go back to feeding and her waking about every hour!!!! How long have any of you had your LO cry and what did you do? Please help as I feel that I am at breaking point.

[colditz]

I wouldn't leave her to cry that long, I'd get your dh to rock her until nearly asleep.

[Oliveoil]

why don't they want you to feed her in the night?

dd1 stopped feeding in the night at about 6 months iirc, dd2 was about 18 months (and still a bad sleeper)

[FlllightAttendant]

I expect she might just need a little longer having night feeds/cuddles. Have you tried having her in the bed with you? They settle better that way, often.

[emmaagain]

I'd take her into bed with me, honestly, and let everyone have a good night sleep (lying down dream feeding - it's what we are evolved to do :-) )

[MacavitysCat]

Bottle or breast?

If bottle just do it gradually. My ds2 has only just started to sleep through the night and he is 2.2 (). We got him to do it by diluting his nighttime bottle very very slowly and cutting it down so that it was not worth his while waking up. It took a few weeks but it was so worth it because it was pain free (for us all) and pretty easy.

[pevie]

Its not really professionals telling us to cut out night feeding. We have had lots of problems with it because she gets terrible wind which keeps her up all night. Believe me we have tried cosleeping but if she has wind then she really does not sleep in bed with us either. So we felt that the best solution was to cut out night feeds, especially since she seems to feed quite well in the day!!!! Just didnt think it would be this hideous!!

[chalkette]

Is she on solids yet?

[pevie]

Yes on plenty of solids. Taking 3 square meals a day with afters usually and some finger foods.

[pevie]

Please share your experiences if you have them as am really interested.

[robin3]

Might still be too early. DS2 didn't stop waking for a feed until he was 10 months and that was with a top up at 11ish. Some babies more hungry.

[MacavitysCat]

How many night feeds is she currently on?

[juuule]

Are you saying that if you fed and settled her at 11:30 she would then wake up every hour after that until morning?

[pevie]

She is very variable. Some nights when you feed her at 10.30, 11 or whenever she first wakes, you can feed her and she'll go back down for2, 3, or 4 hours. The best scenario is that she only wakes twice for a feed and then goes back down within half an hour which is obviously manageable. However, other nights she is uncomfortable after that first feed and even though she will fall asleep right away, she wakes with wind about an hour later and then sometimes you can spend up to 3 hours putting her down and picking her up cos she just cant settle, even when in our bed. It really depends on level of discomfort. eg. the other night she got up at 10ish, didnt feed her, then 11ish did feed her, she went back down for around 2 hours, then tried to settle without feeding but couldnt so after about an hour fed her, but she couldnt go back down cos she was so uncomfortable from wind from earlier feed, so took her downstairs about 3 gave cool, boiled water and gripe water and tried to settle, ended up feeding again and she settled about 4 in our bed till about 6ish. So you see why we felt we really needed to tackle it. Its not a case of feed her a couple of times and she goes back down. I regularly get about 3 or 4 hours sleep and she is also v.cranky. Is being seen by paediatrician who has tried reflux meds, also tried cranial osteopathy and every wind solution known to man!!!!!!!!!!

[emmaagain]

Terrible wind at this age is weird, isn't it?

Might she be lactose intolerant or celiac or something?

Do you go to bed when she does? I'd recommend that VERY highly until her sleep becomes more settled - being up in the night is much much easier when you have 4 hours sleep under your own belt.