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Almost 7 months - has started waking for 2am feed???

6 replies

misskipper · 26/04/2015 08:37

Ftm. Last week my DD slept through from 7ish until 6:30ish for 7 nights in a row. I thought we'd cracked it! How wrong I can be!!

She has started flipping over onto her tummy and crying because she can't get back. If she wakes at 1 or 2am nothing will settle her except a bottle.

We had moved her into her cot during our 'smug' week and I still do bed time in there. However she is so unsettled now that she comes back to her crib or even into bed so she will sleep.

Don't really want to leave her to cry. She's already a dummy user. Any ideas?! Please help - we were so close and I feel like we are going backwards!

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OinkBalloon · 26/04/2015 08:44

IME when my babies started sleeping through they needed an extra feed during the day to keep them going through the night. So dc1, who usually fed about 5 times during the day, needed at least 6 feeds, and dc2, who usually fed about 6-7 times during the day, needed at least 8 feeds. This only lasted for 1-2m after they started sleeping through. I think it was about taking in enough calories during the day to last them through the night.

In your position I'd go back to whatever you were doing before, sleepwise, plus try and feed her more during the day. She will learn to role back again within a couple of weeks.

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OinkBalloon · 26/04/2015 08:45

Roll! I blame autocorrect

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misskipper · 26/04/2015 10:00

Thanks Oink.

They like to keep us on our toes.

Have also had the suggestion of a half bottle or offering water at night instead. Any success?

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OinkBalloon · 26/04/2015 14:05

At 7m and only just started sleeping through, I wouldn't. It is possible that she needs the calories. OTOH it's possible that she's filling up on solids during the day, and missing out on milk calories. Or that it's nothing to do with food, just frustration that she can't roll back yet. Or perhaps that there's an 'r' in the month.

They survive, so will you, and you may never know how or why.

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FATEdestiny · 26/04/2015 21:53

Does she need a bottle to go to sleep at bedtime (and for daytime naps)?

If not, then the fact that she will only settle for a feed in the night (and dummy won't do), it would suggest she needs that feed so I would be offering it in full if it was me.

If she will also only go to sleep at bedtime following a feed, then your problem could be an association between full tummy and going to sleep. In which case I would be trying to separate feeding and sleeping at bedtime and nap times, which should in turn help with settling at night.

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misskipper · 27/04/2015 10:38

Thanks for the feedback ladies. She DEFINITELY needed that 2am feed last night, so I will keep it up for a while and try to pack in more daytime calories as well.

FATE she doesn't need a bottle to go to sleep. She's usually pretty good at self settling and has been doing a great bedtime since January....until recently in her big cot. She has always fought sleep and easily gets over tired as a result, but I watch her signs.

My feeling is she is just growing, going through changes due to having solids and getting frustrated with moving but getting stuck. Will keep plodding on and will look back fondly on this when the next 'phase' begins!!

Thanks all x