Controlled crying

[ombmum]

Help!
My 8 month old son still takes a bottle at night. About a month ago he slept through for a whole week then just stopped. Most of it is due to eating - if he eats well, he sleeps through. But he has stopped eating well and is refusing lots of things. A friend is a HV and advised leaving him to cry as he knows he can make up for a lack of food during the day by getting his milk at night.
Any advice? I know I'll find leaving him hard

[sneekpeeks]

DS did the same - used to wake up around 5 ish each morning and have a bottle and then went a week where he went through until 7.30 ish, then went back to 5 ish again. It is hard, but your DS has proved he can do it.
A friend of mine still feeds her 12 mths at night(!!) and is finding it hard to nip it in the butt

[Stargazing]

hi - my 6mo has a 'dream feed' at 11 and then wakes up once more between then and 6/7am. I really want him to do the 8-hour stretch so that I can et some proper sleep .. looked at all the options like controlled crying, controlled comforting, pick up, put down ... but didn't feel comfortable with any of them. So idecided to get him used to dropping the feed first, and I'll deal with the sleep bit later.

Night 1 - awake for 1 hour, crying most of the time. I walked with him in the sling and soothed him verbally for the full hour (back killing at the end of it!) and eventually he fell asleep again and slept through until 7

Night 2 - awake for 30 mins, not so much crying, slept through til 7. Again, I walked and soothed him back to sleep.

Night 3 - I walked and soothed again and he was awake for only 15 mins, no crying at all. Slept through til 6.30.

I'm hoping that once he's used to the idea of not having a feed at that time, he won't 'bother' waking up, because there's nothing to wake up for, if you get me. I just know that I wouldn't be able to deal with the crying - too stressful - and also, I'd be worried about him waking my 22mo.

Good luck - hope you get some sleep soon

[Stargazing]

sorry - should have mentioned that tonight will be Night 4. I'm aiming to have him back to sleep within 10 mins!

[OonaghBhuna]

I wouldnt leave a child to cry at night on their own.Babies gomthrough phases of waking early both of mine went through a stage between 8-10months of waking at 5am. I gave them bottles. It was so hard but after a while they slept until 6.30-7am. I think they will always be early risers!
There could eb many reasons as to why he has stopped eating well, teething or maybe he is unwell. The milk is obviously a comfort to him, is that so bad. Its hard on you but this pattern of behaviour will change.

Please please dont leave him to cry, this can create other problems with attachment.

[thisisyesterday]

agree totally with OonaghBhuna.
your HV is talking crap. an 8 month old isn't thinking to himself "ooh, I don't think i'll eat now, after all I can get up at night and have milk instead"
if he is hungry he'll eat. and he may be put off as OB says by teething or something.

if it's any consolation my virtually 8 month old feeds at least every 2 hrs at night, usually more. so you certainly aren't the only one!!

[jellybelly25]

Don't do it if you don't feel ok with it. Train him gently out of it or try a dreamfeed. (sorry to be abrupt am trying to get off here in time for possible penalty shootout)