15m old - I can't take it anymore!!!

[EverybodysScaryEyed]

Ok so I have a DS who was a dream sleeper but DD has broken me!

She goes down at 7pm no problem, self settles etc

sometime between 10pm & midnight she will wake up and scream hysterically - nothing but milk will calm her and she drains a bottle (200ml) and goes back to sleep

she then repeats this once between 3am and 5am. Sleeps until 7.30/8am

I give her a bottle with her breakfast (100ml), she has 3 good sized meals, small morning snack, afternoon snack with 50-100ml milk and then 50-100ml at bed time. she won't take more.

She has one nap after lunch of 45-90 mins

I have tried;
giving water in the bottle - just makes her angrier
leaving her to cry - she won't stop
upping her calorie intake in the day - not helped
tried cuddling and co sleeping - she wasnt having any of it
tried distraction (reading a book ) - stops the crying but she starts up again as soon as distraction stopped
tried a dream feed before she wakes up for the first waking but doesn't stop the second waking which is unpredictable

I am willing to try anything! She is such a good girl but I think good sleeping habits are really important and want to help her attain them

help!!!

[EverybodysScaryEyed]

sorry - that was quite long!

Anyone?

[mrsravelstein]

ds1 and ds2 went from waking several times a night to sleeping through at around 14 months old, which was when i stopped giving them night time milk.

in each case it took about 4 nights of no sleep at all, and me standing in their rooms cuddling them pretty much all night long to get them to go back to sleep, but both then slept through as if by magic. you may have already tried this....

dd however i stopped the night feeds at about 9 months, and at 20 months now she is still nowhere near sleeping through, still wakes up yelling at least once a night, and is up for the day by 5am.... leading me to conclude that it is just something they do when they're ready.... (i can highly recommend garnier roll on under eye stuff to deal with the bags)

[Slobberedupon]

I feel for you, unfortunately I don't have a lot of advice as I have a 16month DS who does the same, 1-2 naps during the day, eats LOADS but still wants to feed regularly doing the night (although we co-sleep from the first feed after 10pm).

I've been told by lots of people that he doesn't need it but the feeds are very much proper full breastfeeds so I've just been putting up with it and thinking that he'll calm down on them when he's ready.

You have my support and hugs though!

[Slobberedupon]

even during the night, sigh...

[EverybodysScaryEyed]

Thanks!!

Nice to know I'm not alone!

Slobber - she is hungry because she drains the bottle and she really doesn't do that during the day etc so i'm with you on that. just wish i could get her drinking her milk at bedtime

So ravel - I will try a few sleepless nights - it's not like i'm getting good sleep at the moment! I just need to pick a good time!

[laptopwieldingharpy]

You have all my sympathy.
Same experience here. The crying it out never worked.
She will sleep through when she's ready. You need to surrender and get enough sleep yourself.
X

[EverybodysScaryEyed]

Easier said than done - I am a terrble sleeper (which is why i want her to have good habits!) so once woken it takes ages to get back to sleep

and then i either have work or the kids preventing me from catch up naps!!!

[lukewarmmama]

I would cut out the afternoon milk, bring teatime forward (eg 5pm if it isn't already), in the hope that she'll have more milk before she goes to bed at 7pm and you can start to persuade her that once a night is better than twice. It'll take a few days before you can see whether its worked or not.

Also, can you wake her up for milk before you go to bed, eg at 10, so at least she isn't waking you up twice?

Which if course you've probably tried. So in which case all I can offer is much sympathy.

[lukewarmmama]

Or maybe rather than 200ml in the night, cut it back to 190ml, then after a few days to 180ml etc etc (for ONE of the feeds at a time), so she gradually gets used to less?

[EverybodysScaryEyed]

she eats at 5pm. i originally introduced the afternoon milk to try and boost her daytime food intake but will try cutting out again.

I've tried feeding her before she wakes and before i go to sleep but it just seems to make her wake earlier for the next feed but then i guess maybe that isn't such a problem! Will persist with that I think.

Well it's nice to know I'm not a rubbish mother who is solely to blame for her sleep issues!! Although I do wish there was a simple solution!

[EverybodysScaryEyed]

That's a good idea lukewarm - if i can cut out the early morning feed it would make life easier. i will start reducing tonight!

[laptopwieldingharpy]

I know. I drove myself mad trying. Went back to work when she was 6 months and she did not do full night til she was nearly 3. And that involved co sleeping.
Naively thought i could " train" her like DS. Never worked.
6 months on i still wonder how i kept my sanity and marriage alive.
But it all works out in the end. I just thought i'd give you another perspective.
Good luck.

[EverybodysScaryEyed]

I hear you re sanity and marriage! DH is getting increasingly fed up of my tiredness (TBF he does let me have the lie ins at weekends so I get an extra hour or so)

[EverybodysScaryEyed]

Right - am hoping for a breakthrough tonight as she ate really well today and drank a full bottle of milk at bedtime (went back to formula instead of cows milk)

will see how she gets on!

[lukewarmmama]

Good luck! But go to bed early anyway....

[EverybodysScaryEyed]

yes - 9pm bedtime tonight (although knowing my luck DH will come home at 8.55 and want to chat!)

[Slobberedupon]

So how did it go last night?? We had a terrible night but that's mainly with his teething... was thinking of you though!

[EverybodysScaryEyed]

Sorry for delay - that night was terrible! she woke 3 times and then slept on me for the last 4 hours!! Since then we have had a bad night and one great night (slept through to 6am) and otherwise still 2 feeds a night

she has been teething - 2 new ones have appeared up top and I can see 2 lower ones trying to break through - so the current plan is to give her calprofen with her 11pm milk as she is obviously in pain

i think i'm just going to have to ride it out (my mum tells me i was even worse so i guess it's karma!!!)

Hope you're getting on better than is!