Been to see GP - i "have" to give DD bottles as my milk is not enough

[rubyslippers]

But i need to do something as DD's wakings are turning me into a wreck

she is EBF - and on a good night going 3 hours between feeds

last night she was up at 9, 11.30, 1, 3 and 6

i am starting to not cope at all

co-sleeping makes her even more wakeful so i won't do it now (she would wake every 40 mins if in bed with me)

BUT she won't take a bottle - DH took her out for couple of hours over the weekend and she refused the bottle and practically leapt on me when she got back home

not sure if there is anything i can do, other than wait a few weeks and see if it improves

am not planning on starting weaning until 24/25 weeks either

oh, and she is biting on my nipples just to add to my woes

oh, we went to the GP because of her constant green poos and her frequent poos and her results weren't even back ...

Oh gosh, no of course you start as many threads as you like. I was just acknowledging that we chatted last week about this and that I remembered you and that's why I wasn't posting anything specific as I've already rambled.

Oh God I started approximately 17,583 threads when dd was ebf begging for help and advice in the hope that one person would say something that would help. You MUST keep posting as many threads as you need to. And don't waste a minute thinking I was implying you shouldn't.

Any idea when they'll have the results of the tests?

a friend is having DS later in the week so i will get a chance for a rest -

have checked on kellymom about the poo and my instinct is that it isn't an issue but her frequency of pooing is amazing - 3 times in 25 mins yesterday

soh - i didn't think you were implying i shouldn't post, but i wanted you to know i hadn't ignored your very sage advice on the other thread

i am sure i will post many more times before DD hits 6 months!

It's hard, isn't it, when people are suggesting you do something that you don't particularly want to do, but you end up being tempted by the thought that it might mean you finally get some sleep.

My DS is 6 months and his night wakings are very similar to those posted in the OP (sorry, he hasn't got any better by this magical milestone - and he is hungry, not just comfort sucking). I'm starting BLW with him and there have been mutterings that if I got some purees in him, he'd start sleeping better. I don't want to, but I do want sleep! Argh.

I was really struggling a week ago so my DH took a week off work and we went to stay with my parents so I could nap whenever I liked during the day which helped.

Hi Ruby, sorry to hear it's still going so badly sleep wise for you. You may recall I've replied to your threads before (and you mine!) regarding non-sleeping babies. Well, I hate to have to say this, but my DS has finally improved (at 20 weeks). Last night he only woke once!! (I'm sure we'll pay for it tonight, but must make the most of small mercies)

anyway, what we have done, and think has helped is this:
Decided which night feeds I wanted to keep (he was going 10-12, 12.30-2, 2.30-4, 4.30-5.30 or thereabouts). I chose 2 and 5.30, rather arbitrarily, and from then on (this was at around 15/16 weeks maybe?), he got a dummy wodged in his mouth if he woke before feeding time. Or my pinky if I'd forgotten to bring a dummy up to bed. He'd then go back to sleep*, and if his next waking was before feed time, repeat the process. Otherwise, feed him.

Also, on Friday and Saturday nights, DP sleeps between DS and I. DP is responsible for the soothing back to sleep, and only hands DS over when he absolutely cannot calm him down. It's taken a few weeks, but over the weekend just gone, DS only woke 2 or 3 times each night, then sunday night just 2, then last night 1.

It means I know I have 2 nights a week where I'm less responsible for DS, and also means DS has some nights where he can't smell me and wake up!

Not saying this is the answer to your problems, but may be worth a try?

*this makes it sound easy - in fact, what we have to do is pin his arms down with one of our arms across his chest, and keep picking the dummy up to shove it back in when he spits it out. Then try not to make eye contact with the very cross baby who is giving you the evil-est look you can imagine and furiously sooking on a dummy before he spits it out again in disgust. it sometimes has taken DP and hour to soothe him back to sleep. (I tend to give up and just feed after 15 minutes due to laziness; DP has not that option!)

chibi, I do have a dh - and a wonderful one luckily! We do take one each - dh generally has DS1 and sleeps next to his room in the spare room. Unfortunately I'm a very light sleeper though so still wake . I also think DS2 wakes DS1 up!

We are desperate to get DS2 to sleep better but he is tiny (2nd percentile) and has such a small appetite so needs to feed fairly frequently. We are at a loss to know how to combat this .

ruby, sorry to hijack. I am reading your replies with interest!

no worries re hijack

arolf - your post made me smile - especially your description of your baby shooting you evils!

i think if things don't pick up, DH will have to intervene

if i try to soothe her then she smells milk so goes ballistic

thanks for the encouragement everyone!

noble - am planning on BLW

I know that the minute quantities DD will eat won't make much difference initially but am hopeful that in time she will get full

am sure DD isn't actually a baby but a bottomless pit

Green poo can also be an after-effect of having a virus and can go on for a good long time after the virus has otherwise gone. I think (vague memory, haven't looked it up) it might be something to do with a virus causing a temporary lactose intolerance.

One of mine had it for a few weeks, we never found out why, and it just went away eventually.

I missed how old your daughter is (certainly younger than 24 weeks) from your posts. Three night time waking whilst knackering are in the expected range for a young baby

Babies change so often, that I am sure her sleeping pattern will alter and alter again in the coming months. It is a shame that co-sleeping doesn't work for your DD and you, that is a good way to get more sleep normally, but not for everyone.

Would it be possible for you to go to bed very early in the evening 7/8 pm and have your DH look after your DD downstairs. DH could bring baby to you for the 9pm feed and put her to bed for you.

At weekends he could do the same for the 6am feed. Bring baby to you for a feed in bed and take baby away when she has finished feeding and let you get more sleep.

If you could rely on a couple of longer stretches of sleep, maybe that would help ?

ducks - DD pooed 13 times in 24 hours which made me think she may have had a tummy upset?
she wasn't poorly in other ways ... she is also teething and the dribble is flowing copiously so that may be a factor

babies - DD is 18 weeks. Last night i went to bed at 8 pm (DD went down at 7 ish) and she then woke at 9.30 pm. So, I didn't sleep but i rested which felt ok.

DH could fetch and carry her for me ...

thanks

I symptathise dd (now 13months) fed every 2 or so hours during the night up to about 8 moths and still wakes up 2 or so times