17 weeks and still not sleeping through. Help!

[5inthebed]

DS1 and 2 started sleeping through at 8weeksish. DS3 is 17 weeks and still waking 1-2 times a night for a feed. I am shattered. As well as having to get up and feed him, ds2 has ASD so thinks that as we are up, he can get up as well. We are all suffering.

Please help! I've tried everything!

[gingerwench]

Gosh my 9.5 month old has just started extending night time gaps between feeds from 3.5 hours to between 4 and 7 hours. I'm in shock that it's been so good for a couple of nights that I've only had a couple of interruptions. At 7 months he went through a phase of wanting milk every 2 hours at night again (and it was milk nothing else). So to imagine the joy of a 17 week old sleeping through.....wow. Sympathy but amazed at your first 2!

[BabyValentine]

Wow! Such luck with 1 and 2 was bound to break eventually. Must be tough though, especially as your first 2 slept so well.

You do have my sympathy - but DD (18 mo) has just started sleeping through for several nights in a row - and I don't think we're particularly unusual!

[mistlethrush]

17wks!!!! I was back at work for at least six months until ds was at least 1yo before I regularly had undisturbed nights!!!

[giveusabreak]

Never planned on co-sleeping with #2 but it means I minimise the amount of time awake and do not have to get out of my warm bed on a cold night. We just pushed a regular cot up to my side of our bed with one side removed - you could use a drop side cot if you have one. Make sure the mattresses are level and snug togther (use a big bath towel to stuff the gap on the other side). That works for us. Once LO is mobile you need a plan B tho - we used a travel cot for a while to put LO to bed before we went. The bedroom was crowded but hey - maximum sleep. If you have a kingsize or bigger you could just use a bedguard but not sure hwo that works with an older, crawling baby.

[5inthebed]

So co-sleeping. Never done it regulary. DS3 only comes into bed with me or DH for a few hours and then wakes. He sleeps in our arms in a sleeping bag and not under the covers. How do you doit "long term"?

[popsycal]

5inthe bed - I have only survived the last 4 years due to co-sleeping. I truely do not enjoy it but it the only way that I can get any sleep. I am an accidental co-sleeper. Fell into it through desperation. I swore after ds2 that I would not do it with ds3 - but I have no choice. With ds2 (now 4) stioll waking at least every other night and coming in and needing sorting out, I have to co-sleep with ds3 for now or I would not get any sleep.

DS2 is improving though so once he is more settle, I shall start to get out of bed to feed ds3 and pursue putting him back in his cot. He always starts in his cot, but is in with me anytime from 10:30 onwards

[Peachy]

Ah then I would persevere with the co sleeping then, ds4 and ds2 are the only ones I never get up with LOL!

I acknowledge its easier for me ( Dh works nights anyway) but it does make a difference once you get used to it.

[5inthebed]

Thanks Peachy.

DS2 doesn't sleep either due to his autism. He wakes every few hours full of beans so I'm used to waking to his noises, but not having to get up iykwim. Its the having to get up and feed thats doing me in, as I usually can't get back to sleep afterwards.

[Peachy]

Tsk 5in, ds1 doesn't go through yet, he's 9 PMSL

Well I say PMSL but really Imean ,,sob.. obv

No, it's the ASD with him and ds3; that can work two eways, either poor sleep or an early grab at the routine and great sleep in think.

It's a shock when a subsequent child throws everything isn't it? DS4 is my first clingy one- blimey it has been a ! You'd think i'd know my way round it by now, but oh nooooo.

You could try taking baby in bed with you and napping together- bas doesn't like a nap alone but if I am there it's very different but if he is napping only 30 minutes yu probably have an over tired baby on your hands and he needs helping with that. Perhaps lavender oil / chamomile would help but it might take a bit more work if he's got into a routine of fighting sleep.

Shake hisn rouitne up; refuse to allow him to srop off when he normally would then put him down for a nap a little later. I find if bas goes / went down at 9 on the school run he'd go fr half an hour, 11 and i'd get a full hour or so.

Other than that, there's always caffeine

FWIW some babies actually do need milk at night until past 6 months. If that's the case the only thing you can reasonably do is find a way to get rest in the day when LO is at playschool.

[5inthebed]

Ah yes, co-sleeping. Have tried but he is still waking up. He resorted to headbutting me last night in his rage. when he is ready to be fed, he likes to let me know.

[giveusabreak]

5inthebed I don't think you are silly for wanting some sleep/childfree time. Our PFB was and remains a fab little sleeper. #2 is a horror (17 months and still no signs of full nights ) they are all different I suppose. I hope you can get a rest in the day and that everyone is giving you as much help as they can.

[alwaysmoving]

I misread your post as 17 months at first.

Which is when, if I was really lucky, one of my 3 might sleep through.

[aGalChangedHerName]

Do you co-sleep? It is the one thing that saved my sanity in the first few years when they woke loads every night!!

[thumbwitch]

lumme, wish my DS would sleep through more than once in a blue moon and he's 15.5mo!

[5inthebed]

Now I feel kind of silly asking for help

I assumed that at 17 weeks he should be sleeping through as my first two did.

I'd love to b able to go to bed when DH gets home from work, but by then I'm wide awake, typical!

[loujay]

DD is 5 and still doesnt sleep through......never has!!
DS is 1 and has slept through since 6 months, its the luck of the draw I'm afraid

[popsycal]

ds2 is 4 and sleeps through a few times a week
ds3 is 6 months and now ehere near sleeping through
i get 4 ish hours of broken sleep

[ThingOne]

Now I've got over my jealousy about your first two can I suggest a bedtime of 8.30pm for a bit?

My 2.10 year old is still getting there. He's been nearly sleeping through for over a year but we still have plenty of nights where five hours sleep is good. That's when I fail to go to bed before 9pm ...

[belgo]

Can you go to bed for an hour or so when your dp comes home? That's what I do, the girls go to bed at 7/30pm, then dh comes in, I give him the baby, and go to bed for an hour or myself before it's time for the baby to go to bed. He's nearly six months and currently waking 2 or 3 times a night.

[piscesmoon]

I think you were very lucky with the first ones!! All mine took 2 years.

[5inthebed]

Sadly, get no help during the day and can't get any sleep. Am surviving on about 5 hours sleep now.

DS2 goes to playgroup 5 mornings a week, but ds3 (the baby) has 30 mins nap if I'm lucky. He only sleeps well when we are out in his pram

[belgo]

It's very normal to still need milk at night time at 17 weeks. There's not much you can do about that.

Do you have help during the day? Can you catch up on sleep then? Get someone to help you with your other children?

Sympathies, I know how hard it is.

[suwoo]

My DS still wakes up to 5 times a night and he is 2.3 . Lately he has started waking just once and its like all my Christmas's have come at once. I have another DD, I work and I'm pg. Hard isn't it!