HELP! 9 month old getting worse not better.

[AlCrowley]

DD has always been a terrible sleeper. I joked before she was born that I was due a non-sleeping baby this time after DS who slept through from 8 weeks and it really has come true.

After months of struggle, we'd finally gotten to the point where she was finally having 1 nap in the day then having a BF at 7pm and going to bed and waking at 1.30-ish for a feed then sleeping till 5.30-ish for a feed and being wide awake from then until her nap. We weaned at 5 months on the advice of the HV because she wasn't napping during the day at all! She now eats really well.

Again on the HV's advice, 4 days ago, I added a FF at bedtime along with her BF. She's never taken a bottle - just screams if you put one in her mouth - so we've been giving "bedtime milk" from a tippy cup. She maybe takes an ounce or two before she cries for boob at which point I BF her to sleep as normal. But since then, her sleep has gotten even worse. We now have the 7pm feed, an 11pm feed, then the 1am feed and an extra 3am feed before the 5.30 wake up. The only bonus is that her nap has extended to more like 90 mins most days.

So I'm giving up on the HV and asking MN - what do I do now? Do I ditch the FF or should I give it a few more days to see if she settles? Is there anything else i can do to encourage her to sleep through - or at least go back to just 2 wakes? DH, DS and I are all desperate for a full nights sleep now

Any advice would be appreciated

Home early from soft play to make sure DD gets her afternoon nap on time! She only had 45 minutes so I really don't want her to miss this one too!!

Really hoping last night wasn't a one off - for either of us BlueChampagne! Good luck for tonight and the weekend :)

That's really great

Didn't work. Afternoon nap only half an hour. Refused to have a nap 3 and is now tired at dinner time

Time for some fast food and an early bed i think.

Good plan. Sometimes despite our best intentions things don't go to plan. Teething gel and good feed at bed I guess

Well she had bonjeal then ALL of her bedtime milk tonight for the first time ever (although I only make half the suggested amount so that's only 3ozs, minus the bit that you can't get out of a sippy cup) and so far, we've had one yelp but it didn't turn into crying.

Fingers crossed for a good night

Well, she woke at 8pm and DH settled, then woke again at 9.45 and took an hour to settle again. Ended up rocking her to sleep. Book would not approve but I really couldn't let her cry last night - managed about 10 minutes I think. Did it with no milk though so she went from 7pm to 5am this morning between feeds. Slept from the 5am feed to almost 7am.

Not a brilliant night - could have done without the screaming - but still a very good night sleep wise.

Hoping we're moving towards sleep like this being the norm rather than a treat.

Did she have the feed at 10 or 11pm? Or straight through from bedtime, apart from wake ups?

I fed mine 1 feed on my way to bed until about 11 months.

Consistency is better where you always do the same thing. But I do sympathise as my resolve weakened sometimes too ((hugs))

No milk. 7pm till 5am without a top up. She didn't seem hungry so I didn't offer it.

She did still get 'change, bonjela, cuddle and down', I just didn't let her cry for as long before I caved and offered another cuddle.

She slept from 10.45 till 5am so I think it's the initial settling we need to conquer. I think I need to be putting her down drowsy but not asleep so she gets better at self settling.

Yeah it's difficult though no mummy likes to be a baddy. Hope today was ok

Managed almost an hour and a half for morning nap, had a massive lunch snacking on bits when we went out for lunch but then didn't seem to want an afternoon nap and when we did get her down, she only slept for 20 mins.

Not a lot of bedtime milk and we've had 2 wakes so far - that I sent DH to sort out as I was watching Strictly Come Dancing

Has been quiet since 8ish. If we manage another sleep through till 5am I might allow myself to believe we're on a roll and the past 2 nights haven't been a fluke :)

DH has some holiday left to take and we've been considering a day out (Mead Open Farm for the Maize Maze) but I'm a bit worried that it's too early to be messing with her naps by getting her to take them in the buggy. We'd really like to see the maze and it's only open for a couple more weeks so it's now or never though.....

I like Mead Open Farm been there a few times in recent years. Can you time the drive there for a nap time? And leave when her next nap is due and hope she'll sleep again and then put her to bed early that night?

Or do you live so close that wouldn't work?

I tend to have days where I let the DCs sleep more to make up for the day before being busy. So that's something you can do in the future once things are easier? I do adjust nap times and bedtimes depending on when the naps were and how long they were. So today my DCs were in bed at 6.30pm due to a busy day, I would have liked it to be 6pm but I couldn't get home sooner.

Do you think if she did have a big feed at 11pm ish she'd sleep later than 5am? Or is it too soon to say? The thought crossed my mind as typing.

Things do look promising though and your H is being such a star with settling Hope tonight goes well.

It's only a half hour drive for us so it wouldn't be much of a nap but I suppose travelling at nap times would give her some sleep at least and she could catch up in the buggy if she liked.

Last night was OK. She woke at midnight obviously hungry and in no mood to be resettled without milk so had a feed and went straight back to bed. Then woke at 5am as usual but payed in her cot till 5 past 6 so I got a bit of extra sleep.

DS always had a cotside toy which he would play with before getting up but when I got it out for DD the water inside has all evaporated so the fishes inside flap at the bottom rather than swim now. Might have to invest in a new one for her in the hope of continuing the morning playtime and sneaking some extra sleep for me :)

It really sounds like you've made huge progress in the last few days

New toy sounds like a plan

It going well. That's 3 good nights after weeks and weeks of bad ones :) Hopefully it shall continue.

1hr 40 min nap just ended so it's looking good for today!

Yay

Well, DD had another hour nap yesterday afternoon then went to bed on time. DH and I were knackered having painted the hall this weekend and him working Sunday morning so we went to be at 9.15

It was a good job as we had over an hours screaming between 10 and 11-ish. Again, not hungry, just not settling so I didn't feed. She then woke at 4.20 for a feed and slept till 6am.

Got to stop the screaming sessions next. They're disturbing all of us - DS especially - and making what should be a restful night quite stressful. I guess if I just keep settling without feeding and trying to put her down sleepy but awake, she should grow out of them right?

I'm vaguely out of my depth here as with DS and DD I did feed them at 10 or 11 ish every night regardless still at this age and then pop them back down.

Do you always deal with her in a dark room at night?

Yes. No lights, no talking, no nappy change unless necessary - all very boring.

Seeing HV later for weight in. I'll see if she has any advice.

I really don't think she needs a feed anymore, especially after going 2 nights without one. It's just a comfort thing now

How was your day?

Rubbish, but mainly because of other things, not DD's sleep.

She had just over an hour this morning but then refused to sleep this afternoon. I did get her fed and sleepy but the washing machine woke her and she just wouldn't go back down. She is such a light sleeper and we have such a tiny house, It's a nightmare!

Because of the missed nap, she was really tired by dinner time so didn't eat a lot. We put her to bed early so she's missed bath but for once didn't seem to mind. No wake up as yet.

DS was such an easy sleeper, it's amazing how different they are!

Fingers crossed for a good night. I might head up early myself too just in case...

Missed the weigh in and the HV too as DH took the car seat to work with him. Will have to go next Monday instead.

Thank you for asking :)

I sympathise as I live in a 2 bed flat. Noise travels here too. I've been known to miss the bath on ocassion when they're tired too

Tomorrow will be better

I hope so. DS at pre-school again so will have a nice quiet house for naps in the morning and will make sure the washing machine isn't on in the afternoon!! :)

Well, last nights hour of screaming happening between 1 and 2am

I hate it. I hope they stop soon. She's not hungry, just wants a cuddle

Not good BUT she is making progress ((hugs))

How are you finding the book, is it any help?

Things are certainly better than they were. I just wish the hour of crying would stop. Seems to happen whenever I do - rock/don't rock/sit with her/leave her alone....

The book suggests unlimited crying at night which I'm finding impossible to implement. It does make me feel better when she is crying though. I need to read a bit more I think, haven't looked at it for a couple of nights - getting too cocky