if you have used PU/PD please HELLLPPPP...

[Scarlett175]

we have been using this for just over 2 weeks, well DH has, to get DD off to sleep for 7pm, as previously she was BF to sleep downstairs, transferred to her cot and was waking about 4 times before we went to bed, then always woke when we went in and ended up in bed with us. Not knocking co-sleeping but this was always a last resort which became a habit, and DH is not happy with it, his back kills can't relax etc

so we started PU/PD and initially GREAT success. Took 40 mins to get her off, she woke once 2am for feed, then could put down straight away after BF (before had to hold her til she fell in a sleep coma) then asleep til 6am. BRILLIANT!! except after the first week of improving we now seem to be going backwards. Last night took 90 mins to get her to sleep, then she woke up totally in her dream feed at 10.30pm, woke up at midnight, and whereas we used to hear her shuffling and settling herself, now she needs cuddling/holding at a minimum, sometimes BF when I know she can't be hungry. Her naps since starting have gone a bit dodgy- I assumed because she is now sleeping 11/12 hours a night when she never did before. I keep thinking teething, but theres no sign of any.... anyone help please...

sorry should add she is 5.5 months and not weaned yet..

anyone?? my last 2/3 posts for help have hardly had any responses :(

We used PU/PD but with an older DD (16/17 months ish) It's gradually worked insofar as the last 3 or 4 nights I've put her down, said goodnight and walked out and she's settled herself straight away. It's taken a good couple of months though.

She started taking an hour or more to settle, and I had to make sure we were being very strict. Picking her up only until she stopped crying and putting her straight back down again, etc. That said - at times I still cuddle her sometimes for a few minutes during the night if she wakes. We also combined it with a type of CC in that we'd put her down, walk out and she'd start crying. We'd leave her for a minute or so and then go back in, pick her up until she'd stopped, put her down and walk out again. etc. Hard work, but finally beginning to pay off.

Still waiting for consistent sleeping through the night though!

Not sure how you'd need to adapt that for a younger baby though. Maybe she just needs cuddles still!

I feel sorry that you are lacking responses!
A few thoughts

1. All babies are different, maybe your little one doesn't like all the noise and would be better off next door! (the 6 months cot death warning is nearly passed for you.) But, you need to have somewhere really comfy in the new room to feed in the night though as your own bed will look appealing again!!

1. BF to sleep. Loads and loads of folk do it. I know the books says then they can't self settle but your DD was managing to self settle before you did PU/PD. Do you think that because you BF her to sleep she i waking more in the night? If she isn't waking at the second her head hits the pillow she must be content in her basket / crib / cot?

1. Dummies? finger? Have you tried to give her a dummy in the middle of the night or a finger to suckle on instead of milk? if she is next to you in the room you may be able to do it before she wakes fully (totally conflicting to point one but you seem to want a few ideas)

1. PU/PD

We tried the PU/PD before i went back to work as i was worried that she wouldn't go to sleep for DP as i always BF to sleep. I tried PU/PD and it worked for a week but then she just screamed all the time at me and tried to latch to my ear / shoulder / lap. Was about to give up and DP decided he wanted to do it. Now 2 months on he does his own flavour of PU/PD with head rubbing but with me as soon as i go near (or speak!!) DD wants BF'ing Now we have done 3 months of it and the night time waking varies from 8-6 sleeping to awake 2 times a night. If i put her to bed i BF her, sat on our bed with a little night light on. Then carry her to her room and let her stir, feed a little bit longer and put her down. If DP does it he does his own PU/PD but if she struggles he uses expressed milk in a bottle. Nap time at 5.5 months was hit and miss for our DD, she has now re-established short naps at 7 months as likes 13 hours at night (interrupted by 1-2 feeds)

There... my dribble... hopefully someone will add something else for you

thanks for your responses...

last night was a bit better, only 25 mins to settle, DH has always actually done the PU/PD, nuttyone my DD sounds like yours- if she hears me she wants BF and nothing else will do, but left to it DH does a great job of singing to her and settling her. Thing is whilst he is great at bedtime he is not so great at tending to her if she wakes- so its me mainly, and for the last week the only thing that calms her is a feed, and I'm worried I'm undoing all his efforts as she seems to waking more. Even doing the dreamfeed seemed to unsettle her, and was followed by waking more so I have dropped that.

Nuttyone- she didn't ever self settle so we have made progress there, she was always BF to sleep, even last night after a quick BF I put her back in cot, she shuffled around, sighed and went back to sleep for 3 hours but woke again at 3 then 5, and I tend to give up at 5 and bring her to bed. Thinking of trying her in her own room this weekend as we definitely disturbed her last night....

Trying to focus on the progress we have made just seems really hot and miss...

Your doing fab. Maybe DD is getting ready for solids...

I know that 5am giving up feeling well, try not to beat yourself up about it, you have made a lot of progress it sounds like you know your DDs cues really well

Sleeping more at night should not make her nap less. Napping less will make her overtired, which will make it harder for her to settle at night. Are you doing PUPD for naps, too?

Any type of sleep training takes a long time to work, and there will be setbacks, so keep working on it and focusing on the progress.

We tried PUPD for a long time (4 weeks?) and decided it wasn't for us. We had some success but there was just too much crying. Our baby was older, though -- I think yours is more the right age for it. We ended up doing CC because I felt I was upsetting DD more when I went to her, and she settles faster with less crying on her own.

Teething on average starts around 6 months. You don't always see anything at first, then raised bumps appear then white tips.

Also around 6 months there is a growth spurt and developmental leap so they'll be waking up hungry if not getting more food in the day.

If you've been using PUPD for that long, I'd suggest leave it for now. It should only take a few nights. If something is wrong, then it wont work, like any sleep training.

You can BF her to sleep if it works. Keep putting her in the cot to self settle, but if it doesn't work, then give an extra cuddle.

I BF my DS to sleep and he can self settle just fine if he's happy and relaxed. If he's not, I BF. Sometimes he sleeps through the night (age 1), sometimes he wakes once if he hasn't eaten enough in the day. More if he's ill.