Sleep training through a growth spurt - should we even try?

[Magscat]

DD (8.5 months)has never ever slept well typically having a formula feed (6-7oz)at 6.30pm, 10.30pm and then waking something like 1am, 4am & 6.30am - sometimes getting breast fed sometimes not.

We just started trying to do some sleep training - mainly pick up put down - but this week she seems genuinely hungry. Last night, we made up an extra bottle in case she woke and she drained it (7.5oz) at 1am. She then woke again about 3.30am but dp got her back to sleep. Then she was up at 6.30am for the day.

If this is a growth spurt and she is genuinely hungry should we give her extra milk in the night or continue with the pick up put down. She is still partly breast fed but my supply is almost gone and so I can let her b/f in the night but I think if she's really hungry she's not getting enough and if she's not then we should be breaking the habit. So I'm not sure whether we're doing the right thing to make up extra bottles for her.

Any ideas ?

Why don't you give her a week to get over her growth spurt and then start again?

At that age, she should really be getting to the point where she doesn't need to feed in the night. I would try to feed her more during the day and reduce the feeds at night, perhaps by an ounce at a time. If you know she has had enough to eat, you can then look at sleep training. She may be waking out of habit?

That said, to answer your original question, I would not try to sleep train during a growth spurt but these don't tend to last for too long. Is she on solids and if so, how is that going?

babies have a kind of reflex sucking when you give them a bottle - draining a bottle does not necessarilt mean she is hungry (although it might).

If I were you, I'd keep up the breastfeed in the night for a couple more days - if it is a growth spurt she may then be whingier in the day, but you can feed her more then. She is probably getting more than you think of breastmilk. Also it should only last a few days, and then if she's anything like dd she'l have a few days of sleeping more.

THat's pretty much what I think we'll be doing but I just worry that by giving her extra at night she'll get even worse with the sleeping. I work full time and we have a 4 year old as well so me & dp are getting seriously fed up with being exhausted all day every day.

It's so frustrating because Tue & Wed this week we thought she might be getting better at sleeping- she did a 5 hour stretch both nights. Thursday night thought she woke at least every 2 hours and last night, as already mentioned.

Magscat - that sounds hard. How old is she?

Oh - my last post was in reply to Bobbybob's.
Senora - so do you think she'd really drain a 7oz bottle if she wasn't hungry ?

Thusday night I tried just b/f small amounts and the result was she woke for more at least every 2 hours - more often I think.

But you're right, I do think it's mainly habit.

She also has pretty bad nappy rash at the moment because she's pooing several times a day and I think nursery didn't realise and didn't change her quick enough Thurs/Fri. That might be adding to her waking up too.

Forgot to say, she's 8.5 months and on 3 solid meals a day already plus 2 x 6ox bottles in the day.

She might be thirsty. Try giving just water in the night?

I personally feel that sleep training shoudln't be attempted until the nippers can walk (ie well over a year old). Regression at 1 year is well documented. I don't think it's very fair to impose what is essentially a method of discipline on a baby when they really can't tell you what's wrong.

Thanks for these. I think we're over the hungriest period now so the last couple of nights we've not given her any extra food.

She's still waking up loads though - last night she woke 10.30pm (6oz feed), 12am, 1am, 2am, 3.30am, 5am then up at 6.45. A couple of these times she cried for a second and then went back to sleep on her own. The rest of the time I went to her (she was standing up), cuddled her for a few seconds & put her back down. She didn't protest so I guess she's not hungry anymore.

ANy opinoins on whether or not we're doing the right thing by going to her and picking her up. It seems to settle her back down easily enough but this waking every hour or so is crazy.

Thanks Tipex. Not sure if it's progress but the last couple of nights she's woken quite a few times but mostly settled herself back to sleep again. She did the whole of last night with no feed at all so here's hoping!