gradual retreat does it work?

[babyrose]

i have posted a note on the website b4 but im desperate now. my lo is 25wks and still waking up evey 3 or 4 hours sometimes every hour! crying coz he is hungry or unsettled lo has been on solids for a few wks now and up to 3 meals a day. we started making progress with the sleeping but last nite was a bad night. today we thought to start putting lo in his cot awake and letting lo settle himself as we have been holding him and stroking his face or i would feed to sleep.wondered if any one had done this sleep training?

I did do gradual withdrawal with my DS and it did work - but to be honest he was a lot older than your lo, he was about 16 months.
I moved very slowly from sitting by his cot holding his hand, just sitting by his cot with no contact, then just being in the room.
Don't expect quick fix - took about 3 months or so.
My DD is now 7 months old and is not ready for this yet.

at 8 months my DD was waking every couple of hours throughout the night - not to be fed, but needed settling. I could not keep it up as I was knackered but can not just leave her to cry.

I started putting her in her cot awake, and soothing / patting (I found quiet talking better than just shushing). I repeated this when she woke in the night (still has one bottle a night though so one of the wakes I fed her). There were lots of tears to start with but I saw an improvement with in days. We still have tears after a few weeks of this but not many, and the wakes in the night have cut down dramatically. We still have difficult nights but more often than not I am only getting up 2 - 3 times a night (which is heaven compared to what it was!). I a not in a hurry with this and am happy with how things are going.

I definitely think the first time you put them in their cot (ie bedtime) has an affect on the rest of the night - so if they are cuddled to sleep then this is what they want the rest of the night. IMO!

Hope things get better.

last night was the most sleep ive had in ooh just after i became pregnant (toilet, being kicked by lo) lo did cry for dummy a few times but huge improvement he is actually sleeping through the night!!we started the sleep training on mon night and wed night lo was sleeping and settling himself. no feeds during the night either!!