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Sleep

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Original poster

17wk old - Chewing hands and crying most of the night

93 replies

Jasmum · 22/10/2005 16:24

This sounds so obvious I know - must be teething you;d think. well, how long can it go on for. He's not fed inthe night and I'm convinced he's not hungry. Started weaning at 16wks to eliminate this. 5 good milk feeds a day & 2 'meals'. I've given him calpol, medised and it makes no difference. He chews so hard and sucks that it wakes him up. He can cry for 2-3 hours. I've rocked him, patted him, used controlled crying, ignored him, given medicene. I don;t know what to do anymore & I am so tired, feeling depressed and miserable. As his awake int he night for a couple of hours he's tired in the day and I spend most of the time carrying him around and stalling him until his next sleep/feed.
Any words of imspiration or wisdom please?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

MrsDoolittle · 22/10/2005 20:18

I'm sure you probably don't want to read this but I can't help adding that I think you are asking an awful lot form your little one.
From what you have written and the way you have put it, your baby needs milk.
It seems glaringly obvious. Why do you carrying him around and 'stall' him til his next feed?
Seems to me that what you want and what your baby want are completely out of sync.
Is he your first baby?

moondog · 22/10/2005 20:19

Err,last time I looked, soliciting advice generally meant inviting positive or negative comments on action taken or proposed.

Which is what I did.

You of course are free to do whatever you like with the advice given.

NotQuiteCockney · 22/10/2005 20:22

Jasmum, I know you didn't want to start an early weaning argument, but this one has been gone over so many times here.

FYI, I weaned my DS1 at 16 weeks, as I was advised by health visitors. I wish I'd had the courage and confidence to go to six months, but I used it all up fighting with HVs about breastfeeding. (I knew people who went to six months. I certainly felt they were doing the right thing.)

I weaned DS2 at 6 months, and it has been so much easier. No spoons, no pureeing, no fuss. Ok, lots of mess.

Original poster

Jasmum · 22/10/2005 20:45

Mrsdoolittle, maybe you are right...maybe I should feed him - it's my second baby and maybe I'm not in sync with my baby. It is hard to hear but I can see what you're saying.

I'm not a regular poster and knew nothing about the weaning argument that's gone on for years,if I had obviosuly I wouldn't of got into it.

OP posts:

Normsnockers · 22/10/2005 20:49

Message withdrawn

hunkerpumpkin · 22/10/2005 20:49

Have reread your original post and I think I'd try giving him milk when he seems hungry and letting him sleep when he seems tired - all the rocking, patting, and stalling must be confusing him and it's hard work for you too. And if he is awake for a couple of hours in the night, why not just give him a bottle of milk? He's very young to sleep through still - yes, some babies do, but loads and loads don't at this age.

Good luck with it - I know how confusing even putting your shoes on the right feet can be when you're sleep-deprived!

startingtobehalloweenylover · 22/10/2005 20:50

well said normsnockers

NotQuiteCockney · 22/10/2005 20:55

The problem with "actual experience" is that the harm of early weaning isn't immediately obvious. It isn't a matter of "oh, I gave him a spoonful of carrot this morning, now he's fat, asthmatic and has IBS".

The bad effects are not guaranteed, and they certainly aren't immediate.

hunkerpumpkin · 22/10/2005 20:58

There was a thread recently where MNers talked about the problems they'd had after being weaned early. Enlightening, really. Will try to find it.

startingtobehalloweenylover · 22/10/2005 21:00

i am not saying that early weaning can't cause problems

but how many people on that thread know for a fact that their problems were caused by early weaning?

it's perfectly possible to be obese, have allergies, get excema despite being breastfed and weaned after 6 months!

hunkerpumpkin · 22/10/2005 21:01

Of course it is, SL. But it is more likely to occur after being weaned early!

startingtobehalloweenylover · 22/10/2005 21:04

yea i realise this... but the other thread on here is irrelevant as none of them can prove that it was caused by early weaning!

i actually would be interested in reading the research taht led to the WHO guidelines... might go and google that now!

Normsnockers · 22/10/2005 21:13

Message withdrawn

hunkerpumpkin · 22/10/2005 21:15

NN, no, not many generations. Many of my older relatives were surprised DS was eating anything before he was 8 or 9 months, and one expressed surprise it was before a year!

startingtobehalloweenylover · 22/10/2005 21:18

although am an early weaner myself i do have to back hunker up!

we were looking at an ancient household book belonging to dp's nan. no date but we had kind of figured that it was at LEAST from 1940's (probably earlier)

the advice there was to wean no earlier than 9 months.
i won't mention the fact that you were supposed to give up breastfeeding then and feed the baby eggwhite mixed in warm water though! MMmmm

freakyzebra · 22/10/2005 21:24

presumably raw egg white, eh?

Back to OP, I would feed a hungry baby whatever filled them up in middle of night; all of mine just needed to feed at night to get their food all in; they were enormous eaters by day, and yet there are only so many hours in the day, they had to get a drink at night, too.

I don't go 11-12 hours without a drink or a snack, myself.

startingtobehalloweenylover · 22/10/2005 21:26

yep... albumen water it was called! yummy!

it was a really interesting read actually.

hunkerpumpkin · 22/10/2005 21:27

SL, I've read things like that too - I think the obsession with early weaning is largely down to baby food manufacturers and all those rows of products for babies from 4 months (even though they've got wheat, dairy, etc in).

Normsnockers · 22/10/2005 21:35

Message withdrawn

startingtobehalloweenylover · 22/10/2005 21:39

but am i also right in thinking that if you formula feed the risks are less than in a purely bf baby?

for one they've already had dairy... and all the other stuff in formula milk...

not saying the risks disappear completely.. but are lower?

aklso i think it depends WHAT you wean on. Surely if you avoid the main allergens then it isn't so bad?

hunkerpumpkin · 22/10/2005 21:40

NN, there are plenty of women, myself included, who have had pressure put on us by health professionals and peers to wean early and stop breastfeeding.

Fortunately, I am secure enough to say norks to the lot of them - but please don't assume it's all the other way round.

As for health problems "coming out anyway" - well, yes, of course they do. Milk feeding exclusively until six months won't prevent all ills for every baby, of course it won't. But it is more likely to offer protection. That's all anyone's saying, I think.

And are you a regular with a nork-related namechange?

NotQuiteCockney · 22/10/2005 21:42

The milk in formula has been modified to make it much less allergenic. I gather the benefits of exclusive formula-feeding to six months are less clear than the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, though, yes.

Normsnockers, all I can say is, "huh?" I don't think ideas like "it skips a generation" are suitable replacements for all the research that has shown the risk of smoking, the benefits of breastfeeding, and so on. Yes, all these risks and benefits are about likelihoods, they don't mean that problems are guaranteed, but that's how risks are. You can cross a road blindfolded, you're not guaranteed to be hit. But that doesn't mean it's not risky.

NotQuiteCockney · 22/10/2005 21:43

Oh, and STBHL, avoiding major allergens will reduce some of the risks, but not the risk of IBS and obesity, for example.

startingtobehalloweenylover · 22/10/2005 21:43

can anyone help me track down the research that the WHO base its guidelines on?

I have searched on google but evidently I am a bit shit at searching! would genuinely like to read more about it

Normsnockers · 22/10/2005 21:43

Message withdrawn

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