at my wits end and DD only 19 weeks!!!!

[aimee0211]

Sorry if this sounds pathetic and whiney but I don't know how to cope anymore, I'm a single mum living with my parents so I do every night wake up, DD has never slept through and last night was up a total of 13 times between 8pm and 6:15 this morning when I gave in and we got up. She won't go back to sleep at night without a bottle (even if its only half oz) even though she goes to sleep easily during the day without a bottle for comfort.

I am feeding her as much as I possibly can during the day to make sure she isn't hungry at night, and I try everything I can think of to settle her during the night before giving her the bottle as a last resort. She won't drink water at all and gags if I try, she has a dummy that we only use for sleep but it falls out and she starts crying again.

I know 19 weeks is still young and I'm not asking for a miracle of her sleeping through but I would prefer if she only woke two or three times and wondered how I can do this? Any advice much appreciated :)

I would say just persevere with not giving her milk at every waking, she can't possibly be hungry if she is only taking half an ounce so she must be using it as a comfort/prop to get back to sleep. You might have a hard night or two but it will be worth it in the long run. Maybe just make a promise to feed here every 3 hours during the night and nothing less? Hopefully she will then take a good feed and settle for longer x

if she is only taking a tiny amount in the night she obviously isn't hungry - it is just a settler. If you can bear it, try to resist giving it to her but it is very hard when you know it will speed up the process. Is everything else in the room ok? Think about temperature and light levels now that they weather has changed. Is her cot right next to you? Maybe your noises wake her up. Is there room to move her a few feet? Its maybe a bit early but any signs of teething? Sorry - just throwing out random ideas really but didn't want you to go unanswered. Is her feeding during the day into any kind of routine or pattern? DS was in a rhythm of 10pm, 2am, 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm by that age and then fairly quickly dropped the 2am one (he was mix fed).

As for the dummy - she should almost be old enough now to be able to hang on to it so that should improve - as she gets more dextrous you can scatter a few in her cot and she might find them herself and put them in.

Are your parents able to help at all? Could they be persuaded to maybe take her for an hour or two so you get some sleep? If you are not back at work, maybe they could do 6-8am or 7-9 or something so you can catch up a little on the broken nights. Best of luck