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6 MO waking every 3 hours

324 replies

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 28/04/2011 19:24

My DD is 6 months (4 months adjusted age as she was premature and arrived at 30 weeks). She gradually started sleeping for longer and longer periods and I was feeling very pleased with myself! Then a month ago the night wakings began again, for no apparent reason. She would only have been 3 months (adjusted) so too early for a growth spurt I reckon? Anyway it's still going on and I'm starting to think there must be something I can do to get back to my nice long stretches of sleep!

She is awake for 1.5hr-2hrs at a time during the day, so she normally has 3 naps of an hour each at regular intervals. And a little catnap in the sling sometimes. Perhaps this is too much daytime sleep?

She is exclusively bf and has started to be more distracted suring daytime feeds (those maddeningly endearing pulls-off and smiles! are a killer!) but I'm spending more time feeding, so am trying to keep up the daytime calories.

She is generally happy to settle herself to sleep when drowsy - although always after a bf. For a nap, this only takes a few minutes so perhaps I've started an unhelpful sleep association? Sometimes she's obviously knackered so falls deeply asleep a-boobing, and stays asleep when she's transferred to her cot.

Every time she wakes at night, I feed her and she goes straight back to sleep. I'm a bit nervous of trying to settle her without a feed, and tbh I wouldn't know how to do so. Any tips?

She goes to bed at 7ish and wakes for the day at sometime between 6 and 7. Reading this, I feel like I've got nothing to complain about, but WHY won't the little bugger darling sleep for longer than two or three hours at a time, when she used to do so, apparently effortlessly?!

OP posts:
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ZimboMum · 08/05/2011 19:06

Could I join you all, please?!

DS is 24 weeks and it feels like his night time sleep has gone to pot since we started weaning him a week ago. But then again it could be his teeth starting to grumble as he has been dribbling and chewing everything. And it could also be a growth spurt as he has been feeding (EBF) on and off all day. Never knew it would be so confusing - thought I'd know if he was teething or hungry or overtired - turns out I don't!!

At the moment I just feed him back to sleep when he wakes up at night - he takes it greedily so I assume he is hungry Confused

Good luck for tonight, everybody!

greeneone12 · 08/05/2011 20:56

Hi ZimboMum I feel as if this parenting lark is like a really hard game of Cluedo! Fingers crossed for tonight. I am sure it was meant to get easier at the 6 month mark...

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 08/05/2011 21:13

Grin for Cluedo! Or praps like a Killer Sudoku! Whatever, being sleep-deprived makes it seem worse than it is. I'm off to bed in a mo and we'll see what tonight brings. Last night she woke at 10, I fed her, and then I settled her without a feed a couple of times between 3am and 4.30am (the dummy seems to work a treat, and when she's asleep I whip it out again) but she kept waking so at 4.30 I gave in and fed her. With some relief! I'm not sure whether tonight I wll try any settling, I think I'll just feed her and have an easy night.

Bedtimes have a new challenge at the moment - she's decided that 7pm is the time for a poo! Sneaky little critter wants to wait till she's got a clean nappy, pjs, fed till drowsy and about to be snuggled up in bed ... then she gives me a smile, does her concentrating face and KAPOW! Cue swearing from me, giggling from DP and start bedtime all over again. FFS. Sorry for TMI. I keep hoping that going to bed an hour later will give me an extra hour in bed in the morning. It doesn't seem to work like that though ...

Nighty night

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HappyAsASandboy · 09/05/2011 04:03

I know what you mean about the bedtime poos! After months of no poos in the night, weaning has led to several last thing at night and several dirty nappies by morning.

On a more cheerful note, I have just fed both twins for the first time since bedtime at 7.30 Grin So not only have they both slept for over 7 hours, they woke within minutes of each other Grin

Of course I was full to bursting and had got up to pump at 2am. So not really got any extra sleep, particularly as getting up to pump has properly woken me up. So now I have sleeping babies but I am awake .....

Hope everyone else had had a good night Smile

ZimboMum · 09/05/2011 06:59

I'm just doing the first feed of the day after DS went to bed at 9... Can't really believe it! Hope everyone else had restful nights.

Should I be worried that DS hasn't pooped since thurs? Doesn't seem to be in any discomfort.

Happy Monday everybody! :)

greeneone12 · 09/05/2011 08:41

ZimboMum thats so great! We only had one waking last night at 11pm :D
I have tried pushing DD's bedtime back to make her sleep longer but it just doesn't work. She is still up at 6am with the birds! Confused

beela · 09/05/2011 08:44

Morning all, happy Monday :)

It's all a bit random with us at the moment, with 1-2 hour stretches sometimes and then a 5-6 hour stretch thrown in for good measure, somtimes waking at 5 and coming into our bed, sometimes sleeping through til 7.15, sometimes being hungry in the morning, sometimes not, sometimes wanting his morning nap, other times (such as right now) refusing to go down.... I can't decipher a pattern at all! I am in danger of over analysing this - and also running out of energy - so have decided that when in doubt I will blame the teething as I have tried every combination of more food / less food / more naps / less naps etc.

Aah well, 2 teeth down, only another 18 to go.

greeneone12 · 09/05/2011 08:57

beela we had a week like that a while ago. Made me feel so lacking in confidence...no teeth here yet.

CamperFan · 09/05/2011 09:15

Hello all, we seem to have settled in to a routine (well, about 5 nights) of 2 feeds. One at 11pm ish and one seemingly at 4am on the dot. Then he 's up between 6-7am. So although not perfect I do feel I know what's coming and have a longer evening. Of course it could all change tonight! No sign of teeth/teething (thank goodness, worried about bfing!).happyas' you are doing an AMAZING job!!!!

beela · 09/05/2011 09:16

I alternate between feeling confident to feeling like a total fraud who doesn't have the first clue - however, am led to believe that this is totally normal Grin

Speaking of totally normal, I am finding this thread a big relief, as all the books etc would have you believe that all babies should be sleeping through from 6 months if not before - yet there are so many of us on here with similar tales to tell that it can't be that unusual.

ellabella - horray for the rolling! It's funny to think that a few weeks ago they couldn't really go anywhere isn't it? My DS is so wriggly now and rarely sits still. I just went up to check on him and whereas I had left him in the cot on his back with head towards the wall, he had somehow flipped to being on his front with his head towards the window. He was also wide awake and leaning up, resting on his forearms and looking like a teenager! He is asleep now though. Phew.

Brew anyone?

beela · 09/05/2011 09:18

camperfan IME teething and bf'ing is not a good combination! But usually only for a few days then it settles down again.

happyas yes, amazing, I can only just manage with one Grin

CamperFan · 09/05/2011 10:30

Yes, in RL everyone's baby is sleeping more than DS2, which I find hard to believe, what bad luck?? So I love these threads!! Not looking forward to getting bitten, I stopped feeding DS1 at 5 months so haven't had to deal with teeth yet...

I recommend everyone watch "Meet the Multiples" on iplayer, when you are having a bad day! Although it didn't show them at night, you can only imagine what it is like. So if ever 1 or even 2 (happyas!) babies, feels like a handful, just remember the poor buggers on this programme, that's what I do!

baileyslover · 09/05/2011 19:13

Hi can I join the party? My DS is 23 weeks and his sleep has been rubbish for the past month, though has never gone through the night. Currently feeding 11ish and 3ish with any number of wakings in between where I shush him to sleep. No teeth yet, and only just starting BLW, so guessing things will not be getting better any time soon! Anyone else getting lots of 'helpful' comments from other mums? I am starting to lie about his sleeping just to avoid the 'he should be in his own room' or ' you should be weaning him' admonishments. The best one I have had is that he is too clever and just playing me for attention! He isn't even 6 months FFS!

ellabella2 · 09/05/2011 19:39

Hi all Smile

DS continues to wake regularly through the night here Hmm However, last night was a 'good' night in that he only woke at 12 and I was able to settle him to sleep within 20 min and then 4, BF and then 5, co-sleep and BF.

Today has been a 'non napping' day, but he has still been super happy and full of beans despite very little sleep Confused

I think I need to give up trying to fathom him out these days for my own sanity and just try and go with the flow...easier said than done I find.

I'm with you on the middle of the night poos Smile It must be a weaning thing.

It is so reassuring to have this thread and know that DS is just being a normal 7 mo .... all over the place Smile

Fingers crossed for good nights sleeps all round Wine

beela · 10/05/2011 08:01

Oh dear.

From a full night's sleep last Thursday, to last night - asleep at 7, awake at 10.30, then hourly from 2am Shock. Bring back the every 3 hours!

Must be teeth, no?

Hope everyone else fared better than us!

ellabella2 · 10/05/2011 09:41

Oh it is such a roller coaster.

The last couple of nights have been better but he now seems to have lost the ability to go down for a nap during the day AT ALL. I leave him virtually asleep in his cot and then within a couple of minutes he starts whinging and is soon crying - nap aborted, as he will not re-settle for anything Hmm

Beela it is all just so random isn't it. Go with the flow, go with the flow I am chanting to myself as I feel the tension mounting in me as he cries on the monitor AGAIN!

ZimboMum · 10/05/2011 14:30

Yawn

A restless night last night with us - not sure if it is tummy ache or teething or both or neither.

This too shall pass. This too shall pass :)

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 10/05/2011 21:47

I am using all my willpower - Oh babies, please sleep!

I've just got in from a late night shop, total bliss, lots of new summer clothes, to find DP looking like thunder, it had taken him an hour and a half to get DD to sleep .. whoops, perhaps this new FF-based freedom needs a little more practise! Blush

DD has been waking twice in the night still, although there's no pattern. Last night 10, 2, then up at 6. I'm too lazy to try to settle her, 20 mins bf and we're done. 'Go with the flow' indeed. But this morning I was still desperate for her to go down for her morning nap as it still felt like nighttime to me!

A friend was telling me how her DD had slept through from 3 months ... Envy and asked me with great concern why mine isn't. As if I know!! Breezily I told her it's teething but I have a horrible feeling we're in it for the long haul, ladies. I just can't imagine it pinging back to just one waking a night, or to the Holy Grail of sleeping through. It seems like an impossible dream. But as we keep saying - It will pass. But make it soon, babies!

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baileyslover · 11/05/2011 04:46

Well after a couple of ok nights of waking to feed at 11 and 3.30, tonight I have been up the past 2 hours and DS will just not go to sleep. Resorted to feeding again in hope of settling him but aargh

ZimboMum · 11/05/2011 07:26

Gah! I. Am. So. Tired.

CamperFan · 11/05/2011 08:19

DS2 woke at 8.30pm (WTF, was as if had not had enough milk), bf, then through til 3am! I thought hurrah, but then he woke at 5.40, bf back to sleep, then DS1 woke at 6am! So consequently we overslept til 7.40 and now we're going to be late for preschool again.

So baileyslover, did he go back to sleep??

baileyslover · 11/05/2011 08:49

Camperfan Yes the feeding to sleep worked but he fed for ages and I finally put him in his cot at 5.30, a full 3 hours after he woke. He then slept until 8am and played in his cot until 8.30 like the happiest child alive. The grin which greeted me this morning almost made up for the night horror!

beela · 11/05/2011 08:55

theresAHuppo I've got a horrible feeling you may be right, and in 5 or 6 months time we'll be migrating to the 'over-1s' support thread that is going at the moment! For us, this has been going on for longer than the lovely 1-waking-a-night period so suspect that that was the phase and this is closer to reality. Hooray for new clothes though Grin

It's still all very random here, last night DS woke 5 times between 7 and 10 (wtf?) and then slept through until 6.30am Confused - at least this meant that we got some actual sleep last night. No idea what's going on though. As all attempts to make any difference seem to be failing I will adopt the 'go with the flow' approach too, and will conserve my energy for the night wakings instead.

Zimbo I think there is a 6 month growth spurt, that's what I was pinning my hopes on a few weeks ago anyway! However, this has been going on for a few weeks now. My DS is also sometimes v hungry in the night but v easily distracted during daytime feeds so one of my theories (I have many) is that he is making up for it at nighttime.

Let's go with TheresAHuppo's plan tonight ladies - sleepy vibes to all the babies on this thread....

CamperFan · 11/05/2011 09:15

beela, I have been eyeing up the over 1's support thread v nervously too!!!

CamperFan · 11/05/2011 09:16

baileys, you must be knackered!!!

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