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wanting to reduce/stop night time feeds? for a baby who has had a lot of disruptions.

3 replies

nello · 06/09/2011 09:41

I really want to help my 6mo dd with her night times. she has had a very disrupted last couple of months (has had to live in 4 different countries, sleep in 6 different houses/hotels and temporarily take formula from a bottle due to me having a big operation...it feels like a hell of a lot for a wee baby to have to go through.) Now we are all "settled" and I am trying to get things into a better routine with her. I am putting her down in her cot for her first nap (she'll only take 50mins in cot) and then for a longer nap in the pushchair in the arvo (can take up to 2 hours in the pushchair) and she goes to bed at about 7pm. The thing is, she is waking a lot in the night at the moment - last night it was 8.30pm, 10pm, 1am, 3am, 5am and 6.30 we finally started the day. She seemed genuinely upset too each time. i actually fed her at each of these (crazy i know!), i wouldn't normally but was just exhausted. once upon a time at 10 weeks she was sleeping through the night 12 hours straight, but only for a few weeks and then started waking once and then twice a night. now i would be happy with this, but my question is , should I be feeding her when she wakes in the night or is she just using me for comfort and not hunger, and should I be helping her to get to sleep another way, for example picking her up cuddling to calm and resettle her? i have to admit i haven't done a good job at helping her to self settle and now i'm worried that i have caused her proper sleep problems.

advice would be so very welcome! after all the hecticness of the last two months, I just feel confused about where we were at and what i should do to help her. thank you.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
LoonyRationalist · 06/09/2011 10:02

How much is she feeding in the day? Are you weaning her?

As you say she has been through an unsettling time - being away from you being the biggest one so it will take time for her to settle again.

nello · 06/09/2011 10:04

she's feeding every four hours and have just started introducing solids which she is happy to try but does not eat a lot of.

OP posts:
LoonyRationalist · 06/09/2011 10:18

I found that DD2 started waking up hungry more at night when I first weaned her - she went from 2 wakings/feeds to 3-4 for a short while.

It might be worth upping her feeding frequency in the late afternoon /early evening. I wouldn't be inclined to do anything radical at the moment. She is using you for comfort & hunger. If you feel she isn't hungry when she wakes by all means calm & resettle her if she will accept this. If she is happy & content & feels her needs are being met you will probably find that she settles back to less waking. It isn't an exact science but have confidence in yourself.

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