4 Month Sleep regression - co-sleeping and ebf, rod?

[MotherPanda]

Since the clocks went back, my darling slept-through-the-night-since-birth-without-any-effort 17 week old DD has started to wake in the night, it started off just being at 5am, but the last couple of weeks it has been every hour or so and the last couple of nights it seems to be every 40 minutes.

We didn't plan on co-sleeping, but we can't get her to sleep unless I breast feed her lying down in bed, and then i fall asleep feeding, or get too scared to move her once she's finished incase she wakes up!

So every time she wakes up screaming and flailing her arms, I breast feed her back to sleep, although I know that she can't be hungry every time she is waking up - I think it's probably more to do with the fact that she can't settle herself and is waking between sleep cycles.

How do I get my daughter to sleep again, and how can i get her to settle or go to sleep in her cot without having to feed her.

She's never taken naps in the day before, but i've just realised that to get her to nap all I have to do is take her to bed and feed her lying down and your off.

Please tell me what I can do (not CC please) as I am very weepy this morning have a headache and am oh so very tired. I (Jokingly) begged DH to stay home today and look after me, but I really wouldn't mind If someone just took DD away for a day so I could sleeeeeep. DD, however, Is very alert and awake and chirpy, and wants to play.

Have you read the No Cry Sleep Solution?

Its hard- I posted on here at the time about getting through the 4m regression being the hardest thing I have ever done.....

It will pass, but at the minute I think cosleeping and feeding to sleep are the best way for you to survive. Don't worry about the stupid "rod" idea. You are responding to your baby's needs which will make her more secure and content in the long term, not more clingy. Make sure she does nap in the day and you nap with her,and if she goes to bed at a decent time then try to get an early night too. You have my sympathies....

i haven't read anything about sleep - I should get myself to the library, if only I had the energy to get dressed... sounds good though, thanks.

Moulesfrites - Thank you, I do like knowing that at least I can get her to go back to sleep but I'm scared that she'll never learn to sleep on her own! But I like the fact that I am making her feel secure and content. She does seem a very happy baby!

The rod thing is nonsense. Nowt wrong with cosleeping and feeding to sleep if it gets you through. I did it with dd and she sleeps well and happily and did it of her own accord.

The NCSS is largely aimed at babies who wake between cycles of sleep and need cues, particularly feeding, to get back to sleep. Hence why I thought of it when you described the problem. No tears and I think it works well according to the friends who have done it.

Co-sleeping and ebf lying down are the only way I have survived up until now (nearly 6 months). The most DD has ever slept in one go is 5 hours and that's a rarity! I do feel for you though as it is very difficult when they regress. DD had gotten a bit better at 3 months (sleeping for 3 hour stretches) and then went back to hourly feeds in the 4th month and it was tough.

Hang in there it's bound to get better!

www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/4mo-sleep.html

I just read this which made me feel a lot better - thank you for your support.

hi there, sounds like my 16 week dd! i was having to co-sleep from 5am but now she won't resettle in her cot after any of her night wakings. it was ok until my left nipple started to hurt (very bad latch lying down) so i've resorted to white noise. sometimes the app on my mobile is enough, other times i really have to crank up the volume using external speakers. i have to say, it works wonders. like an off-switch. and i can sleep too! have a go for one of her naps. good luck!

Thanks Mookickkick - have turned the hairdryer on sometimes when she's fussy which normally calms her down - have found a really good 12 hour long white noise youtube video which i keep playing from my iphone. it helps her calm down, but not sleep unless there's boob too!

Thank god for white noise though :)