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Sleep

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Original poster

5 month old waking every couple of hours at night

11 replies

Em32 · 31/01/2006 08:33

Any suggestions please- dd is b/f and I'm exhausted, also have a nearly 2 year old ds. She has a feed first thing (I try and make this around 7am but she doesn't always want it until later as she's fed in the night) then 11am followed by a little bit of solids then 2.30pm feed, 5pm solids (I have to fetch ds from nursery and deal with him when I get home so can't do her feed plus solids at the same time) then feed around 6.45pm after her bath. She sleeps well in the day - has a nap in the morning, a long lunchtime nap and a short nap late afternoon around 4ish so she has between 3 and 4 hours sleep a day. She's a very variable feeder, sometimes wants a little (just one side) and sometimes a good long feed. We've tried leaving her to cry in the night (I don't leave her at the first feed as I think she needs that one as I don't give her a 10pm feed as I have to go to bed before that and also she doesn't wake up enough to feed) but she just won't settle without boob in the night. What am I doing wrong?

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chocohead · 31/01/2006 09:36

No suggestions i'm afraid but my 5 month old is doing exactly the same after being a good sleeper previously. The boob is the only thing that works, so don't think you are doing anything wrong but would like to know what it is all about.

Will watch this post with great interest.

merryberry · 31/01/2006 09:38

doubt you're doing anything wrong. mine also bf had the same for 2 weeks at that age, then showed the growth and really developed all the sitting skills etc and has dropped back down to 2 feeds only between 9pm and 7am at nearly 7 months. he started solids at 24 weeks as he was sort of riping them out of my hands, but he was noticeably more unsettled at night for a week and i would give him breast to help him settle.

so there's two possibilities - growth/development spurt and/or adjustment to solids. i assumed there's no cure and just got through it, but easy for me to say as i only have the one kid. i wish you speedy resolution to it.

merryberry · 31/01/2006 09:39

ooh and ps, mine still waits a while to get going for breakfast, half an hour or so, then has three feeds in two hours plus solids. gawd the mornings are slow!

merryberry · 31/01/2006 09:41

pps - i still feed mine every 2 hours in the day. but then my thyroid is low so my breast milk supply might be a bit weak causing him to go for it so often. but you could maybe add in extra day feed? sorry such a bitty answer, am to-ing anf fro-ing here.

Original poster

Em32 · 31/01/2006 12:46

Thanks for the support. Am starting to feel depressed with the lack of sleep - I was lucky and my ds slept through from 7pm to 6 or 7am from 12 weeks. I naively thought the same thing would happen with dd. My mother has helpfully said 'well they're all different aren't they' Oh really I hadn't noticed I started weaning at 18 weeks which was a mistake as I think that was just a growth spurt but I've continued as she's used to it now and has taken to the food well. So it isn't that. Chocohead let me know when yours stops - it might give me some hope! I'm beginning to veer towards giving up b/f so my dh can help out at nighttime but really don't want to.

OP posts:

IslaAndMomma · 31/01/2006 16:05

I dont think you are doing anything wrong. DD was terrible sleeper right up until last month (at 15 months).

When DD started on the solids I did make sure she had a really good feed before bed - I used to give her rusk (mixed with expressed milk) or baby rice about an hour before bathtime. Then at bedtime she would have a b/f and settle her down for the night.

Also, is she moving around at night time? DD used to wake up a lot when she'd kicked her covers off. We invested in a grobag just before DD hit 6 months and it really did help.

Have you tried giving her a dream feed when you go to bed?

I wouldnt stop the b/f if you dont feel ready. Also, if this is the only thing that is helping her to settle, you might make things harder for yourself. Have you tried expressing? At least that way you can share the feeds and you can enjoy b/f still.

grall · 31/01/2006 22:53

Mine doing the same and really has always been an appalling sleeper. Have tried putting him in cot awake and seems to be having some effect on night wakings (he cries and I lean over cuddle shush and pat him until calm and then just stay in room til asleep). According to some sleep gurus if they can settle themselves to sleep for naps and put down at night then they will resettle themselves at night too and only wake up when genuinely hungry and in need of bf-not sure how true this is though

merryberry · 01/02/2006 09:16

I think it is true Grall. We used pick up / put down from the baby whisperer pretty much from birth and ds settles himself for all sleeps i initiate now. plus i have watched him wake, rummage and re-settle himself a few times. Also his 1-2 night time feeds (just three days ago I started dream feeding and shifted his night feeds to 2.30am and 6.30 or later am woo-hoo) are huge feeds, you can tell the difference between canoodling for comfort and a good long efficient feed i think.

tiggyhop · 02/02/2006 13:01

EM32 I really relate to this. My ds1 (now just 3) and ds2 (19 months) slept 12 hours at 12 weeks old and have never really woken since.

dd who is 4 months is a truly dreadful sleeper. I am trying not to feed her in the night as in the long run I think it is a bad idea (she has to get used to taking all her nosh between 7 and 7) but am at my wits end as I have never had longer than 3 hours sleep since she was born. Am off to the docs this pm to see if it her dry skin that might be bothering her. I feel terrible about leaving her to cry but that seems to be the only thing to do as stimulating her just doesn't seem right (she doesn't want to get up and play, she is just miserable because she can't get back to sleep). She will only cry for between 5-15 mins and then go back to sleep but is then awake again anything from 20 mins to 2 hrs later. Am on my knees. Does anyone have any suggestions?

tiggyhop · 02/02/2006 13:04

ps she genuinely does not seem to be hungry for food, I will feed her once in the night (having given her a dream feed before I go to bed) and she will only have a small feed and even then is not bothered about her first feed of the day.

chocohead · 06/02/2006 07:54

Em32 - Think it is now starting to get better, for the past 2 nights only had 2 wakes each night but there is no fussing. She normally goes down about 8 , then wakes approx 11 & 3 for feed but goes straight back to sleep again. compared to feeding about 5 times and being awake every hour this is heaven

Is it getting any better for you?

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