8mo regression??

[pugh]

My 8mo has been an ok sleeper. Never really slept 'through' but there were some nights (months ago!) where he managed 8 hour stretches.

Well that was then & this is now. We are just coming to the end of teething,sickness etc and he has lost the ability to get himself off to sleep. Used to be able to put him down awake when he wokeup at night but now he just grizzles for about 30min and then starts crying.

He wakes my 3yo old up so we have ended up taking him to bed with us where he usually settles pretty quick and sleeps for hours...but I don't want that to be the norm. Especially as I'm going back to work!

This morning early I was so fed up and eventually took him back to his cot. Followed grizzle...cry. Did controlled crying and after 25 min he fell asleep. But I was so upset. As was he and we were all awake anyway!

Is that the way forward?

Oh :he is ff and on ~4x 7 oz bottles in the day...and usually wakes up round midnight. When he has another bottle. Weaning mainly BlW and going ok.

Bedtime routine has been set since day one:dinner/bath w sister/play/bottle&bed at 1930 ish.

Any suggestions appreciated!!

What's his routine during the day? Could he be hungry?

I almost always offer him milk if he is too upset at night.

Wakes 7-8 am, rarely wants milk early on depending on when he had during the night.
Breakf:cereal eg shredded wheat/mini weetabix/ toast/ yoghurt
Milk:7 oz
Am nap at some point
Lunch:couscous/pasta/pizza / whatever...
Milk:7oz 1300/1400 ish
Pm nap
Snack eg organix
Milk:7oz 1700 ish
Dinner:whatever we're having (BLW)/ellas pouches
Milk:7oz at 1930 ish and falls asleep on bottle & plonked in bed...

Water with all meals.

I am always worried that he can be hungry (90th centile big boy since birth) so I almost always offer milk if he doesn't settle. If he isn't hungry he won't drink though!

Bump

Has he always fallen asleep on the bottle? I'm not sure what's going on but he could a) be hungry, I'd avoid those pouches IIWY and give him a big carby meal for tea to see him through the night. B) how long and when are his naps? These might need adjusting for his age. C) if he's falling asleep on the bottle he might be overtired.

Hi there, yes-he almost always falls asleep on bottle in the evening. Him&older sib go to bath&bed roughly same time/same routine.

I am wondering if it is hunger. What's a 'big carby meal'? I gone him our carbs/food. He prefers to feed himself w a spoon so hit& miss but I load it for him.or cut down his milk feeds and hope his appetite improves?

He has two naps:one am and one pm. V occasionally a third if in car/buggy. Their length vary&this am he cried for ~20min (with his eyes shut!) after I put him down awake. Then he only slept for 30 min'

This afternoon over an hour nap in the buggy.

Maybe try& put him in bed earlier...? But difficult getting dinner,bath etc etc. done...

Xposting on wean/feeding threads.

Just noticed he's still on 7ozs at 5pm!! I'd def wean off this completely asap, unless he's a ravenous baby there's not much chance of him eating a full tea on top of this milk. By 7 mos, my DD was on a full feed (8/9ozs) at 7am, 2.30pm and 7pm. She would also have about 5ozs as a dream feed at 10pm but this had all but gone by 8 mos. Was sleeping through.

By carby meal, I mean pasta bakes, jacket pots etc. I didn't actually do BLW so I knew how much she was taking in which I guess makes it easier to judge if hunger is the issue.

Sorry, forgot to say that along with the milk feeds, she was also on 3 meals a day, our food just puréed or mashed (or totally solid if fruit/softer food).

Thank you thank you thank you for advice & replies!

I am so paranoid re an underfed baby (nr 1 was a twiglet br-fed baby& I still have hangups!). So I might have been overdoing milk.

Just gave him a snack of rice cakes w Philli cheese rather than milk.

Tonight its boiled ham which he can 'chew' and I'll mix/mush some veg w the carbs (cous cous maybe)

Suggestions for overnight...?

Ps and what kind of quantities/portions ie how many tablespoons/in a bowl etc?

Milk is very important up to 1 year but not at the expense of encouraging good habits with solid food. Too much milk can cause pickiness because the edge has been taken off their appetites.

Portion size, I would say about 3 tablespoons if puréed but I can't honestly remember. Overnight, not sure as my DD wasn't feeding. I guess if you think he's genuinely hungry (and he may be until solid intake improves) then feed, but gradually start to dilute the feeds with more water. Over time, he'll hopefully lose interest in the feed.

Of course, there could be something else causing the settling probs but this is good a place as any to start! HTH

Well gave hm a snack at just before 1700. For dinner he had some puréed ham/rice/cheese/sweetcorn;rice cakes w philli,raspberries, full fat greek hog w bit of puréed fruit for flour. Bath & 7oz of milk. Made sure to put him down away...and a scream marathon. It is so upsetting...

Sorry typos. Too tired / upset to check spelling...put him down awake and now trying cc...he is tired...too tired to get himself asleep? When do I give in? No need to reply. Just need to get itout.

And poor toddler has to listen to it a&unable to get her to bed while this craziness is going on...

So sorry it's tough. The eating is probably only part of what's going on, it's so easy for them to get into bad habits quickly at this age. In combination, you could try gradual withdrawal to help with the settling issues rather than CC. Have you heard of it? Also, do you have someone to help with your toddler?