This might turn out to be a long post. so apologies in advance. I have posted a few times about my DD sleep but just want some advice/an outsiders observations please.
SHORT VERSION IS THE LAST PARAGRAPH!!
DD is just over 6 months, first child (oh the mistakes i have already made) and breast fed and taking little bit of food (we started baby led but i now offer bit of puree/porridge each meal time with finger foods).
My DD is EXTREMELY alert. Everyone comments on how alert she is for her age and forward (trying to crawl and said mama already - held her head up since birth, sat up alone 4 months old- doesn't miss a trick -has been here before). She is still in our room in a cot attached to our bed.
My problem is that I am now starting to realise the error of my ways in not having put her down awake to sleep and always putting her on the breast to sleep. Also, boob isnt always enough to get her to sleep. Now, she is starting to wake at the end of every sleep cycle. She is still having at least 3 feeds a night although I am starting to doubt she needs these feeds now. And she constantly wakes between 5am and 530am.
She used to have a good 2-3 hour afternoon nap which is now cut down to 45 mins/an hour and the 3rd nap of the day which she needs as she is exhausted is an absolute battle to get her to sleep at all but she really needs it otherwise she is so grumpy and overtired for bed time. I only want her to have a little nap but like today, I spent from 4 til 545 trying to get her to nap which is ridiculous. in the end we had to take her in the car.
So with all these sleep issues we decided to do the sleep training thing, putting her down awake, but staying in the room with her - the first night she cried for 45 minutes but i was quite surprised she dropped off. in the night i stopped jumping to her at the slightest murmer (first time parents eh!) andi was amazed that she re settled herself a few times and at the 530 wake up after 7 minutes crying she fell back to sleep. the second night though, i couldnt keep her awake to put her down so i really messed up and so on the 3rd night she bloody screamed the house down for over an hour and sobbed in her sleep for an hour (i realise i wasnt consistant on the 2nd night which caused this)-at which point i decided i could absolutely not cope with the leaving to cry method and swore i would do whatever she wanted to get her to sleep without crying but this now seems unavoidable because as i say the boob doesnt work as often to get her to sleep.
i know she can self settle because i put her down in the morning nap and she drops off with little crying, its just the rest of the time. and ALL THE night wakings!!i think the few nights we tried the sleep training has left her feeling insecure - understandably so now there is no chance of her self settling in the night because she just cries until she gets us (has started to wriggle over to me now as well the last couple of days).
***i just want to hear from people who have older babies maybe that were similar /had problems night wakings etc and did you do sleep training, or did they just learn themselves how to settle and eventually sleep through (i think i would cut my right arm off for a whole nights sleep at this stage).
Do you think my baby just doesnt need 12 hours sleep at night (bed time try for 7 but never get there usually between8-10pm with 3-6 wakings and up at 530-7).
should i go back to the sleep training, do you think putting her in her own room and cot would help? dreading doing this, just dont want any more crying!!!
thanks for your time reading this!