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Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

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Original poster

waking every 2 hours. advice needed please.

39 replies

fob · 24/02/2006 15:36

ds is 5 months old.
bf though started weaning few weeks ago. also teething, dribbling but no fever or anything.
goes down at 7 no probs after final b/feed then sleeps until midnight, then wakes 2, 4, 6.
up until now he only woke once for a feed (around 3)
am i doing anything wrong? i'm shattered!
i go back to work soon and this pattern will kill me!
i have tried searching old messages, but maybe some more experienced m-netters can point me in the right direction.
many thnks

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

suzywong · 24/02/2006 15:38

it's a habit
I can't talk as both mine did it and it nearly broke me
however, if I had my time again I would have made dh go in at the problem hours and then my sons would have figured out they weren't getting any milk and there was nothing to wake up for

Hellish isn' t it? Good luck

Original poster

fob · 24/02/2006 15:43

suzy, he sleeps in the same room as us. when he wakes dh brings him to bed for a feed.
do you think this is a phase (he's now 17lbs from a birth weight of 7lb 9oz) and do you think we should refuse a feed?
and you are right - it is hellish!

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popsycalindisguise · 24/02/2006 15:43

my advice is that it is a habit....but try to crack it in the next few months....I have a one year old like that

suzywong · 24/02/2006 15:44

oh god then you're scuppered, mine slept in the same room as well.
Sorry to be so pessimistic, someone more hardline will be along soon to give you some proper advice.
You really have my sympathies as it almost counterbalances the joys of having a child, IME.
Still they all usually stop it by about 18 months so not long to go now

suzywong · 24/02/2006 15:45

yes to refuse a feed, the 2am one.
hello popsy

popsycalindisguise · 24/02/2006 15:46

have a search under sleep or breastfeeding under my name
sleepless in newcastle and please please help me is another....
lots of advice on there

which i need to start up wwith again

popsycalindisguise · 24/02/2006 15:46

hi suze

themothership · 24/02/2006 15:49

Hi Fob, you could try doing what the BW suggests when babies are waking out of habit, which is waking them up on purpose an hour or so before their 'scheduled' awakening - I think the technique is called 'wake to sleep'. Can't remember the precise details off the top of my head, but someone else on here might be a bit more together or you could have a look on the sleep forum on the BW website:\link {http://www.babywhisperer.com/smf/index.php?board=33.0\ Baby Whisperer sleep board}

Good luck!

themothership · 24/02/2006 15:50

Oops sorry about the link... not posted one before. Um, here's another attempt: Baby Whisperer sleep board

Original poster

fob · 24/02/2006 15:51

thank you everyone for advice!
he only started doing it last week and we were ready to move him into his own room at 6 months!
will take the tough line!

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Suzysooz · 24/02/2006 22:46

Hello Fob,

Are you sure you are not talking about my baby?! My dd is 5 1/2 months b/f and I think starting to teeth also. She has never slept through the night, waking every 3 hours for feeds, but the last few weeks has been waking every 1.5-2 hours leaving me shattered. Last night she went for a 4 hour and 3 hour stretch so I am really hoping we are getting somewhere.
I b/f dd at 8.30-9pm before bed, she will then wake 11.30-12ish for a feed and then from 2am, every hour-2hours. Last night, instead of feeding her at 11.30 I gave her a dummy, she fell back to sleep for a couple of 30 min periods, then eventually gave in and fed her at 1am. She then slept through to 5am, fed again and went down to 8.30. If this works I would suggest trying to:

a/ Increase food intake during the day. My h/v advised 3 solid meals a day, alternating with b/f. I have also been mixing them up with a little formula milk to make sure I am full for the b/fs and to add little bulk.
b/ Try and push back the midnight feed with a dummy if your dd will take it, or with patting etc, or visit from dh as suggested above... my hope is that by pushing the feed back later and later she will eventually give up this feed and sleep till 6 or 7 as this is not as harsh as just cutting out feeds completely, although I do know people this has worked for. In our case, I don't think she really actually needs the food but just wants a cuddle and has not really learnt to fall back asleep yet.
c/ Consider moving him to his own room? We have left our bedroom and are sleeping in the spare room until we sort out the nursery! I tended to pounce on dd in the early days when she cried and immediately offer a boob, so that is all she knows. Also I think when she is half asleep we might be waking her turning in the bed etc.

Good luck, it is awful isn't it? I will let you know how we go!

fishie · 24/02/2006 22:53

fob - my ds did this, but has gradually improved (he's 10 months today). not exactly a wonderful overnight miracle, he still often wakes at 3 and is up at 7am, but for a while i really thought it would be every 2 hours forever. crawling has helped immeasurably, he gets properly exhausted and has decent naps. when are you going back to work?

Original poster

fob · 24/02/2006 23:02

Suzysooz, you have described my night!
He woke at 10:30 tonight (earliest ever after going down at 7) and DH just rocked him back to sleep.
Fishie - great to hear that it gets better. DS is really active, so I can't wait for him to start crawling! Will follow your advice.
I'm back in 3 weeks, full-time, and if it continues like this it will do me in!
However, I'm positive it'll get better!
Suzysooz - keep me posted! good luck to you too!

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fishie · 25/02/2006 00:01

it is the downside of the delightful lively baby it will improve - have you tried swimming? was brill for frustrated ds pre-crawling and wonderfully tiring.

Original poster

fob · 25/02/2006 00:10

can't find a group in my area for swimming, thought i take him out every day hoping that the fresh air knocks him out. seems to be going well tonight anyway!

maybe i should'nt speak too soon......

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Kelly1978 · 25/02/2006 00:15

Hi fob,
are u sure it isn't weaning causing it? my dts woke more after weanign cos they needed their milk...
I ended up having to wean them verry slowly, and at 11 months they are finally startign to sleep thru!

Original poster

fob · 25/02/2006 00:25

yeah kelly, that might be it.

he lapped up everything i gave to him - parsnips, apple, pear,potato - but now it's only really his baby rice that he guzzles, which is made with b/milk. it's a wee bit harder feeding him the other stuff - he keeps putting his fingers in his mouth, and he even does it when i put the bib on, before he's got the food in front of him!

i only started weaning a few weeks ago, and i might have to slow it down. i'm now b/feeding him every 1 1/2 during the day.

i'm putting this down to a growth spurt. oh, and he's still snoozing happily from 7 this evening.

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Kelly1978 · 25/02/2006 00:29

Yeah, I would slow it down a bit, he's only little. My dts still aren't eating huge amounts, but as they are sleeping well now I guess it is right for them.
They are all so different, my dd and ds1 needed food to sleep, it took me a while to realise the boys actually needed more milk!

Original poster

fob · 25/02/2006 00:33

thnaks K. should really go to bed now, but my squeaky door might wake him up and it's all going sooooo well so far
ps - with you on the dear matter......

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Kelly1978 · 25/02/2006 00:35

lol!

Original poster

fob · 25/02/2006 00:35

nighty-night!

OP posts:

Kelly1978 · 25/02/2006 00:36

goodnight, sweet dreams for u and ds.

biglips · 25/02/2006 00:41

i remembered mine was like that too and it went on for 5 weeks... (DD slept thru from 8 weeks old till 20 week old) till i introduced a 3rd meal and she slept thru again!! - i thought "WHY didnt i think of that before!!!!"

Hev1 · 25/02/2006 05:33

Hi Fob

I am also in the same boat. DS2 is 5 1/2 months and he is doing exactly the same thing, although perhaps 1 in 4 nights he will only wake once which is great but I end up waking when I think he should be feeding and then I can't get back to sleep.

Don't worry though I have been back at work for the past 3 weeks and your body is amazing and will cope!! Before going back though I did panic as he wouldn't take a bottle or a cup or a spoon. So I tried weaning which went well to start with and then after a week he wouldn't take anything only breast. Although when the nanny (we live overseas and are lucky enough to afford one - cheaper over here) started she managed to feed him solids but after a few days he took a funny turn, he had a solid poo would not lie down and lost all colour which was the most scary part, after that we stopped all solids, he eventually took a bottle from the nanny. But with or without solids did not have any effect on his sleeping pattern. So the advise to go slow with the weaning is probably good. I am going to try solids again this weekend and see how we get on. DS is also in our room and we may move him very soon. So I too am very interested in the advise given here.

Hope all went well last night.

Original poster

fob · 25/02/2006 16:10

thank you hev 1.
it went well last night.
down at 7, woke at 10.30-ish, jiggled back to sleep with the same happening at 1.30. no feeds offered.
we slept in the spare room and let him sleep in ours. he woke at 4.30 and i fed him and he went to 6:30 when he woke up bright as a button. dh played with him and he went back down at 8 for a wee while.
so i've cut back to 2 meals a day - baby rice and fruit, and have upped the b/feeds.
i think it's time he went in his own room and that'll be our next priority.
it just make sense to break the habit that every time he wakes he gets a feed.
we're lucky 'cos he will settle very quickly when he wakes.
thanks for sharing your experience - it's reassuring to know that you are not alone

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