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Original poster

HELP!!!!!trying gina ford contented baby

27 replies

mrsgee · 10/03/2006 14:23

my 6month old is being a pain at nap times evry day is different,even though im sticking to the routine.he did a week of sleeping through the night and now is waking again.im at the end of it.any ideas.i have left him to cry and after an hour he still isnt calming down or going to sleep.HELP

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zippitippitoes · 10/03/2006 14:25

perhaps he is having a growth spurt, teeth etc

WickedViperWitch · 10/03/2006 14:26

Give him a cuddle? Might be teeth. Some people on here (search if you want to know more) aren't mad keen on Gina. I think this sounds pretty normal for 6mos.

Original poster
mrsgee · 10/03/2006 14:31

THANKS he has just cut his first tooth,i guess i just thought things were getting better when he started sleeping through the night,and i started to feel human again,and now back to suqare one.and why is it that every suggests leaving them to cry it out but i find it the most difficult thing to do

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WigWamBam · 10/03/2006 14:31

Don't do it then - listen to your baby.

WickedViperWitch · 10/03/2006 14:32

Agree, if you find it hard don't do it. Pick him up, cuddle him.

Original poster
mrsgee · 10/03/2006 14:34

would you just put him down whenever he is tired or try to keep to a sleep routine.with my first it was so much easier but i feel like a first time mum again

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WigWamBam · 10/03/2006 14:39

I fed when dd was hungry and let her sleep when she wanted to - she eventually found her own routine. I do think that routines are a good idea, but one size doesn't fit all. He'll soon work out his own routine if you let him.

Original poster
mrsgee · 10/03/2006 14:42

thank you wigwambam.its so nice to have somewhere to go to talk havnt used this site before.nice to not have someone moaning at you for being on the phone too.

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Kelly1978 · 10/03/2006 14:42

agree with wwb, very strongly. You will jsut make it hard for yourself trying to push your baby into someone elses routine and make you both unhappy.

harpsichordcarrier · 10/03/2006 14:43

what about just a sort of bed time and nap time routine? i.e. to introduce the cues, but not to worry so much about watching the clock
ps not everyone says to let them cry it out Smile

zippitippitoes · 10/03/2006 14:50

try to relax yourself as well, he may pick up on your anxiety especially if you are trying to conform to a rule you don't really feel comfortable with...Smile

Original poster
mrsgee · 10/03/2006 14:51

we have the same bedtime routine,even down to what my daughter does by playing with my son. nap time routines are similar too its just he sleeps for different lengths of time and i dont know if im coming or going.will it affect them at night if they sleep too little in the day?all he has had today is 2 half hr naps,and will be awful at teatime

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WigWamBam · 10/03/2006 14:57

Sometimes it can affect them at night if they have too little sleep, sometimes I found it didn't make a difference.

If he seems tired later on, you can always let him have a little sleep for a few minutes to catch up.

I got sick of people telling me at this stage that "it gets better", but they do start to settle, and it does get easier. And then they get to be approaching 5 like mine, and it gets worse again Wink

Original poster
mrsgee · 10/03/2006 15:12

what medication do people use for teething. i have been using medised but have just looked atb some other topics on here and wondering now if im doing the right thing

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madmarchhare · 10/03/2006 15:15

You could try Calgel, which you put directly onto the gum.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 10/03/2006 15:25

Medised is fine! Dont panic. We always used dentinox gel as bongela didnt really work.

I have to say my DS was very much like this, up until about 10 days ago. (he is 10.5 months).

I got too tired "trying"/making him fit into a routine so i followed the path of least resistance until i felt up to breaking/confronting his sleep issues. (ie b/feeding him to sleep)

He is now having 2 naps a day - one of them at least an 1.5-2 hours. He is also sleeping from about 8pm till 7am now whereas up until 10 days ago he was waking 2-4 times a night.

My first, my DD was always a fantastic sleeper so it hit me hard this time round too.

CorrieDale · 10/03/2006 20:23

Not trying to hijack, but did you do anything different VVVQV? Or did his 'sleep maturity' just kick in?

VeniVidiVickiQV · 10/03/2006 21:37

Yes i did.

We moved into our new bedroom - he no longer slept in with us anymore.

Also, i made the decision, based on the fact that on some occasions he managed to go as far as 5am without feeding so he obviously wasnt waking through hunger but more habit.

I decided that i wouldnt feed him anymore before then if he woke but would comfort him etc as much as possible BUT without taking him out of his cot. Comforting consisted of patting his back or chest gently and saying "its okay, its night night time in a gentle voice". I would also stroke his forhead gently.

The only exception to this would be if he was absolutely hysterical, at which point i would cuddle him until he calmed down and would lay him back down.

The first night i did it he woke at midnight and screamed blue murder until 4am, when he finally settled. He didnt wake again until about 6am which is when i fed him.

So the next night i knew he could go until 6am. This time i got a comfortable bed set up in his room with blankets etc ready for a busy night ahead. He slept through until 7am!

The same the next night until 7.15am adn the next 7.20am. The following night he woke once or twice but some shushing and patting got him back off to sleep fine.

I should point out that i have been putting him to bed between 7.30 - 8.30pm - his last feed at 7pm.

HTH
x

Original poster
mrsgee · 10/03/2006 21:37

was wondering the same thing,how come it changed just like that.did you have to do controlled crying at all.and how do you manage that with another child in the house?already been up to mine twice this evening,had glass of wine now(me not him)going to bed to see if i can get more than a few hours sleep in a row,just watched war of the worlds dvd bit of an anti climax ending!

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harpsichordcarrier · 10/03/2006 21:39

well done QV. does this mean we won't be seeing you on here with the midnight crowd Smile

VeniVidiVickiQV · 10/03/2006 21:41

I should also point out, that previously, for teh sake of my sanity when he woke i would just feed him to get him back to sleep as soon as possible so i wasnt really helping it.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 10/03/2006 21:45

Nah HC - i'll still be about - insufferable insomniac still.

He still stirs and cries out in the evening a bit but we just ignore him as he settles himself back off.

I think he just has a reflex to cry when he wakes without it really meaning anything.

Thankfully, DD sleeps through ANYTHING - we can pick her up, move her around, drop things next to her etc etc adn she doesnt wake so not a problem for him to scream. And BOY does he scream!

I have to be honest though, Cod was a huge help for me in this. Gave me lots of fab advice. She is brill.

Original poster
mrsgee · 11/03/2006 11:31

HOORAY!!!!
HE SLEPT THROUGH LAST NIGHT!!!!!
went to him 2 times in evening but then nothing until 645am

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VeniVidiVickiQV · 11/03/2006 20:54

oh excellent news! What did you do differently?

Original poster
mrsgee · 12/03/2006 13:24

my wonderful MIL vought black out curtains-cant see a thing in there!!!!!!!!!he woke last night two times but went back quick.have also since discovered that he is cutting his two front bottom teeth!would explain an awful lot really.full of snot too,just like half the country probably.have also decided to just let him sleep however long he needs to in the day and not get myself in a stress about it

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