Can I use the cry it out method on my Breastfeed baby??

[Kayls901]

Really need help!! I bottle fed my eldest son and used the cry it out method at 6 months old, this was only to help him at bedtime as he was sleeping through from 2 months of age. Now my youngest son will be 7 months old soon and has been exclusively breastfed. He is still waking between 3-7 times a night. We are currently co-sleeping as he will latch himself on and after 5 mins may fall back to sleep or he will just scream until I stand and rock him back to sleep. I'm really exhausted from all the sleepless nights and am at the end of my tether. Can I use the crying out method with him? I don't think he needs the feeds at night as he has 3 meals a day including snacks and milk so I honestly think it is just a comfort for him. Would really like my bed back too. Lol.

technically i don't see why not. I'm not sure BF/FF makes a difference.

personally I hate C.I.O and think it is awful though, is there no alternative?

How about looking at Elizabeth Pantley's No Cry Sleep Solution?
There are loads of ideas in there how to help your dc sleep better without it being distressing for them.

I personally feel that CIO is barbaric, CC not far behind, but neither is suitable before 1 yr.

At 7 months he probably does still need feeds in the night. Sleeping through by 6 months seems to be something that bounty push in their monthly emails.

I feel like the cry it out method is the only option as I've tried everything else and the only thing that works is picking him up and rocking him so he will fall asleep but as soon as I put him down he wakes up. He will sleep all night in my arms on the sofa (not in bed) this isn't practical
As I'm not sleeping and I have a 2 year old to look after during the day.

I know there are a lot of controversial views about the CIO method and I'm really not looking to be told that it's barbaric or that I'm making my baby distressed. As I've said I used this method with my oldest and he is a very loving and happy child so it has had no adverse affect on him. I really would not be doing this if there was no other option I just needed support thanks.

If he's only six months, 3 meals a day is a lot, the nhs don't recommend moving to 3 meals until they are between 8 and 9 months. Do you think that as the solids will probably have less calories than the milk, it could be this making him hungry and therefore making him wake for milk at night?

I'd cut down to 2 meals in the day and try bfing him an hour before each time. I'd also try to bf him every 2 hours in the day and offer both sides at least once. Could he be teething too?

There is a growth spurt and a developmental leap at around 6 months and all this could just pass soon anyway

In answer to your question, yes you probably can, but I'd try moving him into his own room first, increasing daytime feeds and getting DH on board with 12 alternatives for the all night nurser. You may also like 31 ways to get your baby to sleep and stay asleep.

Before you make any changes I'd read isis online. Its a website for "parents who wish to make informed choices about infant sleep and night-time care". It's very good

Of course you can, whether you should is another matter. I am not too sure what kind of support you expect, if you want people to say "go for it, it will be a lovely experience for your baby" I doubt you will have many takers.

I know it won't be a lovely experience for either of us but after 7 months of him waking up to 7 times a night I feel I have no other options. Just thought maybe there were other mums who had been through a similar situation who could offer advice and words of support.

Oh and just to add he has 3 meals a day with me Breastfeeding in-between and right before bed thanks.

CIO is horrible imo, CC is different and suitable in done situations in children over 12 months minimum.

I don't think you can do either when you are bf/co sleeping, it's just confusing for the baby.

I know it's hard, babies are exhausting x

I sympathise, I really do. My DD woke up regularly every 2 hours until she was 2yo to bf through the night. The most she had slept in one go was 5 hours and that was a rare occurrence. If you would like some advice on how to cope with that what I did was co-sleep and bf lying down and then when she was 2yo I started slowly changing things. First I told her bf was for going to sleep and for the morning, so for a while we had a few rough nights when I had to pick her up, rock her, etc and get her back to sleep, once she was really used to the idea of no bf at night and happy to sleep through without I started getting used to her sleeping without me by staying until she fell asleep and going back when she cried, then going back out when she was asleep. That took a few nights to sort out but now at 2.5yo she bfs, then I stay with her until she sleeps and then she sleeps through for about 8-9 hours for most nights.

Yes I've experienced tiredness and constant waking till I thought I was going to go insane but like Booboo says, you can do it but you aren't going to get many supporters for CIO on here, on Bounty maybe but not here

Think I have CIO method mixed up with CC. What I plan on doing is leave him 5 mins, go in comfort him and put him back down, I he starts to cry leave him 10 mins and then repeat gradually leaving him longer. Is that CIO or CC?

That's cc,cio I'd just leaving him until he cries himself to sleep.

If you're going to do it, start with 1 min and then go back and so on,5 mins is to long to start with.

Is not I'd

I know it's hard but 7 months is tiny still and they have growth spurts at this time too. I don't think you can be sure he's getting enough food/milk during the day until he's over 12 months tbh.

Could you out a cot by your bed so you can pat his back and soothe him?

PUT

sorry, I'm on my phone

His cot is by our bed so we have tried that and it doesn't work. . Think I will start with 1 minute and gradually build up. No I would never let him cry himself to sleep I'm to paranoid for that.

So how will you do it OP if he's already in a cot, aren't you doing everything you can already?

My DS was breastfed till 2 and used me as a Dummy...He went to nursery at 18 months and had no idea how to get to sleep without my boob in his mouth or he fell asleep in car... They gently rubbed his back and he eventually settled..I then copied at home...It was a way of soothing him..Sounds like yours is doing the same as mind but felt a lot kinder than any other method

Think I'm just going to have to try CC and see how we go.

Yes it does seem that you have cry it out mixed up with controlled crying but still don't know how you are going to manage it if you are in the same room

Agree to that you just can't be sure he's not hungry, lots of babies bfeed every 2 hours in the day at this age.

Especially at this time when teeth are coming through, they seem to get extra hungry!

You can toughen up on putting in the cot with pick up put down: ds slept much better when out of each of the milk. Going straight from Co-sleeping to cc seems like a big change.

Be way of night-weaning prematurely, once night-weaned ds became much harder to settle at night.

Can I not use CC if I'm in the same room?

Op.

I have to say whenever anyone posts about dealing with night waking there is a standard mn response...such as you've got!

Im expecting dc6 & my older dc's are in their 20's.

I know this isn't a popular view but babys need to be taught to sleep. I would do cc from 6 months.