Millpond Sleep Clinic - worth it?

[AlmondFrangipani]

We have a 6mo DS whose a terrible sleeper. He wakes up every 1.5/2 hours at night. We feel like we've tried everything and nothing helps. Has anyone tried Millpond? We're at the point where we would give all our money for a few hours sleep!!

We used Chris Wandrag, really lovely lady and sorted us. Also gave me free advice over the phone with my second and has helped some of my friends on my recommendation
www.christhenanny.com/Chris_The_Nanny/Home.html

She looks at the whole day with you to work on what might be going wrong at night and then stays with you for 2 or 3 nights to support you as you change the habits. Was life changing for us!

I used Andrea with DS1 and he went from waking every 45 minutes to sleeping 12 hours :) it took longer for us, about 4-5 weeks, ao don't be disheartened if it isn't as quick as others on this thread!

I've emailed Andrea this morning! Will keep you posted on progress!

Artemis I'm apprehensive about the night feeds as my DS is the same. Screams hysterically and thrashes until I feed him so we will see what Andrea says!!

I think I might need to use something like this. DS is almost 6 months and is waking hourly. It was every 2 hours but has regressed. If I feed him he goes back to sleep fast but if I don't he screams. He isn't hungry though as he is sucking more for comfort.

What sort of price range are we looking at for this kind of help?

Andrea is about £300.

She is £275 and worth every penny.

Almond-have you met with Andrea yet? How are you getting on?

Hi Pink,

Yes! We had our first Skype consultation on Thursday evening. She was really lovely. Supportive but firm about what we need to do. She thinks his reflux is causing his wakings and then we have created the feed to sleep habit. So our plan is to drop all night feeds with lots of reassurance. Oh and we need to retrain him to go to sleep when we put him down at night as he goes off too easily. So we need to change his bedtime routine to make it harder for him to fall asleep. The theory being that when he wakes in the night he knows how to go back to sleep without the interventions we were using (Ewan dream sheep, light show, music, massage, milk etc). We have people staying this weekend so we're starting the plan on Monday night. Eeek!

Pink - forgot to ask how you guys are getting on? Still progress?

The last 3 nights haven't been so great. Up about 4ish for an hour or so. I'm putting this down to being poorly, a combo of cough and teeth.
Which is a shame because we got down to 7-6 with a 2min pat at 5am. So I know it can be done! I'll speak to Andrea tomorrow to see if she has any great plan. I think she might tell me to cut down on daytime naps.

She really is lovely isn't she. So calm and soothing! I wish you the very best of luck for Monday. Just keep strong and remember that it will work and that first 6hr stretch will feel amazing!

Illness is a bugger isn't it. Just feels like things are settling down and a cold kicks in!

Can I ask what your doing for daytime naps? I never know if I've got that right!

He was going down about 2hrs after waking (at 6ish) and sleeping for about 60-90mins.
Then maybe a 30mins in the car and then another 30-60mins about 4ish.
The morning nap was always certain and the rest was just whatever if I'm out and about.

It's gone a bit haywire this week as he just wants cuddles and naps on me. I will ask Andrea what to do and revert!

That's quite similar. My DS always naps 2 hours after he wakes but norm for 40 mins. Then a lunchtime ish nap and a late afternoon nap but really depends on what I'm doing too. Just had awful weekend though where he was showing all signs of tiredness but screamed in his cot until I got him. Think he's been overtired as we've had lots of visitors! I also just had 40 mins of crying and refusing to go to sleep so bought him downstairs to feed him and he had a big bottle then when straight down. He wasn't due a feed though so makes me worry about the night!! Another query for Andrea!

So for those interested...we survived night 1! On Sunday night we practised the new bedtime routine and elevated his cot but decided to feed him in the night with the intention of going the 'whole hog' on Monday evening. Interestingly he slept from 7pm - 3am without waking! The first time EVER that's he's gone that long without waking up! That gave us the extra bit of confidence for last night.

Interestingly his lunchtime nap on Monday was awful and it took an hour of crying and me going in and out for him to go sleep. I found it tough (I cried at 50 mins) but a good practice run for the night as I knew he would eventually go to sleep.

So...last night he went down at 7pm and woke up at 10.30pm. He cried for 1hr 10mins (we kept going in and out as per the plan). He was pretty hysterical for a large part of it but he eventually went to sleep. He then woke up at 3.30am and cried for 30 minutes. This was actually harder (I think we were tired by then). He then woke up at 6.45am but I left him 'chatting' in his cot until 7am. I then fed him downstairs and interestingly he only took 5ozs (up until now he's been having 4ozs) so couldn't of been that starving! His next nap was amazing and he slept for 1hr 45 mins but I had to wake him for an appointment! His next 2 bottles were then full 7oz feeds (which he hasn't done for months).

So we feel like that is good progress. Just hoping it takes a bit less time tonight!!

Well done! I hope he keeps up with taking more milk in the day.
How was you Tuesday night? Any improvement?

We have now had 2 nights where I haven't had to go into his room at all!
I spoke to Andrea about the night wakings and I think I was going in when it wasn't needed and just egging him on.
I've heard him wake at 2am and I'd normally think 'I'll nip that in the bud with a quick pat'. Well I stopped that and within minutes he was back to sleep again!
I feel fantastic, it's finally worked and none of us are scarred from the experience.

Pink that's amazing!!! I'm so pleased for you guys. How many days did it take? Does Andrea think that you've cracked it now?

Well...we had an amazing night! He only woke up at 1.30am and like you we decided not to rush in. After 15 minutes of complain crying (as opposed to hysterics) he went back to sleep until 6am!! I then left him 'chatting' in his cot until 7am. Feel like a different person today!! Fx it continues!

We'll that is 3 weeks exactly now. I think we would have nailed it sooner but he was poorly for a week. Mind you I'm perfectly happy with 3 weeks compared to 6mths of multiple wakings.
I'll chat to Andrea tomorrow to let her know our progress. She seemed genuinely concerned when I wailed 'it's all gone pear shaped!' on Monday.

I'm so glad night 2 was a success for you. It's such an amazing feeling isn't it? I've become the perfect 1950's wife at home, cleaning and cooking because I have my energy and enthusiasm back. The husband is well chuffed, I'll get bored of cleaning soon enough so it won't last. We'll be back to the usual squalor soon.