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please help 6 months doesnt sleep ever!!!

4 replies

lemondriz · 15/04/2014 16:56

dd is 6.3months she slept well to begin with but was very ill over xmas with bronculitis we were back and forth to hospital for a few weeks so sleeping and feeding went out of the window for all of us !!

since then her sleeping habits have become worse and worse every day it worsens significantly . .... she is now in my bed with me dp on sofa Blush

she has begun to feed every hour through the night but has a period in the day between 11 and 5 where I cant get her to feed ,she seems distracted and just keeps looking around and wriggling every time I try to feed her between those times .. HV said to increase solid food in the day so she is now on 3 meals a day, all foods, and I give her milk BF before and after each feed .

she now feeds slightly less at night but only if I am cuddling her .but I don't sleep as she wriggles wakes up regularly and cries and goes back to sleep when she knows i'm there .
I managed to get her to sleep in her cot for a couple of hours from 7 -10 ish by laying her on her side with the top I have been wearing that day and a teddy . but it doesn't work once she has woken up .

I am literally at the end of my tether and I havn't slept in weeks and I am suffering from post natal depression . .the only answer I can come up with is sleep; training but everyone keeps saying she is way too young . I try rocking , feeding cuddling back to sleep but she wakes up anything from 15 mins to 2 hours time .. never longer than to hours

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
1lastshot · 15/04/2014 18:51

Your DD sounds just like my DS now almost 8months old. I don't have a hard and fast answer for you as I'm still struggling with him, but what I can say I've noticed is an increase in his day time naps has helped and bringing his bed time forward slightly. Apparently a over tired baby can't sleep?
It does wear you out and DS spent last night in my bed which I know was the easy option but if you stick to your guns and maybe get dp to give you a hand with the night shifts she will learn to sleep in her cot. And try have a cheeky nap or two in the day it helps take the pressure off at night!

I used the gradual retreat approach with him which seemed to work well and can be used from 3 months old.

lemondriz · 15/04/2014 19:09

Thanx for reply. Love the idea of cheeky naps and night time help but she won't take a bottle and I have a 3 year old so naping is not an option dp is working 2 jobs hence my desperation. What is.the gradual retreat approach?

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1lastshot · 15/04/2014 19:22

I had the problem where my DS would not take a bottle from me but took it from DH and after a few times was happy with the idea with anyone feeding him

The gradual retreat is suppose to be less stressful for mummy and baby ( my son did resist change though)
The idea is to distance yourself from her little by little until she no longer needs you to fall/stay asleep. Gives her time to adjust to the change you are making

in short
*first feed/rock to sleep
Then just hold her rubbing her back
Then no rubbing
Then place her in the cot patting her to sleep
Then rub her belly/back however she sleeps
Then hold her hand
Then sit next to her
Then eventually move out the room

3 days for each step takes ages but gentle on a fragile mummy :)

I got a book off amazon "teach your child to sleep" which explains loads of sleep training

Not a miracle cure but went from feeding 2 hourly to feeding twice a night. He is still crap at sleeping but 5hours at a time has helped my depression!

1lastshot · 15/04/2014 19:30

Ps I have also cut down on his TV time he only watches some cartoons in the morning and strangely he is much calmer :)

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