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Original poster

5 month old hates cot

10 replies

Beansprout30 · 26/12/2016 22:23

I just don't know what to do anymore, she goes to bed so calmly at 7-8pm, 2/3 hours later she wakes crying and will not settle back in her cot.

Any advice please? I dread night times right now

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Artandco · 26/12/2016 22:27

Ditch cot, put cot mattress on floor

FATEdestiny · 26/12/2016 23:26

Remove one side off your cot, butt it up to your bed and cuddle into the cot.

Also at 5 months old - feed more. More feeds per day, more volume and frequently. A large proportions of sleep issues before 7 months are down to hunger.

When baby wakes after 2 or 3 hours - do you feed?

NerrSnerr · 26/12/2016 23:32

When my daughter was 5 months she still woke 3 hourly for a feed (on a good night). She was still with us in the evening and slept by our bed so was easier to settle.

Original poster
Beansprout30 · 26/12/2016 23:47

I have her next to me, only last week put the side of the cot up because i worry about her rolling out. I've been feeding her each time she wakes and she falls asleep after five minutes, then as soon as I put her back in cot she's wide awake

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Original poster
Beansprout30 · 26/12/2016 23:52

She's on me now but she just seems to be comfort sucking, tried a dummy and she just spits it out

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FATEdestiny · 26/12/2016 23:53

as I put her back in cot she's wide awake

Yep. That happens.

Do you have an in-cot settling method? I'm thinking dummy as the easiest. Possibly with a swaddle.

If you don't have a method to settle baby independantly in the cot, you may well be better off embracing cosleeping so that you don't have to transfer into the cot at all.

Original poster
Beansprout30 · 26/12/2016 23:56

She's never been swaddled I thought this wasn't recommended if she's not had it before?

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FATEdestiny · 26/12/2016 23:59

tried a dummy and she just spits it out

If you would prefer baby to be sleeping independantly of you, the dummy is the most effective way.

Dummies do sometimes require persistence. Constantly trying, holding it for baby, trying at different times and with different dummies.

I'm not a cosleeper. Well, not as anything other than occassionally. So independant sleeping was important to me. I would not give up on the dummy. I would relentlessly keep going with it every sleep time, all the time, until it was eventually accepted.

Dummies really are THAT important in my view. They are completely worth the effort. Dummies are ace.

Or, you could just cosleep...

FATEdestiny · 27/12/2016 00:00

She's never been swaddled

That boat has sailed then. While it's considered safe to swaddle an older baby, is dangerous to start swaddling after 3 months.

Original poster
Beansprout30 · 27/12/2016 00:04

Thanks Fate I will try dummy again and try and get more day feeds in

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