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Sleep

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Original poster

11 m/o waking every half an hour for a bf- Help Me!!!!!!

31 replies

SturdyAngel · 24/03/2007 06:21

DS has never been a brilliant sleeper but recently things have been getting worse. He has been waking all night at 15-30 minute intervals. He wakes screaming and will only be comforted by a feed.

Should I just put this down to teething, hope its temporary and continue feeding all night or do something to try and stop this? If so, how? He refuses a cup and if not put to the breast the screams get louder and louder and wake the whole house!

To compound the lack of sleep DS1 wakes up at 5am! I am so tired that some days I have to ban myself from driving as I don't trust myself! Any advice?

TIA

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

SturdyAngel · 24/03/2007 11:41

A shameless bump

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Original poster

SturdyAngel · 24/03/2007 19:18

One more bump, then I'll give up and resign myself to a lifetime of sleeplessness!

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mower · 24/03/2007 19:38

SturdyAngela sounds like ds is using you for comfort, have you tried a dummy instead of feeding? Has worked with ds2 for us, but started giving it to him at about 6 weeks so is used to dummy now.

Not much help sorry but at least it bumps it up for you.

funnypeculiar · 24/03/2007 19:53

Can't let this fall off for you ... you must be knackered

Hummm, think if he's waking THAT often, I'd be tempted to try and tackle it a bit (am usually of the 'do what they want, 'twil pass school, but every 15-30 mins is a bit shit...!)

More questions for you ... how does he sleep in the day? Will ANYTHING other than a bf comfort him at all? Do you co-sleep? Or can you pat him in his cot? Could someone else have DS1 for a weekend so you could concentrate on getting him sorted without worrying about DS1?

CantSlimWontSlim · 24/03/2007 20:10

Are you putting him down awake, so that he is learning to settle himself?

What are you giving him to ease the teething pain if it is that? You can cross load nurofen and calpol if he really is suffering.

SenoraPostrophe · 24/03/2007 20:13

oh you poor thing.

You need to find an alternative way of getting him to sleep first - dummy, walking and rocking, anything. sometimes that makes them sleep longer (I know, ds is going though a similar phase).

I know it's hard, but you just have to risk waking the whole house. they'll get over it.

also how old is ds1? I send mine back to bed if they get up before 7 and they usually go. bribery is sometimes involved.

Original poster

SturdyAngel · 24/03/2007 20:31

Thank you for your responses!!

Right, answers to your questions...

He had a dummy from around 6 weeks but refused to take it from around 5 months onwards so thats not an option now!

He sleeps well in the day, usually falls asleep in the pushchair on the walk home from nursery and will sleep between 1-1.5hr. He sleeps for an hour in the afternoon (from 1.30-2.30 usually) after a bf.

When waking at night nothing will comfort him other than a feed- if I try to cuddle him without feeding he will push me away, scream louder and burrow for my boobs!

I did co-sleep for a while but decided to stop as I also had DS1 in the bed and DH virtually moved into ds1's room. If I am desperate at 3am I will put him into bed with me just so I can get a couple of hours sleep. I have tried to pat/soothe him in the cot but to no avail, he screams and tries to climb out.

He goes down to sleep at night after a bf but awake (just). Sometimes if he has recently had a feed DH can put him down to sleep. He just screams if DH goes to him at night.

I haven't been giving him anything for teething, as I'm not sure if that is the problem. I also am not keen on the thought of using medicine long term- this has been going on for ages! I will try some teething gel to see if that helps though.

DS1 is 3. Nothing seems to keep him in his bed- I have even put a TV with a video in his room ONLY for use before 7am. He;s not interested. He wants mummy.

Think that covers everything... any ideas?

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funnypeculiar · 24/03/2007 20:33

btw, did I miss something - how old is he??

Original poster

SturdyAngel · 24/03/2007 20:41

Sorry, he's 11 months.

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CantSlimWontSlim · 24/03/2007 20:41

funnypeculiar - the answer is in the thread title

funnypeculiar · 24/03/2007 20:41

yes, sorry, title did rather give that away

funnypeculiar · 24/03/2007 20:42

look, I've had 2 glasses of wine, ok??

Original poster

SturdyAngel · 24/03/2007 20:44

Lol! Was going to tell you but still a bit unsure about the online sarcasm thing..didn't want to offend you if you had some potentially life saving advice!

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CantSlimWontSlim · 24/03/2007 20:46

Hmm, I get the feeling that you're not someone who would want to do controlled crying? We went for it in the end because dd would scream for hours whether I was trying to comfort her or not, so we had nothing to lose! She was waking at least every hour at the time, but was a bit younger than your ds.

It definitely sounds like he is using your breast as a prop to help him get to sleep, so when he then has a stirring in his sleep, and does a mental check to see that things are as he remembered leaving them, he is realising that you aren't there, and thus waking himself fully. Have you tried sleeping in the same room as him, but not actually co-sleeping, so that he at least sees you there when he stirs?

CantSlimWontSlim · 24/03/2007 20:47

Oh you can't beat a bit of online sarcasm IMO.

SenoraPostrophe · 24/03/2007 20:48

he sounds just like ds1 used to be.

I'm afraid the only thing I could find to stop it was controlled crying.

with ds2 we're having a similar thing only this time I've been leaving him to cry while I stay in the room. it seems kinder,although with ds1 he was fixed in 2 days where this is the 4th day with ds2.

Did your other son get up this early before ds2 was born? could it be a jealousy thing? if it is, making sure you spend a bit of time with him alone every day might help, especially if you tell him you'll have more time if you're not too tired. (ds1 is 3 and he just about gets this idea. it does take a bit of explaining though!)

funnypeculiar · 24/03/2007 20:50

Right, attempt to re-engage brain
Humm - are there any signs of teething in the day - is he grizzly/dribbly etc? If so, perhaps you could try a dose of calpol before bed & see if it makes any difference? If not, the problem ain't teething! Dd (just 12 mths) cut her first back teeth at 11 mths and we had a rough few weeks - but she wouldn't have settled with milk - there was clearly smthg else going on. If yours settles after bf, tbh it wounds to me more like a sleep association he';s got going.

Does ds1 still sleep with you? Could you try co-sleeping again? Worked a dream with dd - she was a crap sleeper from about 6 mths on - but would settle with a cuddle rather than a feed with a bit of perseverance. She is JUST starting to sleep through now (7-6.45 last night - woo-hoo!!), with no further encouragement/effort from us.
BUT didn't work at all for ds - a complete sleep-shit - never mind co-sleeping, he co-screamed ! Only thing that helped him was me lying on the floor next to his cot patting him. For HOURS.

funnypeculiar · 24/03/2007 20:52

Oh, and cc didn't work for ds (when we finally tried, against all my principles)...tried for two weeks - hardly any improvement...

Trust me, not enough brain-cells for on-line sarcasm tonight

Original poster

SturdyAngel · 24/03/2007 20:54

Hmm... not completely convinced about CC but not completely adverse to the idea either. I think at this point I am willing to give anything a go! He is still in his cot in our room due to unfinished building work (I could begin a rant on this which would be titled: Am I being unresonable: to be really pissed off that after being promised DS2's bedroom would be finished before he was born, he is now 11 months and it still doesn't have walls!)

DS1 has always been an early waker, despite blackout blind, bribery etc.

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Original poster

SturdyAngel · 24/03/2007 20:57

Congratulations on a good nights sleep funny!
I'm not sure if he is teething, he hasn't got red cheeks, he's not dribbly or grizzly in the day. I think you are right, he is waking and wondering where his boob has gone!

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SenoraPostrophe · 24/03/2007 20:58

well, if you do cc, it's importantb to say exactly the same thing each time you go in to soothe him. That way, they know what's going to happen.

It was painful with ds1 - he was 9 months old. this staying with him seems to be better, but I'll have to keep you posted on whether it works or not!

fishie · 24/03/2007 21:01

horrors - the waking sounds dire. there must be a reason though, if not teeth then something else. i'd co-sleep or get yr dh to do the putting to sleep, no point in cc it doesn't seem your style or you'd have done it already. actually have just remembered about 9m i said no feeding after 1am and dp put him to sleep, it was a nice challenge for him

Original poster

SturdyAngel · 24/03/2007 21:01

Thanks for the advice. I think I will have to give CC or some variation on that a try. Will keep you posted. Let me know how you get on SP!

Off to bed now, may get an hour before he wakes if I' lucky!

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funnypeculiar · 24/03/2007 21:02

Hope you sleep well....

Original poster

SturdyAngel · 24/03/2007 21:02

Ah Fishie...DH doesn't "do" night waking! To be honest listening to him trying to deal with it would actually be worse than CC I think!

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