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Would my 6 month old sleep better if he was bottlefed? Please help!

8 replies

blob2be · 30/04/2007 09:40

DS is a fantastic baby (if I do say so myself!), very contented and rewarding to be with....in the day. At night, though, it's a completely different story. He's never been a super-sleeper but when he was 3-4 months he was waking 2-3 times a night, which I could cope with fairly happily. However, for the past couple of months, I haven't had more than 3 hours continuous sleep at a time - he wakes usually every 1-2 hours in the night. If he's in his cot I try to rub his tummy and soothe him but it's pointless - he only settles with a feed (or more accurately a comfort suck on the boob). If I have the energy he will re-settle by being taken out of the cot, woken up properly, and going through his bedtime routine again (playing with a toy/teether, and having a sound and light dream show thingy). However, I'm just too knackered to do that every time he wakes up, and now he's in bed with us. It's easier not having to get up all the time but being in bed doesn't do that much to improve his sleep TBH - he wakes up just as much, and although sometimes a cuddle sends him back off to sleep, 90% of the time I have to let him comfort suck. He's not a clingy baby at all and I wonder why at night he's still after this comfort. He's just cut a couple more teeth but I don't know whether to blame it on that as he shows no sign of discomfort during the day. Is he just addicted to boob? I tried controlled crying once, but never again - I found it very distressing, not to mention DS! He's been on solid food for a couple of weeks now, but no signs of improvement. Oh, and there is one more thing - we've just got back from a trip to Australia. The REALLY bad sleeping started just after we arrived there. I know that the bad sleeping could be down to a change in environment etc - but we were staying in the same place for over a month, surely he should have got used to it in that time? I drive myself mad trying to work out what the reason could be. I am passionate about breastfeeding but I can't help but wonder that if he were bottlefed I wouldn't have this problem, as we'd have been forced to settle him with other methods. Sorry it's such a long post, but please help, I am absolutely knackered! I spend 12 hours in bed with him just so I can get enough sleep and I have no life outside of this endless sleeplessness!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
cruisemum1 · 30/04/2007 09:45

oh god - another one! this is sooooo common a pattern. it seems once they hit 4 mths they do this. join us on sleep is for the weak. we are all going thru this.

cruisemum1 · 30/04/2007 09:47

oh and to answer your original question - probably not.

elijen · 30/04/2007 09:47

Hi Blob2be

I am afraid it probably won't!! Your son will just replace the need of your booby to go back sleep with the bottle. He probably isn't needing the milk just you to get back to sleep. My daughter was bottlefed and still wakes up 2 or 3 times a night!!
How old is he now - if he is over 6 months you can start some form of sleep training. There are various styles - find one you are happy with, get some assistance (hubby or parents). Please keep breastfeeding like others have said it is a wonderful exprience and one I wish I could have continued.
Good luck and I hope you get some sleep some. It's a bloody nusience when dont sleep!!!!

blob2be · 30/04/2007 09:49

Wow - so there are other babies who don't sleep out there. Judging by my mother and baby group I thought all babies slept through from 6 weeks! Thanks Cruise, will join the thread.

OP posts:
blob2be · 30/04/2007 09:52

Thank you- was pretty sure bottlefeeding wasn't the answer (don't think I could give up BF anyway), but I'm just endlessly on a quest to find the solution! Elijen, he's 6 and a bit months.....will research sleep training, although as I said before, could never do CC!

OP posts:
MrsBadger · 30/04/2007 10:09

(oh, and feel free to fib to your babygroup friends if they're making you feel inferior - 'He may not be sleeping through but he prefers Mozart to Beethoven, you know' )

elijen · 30/04/2007 10:12

ahhh - the good old mother and baby groups. Don't you know their babies are super and always go to sleep, never wake up, never cry and never ever drive you up the wall .
There are several types of sleep training not just controlled crying which works for some and not for others. (worked for my first daughter but second hated it) I think there is gradual withdrawl method where you say with them until they are asleep and then over nights gradual work yourself out of the room. The problem is sleep training does take time sometimes weeks. Thats why I said get help because at 3 in the morning you need support as well as the next day when you are soooooo brain dead that you manage to put the milk back in the dishwasher .

Tapster · 30/04/2007 13:26

Except for the trip to Australia you could be describing my daughter - we are 10 days from 6 months. Its so frustrating - hoping that protein will help her sleep through. I think if that doesn't help then some sort of sleep training will take place. Have got my DH lined up to spend the next two bank holidays waking up to attend to her to try and break her from BF all night habit she got in to. DH's family keep saying to give formula to help sleeping through the night but I love BF and I have got so far why give up now.
At the mother and baby meetings - lie everybody else is, if you talked to the husbands you would find out the truth in my experience!

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