It's my own fault, how do I fix it

[Debbiethemum]

I am bf dd (now 5 months), and now have the situation that she canot get to sleep without it. In fact she likes to sleep still plugged in. She is waking really frequently at the moment (about every 1.5 - 2 hours). It's not a growth spurt as it's lasted nearly 6 weeks. Starting her on a bit of fruit puree doesn't help, though she loves pear. Moved her to the grobag with no improvement. Also trying to give her a bottle of ebm some evenings to see if that makes a difference, which it doesn't, but may be able to go out to dinner with dh soon.

Don't want to try cc, it doesn't suit me and we managed to get ds to sleep without it. Sleep deprivation means that I can't remember how we got ds to sleep through the night though!!

(I will also blame sleep deprivation on the bad grammer & spelling).

Does anyone have any ideas or books they can recommend.
Thank you

Debbie

Have you tried rocking her to sleep or bouncing her (bouncy chair) or walking her to sleep in pushchair then move her to her bed? Not that these are forever solutions, but it'd be the start of her getting used to falling asleep in a different way.

Thanks for the post Cavy, I will try rocking her to sleep tonight as I know I can move her into her cot from there. Will let you know how that works.

just a word of warning. i rock/hold dd to sleep and its now the only way that she will sleep. its a nightmare trying to get her to stay in her cot without being held.
elizabeth patleys no cry sleep solutions mentions how to get them to sleep without a breastfeed. may be worth a go. unfortunetly doesnt mention how to get them to sleep without rocking!

Last night wasn't too bad. I managed to get dd into her cot awake and rubbed her back till she finally fell asleep (about 5 mins). But there was 1 1/5 hrs of not falling asleep before.

Well she fell asleep on the boob and was woken while placing her in her grobag. Cuddling and rocking for the next 1/2 hour, she was wide awake and getting crosser so we tried the bottle of ebm - which she would only take from me, then it was more cuddles and rocking but finally looking sleepy so in and out of the cot with back rubs and fell asleep properly just before 12 (normal bedtime is between 10-11, when I go to bed}.

She then stayed asleep till just before 3, when I fed her in bed and I fell asleep first - I woke up again an hour later, she was still grazing, unplugged her to get her to fall properly asleep and put her back in the cot. Next waking at 6:45 fed her, she fell asleep while feeding and then back in her cot till 9:30.

ds & I got up at 8:30

I will persevere in not letting her use the boob to fall asleep before bedtime, but am too knackered to do anything different during the night.

Any more advice really appreciated

Thanks
Debbie

why didn't you put her in her grobag before feeding her? Put her in grobag- feed- she falls asleep- put her in cot. HTH

That is what has led to the big problem, she cannot get herself back to sleep, so has been waking every 1.5 - 2 hours and I am getting more and more sleep deprived. Hence the plan to teach her to fall asleep without that prop.

we've just bought the no-cry sleep solution which although i haven't yet implemnted it so don't knwo how successful its going to be (we need a routine to change - v busy summer - whole other thread). I would still recommend the book it fulls of sensible common sense advice, things you'd think of on your own if only you weren't sleep deprived!!

Thanks, Let us know if the books any good. The title descibes what I want !!

Debbie

i have read the book and its a good sensible read just haven't used it yet!!!! She doesn't offer overnight solutions but breaks down the process off getting baby to sleep through into 10 day steps, there are lots of suggestions to match your child and if one thing doesn't work she suggests another, but if like me you can't do CC then this does seem to be the answer.

Another mum who's used it may disagree i guess!!

We have the No Cry Sleep Method book. Bought it when dd 6 months (now 7 months) but had house move in the middle so process a bit disrupted. It has lots of helpful advice and ideas. One of the big things it recommends is an early bedtime for the baby. I was a bit skeptical of this but dd now goes to bed at 7pm and goes straight to sleep (previously, grateful if asleep by 10pm!). The book doesn't say harsh words about nursing to sleep - just advises ways of helping the baby make other sleep associations (eg - popping baby off breast as they nod off - good idea to start doing this before teeth come in - ouch!). It's basically very encouraging if you have a restless baby who doesn't like to sleep (so many of the books imply that the parents have made grave mistakes if the baby doesn't sleep - but my baby never slept - even the midwives in the hospital couldn't settle her!)

dd doesn't resettle herself every time, but now can wake up and go back to sleep which she didn't before. Don't know if this is just and age thing though as her sleeping generally is improving. The main thing is we all feel a lot more rested! Mind you, we co-sleep so perhaps our situation is slightly different (got too sleep deprived struggling with the whole cot thing).

HTH. Sorry to ramble on.....

I will order the book on Amazon tonight.

We have been sort of co-sleeping as dd does/did spend over half the night in with us, but I want my sex life back. Also need to get some sleep to have the energy.

Last few nights DH has rediscovered the trick of stroking baby's head -- or cradling the head/scalp in your hands while whispering "Shh!". I can't believe we forgot those tricks!! That and swaddling (so they can't punch themselves in the face). Really do work.

Well I am a couple of days into this method and I think there is a barely discernable improvement how are you guys coping with sleep or lack of it.

Debbie