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Original poster

Baby waking every 1/2 hours at 8 months

53 replies

lorza03 · 21/12/2019 06:25

My baby is 8 months - he’s a great little baby but since weaning at 6 months he has woke during the night prior to food he would sleep 9pm - 6am no my life has changed he will always fall to sleep about 7.30! Sleep until 9.30 the wake up and the it just carry’s on throughout the night, he doesn’t cry much just squirming and squishing . I have 2 other small children 4 and 2 up until know I’ve been holding it together but now I just feel like I want to shatter I am so mentally worn out from the constant waking. My husband works long hours and sometimes isn’t even home for nights , so I have no break or time to rest at all. I am definitely not finding the easy. Has any suggestions

OP posts:
Snowflake9 · 21/12/2019 06:31

Do you feed him when he wakes? If so he may then be under the impression that if he wakes he gets food so that's what he is doing.

At 9:30 maybe offer a bottle but nothing after that.

If he's just squirming, try to calm baby without getting him out of the cot. A gentle hand on chest will let him know you are there.

Do you have white noise? Download an app and play this. It blocks out all other noises so baby may sleep better. My 4mo loves it to sleep.

I am sorry your DH works long hours .mine does too and some times goes days without holding our DS as by the time he comes home he is asleep,nans by the time he leaves, he is still asleep.

Keep going. You are doing an amazing job. Remember, it won't last forever.

Marinetta · 21/12/2019 06:33

Don't have any suggestions but I just wanted to say that I am in the same situation. My 8 month old never sleeps for more than 2 hours. He's been that way since 3 and a half months and I've tried a lot of things but nothing seems to work. Hopefully someone will come along soon with some helpful tips.

Sexnotgender · 21/12/2019 06:33

We sleep trained at that age as I was on my knees.

Marmitepasta · 21/12/2019 06:44

I have no idea about this but could it be that baby is struggling to digest certain foods? You say til 6 months rather sere sleeping through and the fact you say they're squirming makes me think it could be that? Does it happen every night or sometimes worse than others. I would jot down what food they've had and see if it makes a difference. Make an appt with gp if you think it could be that

Marmitepasta · 21/12/2019 06:46

Also my eight month also woke regularly at 8 months and had no intolerances or anything, was just a crap sleeper. But was from about 2 months (to two years 🤣)

pissedoffwithprojects · 21/12/2019 06:50

Did you BF? I BF mine and one had an issue with CMPA that didn't reveal itself until we started weaning and she became a different baby (miserable). Once I worked out what it was and cut the cow's milk from her diet she reverted to normal. Worth considering if it is that or something else related to weaning?

PatricksRum · 21/12/2019 07:32

Do you feed him when he wakes? If so he may then be under the impression that if he wakes he gets food so that's what he is doing.

That's really not how it works!!!!

MsChatterbox · 21/12/2019 07:41

No advice just hand hold. My son went through this phase. It was horrific and I honestly didn't think we'd get through it. But it passed. He started sleeping through at 16 months but went longer stretches in the end before that.

Original poster
lorza03 · 21/12/2019 09:36

Wow I am surprised so many of you have commented thank you so much. I do breastfeed and end up just doing that to settle him but yes I suppose he’s thought if i wake up I get milk. He doesn’t really have any cows milk yet so don’t think it’s an a intolerance. I need to find the strength to not feed him during the night.

OP posts:
Sexnotgender · 21/12/2019 09:41

I was feeding to sleep and feeding 8+ times a night when he woke.

At about 9 months I cracked and sleep trained and night weaned.
Sleep training took about 2 nights and was relatively painless! I was surprised how unfazed he was by it. Very little crying.

Once that was embedded we night weaned. My husband did it all though as he wouldn’t settle for me without milk. Is there any time your husband is home for a couple of days? It took about 4 nights.

Now he’s 10.5 months, last night he went to sleep at 6pm, woke once at 3.40 and I gave him a quick feed and he slept until 6.40am.

I feel almost sane again 😂 I don’t mind one or maybe 2 feeds per night.

Original poster
lorza03 · 21/12/2019 16:29

Yes I can absolutely handle once or twice a night as I have done with my other children but I really don’t feel sane at all!! I feel like I’ve given up any hope of sleep or real life. I think I maybe need to bite the bullet and change what I’m doing but yes I bf my middle son to 7 months so never had this prob but I think they know you have the milk to help settle and that’s what they want. My husband is about some nights not but I don’t think he’d have the patience to help.

OP posts:
lifeisgoodagain · 21/12/2019 16:32

That's why we coslept. Sorry no words of wisdom, mine were breastfed and learned to feed without waking me by 6 months, both were sleeping through in their own beds by, ahem, 7 or 8 years old (told you I didn't have advice....)

PatricksRum · 21/12/2019 19:54

Please don't night wean before 18 months.
Have you spoken to a hv? It could be just a phase as pp have said

FREEM · 21/12/2019 19:56

I think it sounds habitual .
They are so clever!
waking = boob
I think from experience you need to try and not feed in the night.
so tricky but needs must

OhTheRoses · 21/12/2019 20:03

Have you had his ears checked? Some babies suffer more with teething pain than others - calpol?

Dd had bad ears and things were better when she was grommetted at 20 months. However, with hindsight she was never really happy unless a bit of her was connected to a bit of me. At about 15 the anxiety manifested. Hindsight is a wondeful thing. Be mindful of what might be underlying op. Flowers

Aquilla · 21/12/2019 20:05

Stop feeding at night now... No need. Good luck!

Snowflake9 · 21/12/2019 22:51

My baby hasn't had a feed in the night since 10 weeks. He is now 16 and fine Some nights he wakes , but I haven't had to give him a bottle. Just a cuddle, reassurance and he falls back to sleep. He has a bottle when he wakes at 6am. So yes, I do believe that's how it works. He hardly wakes in the night now. Only if his nappy leaks.

So I am a firm believer in , this is night time. No feeds at night. Our routine is always the same too. Bath, play time, cuddle, last feed, sleep bag, sleep.

What is the evidence for not night weaning before 18 mo? I am curious.

PatricksRum · 22/12/2019 05:42

@Snowflake9 unbelievable. "This is the night time. No feeds at night"
Research biological normal infant sleep.
Truly shocking.

Snowflake9 · 22/12/2019 06:15

No need to be rude. It works for us and for alot of people on this thread by the sounds of it. Yet I am the one who gets called out ...

My baby is happy and healthy and just where he needs to be on his percentile. His routine is like clockwork. If he wakes in teh night, I comfort him and he goes back to sleep. If he was starving, he wouldn't go back to sleep surely ?

"Truly shocking" I am sorry I have shocked you so. 😂😂 However many parents night wean before 18mo.

PatricksRum · 22/12/2019 07:49

This is not about night weaning. I'm shocked at your attitude towards babies doing what babies should be doing. @Snowflake9

bellajay · 22/12/2019 08:05

@PatricksRum I’m quite shocked at your judgy attitude to other mums just doing what they think is best for their families, and at the way you dictate what other babies ‘should’ be doing when all babies are so different...

Lolacat1234 · 22/12/2019 08:18

Just following for advice! My daughter is 8 1/2 months - just when I think she can't get any worse she just gets worse lol. Last night she woke moaning/whinging every hour from the moment I put her down to about 1:30am when I fed her, got a 2.5 hour stretch until 4 then constant whinging until we gave up and got her up at 6:45. 3 or 4 times in the night she does go back to sleep after 5-10 mins of whining. I'm sooooooooooooo tired!!!! I've resolved to leave her 10 mins every time she wakes before going in just in case she goes back down as she sometimes does, but the constant being on edge is what is so hard. I go to bed at 10 thinking she's gonna be up in half an hour or so x

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 22/12/2019 08:22

OP if they don’t cry don’t feed them. Sometimes they can wake in the night and get themselves back to sleep. Are they in a different room to you? I think if not, they should ideally be- sometimes babies over 6 months sleep between in their own room

Snowflake9 · 22/12/2019 08:32

@PatricksRum please don't tag me anymore. Unless you are going to help or offer adviceto OP there is no need to go after me for what I believe is right for my child and offering what has and does work for me.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas.

SpaceDinosaur · 22/12/2019 08:33

Night waking is about more than food. It's comfort, reassurance and is just as important as your waking daytime relationship with your baby.

Frequent waking is a killer. Baby in with you, boob out and trust that they will be in their own bed eventually. We coslept until 14 months. My LO's now nearly 3 and has been in her own bed, sleeping through the night for almost 18 months. No "training" no crying, just following her cues, progression and ability.

Are you familiar with the safe sleep seven?

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