Baby 7 months on Tuesday - constantly waking through the night for over a week

[LML40]

Hi,

So, my LO has never been a great sleeper, but there was a stage where he was only waking up 2 times in the night (he's breast fed). For the past week he goes down at 7:30/8 for 3 hours or so and then he's up every hour and sometimes just 20 mins. I've started to introduce food, but just for fun tastes and he doesn't seem to have any problems when it comes to poo's etc. He's very regular!

He's 7 months on Tuesday - is there some kind of regression? He's been putting everything in his mouth for as long as I can remember so was thinking maybe it's getting worse now and it's his gums/teeth?

I feed him before bed each night, but he doesn't fall asleep when doing that now, but I do have to soothe him. He goes down for naps fine and doesn't fight, but I do have to put lullaby's on and rock him a little before he goes down. Maybe I'm doing everything wrong!!!

He's not too cold or too hot either.

I'm absolutely exhausted and just yesterday my dad was diagnosed with cancer for the 2nd time so everything as it is has become so overwhelming and with no sleep it's worse than ever.

Any advice would be great!

@Tee20x so sorry for the delay in replying!

How are you? Has the cot arrived?

X

My toddler (2). Has never slept through the night. She’s still breastfed. I’m fairly confident it’s the breastfeeding. She wakes more when she’s a bit sick/teething to comfort feed. I’m going to try and wean in jan.

Just to add self soothing was never for us. Different things work for different babies. Mine needs to be comforted my her mother not her thumb

@MaisieGreenYellow

Hello! Welcome to the club!

I always love a new "member" of the no sleep gang 😂.

I'm with you with the fact that I also don't think my little one is too bad. Just because he doesn't sleep through the night it's like I'm doing something wrong. He has good weeks and bad weeks and I just have to go with the flow and repeat the mantra "this isn't forever" if I didn't have to go back to work (although I'm lucky and will have had 15 months of maternity leave by the time I go back) as the thought of being up 2/3 times a night worries me, but I've still got 6 months to go, so 🤞🏻🤞🏻.

Yep, I've been saying 'oh maybe at 9 months, maybe at 10 months, it will get better' ha

With regards to NCT - do you think people actually tell the truth?

Thank you SO much for the Instagram pages. I've just followed.

This morning my LO woke up an hour before his usual time, but I managed to get him back down for an hour so he woke up at his normal time of 6am.

I fed him just now for his last nap, but then stopped the feed (he's not overly fussed on feeding sometimes, it's just comfort) and rocked him for a bit, as I laid him down he flipped himself on his front and just as I went to sweep him up in my arms and rock him again I stopped - put my hand on his back and head and ssshhh'd him until he closed his eyes again. He's been asleep for an hour now! For the past few days he's stopped doing his long nap (usually the 2nd one of the day) and started doing his 30 mins cat naps again. I'm going to try it again later and see if it works at bed time.

I hope everyone else is well and you're all surviving.

Remember at least we won't look back and think that we missed out on those contact sleeps, cuddles etc so we could get some sleep. We have years for that when they're older. Enjoy it as they grow so fast!

Xx

@FETOCT2021

This is interesting. What is the link between breast feeding and sleep as obviously your LO now eating full meals as a toddler, so it wouldn't be based on hunger. I you saying it's comfort related?

Totally with you with the thumb. I never wanted to use a dummy either and thankfully he was never bothered about one. He did used to suck his thumb, but that's also stopped. They need their mummy's! 🙌🏻🙌🏻

Also I think in terms of when they’re younger, breast milk is thinner than formula so they need to wake more to feed as they’re hungry plus if you feed to sleep then it becomes a sleep association (no bad thing in my book, it’s natural to feed a baby to sleep).

She goes to nursery twice a week and goes for a nap fine without me, same when it’s just her dad looking after her but if I’m around then she wants boob, especially when she’s sick too. I’m glad I’ve breastfed until 2, as it’s what’s recommended, but I’m starting to feel like I need to wean soon.

Anyway you have my sympathy. I remember the first year with lack of sleep being really hard and reading up on sleep regressions didn’t help me (my daughter seemed to regress every month 🤣). All I can say is these years fly by so cherish them and enjoy all the extra nighttime cuddles we get xxx

Yes she’s feeding for comfort with me, she doesn’t need the milk anymore (although extended breastfeeding is very good for various health reasons)

@FETOCT2021

With regards to waking in the night as the breast milk is thinner, this was one of the million reasons I wanted to breast feed. Isn't there a reason why they're MEANT to wake through the night? Less chance of SIDS by up to 75%! I mean, that number alone is staggering.

I was definitely going to keep breast feeding until he went to nursery (he will be around 13 months by then), but was worried that he wouldn't be able to be without me, but as you've said your LO is fine! I'll happily keep going as I want these moments to last forever.

My LO "regresses" every week 😂😂

@MaisieGreenYellow

Hello!

I know it’s been a couple of weeks since anyone’s posted but just wanted to join the gang and send some solidarity! I have a 6.5mo DD and she’s absolutely gorgeous but never been the best sleeper. Well actually, I think she sleeps pretty well, just not where we’d like her to! Lol or where society deems it necessary for her to sleep! If only we still lived in caves and didn’t have to worry about going to work or live by the clock. I think we’d all worry less about how baby sleeps.

Totally with you all on the constant comments that you’re making a rod for your own back, she needs to learn to self soothe, you need to put her down awake or drowsy but awake!! Yeah right! Come and bloody try it. She’s having none of it 😂

She’s always slept better on us, with us, beside us in the bed. So the sleep deprivation is pretty bad in our house too. It feels like there’s no end in sight. Don’t know about you but we’ve always said oh maybe when she gets to this month, it’ll get better, maybe when she reaches 6 months things will change and they never have!

I know quite a few people who’ve had babies recently including my NCT group and I honestly feel like we’re the only one having problems. It can feel very lonely at times can’t it?

Anyway, I also wanted to share a couple of Instagram accounts that me & DH follow. They’ve really helped us feel like we’re not alone and also reassured us that what we’re doing is totally normal and appropriate for our baby.

Secondstartotheright_sleep
Kathrynstaggibclc

Ones a sleep consultant but holistic and totally against CIO and any type of “rod for your own back” comments. The other is a breastfeeding consultant. They do a weekly Q&A on their stories and I find the questions & answers really helpful as I often see someone else ask something that’s related to our situation.

Hope you’re all doing ok? We were up at 5am this morning because of the clocks! 😱

Welcome welcome!

Thanks for the Instagram accounts will give them a follow the Q&A sounds helpful.

Luckily the clocks didn't affect DDs sleep. She woke up at 8.20 (9.20) - still working on shifting her routine.

[quote LML40]@Tee20x so sorry for the delay in replying!

How are you? Has the cot arrived?

X[/quote]
Hey, no worries.

Im good, how are you? For some reason my phone doesn't notify me when people post on this thread. And I can't find it in my watched threads either...weird.

Still haven't got round to ordering it 😂😂😂😂 I'm a joke!!

@Tee20x

You've made me chuckle over here! 😂😂

How is the shifting routine going?

My LO went down at 9:10 last night as he had a late nap. I don't think he's been down that late for ages!

He's now been asleep for for an hour and 40 mins, so I think I'm going to just put him down earlier tonight and not do the late nap again 🤪. Who knows? I suppose I'm just "talking" out loud!

😂😂

@LML40 yes absolutely it’s safer for sleep. There are so many positives with breastfeeding. I wouldn’t worry at all about sending him to nursery - he’ll just go along with what everyone else does

@FETOCT2021 thank you!! ❤️

OMG ladies!!

Secondstartotheright_sleep is so bloody good! If her posts don't make you feel better within seconds I don't know what will. Her stories feature questions I ask myself every day and her responses along with the poll so you know how many other mums are in the same boat, is fab!!

@LML40

It really just depends on the day! Some days she wakes earlier and has shorter naps so naturally her bedtime comes forward. Others, everything gets so late and she ends up going to sleep at 9.30.

I think part of the issue as well is that I literally cannot put her down and leave the room. So I feel I can't put her down at say 7pm, because at that time I still have things to sort out & I can't go in with her from that early.

So our routine is like a happy medium of what works best for us at the moment.

I think I may need to work on getting her to stay asleep on her own before I try to get her to a "normal" bedtime.

Perhaps it may be best to start sorting this out in late November? That would still be a month before she starts nursery. Hopefully by then she'll be sleeping alone (even if it's just a false start) and then I can eat dinner etc etc once she's sleeping.

Ughhh so many things to consider all the time.

@Tee20x

It's constant isn't it? The questions, the what ifs. Arrrggghhh!!!

Follow the Secondstartotheright_sleep I feel better already!

Mmm I suppose it's less pressure if you started now, but try not to get too stressed about it. It WILL work out in the end!

@LML40 agree about the least pressure starting now. But just goes to show my stance on things lol avoid avoid avoid.

Been doing it since 5 months, saying ill sort it at 6 months, then 7,8,9 and here we are at 10!!

Perhaps I should start now though so I can have some resemblance of evening relaxation before maternity leave comes to an end....

I might actually try it this time for real

@LML40 got the cot! Should be coming on Tuesday.

Got it off eBay though to save a bit of money - it's listed as new though so have paid 150 instead of 200.

At least I won't feel too hard find by if she hates it.

@Tee20x

I'll be with you all the way! Shall I prompt you daily 😂😂

WOO HOO she did it! 🎉 yes, exactly! You don't want to waste money unnecessarily.

@LML40 prompts will definitely be needed.

Like I said I'm setting the bar low. Even if she sleeps on her own for an hour so I can fully relax I'll he happy.

@LML40 oh I’m so glad you like secondstartotheright - she’s so reassuring isn’t she. We’ve considered seeking her help but we’re holding off until we try our DD in her own room next week! Eeek! Not sure how that’s going to go down!

With regards to NCT and whether people lie about their babies sleeping well - hmmm I’m not sure you know. I’ve never felt the need to not be honest about how crap our sleep has been so I don’t understand why people would lie but I suppose some feel under pressure to show they’re doing a “good job” and might not be honest. Also though, I think people have different meanings for what good sleep is probably. And I’m sure we all have much higher thresholds on this thread!! I think we can probably put up with a lot more than some people who might not be used to frequent wake ups…a good night to us would be an awful night for some 😂

Sorry I’m not great at posting on here so not sure how to quote and reply etc but I think someone was talking about the transition to nursery and how they’ll get to sleep etc. Friends have told me that nurseries work wonders! And that they somehow always manage to get them to sleep and to feed from a cup/bottle even if parents have struggled.

Hope everyone has a positive night! X

Hi everyone. DD is up and down all night, 5 mins 10 mins 20 mins 30 mins, the odd hour or two. I'm breastfeeding lying down with her in a cotbed attached like a sidecar cot.

For the last 4 nights I've managed to get her to go to sleep initially on her own rather than bf to sleep but it hasn't improved the number of wakeups yet. I'm trying so hard not to feed her back to sleep every time but it's difficult when she is screaming blue murder, waking up every 3 mins, and it's 3am.

It's been bad for 3 months now, she is 6.5 months. She broke at wonderweeks leap 4 and just when she was supposed to come out of it she got even worse. Before that she had been sleeping through the night since 5 weeks, I thought we had it cracked!

Sorry I am just moaning now. I am repeating myself too but I introduced myself ages ago at the start of the thread and then stopped posting so I wouldn't expect anyone to remember.

We tried separate cot, separate room, dp on her side of the bed, me wearing his shirt, dp trying to settle her. Nothing works. She won't take a bottle or dummy. I don't even understand how this is supposed to ever get better? How do I get her to link her sleep cycles? What is the route out of it? Just wait? Every time I research I come away more confused.

Last night I tried really hard not to feed her back to sleep when she woke but I ended up very confused. If she is clearly rooting for the breast am I confusing and traumatising her by giving it to her sometimes and not others?

I need to stop the constant wakings so I need her to be able to get to sleep without feeding to sleep. But I don't understand how to achieve this in a way that doesn't traumatise her. Can anyone help?

Sorry to keep posting but I've been trying to research and my head is spinning.

I looked at the Jay Gordon blog who said don't even think of trying to reduce night feeds until a year. So we are 5.5 months too early.

Im looking at a million Mumsnet threads where mums are saying they can't cope when it's every 2-3 hours and it's making me feel insane! I'd kill for 2-3 hourly feeds!

We made her bedtime earlier last night which I don't want to, and I've just read plenty of comments saying a late bedtime (9pm) can be fine.

Everything I read I just read the opposite 5 mins later.

Hey @Doughnut100,

My phone really doesn't tell me when people post. So annoying!!! Just seen all of your posts and didn't want to ignore, but will respond properly once baby is down for her nap so I can focus :)