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HELP - 7.5 month old started waking every 2 hours in the night - what the hell can i do!!

11 replies

cinnamontam · 15/01/2008 10:36

Hello - I will try and keep this succinct.

  • DD is 7.5 months old
  • Fully breastfed, not had formula
  • Has 3 good sized solid feeds each day (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
  • Solid meals are predominantly fruit and vege with a protein (cod, salmon, beef, mince)
  • She doesn't like chicken, turkey or eggs but will keep trying them
  • I give her her chunk of cheese, bread or crispbread to munch on which she enjoys
  • Needs dummy to go to sleep
  • Won't drink water
  • We co-sleep and she sleeps between DH and I
  • Rolling and sitting up by herself but not crawling
  • Her health is excellent and when she is awake she is the happiest most gorgeous kid
  • She has 2 teeth that have come through in the last month with very little fanfare (i.e. bit of nappy rash and slight grizzliness the day before the tooth popped through)

Up till a week ago she was going to bed at 6pm and then having boob feeds at 11pm and 4.50amish. She then wakes at 8am to begin her day. She has 2 naps in the day lasting at least 45 mins each but often longer. She does fight going to sleep - she won't self settle and I have to be sitting on the bed holding her hand and whacking the dummy in after each dummy spit until she settles.

This is now my problem - for the last 4 nights she has woken every 1.5 to 2 hours after 11pm through to 8am and will not be settled but has to be fed.

Is this a growth spurt?
Is it hunger or broken sleep due to something else?
If she is hungry what else can i give her to fill her up?

Any advice is very gratefully recieved. I'm bloody knackered. I am not asking for a 7pm to 7am sleeper. But I would like at least 6 hours unbroken sleep like I used to

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
cinnamontam · 15/01/2008 11:10

bump

OP posts:
cinnamontam · 15/01/2008 12:11

Hellooooo - any idea's?

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cinnamontam · 15/01/2008 19:03

bump

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bubblagirl · 15/01/2008 19:16

could she be getting too hot between you both? , maybe try her in her own cot in baby sleeping bag

not really too sure apart from maybe teething again or could be growth maybe she feels uncomfortable

went through similar stages but had to trial and error on nearly everything so hope she sleeps better for you soon

its very draining i know my ds at this age did seem to sleep better alone once used to it but not saying same for your dd but maybe worth a try

Swaliswan · 15/01/2008 20:26

I'm not sure what to suggest. My DD is 7.5 mo and did exactly the same last night. I think that it was possibly teething pain and associated gripey tummy. Either that or she is unsettled because I'm having my first AF since she was born and it affects the taste of BM.

If you want to try feeding her something extra, you could try fromage frais/yoghurt as a pudding instead of fruit. I've also started giving DD a biscuit/rusk with a drink in the afternoon (not very healthy but it's the only 'naughty thing' I give her).

The other thing I would suggest is that maybe they are both having a developmental spurt. DD is quite unsettled during the day while she is playing and appears to be trying to work out the world a bit more again.

cinnamontam · 15/01/2008 21:23

Thanks guys

Swali - silly as it sounds (and of no use to you at all) it is nice to know your DD is doing exactly the same as mine

I am also mid way through my AF but this is my 5th (I think) since she was born and I don't remember it having the same effect last time. I'll let you know in a week

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lewy · 15/01/2008 21:29

It was suggested to me to try a weetabix with milk between dinner and 7 oclock milkfeed.

cinnamontam · 15/01/2008 21:44

Bubblagirl - I love having her in bed with us but I am tempted to move her into the cot in our room (that at the moment has her books, toys and some clothes in) after the 11pm feed just to see if she sleeps any better.

Lewy - she doesn't like weetabix or porridge
So far semolina is ok and she loves fresh mooshy pear and baby rice. I could try one of those. Only thing is she goes from dinner to bath to boob to bed - all in about 45 mins and she is knackered by that point so not sure if I can get another lot of food in her.

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Swaliswan · 16/01/2008 08:00

Cinnamontam, how was your night last night? Msy DD slept from 7-6 which is a record for her but she would go back to sleep afer that. I have also been advised to give her some cereal between tea and bedtime, but I find that she also goes from tea to bath to boob quite quickly. I'm not convinced that more food would help her anyway because she seems to sleep a bit better when she is full but not over-stuffed. I think that my DD is just not ready to sleep 7-7 yet.

The big thing that got DD sleeping much better was when she stopped feeding to sleep and started going down awake both at night time and for her naps. She just sort of grew out of feeding herself to sleep but there are things you can do to help your baby stop feeding to sleep. I've also started to use a Gina Ford routine for her nap and food times as DD will not give in to sleep during the day. Since doing this, she is much better at sleeping both day and night (as much as I hate to admit it!).

I've also found that giving her more home-cooked food (rather than the jars I was giving while our kitchen was being refitted) has helped her to sleep more.

I read a bit about developmental spurts in my book last night and it turns out that DD is definitely having one now. This always affects her sleep. If you want to know more, let me know.

cinnamontam · 17/01/2008 13:28

Hi Swali - last night and night before were still pretty rubbish. Feeding at 9pm, 11pm and then every 2-3 hours after that till she got up at 8am. I've tried getting heavier food into her like pasta, rice and proteins but she just doesn't seem to like them. I'm making everything (she hasn't had a jar yet) so maybe she just doesn't like my food
But if I give her sweet pot, sweet corn or banana or pear she wolfs them down!!!

Glad to hear your DD went 7-6! That is fantastic

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BefnalBub · 24/01/2008 20:55

Hello Tam! hope all is well.... I'm kinda going through the same thing at the mo, hence being on this thread. L was great when from 3 to 6m when she only woke once or twice, but now seems to wake 9,11,2,4,6.... and shes eating well. hmm. think baby boot camp ala aprilmeadow may be in order. foodwise, we've started giving her the pudding after the bath - I've found greek yoghurt/polenta/banana very good. Also mixing finely grated apple or pear works to sweeten up anything. Off to our thread to see if you are on there x

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