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Sleep

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Original poster

please reply this time!!

50 replies

carmenelectra · 16/01/2008 07:21

I posted this message last wk and only 2 people replied! Im hoping for more responses this time as im more desperate!

16 wk baby, previously mixed fed, now just ff. Happy contented baby all day, no trouble at all. usually goes to bed at 730 ish and wakes once in night, feeds and then goes back off until 7am ish. Except for more than 2 wks now, hes not settling at night. Goes bed same time but wakes for his feed and goes back off but then keeps waking(at least every hour)grizzling/moaning. IM rocking the bloody crib all night, plus putting dummy back in. HE then wakes up all happy as usual and fine all day again.

I had a few theories;
1.teething-he dribbles lots, bites his hand, red cheeks. Tried teething gel/calpol/teething powder. Not upset in the day by this though, so not convinced.

2.colic - was having colief for /suspected colic but i did start to reduce it. Ive 'upped' it again now though and has been having it regularly since last Mon, so again, not convinced its colic.

3.Does he just w ants his dummy more? Im thinking maybe getting more attached to it?And then becomes a nightmare in the night, keep putting it in. Hes not normally that bothered by dummy.

Anyway, today im pissed off. He woke at 2am to feed and only had 4oz so dont even think he was hungry. Then woke constantly till 6am when he was happy and cooing and wanting to get up. I didnt feel like smiling at all. Plus the dog woke me at 5am to go out(only happens on nights im knackered).

Tonight, im either tempted to put him in own room or ask DP to go in another room and i will ignore baby as much as i can to see if he will settle. Whats bloody wrong with him?

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peatbogfaerie · 16/01/2008 10:48

this may upset some/all of you, but could he be hungry? I started gently weaning all 3 at about this stage. just fruit or veg, no wallpaper paste.

Karen999 · 16/01/2008 10:58

Does not upset me. I weaned dd1 at 4 months, as per the guidlines then. This time I weaned dd2 at 5 months as I thought she was ready. I suppose it depends on the baby.

Original poster

carmenelectra · 16/01/2008 11:15

Might ditch the dummy! He does suck his thumb as well nd ive been kind of hoping he would get more into it but he hasnt!

Not upset by weaning, it did cross my mind, but im not even sure he is even hungry when wakes. Like last night he only had 4oz compared to 6-7 in the day. i did think about hungry formula too, but again, if hes not actually hungry whats the point.

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Original poster

carmenelectra · 16/01/2008 11:16

I did wean ds1 at 4 mths(possibly earlier) as the guidelines back then.

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Original poster

carmenelectra · 16/01/2008 11:16

I did wean ds1 at 4 mths(possibly earlier) as the guidelines back then.

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peatbogfaerie · 16/01/2008 11:26

glad no upset!

If not hungry, may well be teething - 2 of mine started at 10 weeks. I found it didn't bother them during the day but did upset them at night. If their cheeks were red and they were chewing on everything/anything at bedtime, I would give them Calpol. If they then woke in the night I gave them Medised.

When old enough to hold it, I also gave them a child's toothbrush to chew on as the handles have just the right consistency (and if they chew the other end they brush their teeth at the same time!)

If it isn't teeth, I cut the night feeds by gradually watering down their night bottle, so eventually they were just having water (about 2 oz) Mine didn't bother waking after two night of that.

peatbogfaerie · 16/01/2008 11:28

two nights ...

I remember just thinking I was going round in circles at one point, trying everything -- it's so frustrating that they can't tell you exactly what the problem is!

Original poster

carmenelectra · 16/01/2008 11:39

I do think he is teething, but im not sure its bothering him, although someone did suggest to me before thatit might bother him at night. i have given Calpol.

Ihavent tried Medised, is it good?

I dont getting up for the night feed if he actually wants it. What the big problem is, after he has had it he wakes several times after that. For what?

What about hungry formula at bedtime, do you think that would settle him or not?

thanks everone who has replied.

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Karen999 · 16/01/2008 11:43

I used hungry formula with dd1 and it did not seem to make much difference and tbh I think it bunged her up a bit.

I take it he is feeding well in the day and having a good feed before bed? Do you lift him for a dreamfeed? Sorry if you have said this before - am typing and trying to give dd2 her lunch!

Original poster

carmenelectra · 16/01/2008 11:49

Feeds well in day, takes 6-7 oz every 3hrs on the dot! Unless he is in his pushchair and then he sleeps longerso will go a bit longer.

Dont do dreamfeed. last feed about half 6, 645, finishes it about 715 ish and up to bed. He was then sleeping until 3am, now its anytime really, but usually 2-3am. Then it all goes wrong from then on!

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peatbogfaerie · 16/01/2008 11:51

Medised has a very mild sedative to help them sleep with a bad cold or teething. It's great when they're just miserable and need to sleep. I try not to use it too much, but sometimes it's a godsend.

Perhaps when he wakes after his night feed, try settling him with water? just the sucking soothes them -- or the Calpol may have worn off and he needs a bit more? Again, I don't want to recommend you give him it all the time, but try it a few times and see if it helps.

Elffriend · 16/01/2008 11:51

Hi,

Just another angle to consider...I think babies sleep patters actually do change around that age and they start going into light sleep more often than before. this means that when they do wake, the crucial question kicks in as to whether they are able to re-settle themselves. If he always sleeps well with you then it may be quite simply that he associates you with what he needs to fall asleep so you may have to look at gradually changing the sleep associations.

Does not really sound like hunger from what you have described and that pattern does sound like one my DS got into at a similar kind of age.

Medised may help but even if it does it is only a temporary fix. If he is ill/teething etc. then clearly it may help but the pattern does not sound like that to me!

Oh, hungry baby formula notsomething i would really advocate - never quite understood why it is a good thing to give a baby soething that is deliberately hard to digest! (Then again, i am biased as a) did not work b)DS had reflux so very bad thing to give him!

Elffriend · 16/01/2008 11:53

sorry about bad typing. Am at work!

Karen999 · 16/01/2008 11:54

I always lifted dd2 for a dreamfeed at about 10 and this was very successful - she would then go through till 7am. I only stopped the dreamfeed when she was established on solids.

Original poster

carmenelectra · 16/01/2008 11:57

Thanks elf and peat.

im gonna buy a jumbo bottle of medised in a bit when i go out.

Peat, i dont usually pick him up when he wakes, just rock crib/put dummy in. He is only sort of half awake, but looks like full blown crying will start if i dont try and settle him, so thats what i do. Thats another reason why im unsure of putting himin his own room. at the moment, im only having to lean over and rock crib, but i will be up and down like yo yo if in his cot, or will i? Maybe he will wake less.

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Original poster

carmenelectra · 16/01/2008 11:58

Thanks Karen maybe could try dream feed? Wont wake him more thou will it and then me not be able to get him off at all?

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Karen999 · 16/01/2008 12:01

I didnt find it did that. I went into the room, put the lights on low, unswaddled her and left her to come round. I then fed her, changed ner nappy and put her down. She always went back to sleep without a problem. I did this for a good few months and she was used to it and therefore knew what to expect.

Original poster

carmenelectra · 16/01/2008 12:02

Might try it later! Anything worth a go!

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seeker · 16/01/2008 12:58

Sorry - still not sure why you don't want to co sleep. As I said, maximum sleep for maximum people!

Please don't use medised. Far too easy to get into the habit and it's seriously not a good idea.

gingerninja · 16/01/2008 13:05

Carmen, medised had the opposite effect on my DD. Didn't work at all.

This is a really really common age for babies to become unsettled. You have a massive growth spurt and developmentally they're changing rapidly. It could be the start of teething too.

My DD was an absolute nightmare at this age. I also found cosleeping saved me. You don't need it to be permanent if you don't want to but it might help in the short term.

Personally after reading every book and practicing all the 'techniques' and lots of advice I just realised that this is the way it was going to be for a while. Once I'd accepted that and did everything I could to maximise sleep for myself ie early bed, sleep in the day with DD) then things got easier.

gingerninja · 16/01/2008 13:08

Also meant to say that it is possible that he's hungry. Small tummy and all that. Just try him with some extra milk.

hobbsy · 16/01/2008 13:51

Try and get rid of the dummy. i remember having the same problem with my DS(8)as the dummy kept falling out of his mouth, or he'd spit it out, causing him to wake up crying for it. The nights i spent on my stomach looking for his dummy were endless!! Don't know if this is the problem but it's worth considering so as to rule it out.

seeker · 16/01/2008 15:26

And remembe that he is very very tiny - he's only been alive for 112 days!

Original poster

carmenelectra · 16/01/2008 16:05

Thanks everyone!

Was joking about medised, i will give him medicine but only if needs it, not just to knock him out. I remember giving ds1 some phenergen(think that was it) and it used to make him in a bad mood, like hangover

I think its true that i do need to accept things will be hard for a bit. Its true, once you accept it its easier!

not against co sleeping as such, its just feel going a bit backwards, thats all, but im not adverse to sticking him in when im knackered, i assure you! Just thinking ahead to work, but thats still 8wks away yet!

Thanks again!

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Original poster

carmenelectra · 16/01/2008 16:06

Oh and hobbsy.Spot on about the dummy my ds who is 8 was like that. I had about 8million dummys just in case i lost one during the night!

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