Sleep training and breastfeeding

28 replies

Tree6543 · 27/12/2022 10:30

Hi, help needed before I lose my mind! My 7mo (nearly 8mo) is breastfed. Weaning is going ok, eating two small meals a day and I’m introducing a third soon.
Sleep is horrendous. We recovered from the 4 month regression of 45 min wakes which lasted months for about 3 weeks (2-3 wake ups - bliss!) then it all went to pot again last week.
During those 3 weeks she was going to asleep alone with her muslin having moved slowly from rocking to shushing to nothing. Now she is screaming for hours at bedtime and screaming for hours overnight even after a feed.
I am struggling massively and need it to change. I’m happy to sleep train. I think I’m going to use Ferber. But, can I feed at all? Or do I need to night wean? And how do I know if she’s ok to do that?
No judgement please, at this point I feel not sleep training has a worse impact than sleep training.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

Tree6543 · 04/01/2023 19:13

Thought it would be worth updating for anyone who is in the same position. We are now 8 nights into sleep training and it has been life changing.

LO now sleeps 7-7 with 2 wake ups for a feed rather than the 6 wake ups & 2 hours awake in the middle of the night we were having.

She settles herself for naps and sleep. She also isn’t “damaged” and hasn’t learnt “not to bother crying” as I had read on other posts, she was teething badly for one of the nights and that night woke crying and fed really frequently, which I obviously did. She was then fine the next night as the tooth had cut through.

I chose to keep 3 feeds (10,2ish and 6ish) at first and my partner went in to settle at other wake ups. He soothed her until she was calm but not asleep, and then left her. He repeated this until she slept.

She seems to have settled into a 10pm dream feed, 3am feed and then up for the day and a feed at 7 herself.

Thanks for the support from those with advice :)

OP posts:

Geranium1984 · 05/01/2023 21:18

🥳 great update! So pleased you are all getting a reasonable amount of sleep now x

Janebloom · 01/10/2023 21:18

Tree6543 · 28/12/2022 06:44

@lottie198 reading back over my op I can understand why you might think it isn’t needed as I rushed it so much. However my baby has never slept longer than 3 hours overnight, & that was very rare. We had 3 months of waking every 45 mins, and recent weeks is every 2 hours.

She’s never settled for anyone but me, meaning she’s been feeding 7 times between 7-7 at nearly 8 months old. They’re not genuine feeds.

She was teething for a few nights a few weeks ago, and has previously had a cold. I can tell the difference between these nights, and her normal nights.

In all honesty after 7 nearly 8 months of doing every bedtime, and never getting more than 2 hours sleep in a row (and often less) I basically broke down yesterday & admitted I couldn’t carry on. That’s why we are where we are.

This is literally me with my baby at the moment, will only breastfeed to sleep and I'm physically and emotionally drained from lack of sleep for the last 7 months. Can I get an update on how things are now and what you did to improve things?

Flip

1 2