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Sleep

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Original poster

17 week old waking every 1 or 2 hours at night - arrghhh!

14 replies

PiperG · 20/03/2008 19:37

My DS is 17 weeks and has never been a good sleeper at night, though recently he has got much worse. He used to manage some 3 or 4 hour stretches but over the last couple of weeks he has been waking every 1 or 2 hours at night - this is really starting to kill me now as I haven't had a stretch of more than 2 hours sleep in weeks, and also have a toddler to cope with during the day.

He starts off the night in his Amby hammock but after the first feed I usually end up having him in bed with me - simply becuase I fall asleep feeding him and never seem to get round to making it out of bed again and over to the Amby to put him back.

Inevitably after an hour or 2 from the last feed (though more of a quick suck really) he wakes crying and grizzling and I have just been feeding him again to get him back off to sleep again - this seems to be the only way to get him to sleep. Now I'm really worried that I have got into terrible habits where he is waking after each sleep cycle and needing my boob to get himself back to sleep again.

So I stumped as what to do - feel really stuck - he's always been a baby who needs a lot of cuddles and human contact and I think he just really wants that all the time, but I need to get him sleeping a bit more on his own before I go nuts! I'm also worried he may be teething - since about 3 months he has been very dribbly with very hard gums and he chomps furiously on anything in sight. So I'm reluctant to let him cry at all - he seems too little anyway - if he may be suffering from that.

What to do??!!!!

OP posts:

callmeovercautious · 20/03/2008 19:42

A combination of teething and getting Hungry. 17 weeks seemed to be the start of regular wakings again for most of the babies in our postnatal group. I have also seen a lot of posts on here about it.

It is awful - just as you think the nights are getting better - bang - something else happens!

You have my sympathy but appart from feeding him more in the day if possible there is not much you can do but wait it out. Eventually when he is eating solids well it will get better, unfortunately that is a while off yet. By that I mean 3 big meals not just a few spoons of babyrice and don't listen to anyone who tries to tell you otherwise - they are waffling

callmeovercautious · 20/03/2008 19:43

Also try some teething powders before his last feed, if they help his gums he may feed better then not wake you as often.

glimmer · 20/03/2008 22:03

Hi same here. DS is 16 weeks. He used to sleep 11pm-3am-7am, now up every two to three hours. I used to co-sleep for a while and really like the idea but DS wanted to drink literally every hour! He did (I must have helped him latch on uncontentiously) and the result was that I didnt sleep well and he got indigestion. We still sleep in the same room, but I have moved to the other side, so that the milk smell is not too tempting for him. He is now sleeping at least two/three hours but I try to resettle him if it less than three hours since last feed.
Could you try what happens if you do put him back in his Amby? BTW have no experience with teething. The above was just my experience: co-sleeping does just not work for us and I cuddle him at other times.

Original poster

PiperG · 21/03/2008 08:14

Glimmer, I do think that when he's in bed with me all night there is that almost-unconscious constant latching on, so I am determined to put him in the Amby as much as possible. He still often wakes every hour or 2 in there though, and no amount of bouncing and swinging will get him off again. So feeding seems to be only option.

Thanks for your advice Callmeovercautious, I am going to try and tank him as much as possible when he feeds cos I do think he just snacks too much and doesn't get proper feeds. Hopefully as you say it will get better ...

OP posts:

shabster · 21/03/2008 08:23

Sorry to worry you but, apart from the teething, you have just described my DS and he is 10 years old

Stefka · 21/03/2008 09:30

My DS is 21 weeks and he is the same. It's so hard isn't it. I wish I had a solution for you.

moocowme · 21/03/2008 12:23

my ds is 25 weeks and does this now as well. he was sleeping thru until 16 weeks when teething started. he to has an amby hammock. during the day i get him to eat and drink as much as possible. during the night i have even tried giving him paracetamol but nothing stops him waking every 1-2 hours. would love to know what the cure is as feeding him up is not working nor are drugs or bouncing for hours at a time in his hammock.

Sufi · 22/03/2008 13:03

my ds is 18wks and is exactly the same. sorry I can't offer any advice but it's nice to know I'm not alone and not a terrible mother! Have been trying the 'No Cry Sleep Solution' without much success and, like glimmer, I am starting not to feed him if we wakes before 3 hours is up and just cuddle/rock back to sleep, which sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. I'm also trying to get him to fall asleep without the nipple in his mouth (as per the No Cry... book) but no joy there yet - he just gets cross when I take it out before he's in a deep sleep!

I keep reading lots about teaching him to self-settle, so that when he wakes in the night he can put himself back to sleep, but I've no idea how to do this - it's something that's often said but never comes with any actual advice as to how to do it!

We also co-slept to begin with but it didn't suit me and when we do it now (if he's poorly, he wakes every 30-60 minutes so I have no choice but to have him in bed), we both sleep terribly as he constantly snacks.

Wish I had some advice for you but you have much sympathy! xx

TrinityTheProgressingRhino · 22/03/2008 13:05

your a amateur, come back when your ds is nearly 14 months old and doing that

Wizzska · 23/03/2008 15:07

This is just like my DS who is now 16 weeks. Unfortunately I haven't enjoyed any weeks where he has had fewer wake ups, he's always been like this. Does this mean he'll get worse now? Yikes!

Nessamommy · 23/03/2008 16:40

My son went through a growth spurt at that time. Hope that it passes soon.

Jojay · 23/03/2008 16:45

Dummy??

Gemy · 23/03/2008 21:57

I know self-settling sounds impossible but I put DD2 to bed when she is sleepy (yawning and sucking fists) and in a good tight swaddle, dummy in. She is 12 weeks and will (so far at least) settle herself to sleep without any crying and even if she cries a little bit, I give her just 1 minute or so to see if she can settle herself. Even if I end up going back in, I replace dummy if needed and go out again.

Also I do the same thing each time I wake her for a feed I.E wake, look at mobile, feed, wind, read book, baby gym, bouncy vibrating chair, nappy change and babygrow change, swaddle and bed. It's like she knows what is coming next and goes down very easily. Obviously, when we go out, we keep the 3 hour feeds etc and improv the rest!

Let's see if I am saying the same thing at 17 weeks though!!

fatmumslim · 23/03/2008 22:51

My DS woke for feed (we were co-sleeping) every 2 hours every night for a year. It took me going to America for 2 weeks, and leaving him with my husband for DS to sleep through! Don't think it has to be so drastic though - just get partner to do more of the nights. You need your rest too.

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