9mo and still waking 3 times per night ...

[Slave2Babe]

... I'm exhausted!

DD has never slept through. She goes to bed at 8pm (she sleeps in her own cot, in the own room, and has done since 6 weeks). She needs me in the room to help her to settle initially, but she does go off to sleep on her own.

She wakes at 2am, 4am and again at 5am. This pattern has become the norm over the last 3 months or so. I try not to bfeed her but sometimes this is the only way to calm her and she seems absolutely starving! I do try water/juice first.

This seems like more than just 'a phase' but I dont know how we can get out of this routine. Please help .

How much is she eating/feeding during the day? How much does she sleep during the day?

She has a b/f first thing in the morning when she wakes at 6/7am. She's on 3 meals - small jar for breakfast, large jar plus small desert jar for lunch and same for tea. She sometimes has a supper depending on how early she had her tea.

Bedtime routine is bath, cool down time (read book or play quitely with her in her room), b/f and then in her cot at 7:30pm.

She usually settles and is asleep by 8pm.

Sh's not a good daytime sleeper - she really fights it. On a good day, she'll have an hour at about 10:30/11am and maybe another hour at 3/3:30pm. More common is 30-45 minutes tho.

My sympathies!! DS was v similar. In the end he wouldn't drink during the day (maybe take 2 ounces max from a bottle throughout the day), so the best thing for us was for me to stop b/feeding. He was so ready for this, and within 4 days I went from b/feeding him at bedtime, plus 3 feeds overnight and a morning feed, to totally bottle fed! Could not believe it as he would never take a bottle despite 7 months of trying!
Had one tortourous night of screaming, followed by one hour the next night, then 20 mins the 3rd night and has pretty much slept through since then
Prior to this he would spend the vast majority of the night in our bed!
When stopping feeding i didn't offer an alternative, was just a hard momma and gave cuddles but no drink. Turned out to be much easier than i anticipated!! I did think at the start that i would be one of those mums whose kids slept in their parents bed until they were teenagers!!!
How do you feel about stopping b/feeding? It was right for me but appreciate won't be right for everyone!

Sometimes jars aren't all that filling - can you try giving her some of the food you eat and seeing if it fills her up a bit more? She's old enough for sandwiches, etc as well as dinners - bolognaise with couscous or rice and veg for instance?

it might happen all by itself, ds2 was like this and now sleeps much better than ds1 who started out so well, then ended up more or less sleeping the whole night in our bed. ds2 didn't sleep through til something ridiculous like 11 months, but now he's brilliant. ds1 slept through at 2 months but now he's 3 he never ever sleeps though (so it could be a good sign longer term iyswim?)

Otherwise, have you got a partner you could send in to do the late night cuddles - good time to start getting him into the routine! dh is brilliant at it with ds2 but I left it too late with ds1 and he screams blue murder if dh goes anywhere near him at night time - it's mummy or hysterics!

hunkermunker - she doesnt have jars all the time. i kinda used this more as a way of trying to give an idea of the amount that dd will eat. she only has 3 teeth and gags on things if they're too chunky. we have been experimenting with foods tho - she loves vegetables and can gum them so long as i cook them enough so that they'll squash in her mouth.

i have been thinking about stopping the b/f. i need to lose some weight and want to come off the depo. she has always taken a bottle well - a friend babysits when we go out and has never had any problems feeding her.

dp is very good with her but at night time she only wants me. it just ends up with dd and dp getting stressed out.