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Five Months, Co-Sleeping or not sleeping

7 replies

Southwestwhippet · 01/07/2010 22:52

DD sleep seems to be getting steadily worse as she gets older. As a newborn up until around 12 weeks she was going to bed at around 10 with me and would wake up twice to feed then go straight back to sleep. We would get up at 8. All very fine, I was happy with this and felt lucky.

From about 12 weeks she started waking more frequently, sometimes up to 6 times a night. At one point at around 16 weeks she appeared to be on a 24/7 2hr feeding schedule. However, she would, at least, go straight back to sleep after feeding.

Recently though, she has started waking to feed but then not going back to sleep. She will lie next to me singing, playing with her feet, kicking me and whinging. I tend to sleepily try latching her on and she'll sometimes feed but sometimes not. She will also be settled whilst latched on but then wakeful again once unlatched.

She currently goes to bed in her cot at about 8:30 and will wake up once or twice in the first 2 hours for a feed. Then I take her into bed with me at around 11 and she'll sleep until around 1am, feed and back to sleep. But from 4am, she is very unsettled, will wake and play, feed, sing etc every hour. I'm firmly staying in bed with her until 8am because I don't want to get into the habit of getting up with her at stupid O'clock but neither of us are getting much rest as I am either constantly feeding her whilst dozing or being kicked in the ribs/sung loudly too.

Does anyone have any advice as I'm starting to dread going to bed and I'm exhausted. My friend's with babies a similar age are all starting to have better nights, but mine seem to be getting worse every day.

She is demand-EBF, I haven't started weaning although she is having the odd vegetable piece/apple to suck on at our meal times. She sleeps in her cot during the day. Thank you for any advice

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
thisisyesterday · 01/07/2010 22:56

can you push the cot up to your bed? that way at least once she has finished feeding she could lie in there and may not disturb your sleep so much, even if she is awake?

do you have blackout blinds/curtains? is it maybe the light that's keeping her awake and making her htink it's morning?

is she sleeping a lot during the day and maybe not needing as much at night?

Chunkamatic · 02/07/2010 21:03

How old is your DD now? I am having similar issues with my DS2 who is 18wks. Up until this week co-sleeping was working really well for us but just the last few nights he has been really wakeful and fidgety and unless I am actually holding him will kick me all night long.

I'm going to try actually putting him back in his cot after he feeds to see if that helps... although I suspect not. I'm putting it down to a developmental leap of some sort or another.

Dazedandbemused · 02/07/2010 21:25

Hi! First time poster and was looking for the answer to exactly your problem. I could have written your post, my DD is 17 weeks and doing the same.
After her 11pm feed she wakes every 2 or 1 hours and very alert.
She is rolling over from back to front and getting stuck as she hasn't mastered getting back again. I bought a sleep positioner from Amazon today which may help stop the rolling.
I've been reading about the 4 month development and there is so much going on in their heads that they find it hard to sleep bless them!
I hope someone comes along with some reassurance that this will pass quickly.
I think perhaps hot weathers not helping and light mornings
Sorry not much help. just sympathise with your sleep deprivation!
Hope you have a better night tonight

GracieGirl · 02/07/2010 21:55

Hello! Me too, I think you have my DD's twin! She's five months, slept pretty well at night from 6 weeks until 16 weeks then back to 2-3 feeds a night but mostly quick to fall asleep again. Now up every hour or so playing with feet, whinging, fidgeting for a few mins then screams the place down if a feed doesn't come pretty soon. Demand breastfeeding, not started weaning except the occasional chew/lick of a vegetable.

Someone must have some good ideas.

Southwestwhippet · 02/07/2010 22:40

Glad it isn't just me. My DD is pretty much exactly 5 months. Tonight has been the worst evening ever as she has refused to go to sleep at all - my DP has just taken her for a walk round the park to see if that settles her. Usually I can get her to sleep in her cot in the evenings even if she is wakeful at night.

Also had a horrible 'lecture' off my DM today saying she was "surprised" (read dissapointed) that I had decided to inflict a 'regime' (read bedtime routine) on my daughter... plus a load of stuff about how inconvinient it is for her that I like to leave her house earlier than I used to to get back to mine in time to put DD to bed. Consequently I was guilted into staying later, not getting home until 8:00 and now I am paying for it. Maybe I am being PFB about bedtime routines ATM but FFS I am a first time mother and I'm learning how best to do it - just because she had five (none of whom slept well) seems to mean she thinks she is the oracle of parenting styles.

Sitting here trying not to cry with anger/hurt at DM and stress at DD continuing non-sleeping.

OP posts:
Chunkamatic · 02/07/2010 22:49

I think parents forget very quickly, mine certainly seemed to when it came to DS1's terrible sleeping. Your mum probably doesn't realise how much it is impacting on you, again I think it's easy to forget just how difficult lack of sleep can be and how much it helps to have some sort of routine to at least feel like you are doing something towards it!

It does get better, I have one good sleeper to prove that, but I know that doesn't always help when you're in the middle of it all!

I'm keeping everything crossed that things improve past the 6mo mark... that's not too long to imagine is it?!

Don't cry, get yerself to bed and try and rest, thats where I'm going!

Hope you have a better night tonight

GracieGirl · 03/07/2010 10:21

Southwest big hug. Tell your Mum that DD is happier going to bed at a particular time. You've not chosen a time to suit you, you've chosen the time that works for your DD. I'm getting the same from in-laws who think DD should fit her naps round their 3 hour leisurely posh lunches and if its evening should sleep at theirs rather than leave at 7pm to go home and get DD settled. I don't want to stay over at theirs, they live 2 miles away its too much disruption, much easier to just come home.

Chunk is right, people soon forget what its like.

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