We got her into a bad habit...how do we get her out of it??? Very Long

[minimatron]

Hi All,

Just looking for some tips. My story goes: DD was a 2hrly waker up until about 4 months (normal I know), from then she slept a good 8 to 10 hrs a night up until Christmas. Then we went camping over New Years, she screamed every night and we just gave her bottles to stop her and get her back to sleep...bad I know. Thing is, she has been doing this ever since and she wakes up usually around 2am and doesnt go back to sleep til 4am ish.

It came to a head with DF and I the other night when I fed her a bottle at 2am (i know) and she wouldnt go back to sleep and DF insisted giving her another bottle an hour later. 2 feeds of about 240mls each. Its ridiculous. Shes a great eater during the day. She sleeps from around 1pm til 3pm every day. She started crawling while we were camping so I thought that she was hungry from the extra energy...but i bulked her dinner up with mash potatoes..no difference. Also she has been teething too, but bonjella and panadol dont make a difference.

So while I am waiting for the Queen Elizabeth Centre to call me for an interview on March 17th, I was just wondering if anyone could give me tips on how to stop the night feed. Should I be giving her a top up at 1030pm when shes asleep?? She has her last bottle at 730 and asleep by 830.

We are both very tired and I just think we got her into this, I really want to know how i can get her back into sleeping well so shes not so tired during the day. I also have DF on side and is willing to try anything.

Thanks

Melissa

[Kazbah]

Mel - *hugs*

I don't have any answers for you (we just had our first 6-hour sleep in a week and a half!) but *hugs*

hope it sorts out soon.
kaz

[monnie]

Hi Melissa

My little boy is a little younger than your DD...but we also got into the pattern of ++night feeds after Christmas.

I was ending up feeding him 3-4x/night...and was getting exhausted. He's not really into solids that much but he gets plenty to drink during the day...having between 6-8 feeds during the day.

Anyway...we ended up ringing a helpline. They suggested that I put a mattress on the floor in DS's room for 3 nights. Every time he begins to stir, before he's fully awake, to get up to him and try to settle him...without feeding. The idea is it's easier to get him back to sleep whilst he's still half asleep.

Well..when my DS wakes, there's no real sleepiness, he's wide awake....but I did what they recommended. It did mean that for some time during the night, I was settling him for 45-60 minutes.

BUT...since doing that, he's cut down to 2 night feeds...one at 11pm and one at 4am...which makes life alot easier during the day!!! He does still wake at times during the night, but one of us (me or DH) go and settle him and he will go back to sleep.

The important thing they said to me was 'set yourself a goal'. My goal was to only offer feeds every 4-5 hours over night time (as I was told this was how much he really needed...he's a great weight and feeds well during the day). So, I just made sure I kept to the goal...and it's helped lots!

So...I don't know if that helps...but it helped us to get a bit more sleep!

Also...with the teething, I found SM33 far more effective than bonjella!

[minimatron]

Thanks Monnie and Kaz.

Well I found out shes not sleeping well at day care either, only 50 minutes a day, even with her night pattern. Shes also got a massive red bum and red cheeks. I agree with setting goals, I think mine is to drop that feed out all together. Its a matter of doing it and with the both of us at work we are buggered.

Will do it over the weekend though, that way we can try and get some rest during the day.

Tonight she has gone to sleep at 9am with a bottle at the same time, which is 2 hours later than normal. Am hoping this will change the pattern a little!

Thanks for the tips, will let you know how it goes.

[mrscricket]

Melissa - my DS is a little younger than your DD but I do the 10.30pm dream fed which works most nights - I just pick him up, he stirs a little but usually goes back to sleep while drinking and finishes the bottle. If i don't offer it, i find he wakes for a feed around 3am. One of the girls in my Belly buddies said her little boy was waking for a few feeds so she offered him water in his bottle as opposed to milk. After a few nights when he realised he wasn't going to get what he was after, and it put a stop to the waking.
I also find that when DS has bad day sleeps, his night ones are bad too. I thought it would be the other way around because he was tired, but these babies do things just to confuse us i think! Maybe once she starts sleeping a day care, it may improve.. Not sure if any of this will help but good luck with it all

[Kazbah]

Mel - we had another brilliant night's sleep here - I'm wondering if its because we've been waking him at 6-6:30 every morning and he's now having a proper morning nap at daycare?

Thinking my letting him sleep till 9:30 was causing more harm than good