DD is almost 10 months and was sleeping thru (7pm-5am) from about 5 months until 8.5 months. it seemed she had a growth spurt and was waking twice a night but it is still happening!!
i asked my CHN and she said DD was probably waking out of habit and to give her half water half formula until its decreased to just water and that will 'teach' her theres no point waking at night. but she is still waking, taking 20-30ml of it then going back to sleep, then waking again 3-4 hrs later and doing the same. most nites i am up 2-3 times between 9pm and 5am and its killing me!!
she used to sleep thru 10 hrs so i know she can do it, she has 2 or 3 day naps of 1-2 hrs each, someone said try keep her up longer but she screams murder if i try keep her up...i realllly need some advice
Can you resettle her without the water? Or does she have a dummy, will that do? I am assuming that you've tried that and it won't work. Maybe try just patting her off to sleep for about 10mins before offering the bottle? Sorry probably not any help! My kids still wake and they're almost 3yrs and 19mths!
i try but she screams until she gets the bottle, but then is totally uninterested after 20 seconds...she has a dummy but puts it in/takes it out herself, ive tried putting a bottle of water in her cot but she wants me to come in and offer it, then she falls strate back to sleep...no probs getting her back 2 sleep once shes woken its just shes waking up tonnes. ive checked her cot, temperature, everything...its driving me nuts
Many babies still need to feed in the night at that age, as it is a long time for a little tummy to go without milk. Even babies who have been sleeping through suddenly need to feed more frequently at around this age due to a huge amount of brain development in preparation for walking, talking etc. How do you feel about continuing to feed in the night if it is for nutrition? Do you only want to wean because you don't think the waking is hunger related?
Oh ok, that's different then. It could be just that she wants to be close to you and make sure you are still around. It is really common behaviour at that age. I wonder if co-sleeping is an option for you at all - that might help you get more sleep. Otherwise I'm not sure what to suggest. She is too young to understand you explaining about night is for sleeping etc.
It must be hard for you not having that support of a partner around at night (or day)
You are doing a wonderful job.
My DD also went off her sleep around 8mths and started waking more often (until 8mo she used to sleep up to 8hrs straight some nights it was bliss! Lol) and has since then always woken frequently. it's hard isn't it? Very tiring.....
We are still feeding in the night here and I have had many moments of trying to wean her but she just simply won't let me! I keep offering water and lots of hugs but she just wants the milk (and comfort).
Good luck with what you decide to do. I understand where you are coming from.
thanks girls. last nite was a shocker (bed at 7pm, bottle at 9pm, dummy runs at 11pm and 2am, bottle at 4am and up and chirpy at 6am) ... dont think i got more than 3 hours sleep combined as it takes me a good half hour to get back to sleep after each wakeup... her dummy is on a tether but she manages to get it stuck under her somehow...
re co-sleeping it is tempting but i have friends stay over often and dont want to get her into a habit i cant break...plus cause im FF i still have to get up and make a bottle anyway SO....TIRED....
Just a thought Em, if you try co-sleeping, she might be happy just to have you near and not demand the bottle... Could be a compromise. Is she in the same room with you or her own?
She's learnign to crawl, isn't she? Teething? All these sorts of things make them more wakeful. Plus separation anxiety at this age. It is really hard and can last a while unfortunately. Hope you get some better nights soon.
Hi TM - what a rough gig at the moment! My DD was the same, until she was about 9 months old she was sleeping through with just a dreamfeed before I went to sleep myself - but since then she usually wakes 1-3 times a night (mostly once now) and it can sometimes take up to 3 hours to settle her back to sleep.
Two things I've figured out have been going on:
~ She's been getting separation anxiety at night (not necessarily in the day time though) and really just wants to be around me until she feels sleepy again. It's a really common age for it to be happening.
~ At the same time as the separation anxiety she's been going through teething at night. Not many symptoms during the day, but the pain has woken her at night and takes ages for her to be ready to settle back to sleep due to the discomfort (sometimes when it's been an hour or two I offer her nurofen or panadol), and she wants to be comforted and have me there when she's in pain. Don't blame her! Since she was 9 months old she's cut 5 teeth and she's cutting another 3 at the moment (she cut her first two easily when she was around 6 months). The worst of the pain has happened when there's no indication of any teeth imminent - it's only after when I see her cutting the teeth that I realise that's been the main cause of her night waking. She has been having these nights pretty consistently for 6 months now, with the odd break here or there.
Could this be happening to your DD? Some babies show lots of teething symptoms as their teeth are still deep in their jaw and start moving, yet there is nothing visible in their mouth. And it can be a reaaaaaally long drawn out process - so far it's taken my DD almost 2 months with these current teeth that are just cutting to get to this point.
Just some thoughts - sorry I can't offer a solution but I hope you can get some better sleep soon and figure out what is happening for her and that you're DD is feeling better soon.
ETA - I was just thinking - I've not tried it myself but would you consider an amber teething necklace for her and see if that has any affect after a bit of time?
Last edited by Acacia; March 9th, 2010 at 12:40 AM.
acacia, thanks for ur advice! DD already has a teething necklace (since 5 months) and has been displaying 'teething symptoms' since 3 months but no sign of any teeth yet (starting to wonder if she has any in there lol)....last n ight when she woke at about 1030 i went in with the nurofen (which she loooooves, thank goodness) and then popped her dummy back in and shock horror slept til 8am (with a bottle at 4am)...so i guess it was pain....poor bubba
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night weaning my 10 month old, help!
it's hard isn't it? Very tiring.....
I understand where you are coming from.
SO....TIRED....
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