I dont want to whinge, but...?

[tattoo_mama]

shouldnt my DD be sleeping thru by now? shes 6 months old in 2 weeks.

i put her to bed at 7pm, dreamfeed at 9pm, she sleeps til between 4 and 5am, feeds, then back down til about 630am. she is FF.

im probably gonna be barraged by mums saying "my 6m.o only sleeps 3 hr blocks" but alot of my friends who have FF babies similar age to my DD say thier babies sleep 10-12 hrs overnite (as in without a feed), DD struggles to go 7-8 hrs.

im not whinging, just wondering why?? shes started solids but it doesnt seem to have made any difference at all...

[Visitor7]

Being FF doesn't have anything to do with it, neither do solids (sorry ). Yes, formula feeding does fill their bellies up quicker than breastmilk, but it doesn't necessarily mean they sleep longer.
When you put her to bed at 7pm, is that after dinner and a bottle? Have you thought about removing the dreamfeed at 9pm. To me, if she's having a bottle just before bedtime at 7pm, she wouldn't need a dreamfeed. She may wake up during the night for some milk, but she may not.
And remember that 'sleeping through' is actually a solid 5 hour block of sleep. So if you look at it like that, she is sleeping through Sleeping for 7-8 hours overnight is a really good stretch.

[beckoes]

Just to add to the list....DD is 15 months and has dinner @ 5.30pm, BF and bed @ 7pm, wakes between 11pm and 1am then BF@ 4am and up @5am-6am. She eats like a horse so its not cause she is hungry. Just her. aslong as i go to bed at a good time its ok.....on that note-better get off BB and go to bed LOL.
I think its totally normal! And also....i agree, dont belive everything 'other mothers' tell you about sleeping through etc....they sometimes just like you to think they have a star baby!!!

[Laranna]

No reason why, that's just your DD At that age, DS & I were still comping during the day and he had a similar routine to your DD. He dropped the 4-5am feed at around 7 months and that is when he started "sleeping through". For a little while at least, there has been many a times that he still wakes in the night, not necessarily for a feed, just for comfort or teething or something.

Try not to worry about when it will happen, it will happen and there are no rules as to when. Don't let the other mums get to you xox

[kirsty_lee]

Sorry hun but Ava is 18 months and STILL not sleeping through *sigh*

[Indadhanu]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but that IS sleeping through...

[tattoo_mama]

Jodi, she has a bottle at 5pm and solids at 6pm, she feeds 4 hrly during the day.
Sigh...i assumed i was asking for too much, just gets me so annoyed when i hear of other babies her age sleeping 12 hrs a night (and with my middle insomnia i usually sleep 10pm-2am, then 4am til her 430-5am feed, then up for the day)

[Cocolove]

My 7 month old only sleeps 3-4 hours at a time, he is up at 130 & 530 for a bottle then up for the day about 630-7am. Id kill for a 7 hour sleep IMO thats sleeping all night

[Astrid]

There are some mums who don't tell the full truth or bend the truth about "sleeping though". There have been some cases where they claim sleeping through, but what they mean is "bubs wakes, but I don't go to them" or they are using some not nice things to keep their baby asleep. Now I am not at all saying that any of these other mums you talk to do any of that, but something to keep in mind so you don't beat yourself up over it.

[SamiH]

You are both doing really well. Don't be fooled by those mums that can brag about all nighters - I reckon there is another 5 mums to every one of those - and those 5 have permanent matchsticks under their eyes

I too would try the bottle just before bed and drop the dreamfeed. It is scary at first and you anticipate them waking, but I remember with my DS1 (the only one I did dream feeds with) - I stopped it at 5 months and he just never woke up for it anyway. But I didnt sleep well the first few nights - and he then slept until 6am regularly without need ing me much over night, occasional dummy run etc.

Give it a go and see if it makes a difference. Solids at this age isnt really for a "meal" as such, so you could also try putting the solids somewhere else to make sure she takes the full bottle before bed?

Good luck

[Inanna]

I am another that wonders what a full night's sleep is like! At 2yo I get up 4 times some nights sometimes less - sometimes more!

It will get better. Maybe for now you need to go to bed with her so you get some more sleep honey with all you are dealing with? I know I do - though last night I stayed up late to watch Private Practice & am paying for it now!

[Jakabella]

Bella slept for 12 hrs plus since 3 months - so I would give her a bottle at 6.30 and then she would be in bed till 7 the following morning - that was then. Then you get teething, sickness, walking, crawling.. and it ALL changes!!

Bella now refuses to go to bed till 9.30 - 10 pm and will then sleep "through" till 8.30 with a few re-settles on the way.
Your doing an awesome job and your bb is perfect!!!
I would also agree with the bottle before bed, after the solids.. may keep belly fuller.

Kate

[BellyBelly]

The whole formula and sleeping more is a myth... it can even make them sleep worse as its tougher and slower on the gut to digest so it can keep them up. Also breastmilk contains hormones in it which promote sleep... formula doesn't. On average, based on study, sleeping through at night is 5 hours. It can also depend on how many hours your bub sleeps through the day too. You'd be best to get some good books on babies and sleep to get some strategies to help you, like books from Pinky McKay, Margot Sunderland or the Wonder Weeks. All great books.

[Fleur]

I remember when I was PG with my third, a lady I knew said "oh you'll have bub sleeping through in no time, you know what you're doing by now".... as if there is a secret that works for every baby & you just have to learn it - if only it were that easy!

DD1 was FFed & DS2 was FFed from 8 weeks, DS2 was Bfed & NONE of them slept through at 6 months, I can't remember exactly but it was much later, well over 12 months.

You sound as though you're doing great & the best thing I can say to you is it WILL change, it's not forever (although it might feel like it!)

(and it's still ok to vent about being tired even if it IS normal

[Nadine216]

Another barer of bad news ...

I have an almost three year old and a 11 month old and I get up between 5-6 times per night between 23:00 and 5:30 between the two of them. They both sleep in our room, dd on the mattress and ds in his cot, but most night we end up all in one queensize bed. I was very mad at DH when he bought the more expensive queen, instead of a double ... but now I'm leaning toward buy a king size

My perfect chrismas gift would be: uninterupted sleep ... please Santa

[Freya]

Ditto everyone else.

And sorry to be a killjoy but I had one of 'those' awesome sleepers from day dot and he is now a 3yo who prob wakes during the night atleast 3 out of 7 days minimum. My crappy sleeper is now a 2yo who sleeps like a log and is still day napping when the former gave up his day naps at 17mths!

So I laugh at those who tell me their bubs are great sleepers; cause there isnt any law saying it stays that way and believe me a 9mth old is easier to re settle than a know-it-all cranky toddler!

[Phteven]

I've just resettled a 3 year old. I took the easy path and put him in bed next to his Dad.
Do you co-sleep? If you don't need to get up when she wakes re-settling is much easier for both of you.

FWIW I still don't sleep through and I'm in my 30's so I always take tales of babies who sleep through with a grain of salt.

[Visitor3]

My SIL FF her DS from 2 weeks old and he sleeps 12 hours ! Whereas I struggled my butt off to BF DD for 6 weeks and then went to FF and after she went on FF she was slightly better but it made only the tiniest difference. I think it just depends on your baby and when they learn to sleep. Vent away darl, most of us are in the same boat !