Failing... suggestions?

DD3 is driving me crazy! Tonight, between her & DS I just wanted to scream!

I weaned her about 6 weeks ago. She got the flu about a week later, so I got her a bottle she could take to bed with water in it. Something easy to drink with a blocked nose, but wouldn't spill too much if it went missing in the bed.

Anyway, she started sleeping. Then she stopped. She was waking at rediculous hours of the night screaming. Not night terror screaming. I think alot of it was hunger. She'd been used to having boob on tap for 2 years. She could've been waking every hour for all I know (never really timed feeds).
So we'd be up at 3/4/5, & sometimes as early as 11, every night, usually more than once, having some cereal. Then up at about 5.30 to start the day.

I was tired & turned to milk. Cows milk hasn't been good for her tummy, so I gave her rice milk. She wasn't really using it for sleep, but somehow, slowly its turned into that. And the rice milk ran out... the nearest shop to get some is 60km away, so I tried almond & oat milk. She didn't like either, so I put flavour in it, rather than cause trouble using cows milk.

And now she won't sleep with out it :( 'Shake'. I've asked our local to get rice milk in, so hoping its there tomorrow & we can hopefully lose the flavour, but she's now having about 3 bottles a day :( One for the day sleep, one for bed & one to keep her going through the night.

I need suggestions for the best foods to help keep her asleep through the night. I'm thinking carbs? Potato & pasta's? Or is that way wrong??
I don't mind her waking to come to my bed, or just wanting a drink of water, but I can't be up & getting her food at all hours of the night.

DD2 was 3.5 before I really got her off the bottle. I don't want to do that again. DD1 & DS were easy. Once they were cut off bottle (DD1 17 months) or boob (DS 23 months) they slept through & never looked back... DD2&3 are proving to be more difficult in every aspect of life. Don't even start me on DD3's behaviour!!

Apart from the sugar aspec in the flavour, why does it bother you If she has a bottle to sleep?
My DS is 3.5 and still drinks milk (only milk- everything else from a cup) from a bottle.
So long as you are firm with how often/when/where she can have it, then does it matter?
If its ok to have them self wean from the boob, why not the bottle?
Good luck :)

Can you try leaving a snack of crackers next to her bed?

:hug:

I'm not sure there is anything you can do unfortunately. If she still needs food/milk at night then she does. I think they're just all different and some can go all night without food earlier than others.

Was the reason you weaned to improve her sleep? How frustrating for you it didn't work. You could always go back to feeding if you'd get more rest.

You must be exhausted :hug: I hope things improve soon.

Just a word of warning, my DS ended up with corroded teeth and very expensive dental from the bottle at night.

Is she saying she is hungry in the night? Maybe a banana?

Protein foods are low GI and good for keeping me full i.e. chicken, turkey, eggs etc. good luck with it. I would just be mindful of the milk overnight in the bottle thing too, as above it can cause dental issues. I hope you get some rest soon.

Steer clear of carbs with in a few hours of bedtime. They are more likely to cause her to have a sugar crash while sleeping and wake her up feeling - and behaving - like crap.

My personal opinion? Just stop giving it to her. Cuddle her, sit with her, whatever, but stop giving it to her - the same way you would if you were night weaning her from the breast. She doesn't *need* the bottle for survival, it is a comfort measure. Provide her with an alternative comfort measure (cuddles, songs, bum pats, etc) and she will move on.

I'm in the same boat - often getting up to give DD a bottle. I think it's a combo of factors here - she just doesn't eat enough during the day plus she's a cuddlier and hasn't slept alone since birth. I think I might just constantly bring out food (during the day) for her to pick at and see how she goes. Have thought about giving her a banana smoothie before bed.

LS - there's no way I have the energy to go cold turkey with her. Like the theory but in practice, not realistic here.

It took 6 weeks to get her off the boob (so I started 3 months ago). It was a nightmare & I'm still recovering. I did wean for more sleep, but also just because I'd had enough. I'd been pregnant & breastfeeding for 5 years straight (DS as well) & just wanted my body back. I should just go cold turkey, but I'm not ready to do it all again just yet. (She still gets the boob out & tries to feed.)

Its the teeth I'm worried about. DD2's front teeth all changed shape because of it. I don't like the sugar hit of the flavour, but there's sugar in milk too. Even without the flavour. BUT DD2 had watered down juice or cordial sometimes. That wouldn't have been good. I won't be doing that again.

I might try give her some eggs or something just before she goes to bed. See if it helps. She is definetely hungry. She takes me to the pantry & tells me what she wants half asleep. She's actually fallen back asleep while I was making it on occasion.

What does she eat for breakfast? Will she eat porridge? Both of mine sleep terribly and are grazing and hungry all day if they don't eat porridge for breaky, it is odd how much a difference it makes.
But I would try giving her more food, more often, through out the day, make sure she is really *done* when she finishes dinner.

Once you do that, you will probably find it easier to break the bottle habit, I would think. Is there a reason you don't offer her a cup of milk before bed, instead of sending her to bed with a bottle?

I tried porridge, but she wasn't keen. Will keep pushing it though & see if I can get her to give it a go.

And its the sucking thing as well. Comfort. I don't have a good sippy cup, or the money to buy one (can't buy them here) & a normal cup would end up on the floor :rolleyes: She drinks from a cup or drink bottle most of the time & its rare that it all stays in it. No matter how close I am, it only takes a second to dump it. (Behaviour issues i mentioned in OP, thats just one issue).

Flapjack or porridge before bed - loads of oats! We also have dinner less than an hour before bedtime, so carb up DS in that way. Liebling stopped needing overnight feeds at about 9-10m (he wasn't interested or hungry when he woke) but still wakes in the night to this day. I mean that literally - I was up shortly after 1am this morning with him for a few minutes.

Liebling also has a sippy cup of water next to his bed. He can only have water in bed as he has cleaned his teeth. No water, no drink. And certainly no drink if there's a tantrum about it! Did this from shortly after weaning.

Hi,

Reading your post, I thought maybe you could look up "Sleep Associations". It sounds like she's developed a sleep association/needs the same thing to fall asleep, each sleep, rather than it being about hunger.

protein might be better for keeping her full. The thing is that if she has lots of milk, then she'll probably eat less. Sometimes it is a matter of being tough - and it's hard on you, too! - to break the cycle.
We always do supper just before bed if they're still hungry.

I guess that she derives comfort from the sucking. If you could switch out milk for water, perhaps, that would be a bit better? My son was quite happy sucking on a water bottle after weaning.

I do actually do half milk/half water to warm it up, so maybe I'll lessen the amount of milk & see if we can get down to none. I have a feeling it won't work.
She's also alot easier to trick in the middle of the night when half asleep (I can get away with no flavouring), so I'll try the water. But it was the hunger thing that made me switch from water to milk. :shakehead: regretting that decision. Just needed some sleep & now its turned into more.

So tonight we almost crashed with nothing. But when it came down to those final moments, she needed something. Watered down milk, no flavour. She screamed, but she did take it in the end. She needed something. Didn't drink it all though, & she has been every other night. I may just be able to cut her back to water alot easier than I thought. Just gotta remember to make sure she's eating enough first...

Good start :) Now if I could get her to stop playing with food we'll be slightly happier!! (Walked into my kitchen yesterday to find cocoa powder & choc chips in our dinner in the slow cooker, today it was a drink of water dumped in the butter!)

Yay! that's a definite improvement. If you can get 3 nights like that in a week you know you can do it :)

spirited kids are tricky but they make awesome adults that keep things moving :)
hang in there
Hugs

:lol: she woke less than an hour later crying for shake :rolleyes: But she only had the one & only had a mouthful & crashed again.