Author Topic: 7 month old night-wakings - any ideas please?  (Read 1111 times)

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Offline hevasimpson

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7 month old night-wakings - any ideas please?
« on: June 02, 2012, 10:03:19 am »
Hi there

We've been following BW methods with my 7 month old since very early on. He has been sttn since 3 months with a dream feed. At around 5.5 months we dropped the dream feed as he was only taking about 1 oz and it seemed to start disturbing him.

He has had a major change in that I've gone back to work full time as of last Monday and DH is taking 5 months paternity with him - so major adjustments for all 3 of us.

Since I've gone back to work we are having lots of NWs. He seems to be crying in his sleep rather than fully waking up. Last night he cried at half 11, but by the time I got to his room he went to mantra and fell back alseep. He did the same at 2am. At half 3 he cried but needed me to give him a cuddle (he stops crying and almost falls asleep instantly when i cuddle him), he then woke at 5 and needed 2 cuddles and started chatting to himself so I left the room. He eventually fell asleep until half 7.

Would you mind having alook at his routine to see if thats at fault - or could it just be the changes at home? It's been a really tough week for me and DH - he's worried he's not doing a good enough job and i'm feeling blue about not being with DS and we're both shattered from the NWs which we're just not used to.

Ok routine yesterday was:
6:30 wake up
7 - Bottle
8:30 solid breakfast
9:30 - 11:00 - nap
11:30 - SOlid Lunch
12:30 - Bottle
2:30 - 3:30 - nap
4 - Bottle
5 - Solid Tea
6 - Bath time and bottle
7 - Asleep

He goes down really easily - no fighting sleep at bedtime. He does suck his thumb and both me and my husband have noticed it feels like he's forgotten that a bit. When I put him down for his nap this morning he did start sucking his thumb again which made me happy!

Any advise / help would be really appreciated.

Thank you
xxxx

Offline becj86

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Re: 7 month old night-wakings - any ideas please?
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2012, 11:11:48 am »
Your routine looks picture perfect, I really wouldn't be changing anything there. I think we often underestimate the effect changes have on our babies (some temperaments more so than others, too) - his entire world has shifted. I take it that the NW's have coincided exactly with you going back to work?

When DS was struggling with DH not home, DH did the bath, etc. everything in the BT routine except the BT feed. I think you could help LO by having lots of snuggle time with him when you get home - hop in the bath with him, cuddle with him and chat while he's having his BT bottle, etc. You will also need to be upfront about leaving him in the morning and tell him when you'll be back (not a time, but an activity, like "I'll be back just after you have your dinner and we'll have a bath"). Your DH can then distract him with something to help him cope with you leaving.

Your DH can maybe start doing some special things, like taking him to a park to explore, or swimming or something as a special daddy-baby thing to give him a bit more confidence. There's nothing like seeing LO learning and enjoying life to give you confidence ;)

You could pop a shirt of yours that you've slept in for a few days in his cot with him (or sleep with his sheets) so his cot smells of you - that may help, but keep it safe... you know his capabilities better than I do.

You may be doing all this already, but keep it consistent and he'll settle into the new way of life soon.

Offline hevasimpson

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Re: 7 month old night-wakings - any ideas please?
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2012, 12:30:04 pm »
Thanks for the reassurance that it isnt the routine. I hope we get used to the new way soon! I have been playing with him, giving him his solid tea, bathtime and his bed bottle. I think I might add some storytime in there too. I guess as he has been ok during the day with DH I've thought he's not really missing me - I may have underestimated that! DH is taking him to 3 of the classes we used to go to and last week met up with my friends at a soft play centre - they had a really good day that day! We will keep at it and hopefully he'll realise I do come back and still love him very very much even though I'm spendng less time with him. The NWs started as soon as I went back to work so I thought it could be that but just wanted to check out it wasnt something else.

Thank you for taking the time to reply - these boards are a godsend

xxx

Offline becj86

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Re: 7 month old night-wakings - any ideas please?
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2012, 20:32:25 pm »
The other thing is to keep what you're doing pretty low key - it is highly stimulating just for him to be seeing you ;)

Offline hevasimpson

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Re: 7 month old night-wakings - any ideas please?
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2012, 18:23:29 pm »
Thanks for that - will bear in mind :) Funnily enough yesterday having had a day with me we only had 1 night-waking at 5 - fingers crossed things continue to improve

Offline becj86

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Re: 7 month old night-wakings - any ideas please?
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2012, 09:27:13 am »
;D Nice to know you're missed, right?

Offline hevasimpson

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Re: 7 month old night-wakings - any ideas please?
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2012, 20:11:01 pm »
It really is :-). The 4 day weekend was fab and he slept through. Yesterday I was back at work and he slept through too - fingers crossed for tonight!