3 NW with 6 month old. Please help.

[TiffanyT]

Well I had a thread on the PU/PD board at 4.5 months, but here I am...failed. I gave up on PU/PD bc I couldn't drop all the feeds and didn't know when was right and when was not. Didn't want to get him in the habit of crying forever until he finally got fed. Anyhow, he's now 6 months (on Fri) and waking 3 times a night. I'm baffled. I'm currently pushing him to 3h A times but getting some resistance or at least curves thrown my way (I took him grocery shopping 1h after waking and he fell asleep in the car. Totally threw off the A times and naps for the rest of the day). He was EBF, now I do occasional FF (but not often) or a combo to top him up and he gets cereal, 3tbsp in the morning and again in the afternoon with 2 tbsp of fruit/sweet potato. I BF him prior to solids feeding to try to ensure he's getting enough BM. I do feel it's a lot of solids, but he cries and cries after I BF and he's still hungry. That's when I'll try FF top up but he rarely takes it, or 1 oz but still wants solids. BT is at 8:30 bc of the time change, it was 7:30. He uses a paci, cut 2 teeth at 5.5 months and is chewing everything (including my face). No lovie.

The NW are killing me slowly. He will wake for a DF (that I "dropped" months ago) somewhere bw 10-12. Then he'll go on a stretch where he'll wake at 1:45am every night, even if he just fed at 12. Then he won't do it for a night or two (but still wake somewhere between there and 3am). He's usually up again around 4 or 5am, and this NW is long. I used to be able to feed, burp, lay down and walk away even if he was awake and he'd fall back asleep eventually with no fussing. Not anymore. Now he needs a paci replug, settle, etc. That really hurts me. I don't know what I've done to cause (or deserve!) that change. He was peeing through his diapers at night so I had been changing him, I switched to the next size and that's mostly solved it. Sometimes I do still change him, but it's at different times and sometimes I don't, so I don't know how that could have affected it. I'll usually try to do it at an early NW (not the 4/5am one) so that he's not further stimulated to stay awake at 4/5am.

I used to try to resettle him, but it wasn't helping to stop the NW - just made more bc I was resettling, resettling, until he was screaming so much I just fed him. Now he gets really really upset if I try to resettle....just wails at the top of his lungs. It's very daunting. I was on a 4h EASY but then fed on demand bc of supply issues, now they're resolved but it wasn't getting him enough food to keep him full at night I was supposing. I feed when he seems really hungry, and I don't think he's much of a snacker actually. It seems he takes lots at each feed, though he is efficient. Could it be possible that with all the eating he's doing (he's gotten MANY comments lately on how "well fed" he looks) that he is actually hungry at night??

I'm starting to really resent him for all these wakings, and resent DH for being able to sleep through it. I want to love my men! I want to look at DH with the love and admiration he deserves! I want to enjoy my baby!

Please help!

[anna*]

(((hugs))) I don't have much time but just quickly... I would pick one waking, and resettle without feeding at it. Probably the second one, so he will feed at 10-12 (somewhere in there), and then the next waking you will resettle him without feeding. No matter how long it takes. Don't try for an hour and then give up and feed him - get him back to sleep and then feed him at the next waking even if he's only slept 30 mins. He needs to get the idea that sometimes we have to go back to sleep without BFing. I did this with Audrey last week and she is already starting to take some longer stretches of her own accord. Yes it will be rough (we already know this) but it should only be a few nights before you start to see some progress.

[teilvnav]

Hugs Tiffany! We are both up at night, it seems. I agree with Anna; I would pick one the feed that you really don't think he needs and ditch it. We are still doing a DF; can I ask why you dropped it? It sounds like he might still need it. Can you get DH to resettle one NF a night? DD settles easier for DH than for me. I know lots of BFing moms have had success getting their DH to go in when dropping a NF because the LO knows for sure that the milk ain't gunna flow.

He could also be hitting his 6 month GS a bit early, maybe? If that is the case then it should right itself in due time.

[TiffanyT]

Hi Ladies, thanks for your thoughts. I agree with you. I was discussing this with DH right before I posted and he said the same thing.

Of course last night he only woke at 12:45 and 4:45, but I think it's bc of the time change and he had a CN (which normally he doesn't) so he went to bed later overall - 8:45. As mentioned, his BT was 7:30 but I haven't adjusted him to DST bc I want him to wake up later now with the time change. Anyhow, if this continues that's great but it was only one night. Still I feel that by this age & weight (he's got to be 18 lbs by now) that he shouldn't be feeding every 3-4 hours overnight still (unless I'm way off base). I'll have to work on another feed if this continues.

Anna, thanks for the tips. It seems straight forward, but it's really not - for example, you say settle once (no matter how long it takes) but feed at the next waking even if it was a short sleep. This will work. The alternative (what I had been doing) is resettling until he won't resettle anymore - that is just mentally and physically exhausting. I will try this.

Amy, thanks for weighing in. I dropped the DF bc it seemed to be causing more NW. I would feed him somewhere bw 10-11, depending on my BT, for a short while. Then he started doing it on his own. He would STILL wake around 12, then 3, then 5. I thought...why not drop it and see if he combines the DF and the 1st NW. I think he did eventually. He still usually wakes up somewhere in there (as I said, bw 10-12).

Again..thanks I'll keep you posted about tonight.

[TiffanyT]

Ok..here's what happened last night. He went to bed at 7:45 (so much for not adjusting to the time change..) and woke for a feed at 10:30. DH wanted to resettle, but I figured it was the DF so I did it. Then he woke at 1am, where I went in and did as Anna said, resettled with no intention of feeding. It took until 1:30 but it worked. Then he woke at 3:45 and I fed. I knew though, that he would be waking again before WU time, and he did, at 6:30. He was fussing, then stopping, for a good 20 mins with crying in between. I laid there just wondering what the heck I should do. A 6:30 WU isn't so bad, except that since I hadn't really adjusted him to the DST it was really 5:30 and I knew he would be grumpy and not rested if I got him up. Eventually I just went in and fed him, of course he fell back asleep and I sat there wondering what the heck to do....wake him up and start the day with a good schedule or go back to sleep. Of course I made what I'm sure is the wrong choice and went back to sleep. He woke at 8am not hungry.

With my poor judgement notwithstanding, what should I have done at the 6:30 NW? Waited until he was really crying? I really felt that if I went in there, since it was so early in the morning but not the middle of the night any attempts to settle would have just stimulated him more. I kind of thought maybe I should feed every other waking until 8am (my desired wakeup time) to show him he doesn't eat every NW.

Thoughts?

[anna*]

Hey I think you both did great! Half an hour to resettle is really good! I would have done the same at the morning wake up - anything for an extra hour asleep. I think it was fine to feed him. The fact that he went straight back to sleep makes me think HE thought it was a NW (not an EW). It would definitely be hard to settle without a feed after nearly 11hrs night sleep, so I'd wait on that until his nights are in a better pattern.

[atlantamomofthree]

I'd have done the same as you did at the 6:30 WU (in fact, we DID-this morning he nursed at that exact time! . And that was after waking to eat @3am as well. 

I think you're doing great, Tiff! 

[TiffanyT]

Thanks Ladies! I have a mom's (and one dad) group who meets every Wednesday and they are fans of CIO. They are also FF or exclusively EBM, so they know how much their baby has eaten. They think I'm crazy (and feel very sorry for me) that I'm not doing CIO. I gotta tell ya...I won't do it, but they are all so well rested compared to me that it certainly makes me wonder what the heck I'm doing with BW at times. But I still believe in my heart that what I'm doing is right, despite some mistakes I've made along the way. Namely...feeding him at every wake up.

[teilvnav]

Oh yes, it is hard when there are so many people around you letting their babes cry. I know! I can't talk to some of my friends or post on FB about being tired because I'll get "well if you let them cry a little blah blah blah it won't hurt them blah blah". Ugh.

Hoping you get more rest soon! I found things a bit better last night, so maybe it took a few days for 3 hr A times to help... tonight should be the proof in the pudding.

[TiffanyT]

Amy I totally get you about not being able to post on FB about it, but bc everyone with kids like to put up how much worse they have it than me. I think they're kind of competitive about it...as ridiculous as that sounds.

Anyhow, last night was much better! He went to bed at 8:30, skipped his DF wake and woke at 12:30am. It only took 5 minutes (or less!) to calm him and get him back to sleep. Then at 3:15 he woke and I fed him - he took both sides and drained them. He did wake again at 6 or 6:30, I heard him fuss but I decided to leave him if he was intermittently fussing and only go in if he was all-out crying. (I have no idea what his mantra is, so thats my new compromise). Well...he fell back asleep!! Then he just chit-chatted in bed from 7:30-8 when I went in to wake him and he was happy as a clam! It helps that I got the 3 hour A times down yesterday and a play date so that he go some action in the day time. Anyhow...big improvement. Let's hope this continues!!

[atlantamomofthree]

Very good update! 

[teilvnav]

FX for you tonight, Tiffany.

[TiffanyT]

Oh. My. God. Please help me.

Things got good. No...things got amazing. The first night, as mentioned, he resettled after 30 mins at 1:30 am and then fed at 3:45 and 6:30.  The second night, he took 5 mins to settle at 12:30, and fed at 3am. The third night, he didn't even wake up until 5am, fed and went back to bed until 8:15. Amazing. Then the 4th night we had MIL babysit him. We didn't leave until after he was in bed at normal BT, but when we got home at 12:45am he had been crying since 12:10 and she had mistaken us for her daughter and SIL, who do CC/CIO and she had let him cry, going in only once. Sigh. I went in and picked him up (which I hadn't done to settle since the first NW without feeding) and he instantly went back to sleep and slept until 8:15am!!!! No harm, no foul...so I thought.

Well fast forward to today..the past 2 nights he has woken every 2 hours on the dot since BT. Screaming, the whole lot. I have fed him only at around 2-3am and not any other time, but no matter how I settle (pick up, shh/pat, talking to him) he wakes again in 5 mins to 2hours. I am about to lose my mind!!! He's chewing a lot (but he has been since his 2 teeth came through a month ago) and I gave him Tylenol at 4am which didn't seem to help. DH even said he's tempted to do CIO....so I really need help here. I can't do that but I need to sleep. Is this regression, or something else at work here?

Thanks as always ladies.

[anna*]

Six month growth spurt?

[atlantamomofthree]

Six month growth spurt?

^^This^^

Samuel is notorious for 2 hour feedings when he's having a GS.  Hope it only lasts a few days!! 

[TiffanyT]

Ok...so ladies I thought it was definitely a GS, and it seemed to pass after a few days and he did really well only waking once a night. Fast forward to last night. He woke every 15 mins - 2 hours ALL NIGHT long. Woke up screaming, and I tried to feed him twice (just to see if that was it or still the GS, I've been feeding him once a night occasionally) and he didn't want it except at 4 am, but still didn't take much then either.
Both DH and I switched off on settling him, and we tried everything, BW and APOP and none of it worked to settle him indefinitely. We think he has a touch of a cold, but it's not like he's having issues breathing or anything. No top teeth that I can see. He's generally happy in the day. He did have a ridiculously long A time bc we couldn't get him to CN but he was happy the whole time.

This is so frustrating. The GS I can understand but he was on the way to STTN (did it once or twice) and now this?? I know that babies aren't consistent and predictable but jeez!! I was frantically trying to find this situation in my 2 BW books and found nothing. I was seriously doubting BW last night

[anna*]

Does he have a paci? This really sounds like discomfort to me, unless there's a prop issue.

[TiffanyT]

Thanks anna, I thought it might be discomfort as well. I find it hard to be sure, since he seems pretty happy in the day. I know that things get worse that way at night, and wouldn't you know, we just ran out of Tylenol so had none to give. I picked some up this morning already.
He has a paci and loves it. I find myself using it during a times when he's fussy and I'm trying to get him to stay up a little longer. He was starting to settle without it last night but ultimately would want it before actually going back to sleep. It's hard to know whether he was just crying for the paci, but now that I think of it (in the light of day, too) it seems a lot like discomfort.  DH and I were like "are we rushing in? Is he paci addicted? Did we cause this?" but I don't see how at 6 months he can go from independent sleep to this without another cause.

Sorry posting from my phone of this sounds a little disjointed. Thanks again.

[anna*]

I know that they can go to independent sleep to having a prop overnight without warning. My DS did it with feeding to sleep at night, all of a sudden he was waking constantly to be fed. What did it take to settle him back to sleep? Was he going back to sleep quickly with a replug?

[TiffanyT]

No, he wasn't going back to sleep right away after a replug. I did have to put it in a few times. A couple of times DH and I picked him up bc he was wide-eyed after we went in. He would almost go to sleep a few times without the paci (turn his head to the side, close eyes, get really quiet) but then a few seconds later he'd toss his head back and forth and start to cry. I don't know that he was looking for it, or it just sort of sent him over the edge to sleep to have it in his mouth. I also tried to let him cry, I've never known his mantra (which is what makes me think I've created this by not knowing when to leave him alone) I'd let him cry when the scream was just initial and then he'd go into a rhythmic cry. But it never stopped there....it always escalated and we had to go in in the end and replug, hold down arms and shh.

Does that all make sense?

[anna*]

Hopefully it was a one off. Let us know how tonight goes?

[MissyD]

Hi there. My DS also had a hard time sleeping at night (waking every 1-2hrs after BT, all night) bc he was fed to sleep so I know how tired and frustrated you must feel. Just wanted to send some hugs . Hopefully your little one has a good night tonight!

Oh, and I still don't know DS's mantra cry . Wish these LOs came with an instruction manual!

[teilvnav]

Tiffany, it could be teeth even if you can't see them yet. Both of my kids had bouts of discomfort a few weeks before the teeth cut through; I think that they hurt moving down towards the gumline. Keep an eye out for a fever too, because my Anna-belle has already had two ear infections in her short little life!

[TiffanyT]

It's starting again and it's only 10 pm. He's screaming and I don't think it's for the paci. I have tried patting, a bottle, the paci, the only thing that is calming him is picking him up and holding him. What am I doing??? Ahh even now hes wriggling and moaning and sighing on my chest. I'm causing something awful here but I don't know what to do. DH is at work and ds is almost 20 lbs and I have a bad back. All other attempts to do PU/PD have put me at the chiropractor.

I'm flailing here I know.

[teilvnav]

Aww, that sucks Tiffany. It's not your fault; he is just going through something! Don't hurt yourself doing PU/PD... if he is in discomfort it isn't going to work anyway. It does sound like he is in pain or something... I would say that his cold is worse than the symptoms show (always the case with DS a few days before I see a runny nose or coughing) or it is teething. Or maybe gas/cramps from a new type of solid food? 

Did you try giving him pain meds last night? Did it help at all? How did the rest of your night go? If it is pain or illness, it won't last too long!

[TiffanyT]

Ok so here's what happened. He didn't settle at all after 10pm. I shh'd and rubbed him tummy and he settled, but then would just start to scream again even with the paci in his mouth. I picked him up once and rocked him until he was quite settled, laid him on his side and thought that was the solution. Maybe he wanted his side. Well...15 mins later, screaming. I just said F it, and brought him in to bed with me. Co-sleeping is the ENTIRE reason I started with BW so it felt like a huge failure. Well, he calmed down right away. DH came home from work at 1am (not a shift, he had worked a full day, went to see his mom after her mastectomy today, went back in at 9 and home at 1 to go back to work at 7 this morning so I didn't want him up all night either). DH tried to put him in his crib but he woke and screamed again...and for the next half hour. I begged DH to let him sleep with us....I just wanted to sleep.

I gave him Tylenol at BT and in the MOTN but that wasn't it. I don't get this. Could it be SA already? I always put him to bed groggy but awake, even if he's fallen asleep while I burp him over my shoulder. He would never sleep on me until a month ago, and he's been more cuddly lately.

Anyhow...I hate that we co-slept in case that becomes a problem but what do you do when you haven't slept???

[MissyD]

Sorry to hear that your night was difficult .  And don't beat yourself up for co-sleeping.  We co-slept (and breastfed to sleep until 8 months) but hey, you have to do what you have to do sometimes . 

I found we had the same problem with DS (waking up every 1-2 hrs after BT for the whole night) that I was forced to PUPD again (after 2 failed attempts in the past) but what helped this last time was only doing PD. PUPD only made DS scream louder and longer and I couldn't stand it.  We tried meds, tweeking A times, BT, etc but nothing seemed to stop the 10-15 NWs every night. 

Would you be up for just trying PD?  I found it a lot easier than PUPD, and I think DS got the idea early on that I wasn't going to PU so he was foreced into calming himself.  I know it's hard, it was for us, but it did work in the end.  Your DS sounds like mine in that he just doesn't know how to put himself back to sleep when he wakes, hence the waking every hour.

Hoping you are having a goo day

[TiffanyT]

Thanks Missy. I think PD only is for when DS is sitting up, correct? Clark isn't sitting up, so there's no PD without PU just yet. We are soothing over the side of the crib bc like you, I do find PU/PD gets him more angry. Or at least it doesn't help bc he's already screaming once I lay him down but before my hands are off him.

I am just so baffled. At first I was frustrated that he was BFing 3 times a night. Then it took no time to get it down to 1 feed in the MOTN and he even STTN once or twice. GS hit, and it was terrible, but that seemed to end. He was only waking once a night last week. Now this seems all of a sudden, and I don't get it? I've never co-slept with him before, and only occasionally held him to sleep, not on purpose more just by accident. It never caused a problem. Maybe it's teeth and he's just soothed by being near us. IDK.

DH is off on vacation next week (ironically we booked it when he was still waking 3 times per night so we could tackle that sleeping issue) so we will have to see if this keeps up until then. In the meantime, any offers of opinion will help, even if it seems like it may upset me. I'd rather the truth than sparing my feelings

[oliversmommy]

Hi Tiffany,
Unfortunately I don't have any suggestions/advice for you but I have been following your posts b/c I am in the exact same boat as you, so know that you are not alone!  I definitely feel your frustration/anxiety/self-doubt.  My DS is also 6 mos old - he used to only wake 2x/night for NF (I also BF) - then his NWs increased - I thought he was hungry so I fed him each time, not realizing I was creating a prop.  He's now down to one NF a night, but the number and duration of NW have increased.  Unfortunately I substituted the paci for the boob, which I'm now trying to wean.  We have good nights and bad nights - I get my hopes up that we are making progress with the good nights and then I get SO discouraged with the bad nights and question everything I am doing.  It is SO hard to let him cry, I also am not sure of my DS's mantra cry, so I always wonder if I am intervening too early or too late, and he attempts to resettle the same as your DS - he'll close his eyes and be quiet and still and I'll think Yay! We did it! and then he starts wailing again.  I also wonder if it's discomfort but I just don't know.  I also feel very alone in this process as everyone around me tells me to use CIO.  I just pray that I am helping him learn to self soothe and that I am not making things worse.

Okay, thanks for letting me intrude on your post and vent!  Hang in there - we will get through this!  If I figure anything out I'll definitely let you know.  I just keep reminding myself "this too shall pass. . ." 

[TiffanyT]

Wow...thanks so much Oliversmommy. That sounds exactly like Clark & I! It's great to know that I'm not alone. Like...I could have written that post word for word. I appreciate you letting me know that I am not alone and I hope we both can help each other.

I SO appreciate that anyone even reads and responds to my posts. This forum has been a lifesaver many times over!

[MissyD]

Hi Tiffany, I forgot that PD only works when they sit/stand up   I have heard that the syptoms of teething can happen weeks before teeth show up.  I also remember SA starting up in DS whe he turned 6mo.  It's hard when there isn't a specific thing you can pin point that are causing his NWs, huh? 

And it's true, you aren't alone.  My DS was awake from 3-6am last night screaming and even after 25+ PDs he still refused to sleep .  There were times I felt like I was letting him CIO even though I was right there beside him the entire time.  But I'm glad you aren't reverting to CIO even in the midst of all the other parents telling you that it worked for them.  I'm sure it has crossed your mind (as it has mine, esp during those 3am morning NWs) as an easy "fix it" solution, but know that you're making the right choice in not letting him CIO.  I'm sure your DS appreciates it!

[TiffanyT]

Well I guess I'm going to have to read up on SA. I just put him down for a nap and there was going to be no sleep. I held him (as I usually do) until he looks sleepy, but put  him in his crib and bam- crying and eyes wide open. I remembered Tracy talking about getting into the crib with LOs to deal with something...I assume SA? Or regaining trust after CIO? Anyhow...I thought why don't I try it now and see if that's all it is. Well....he fell asleep in no time.

I also remember Tracy saying don't do it if you're over 150 lbs. Well, the limit is lower than that! I'm 6 ft tall and 150 lbs and it bent the supports! lol. Thankfully they are easily bent back. :S

[oliversmommy]

That's awesome that you figured out what was going on - I never would have thought to climb into the crib!  I don't know much about SA either but at least you have a clue to what is causing Clark's poor sleep.

How was your night last night?

[TiffanyT]

Ok, well I don't know if it was SA or even what it could have been. Maybe he was feeling poorly. Here's what happened the past 2 nights.

The night after I climbed into the crib for a nap, he went to bed at 7:30, but then woke at 11, 12, 1:30, each time I went in and settled him by shhing, holding arms under the covers and replugging the paci. I felt so discouraged about the paci but I still know in my heart that I'm not ready to ditch it yet. Anyhow, I always sleep deeper in the MOTN and early morning, so I know I heard him fussing later than 1:30am and thought I was leaving him to work it out as long as earlier but I think clearly I was leaving him longer due to my grogginess. He settled by himself at least a few times that I can remember, and surely the paci wasn't in his mouth bc he can't find it himself. Very encouraging!

Yesterday I had some moms and babies over, and of course they all think I'm completely NUTS for not doing CIO. They told me to put earplugs in, put a pillow over my head, turn up the tv to drown him out....all these suggestions made me cringe inside. DH has been asking around at work and of course, hearing that too and he's going over to the dark side, wanting to CIO too! No. Way.

Last night I put earplugs in after he went to bed at 8:30 bc I know that I can hear him with them in (I have always been able to, I've used them for DH's snoring) but thought maybe it would cause me to wait just a little longer for a real cry and not rush in too soon. Well....I didn't hear him until 5:50am! I know he didn't CIO bc I woke up with an earplug out, so I feel so good! I fed him and it took until 7:15 to get him back to sleep, but I knew 5:50am was too early to wake up since he went to bed at 8:30. He woke at 8:15!

Now...the weird thing is last night we tried to put him to bed early (we went for a walk and he fell asleep, but of course putting him in his crib woke him) and when I picked him up he threw up BIG time! Had to change him and myself, and it was all over the floor. He was sooo happy after that. I wonder if he has been feeling poorly? Anyhow...that makes me feel better about never resorting to CIO bc I would hate to think that when I decided to do it, it would be when he's really sick or something and it would be awful to ignore your sick child bc they're crying!

Anyhow...sorry for the super long update, but there you have it. The story 'til now. Let's hope this story ends well

[ZacsMumme]

Hugs re pressure to CIO. I always found it helped to have one line I used when the topic or option came up to me ie 'thanks, but I don't believe in CIO for me and my family, we are going to try xyz'

I do think we (mummas that are so determined not to leave their LOs) can sometimes jump too soon. I know for a while I would rush in at a yelp, or sniffle when Z was little.

Hope your night is good tonight

[oliversmommy]

Tiffany,
Glad to hear you had a good night - I hope the past few nights have been better as well! 

Good for you for not resorting to CIO - I know that's not even an option for you, but it's hard when everyone around you is pushing it - I can't believe what a small minority us anti-CIOers are!  But we know what's best for our LOs, am I right?!?

Oliver and I have had great nights the past few nights, although tonight he refused his CN and when I was putting him down, I think I felt teeth pushing through his bottom gums, so who knows what tonight will bring! 

Sending good-sleep vibes to you and Clark . . . 

[TiffanyT]

I can't believe what a small minority us anti-CIOers are!  But we know what's best for our LOs, am I right?!?

I totally agree! It's kind of crazy how many ppl do CIO. Well, I am happy to say that the past few nights have also been pretty great around here. Last night he was up from 2-3am and I wound up feeding him because he wouldn't settle. We had been out of town all day at a funeral so I question whether he got enough to eat, even though he wasn't giving hungry signals without being fed. Anyhow, other than that, he's been great at night. I've been very rigid on his BT routine and that has worked wonders for getting him to bed at the same time every night. He's STTN from 8-6:30am, unless he wakes for a feed between 2-4am, then he'll sleep in until 7:30 or 8. I would be trying to cut out that feed, but it doesn't happen every night AND I get to sleep in when it does. So for now it works.

So happy to hear that Oliver's nights have also improved. I hope those teeth don't keep him up! I usually wind up taking Clark for a walk to get the CN in when he needs it but is outright refusing. I'll skip the CN if I think he'll be ok, but if I'm desperate, a walk will get him to sleep. Its only once in a while and prevents OT so I'm ok doing a little APOP! Keep the tylenol at the ready too!

And thanks Sara, I definitely need a good one-line to say to those who tell me to CIO. Good suggestion there It's hard to keep telling them over and over in different ways that I won't do it. And you're right...we do rush in too early, I know it now. It's just so hard when you hear them wail in the middle of the night. It could be a 'phantom cry' (you know, like a single scream but then nothing) but you never know how long they might have been crying before you woke up. Really though, it's probably no time at all, I'm so sensitive to his cries!!

Thanks ladies!!! Your support is so appreciated!