PLEASE HELP soooo tired of night wakings!

[jamm]

My DD2 is 6 months old.... was STTN at 4.5 months (12-13hrs) for about 2-3 weeks then the night wakings started. At the time I thought it was just a growth spurt (esp since NWs were at random times), but the NWs continued...2-3x a night! She would take a full feed (both breasts) at each waking and go right back to sleep. 95% of the time she is awake after nursing and has no problem putting herself back to sleep (she is a thumb sucker).

So I thought she must be hungry! So at a little over 5.5 months we started her on solids (which she took really well) and within less than a week the NWs were down to once a night. I thought we were moving forward THEN she started getting up again 2-3x a night! Of course, this coincided with many things (whether or not they are related, I'm not sure): 1) 6 month vaccinations, 2) introduction of a 3rd meal (she now has solids 3x/day) and 3) her 1st tooth!!

I am still feeding her when she gets up at night, but trying to limit it to one breast. It seems the only way she will go back to sleep is if I nurse her! Is this bad?! As I mentioned, she very rarely falls asleep while nursing!!

I also noticed recently that she is getting fussy at the breast during the day So maybe she is missing calories during the day? And definitely eating less cereal than she was before (teething, maybe?) ... She has been eating only cereal until today (introduced carrots), so maybe cereal isn't enough calories to sustain her?

My biggest confusion is that I know she can STTN because she's done it before.... actually, she had a 12 hr (6 pm-6 am) night just a couple weeks ago... then it was back to the NWs. Please help - any suggestions would be wonderful... and thank you for taking the time to read my post!!

Here is a typical day:

7:30 am - wake up/ BF
8:30 - cereal
9:45 am - 11:15 am (1.5 h) nap (after 2-2.25 awake time)
11:30 am - BF
12:30 pm - cereal
1:45 pm - 3:15 pm (1.5 h) nap (after 2.25-2.5 awake time)
3:30 pm - BF
5:00 pm  - cereal
5:45 pm - bath
6:00 pm - BF
6:30 pm - bed

We tried the DF and it caused more NWs.... I would be willing to try again, but I think the fact that she's almost 6.5 months old, I assume it's too late to re-start??

Thanks again!!!!

[marlowsmom]

How much solids are you feeding her?  2tblspns? 3? 4?   I found that if my LO has at least 3 -4 tblspns of rice cereal plus a half of a small jar of some veggie or fruit at least twice a day then she will STTN.   Are you giving her pain meds for the teething?   JAY3 ( mod) says that teeth usually come in pairs maybe in fours!    Is she trying to crawl or sit up?  Does she roll over already?  I've read from other moms that DF if not already part of the routine will cause NW.    You do want to avoid nursing her back to sleep in the middle of the night.   It can become a habit.    Also, I noticed that you don't do a catnap?    Let's see if a mod can get on here and give you their expert advice.   

[jamm]

Thanks so much for your reply....

In answer to your questions:

- she will typically have anywhere from 3-6 tbsp of cereal at each meal - today she had 2 cubes of carrots at lunch too.
- typically not giving pain meds for teething (is it too much to give every night??), but I have been giving Camilla teething drops.... thx for letting me know about the pairs...I will keep a look out for the 2nd tooth!!
- she does roll over both ways, quite easily - and I did notice several weeks ago when she was just learning her NWs increased as well.
- I don't nurse her back to sleep in the middle of the night.... 9 times out of 10 she is awake when I put her back in her crib. I am pretty confident she is capable of soothing herself to sleep
- she dropped her catnap around 5 months.... kept trying but she kept fighting so I just moved her bedtime up.

Hope that helps! Any other advice would be awesome... thanks again!!!!

[marlowsmom]

I'm just repeating what I have recently learned through my thread...
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=155917.0

Since teething is an issue, she may be waking because pain.  I'd give her some sort of pain reliever (Tylenol) just before bedtime.   It's ok to give to them every 4 hours (read directions)    JAY3 (mod) suggested I give meds before bedtime and then once again 4 hours later ( kind of like a dream feed but with pain med and only the Tylenol)      I give my LO Tylenol, teething tablets (which dissolve on the tongue and are homeopathic) and I top it off with Orajel numbing gel.     If you can find Orajel teething swabs or some similar product then I'd suggest using that http://www.orajel.com/products/baby/teething/swabs.htm
When I use the numbing gel my LO will often get some on her tongue and then the back of her throat which makes it numb and she coughs.    Thats why I prefer the swabs because I can control where it goes and it doesn't numb the back of her throat.     Is she waking around the same time?  For instance, around 2 to 230 and then again 4 to 430?    If she is then try wake 2 sleep (W2S) method.     Lets say she wakes at 215am.   Set your clock at 115am and go into her room and move her just enough that she moves.  I would pick up my LO under her arms and roll her onto her belly and/or move her up the crib mattress a bit.   She would move and sometimes pick up her head but she always goes back to sleep.   The idea is to disturb her sleep enough that she moves but doesn't wake up.    I swear it works.   You will have to do it for at least 4 nights before you see a result.   My LO showed improvement after 3 nights.
Here is the link that explains it in detail
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=64168.0

Also I suggest reading this    http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=53450.0

Your LO also has a new skill of rolling over which could be a cause of her NW.   She may be interested in crawling.   Give her lots of tummy time.

[jamm]

Thanks for your replies. Jane, I will try that...I have noticed she has been chatting in her crib quite a bit before actually going to sleep so maybe she's not quite tired enough at 2.25-2.5.

To be honest, I don't think it's a GS because the NWs have been going on for WAY TOO LONG!! Should I PU/PD to put her back to sleep instead, or just reassure her with words while she's still in her crib?

Yes, she can definitely put herself to sleep - she goes to bed (both nap and bedtime) awake after a couple verses of twinkle twinkle, on the odd occasion she falls asleep nursing at bedtime but I'm pretty confident she's not reliable on that. No props - she is a thumb sucker.

I will let you know how it goes!!

Thanks again 

[jamm]

Just thought I'd give an update.... NWs are not getting any better ( I have extended A time (2.5 before 1st nap, 2.75 between 1st and 2nd) and the result has been hit or miss because a couple times it has resulted in a 40 min afternoon nap!!! I think she is probably just adjusting to the extended A time though, because chatting has been much less!

As for night time, she is teething AND has a cold, so I don't feel comfortable dropping the feeds yet. Yesterday she was screaming after she was down for only 2 hrs and it took a really long time to settle her, especially since she was very stuffy.

Any other thoughts?

Will keep you posted once she is better!! Thanks again!!!

Jen

[marlowsmom]

What are you doing for her stuffy nose?   Its tough when a LO has a stuffy nose since there is a limit on what you can do to make then comfortable.     Have you tried W2S for the NW?     Are you giving her pain meds for the teething?     Once at bedtime and then again after 4 hours (like a DF).    Jane the mod told me that one.   Hopefully, she'll make another appearence.   Good luck.

[jamm]

Thanks so much!!!!

Teeth and cold has been better as she's been getting a 7+ hr stretch for the past two nights (7:00pm-2:00am) BUT NWs are still in full force - the past couple nights she got up at 2:10 then again at 5:00 am.... I have been soooo tired I have just been feeding her (I know, I know, it's a BAD HABIT) but I 'm thinking two nights in a row at the same times = habitual waking?! I am prepared to do W2S if I need to, but maybe I should see what she does tonight?

Also,if it is habitual waking, do I tackle both times (ie. W2S at 1:00am AND 4:00am)? Or just W2S at 1:00am and see if it disrupts her sleep pattern enough to get past the typical 5:00am waking?

[jamm]

she is getting up at 2:00, so i should go in at 1:00, right?

she has only been getting up at the same time for 2 nights now... should i wait another night to confirm habitual waking or do you suggest i w2s tonight??

also, 40 min naps in the pm are back in full force, even when i extended A time from 2.5 to 2.75 (although thankfully she has stopped chatting before bed). do you think she might need a 3 hr A time? not sure if it's too early (DS2 is 6.5 months) - just afraid of her getting OT!!!

thx xo

[jamm]

ok so the w2s thing didn't work because she got up on her own at 12:55... argh!!

although she did also get up (as usual) around 5:00, so maybe I should start w2s for that time?? i'm thinking maybe i should just take baby steps (ie. get rid of the 5am wake up, then work on weaning her off the 1-2am feed)??

thoughts??

thx as always
xoxo

[marlowsmom]

I agree Jamm.   Take care of the EW then work on the getting rid of the night feed.