toothpick eyes

[cutebutsneaky]

 
hello everyone.im new to this vortex so here goes..she is cute and oh so sneaky.6 months old   and teething.she is waking 3-4 times a night and im trying to keep my humour.i am just figuring out routine during the day and a nap after lunch, still breastfeeding and she has food aswell.surely she doesnt need to drink during night?i  feed her the 2nd time she wakes.teh other two, i reassure her and pat her to sleep in cot, takes about 20 mins..i wonder whether i should try the pupd but read some nightmare accounts on here of babies then waking more ?!!!
am i too relaxed about her days ??she is very happy..could be just the teething?

[Layla]

Hi there & welcome

Could you please tell me what her daytime schedule looks like (start from morning, naps & bedtime)

Layla 

[cutebutsneaky]

hi!  thanks for replying..yikes.

awake 6ish,breastfed
8.00 play then breakfast,baby porridge,
10.00 play, trying to help her sit up on own
11.oo breastfed
12.30 lunch, breastfed if wont have drink of water
1pm sleep   1-2 hours
3-4 pm offer bottle, not interested yet
5.30 dinnertime  eats well
6.30 bath and massage
7 play with dad when he gets home
8pm bed  goes down quite easily, breastfed thenput down awake, sing and stay close , sleps within30 mins
11-12  wakes, shh and pat to sleep in cot
1.30 am-2  wakes. breastfeed, sleeps easy
4-5 wakes , shh, pat, sleeps..round 30 mins
6 -6.30 a, wakes breastfeed, pull her into bed for 30 mins/ hour  then we get up

2 bottom teeth coming thru so i wonder if thas why she wakes up mewing..
should i be concentrating on getting sleep right first..
i am introducing bottle during afternoon without drastically weaning..
really guessing at everything, but feel i need to educate myself a bit now

[Layla]

am i right in reading that she has 1 nap at 1pm between 1-2hrs?

Just want to make sure before I post back

[cutebutsneaky]

hi again!
yes..ashe sleeps after her lunch for 1-2 hours
gets sleepy sometimes at 5ish after a breastfeed, i think im being to easy going....

[momofclaire]

Hi, I just wanted to welcome you to the boards and let you know that I think your avatar is beautiful.  You two are stunning! 

Carry on Layla.  I'll be back to agree in a minute. 

[Layla]

I just LOVE you Myia!!!

At 6 months, 1 nap of 1-2 hrs is not enough & I believe she is very overtired (which is part of the reason she is waking so often). She shouldn't be awake for more than 2.5hrs & alot of 6mo's are still taking 3 naps (2 long naps & a short catnap). Some drop the catnap so I would play around with times to see what suits her best.

WITH the catnap, your day would look something like this (including milk & feeds):

6ish - wake for the day
BF
7.30-8am - solids
9am - morning nap
10-10.30am - morning nap ends
BF
11.30 - solids
12.30-1pm - afternoon nap
2-2.30pm - aftenoon nap ends
BF
4.30-5pm - catnap
5:15-5:45 - catnap ends
solids
7pm - BF & bedtime
May have another feed b/n now & morning.

I also think that her milk intake is more important than solids. At this age, they should only be "trying" things out & not having "main" meals. Milk feeds are way more important than solids at this age & I would certainly be doing milk 1st & then try for solids 1hr later.

I would definitely work on naps & change the order of food intake

Let me know what you think
Layla

[cutebutsneaky]

 ::)hee hee.loving your reply.theres just so much info out there and its great to hear what someone  thinks.
i selfishly want her to have something other than me exclusively so when im out and about i dont have to flop it out as i so elegantly call it.ha ha!!
i totally understand that breastmilk is important so will take that on board
this forum is amazing!!! duh! i didnt realise 6 mnth olds need a few naps!
thanks! i will give it a go

[Layla]

Good luck! Let us know how you go

& that is a gorgeous avatar 

[cutebutsneaky]

IHELP!!!
M SO TIRED!!!!!!!!! BUT HEY SO IS EVERYONE!!!
HI AGAIN.I HAVE TAKEN ON BOARD THE EASY ROUTINE AND ADJUSTED NAP TIMES AND SHE IS WAKING STILL , 4 TIMES A NIGHT AS WELL AS BEING AWAKE AT 6-7 AM .
I WONDER IF BECAUSE IM DRAINED/ TIRED, MY MILK SUPPLY ISNT VERY STRONG.
I FEED HER 2-3 TIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ..I KNOW IM PERPETUATING HER REASON FOR WAKING?? BUT SHE GENUINELY GULPS IT DOWN.
I AM VISITING RELATIVES SO NOT AT HOME TO PROPERLY ADJUST NIGHT ROUTINE..
BUT WANT TO REALLY TRY INTRODUCING FORMULA.WILL THIS BE THE BEST OPTION TO ALLOW SOMEONE ELSE TO TAKE OVER DURING DAY/ NIGHT..IS IT TRUE THAT FORMULA CAN HELP THEM SLEEP LONGER AS IT TAKES LONGER TO DIGEST..
BY THE WAY I ALSO WAKE HER UP ..OR SHE WAKES HERSELF FOR A 11.30 MIDNIGHT FEED BEFORE I GO TO BED.

I WILL LOOK AT WEANING DURING THE NIGHT BUT NEED SOME MORAL SUPPORT/SUGGESTIONS..MANY THANKS.XX 

[Layla]

Can you tell me what times & how she is sleeping during the day? Have you been monitoring her day/night sleep at all?

AS WELL AS BEING AWAKE AT 6-7 AM

I am confused... wasn't that the time she was waking before? 6-7 is the norm really

I WONDER IF BECAUSE IM DRAINED/ TIRED, MY MILK SUPPLY ISNT VERY STRONG.

Could very well be. How is she eating during the day? Are her feeds spaced out so that she takes more in? Is she having milk 1st & then solids at least 1hr later?

I FEED HER 2-3 TIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ..I KNOW IM PERPETUATING HER REASON FOR WAKING?? BUT SHE GENUINELY GULPS IT DOWN.

If she's not taking in what she needs during the day, she could be making up for it at night. Have you tried at all to settle her other ways rather than BF her. I would perhaps try & reduce the amount at the breast with each feed so that the pattern reverses & she is drinking more during the day

BUT WANT TO REALLY TRY INTRODUCING FORMULA.WILL THIS BE THE BEST OPTION TO ALLOW SOMEONE ELSE TO TAKE OVER DURING DAY/ NIGHT..IS IT TRUE THAT FORMULA CAN HELP THEM SLEEP LONGER AS IT TAKES LONGER TO DIGEST..

I woulnd't introduce formula in the hope that she will sleep better at night. You can still express milk so that your DH can help out at night with a bottle. You might want to post in the BF forum to see what steps you can take to increase your milk supply during the day.

BY THE WAY I ALSO WAKE HER UP ..OR SHE WAKES HERSELF FOR A 11.30 MIDNIGHT FEED BEFORE I GO TO BED.

If she's not had a dreamfeed up until now, I woldn't wake her up. We usually talk about weaning the 11pm DF around 6 months & with some babies, waking them up for this feed can cause more problems at night.

Hang in there. I'll see if I can get a BF mod to comment on this as well.
Layla

[cutebutsneaky]

thanks for your reply layla.

yes i have been doing the routine you suggested last week.bf wait then solids approx  hr later

first of all day sleeps have been..
 morning nap 10/10.30-11/11.30
after lunch nap, 1/2-3.30/4
a cat nap at 4-4,30 for 30 mins

 yes i settle her some  of the wakings by hand on chest and shh and put my face next to hers to smell me.

last night..
7.30 bed
8.30 wakes up..shh sleep
10.30 wakes up..bf
1.30 wakes up bf...i know i should maybe have tried shhh
4ish wakes up bf
5 wakes shh ..sleep
6 wakes
night before i managed to shh her to sleep at the 1.30 waking

lets see how i go tonight.
xx

[Layla]

Sorry, I just wanted to confirm... is she having a catnap when her afternoon nap ends at 3.30pm???

If her nap ends as late as 3.30/4pm then I wouldn't be giving the catnap & rather putting her to bed for the night at 6.30pm. Babies start ditching the catnap around 6 months so if are able to stretch her A times to 2.5hrs & she's having 2 good 1.5 hr naps then you might consider getting rid of the catnap & do an earlier bedtime instead.

[cutebutsneaky]

yes.late cat nap hasnt happened for 3 days now so it seems that she is adjusting to a good routine for her.
last night she 'only' woke 3times so hopefully we can get that down to one....
im refining her easy routine as we go.
i will im sure , post in a few days the outcome.xx