NWs, meds and how to avoid habits...

[weaver]

LO2 has started NWs. (Boo!)

I'm sure there are multiple reasons - cold, teeth, a dash of SA, and learning to walk.  It's been every night though for a week or so and I'm concerned that she's getting into a habit though have fended off her demands for bfs!  I accept that she has her reasons for waking at the moment, but I'm worried we might inadvertently be encouraging her. 

She never is obviously grumpy during the day so she doesn't have medication and because she hasn't been grumpy, we don't medicate at BT.  I'm thinking for some of these NWs, a spoon of iburprofen would help her resettle quicker.  But I'm wary of doing it every night, as she's a bright and spirited little person, perfectly capable of demanding meds ie, signalling to go and get them, not settling for anything else. 

Unfortunately we are sharing a room with her still so that's an added difficulty.  DP very bravely volunteers to deal with NWs but I think he intervenes more than I would as he doesn't want her shouting to disrupt everyone. 

So, in sum, I've a couple of questions: how often are you comfortable with medicating LO? One spoon of ibuprofen isn't much but I'm not happy to give it every night, should I be?  And how best to handle NWs so that she doesn't get into a habit? 

[*Becky*]

It is such a tricky one with meds. I have to say that we have always been very careful how much calpol or nurofen we give to our kids. The only times we have given it is when they have been in pain ( we don't medicate for fevers)
However, teething is painful for some lo's and if they are in pain then they need it. Now my two are past teething it is pretty rare for the meds to even come out.
Both mine were different. H would have some nurofen before bed and would generally then manage the night but M would be fine to go down at night but would need it around 2/3am when she would be up and just could not settle. We did not have any rules as such but I did try to have a break from meds every 3 days or so (and when we gave it it would be just once a day anyway)
Doctors tend to just say give it whenever I have asked them and been very relaxed about it all but I do think some people can be too lax with these things. A lady I used to babysit for would give her kids a spoon of calpol  before bed SO often, it was IMO not good.

It might be worth trying an amber necklace or some people have success with homeopathic meds. I have to say although a big fan of homeopathy, it did not seem to do anything for my two when their teeth were bad...

We had some terrible NWings with M from teeth. We ended up laying on the floor next to her as trying WIWO or anything like that just did not work and she got into a real state. It lasted about 6 weeks and was quite horrendous but she went back to independent sleep as soon as the pain had gone (she had a blocked ear)
In an ideal world I guess you would do some form of WIWO and keep the contact as minimal as possible but it sometimes does not work out like that! I have a v cuddly girl when she is even slightly sick!

[Buttonbobs]

We too try to avoid giving meds unless E has a fever, but when teething if she wakes and can't settle we do try it. She's never been one to need it to settle at BT but will need it is she is uncomfortable at night. We have never had trouble stopping her with the meds once the discomfort has passed. We have tended to go back to our usual reassuring from the doorway after a few days and she's been fine, but generally her temperament is angel/textbook so this may make a difference.

I do struggle though knowing what the best thing is to do, as i never really know until the tooth arrives if it's teeth or developmental teething.