Waking 1 or 2 at night- why??

[Mummydownunder]

Hi All,

My lo will be 7 months in a 10 days. She is having numerous night wakings but I can't understand why?

Bit if background- we arrived in the Uk from Australia 3 weeks ago. DD was fabulous on the flight and only cried for about 30 mins out of the 24 hour journey. I tried getting her straight back into her routine as soon as we arrived and she seemed to adjust pretty well. Before we left she would always wake early between 5-30-6.00 am ready to start the day. The first few nights in the UK she was unsettled which we expected. She is also sleeping in a travel cot as opposed to her nice comfy cot back home so we thought that might have something to do with the NW's too? Her daytime naps weren't affected at all. However, her night time sleep seems to be getting worse and worse. She has been waking numerous times and crying, not a mantra cry but full on crying. When we go in to her she seems to calm a little but will not go back to sleep. Bending over the travel cot to sshh/pat is also incredibly uncomfortable  but we do try to persevere. More often than not DH or I end up getting her out of the cot and sleeping next to her on the spare bed- naughty I know but after trying to get her back to sleep for an hour or so we are both exhausted. She will then sleep until about 6.30-7.00 am without a problem.

Here is our routine:-
E 7.00 - bottle approx 6oz
  7.45 - breakfast 1 weetabix with 2oz formula
S 9.00-10.30

E 11.00 snack- yoghurt
   12.00 solids 3oz veggies and meat
S 1.00-2.15

E 3.00 bottle approx 4-5oz
S 4.15ish catnap 30 mins
E 5.00 solids 3oz veggies and meat + 1-2oz fruit
E 6.45 bottle approx 6oz
S 7.00 bedtime (generally goes down no problem)

I am always stressing that she is not having enough milk in a day so I try and give her 7oz at each feed which she has never finished. I am also adding milk and cheese to her solids where I can.

Does anyone have any advise on why she might be NW???

She doesn't have any teeth yet and has recently started rocking and trying to crawl.

Thanks,
Victoria

[* Paula *]

Do you think it could be developmental with her trying to crawl?

Is she showing any signs of teething?  When my DS was teething, he always seemed to be more unsettled at night at one particular time.

With regards to her milk, at this age the guideline is to have about 21oz a day but does not just have to include milk, it can include other dairy products like cheeses and yogurts etc, so it sounds like your lo is having plenty.

[Mummydownunder]

Hi Tom Tom's Mum, thanks for your reply.

Well, since my post my lo has managed to sleep until 6.20m once!!! Last night was an absolute shocker, she went to bed as normal at 7pm but at 9.15pm she woke up screaming hysterically, it took me at least 30 mins to calm her down. I eventually got her back to sleep only for her to wake up again 10 mins later screaming hysterically again!!! I was staying over at my parents and didn't want lo disturbing them all night (not that they would mind) so lo came into bed with me. We had a pretty unsettled night and she woke at 5am crying (not screaming this time) and it took another 30 mins to get her back to sleep  ::)I definitely think she has a tooth coming I wish it would hurry up!!!! 

Thanks for info re milk intake...I am trying as hard as possible to make sure she has 20oz a day but it can be incredibly difficult some days!

[* Paula *]

Hugs, I am sorry you are going through a rough time.

Have you tried any pain meds when she is so unsettled?

[Mummydownunder]

Last night she woke at 1.15 screaming. gave her some Baby Panadol and she went back to sleep after about 15-20 mins. However, she woke again at 5.30. DH tried to resettle her for 45 mins with no joy so got her up!

[Bryony]

Hi Victoria - sorry to hear you are having such a hard time at the moment! 

Just skimming your posts, I am wondering if she might be half waking up and then expecting to get into bed for a cuddle with you to get herself back to sleep, if you have done this a few times?  If that's the case, you would need to teach her to go back to sleep on her own using pat/shh in the cot, or PU/PD if shh/pat doesn't work for you.

the other thought I had was the screaming - if she is screaming when she wakes that would suggest either overtired (unlikely given your routine, which looks great) or pain (so keep up those pain meds if you think she's teething).

Bryony