Hi,
My lo is 7 ½ mnths. She has never slept more than 5 ½ hrs in a row and has only done that 5-10 times total maximum 4 times in a row. We have always struggled with sleep even though I have had her on a routine from Bby Whsp since she was 4-6 weeks old. She has slept in her crib in her own room since she was 6-8 weeks old and was in a cradle in our room before that. She has eczema which disturbs her sleep with itching and exasperates the whole thing when it is bad. When my lo was 3-5 mnths she had a great deal of trouble with short naps so I spent a great deal of time at every nap either trying to prevent her from awakening after each sleep cycle or resettling once she awoke despite my efforts to keep her asleep. Finally at about 5 mnths naps got better. At night I was never able to dream feed her. At first 3mnths I could not get her to feed to open her mouth to get the breast in. Then she just started waking up for the feed 31/2 mnths. (I should have left well enough alone hind sight always 20/20).
We had it pretty good for about a week in early Oct where she would eat at 6-6:30 then bath at 6:45-7pm & go to bed at 7:30pm (wind down & bedtime ritual start at 7:15 in her room with a book then a snuggle then say goodnight to the day then one wind up of music box and lay in crib awake by 7:30pm) (She has always been put to bed awake for naps and bedtime with night feedings she may be asleep when put back into crib but sometimes she wakes up at that point) She usually settles quite easily 2-10 minutes. She would then waken to eat at 9pm as she got used to cluster feeding and then again at 10-11pm. I have tried not feeding her at 9 pm and just resettling her which will sometimes work but she still kept awakening at that time each night for 4-5 weeks. Now she gets quite upset and will cream at top of lungs for 1.5 hrs with me doing PU/PD unless she is fed at 8:30-9 pm and then again at 11pm. During the good week in Oct I could resettle her at midnight or12:30, again at 2:30 or 3:00am & finally at 5:30. This went on for about 3 nights and then I could get her to sleep from 12:30 or 1am (as 11pm feed got missed until she awoke at 12:30 because I fell asleep) until 6 or 6:30 am. This went on for a few days and then she started waking up more in the evening and became harder to resettle. As of the beginning of November she would eat at 6-6:30 pm & go to bed as per above routine at 7-7:30pm then awaken at 8:30 or 9pm then not resettle but scream for 1.5 hrs while doing PU/PD unless fed. She would awaken again (even if fed at 8:30 or 9) at 10 -10:30 when I usually feed her so I would again. Then she would awaken at midnight (I would resettle) and then again at 1:30am (resettle again), & then at 2:30am (resettle again) 3:30am, & 4:45am & 5:30am and then if she managed to resettle she would be up again at 6:30 for the day which used to start at 6:30 or 7 am. She used to be able to resettle herself the odd time at night but now every time she wakes up she is in a full cry even after naps and even keeps crying after I come in and greet her and start to pick her up. She used to cry and then when she saw you she would smile and perk up.
As I am the only one with enough patience for the night wakings and resettling I have not had more than 3 hrs sleep at a time except for the 4 nights where she went 5 hrs. I am at the end of my rope and last week I gave in to some accidental parenting and have taken her into my bed for 6 nights and every time she wakes up I just roll over and let her suck on my breast and then we both fall back asleep and this happens many times during the night. I know this was really a bad idea but I really needed a break and it was better than letting her cio.
Now that I have had a little break I really need to start back to getting us headed in the right direction before this taking her into our bed gets anymore entrenched.
None of this has really seemed to coincide with teething which has been on & off for about 3 mnths now but still no teeth. We also started baby food at 6 ½ mnths slowly due to eczema. So far only avocado carrots pear & apple. Tasting only as she does not eat too much.
Day looks pretty much like this:
Awake for day 6:30 or 7 am
Eat baby food 7-7:15
BF 7:20-7:40
Act 7:40-9
Slp 9-10:30
Eat baby food 11
BF 11:15-11:30
Act 11:30-1pm
Slp 1-2:30pm or 2-3:30
BF 2:30-2:45
Act 2:45 – 6
Eat babyfood 6
BF 6:30 – 6:45
Bath 6:45-7:15
Bed ritual 7:15-7:30
Slp7:30pm
BF 8:30 or 9 pm
BF 10:30 or 11 pm ( I do PU/PD until at least 10:30 if she wakens earlier)
Awakens usually 12:30 or 1am, 2:30 or 3am 4:30 or 5 am
Resettle each time she awakens until morning 6:30 or 7 am
I want to go back to not feeding her except for the 11pm and then in morning but is this too harsh?
Should I continue the cluster feeds 6:30 9 & 11?
Should I stretch them out 6:30 9:30 & 12:30? As this is when I had the best success for sleeping through night?
I would really love to be able to have someone watch her while I went out for a few hrs in the evening perhaps to a movie but with cluster feeds and she will not take a bottle this does not work?
Please give me some advice as I don’t want to do any more damage or accidental parenting and I really need to get us through this.
Signed confused Jo-Ann
