Early wakings

[newmumtol]

Hi

Am new to this board so let me know if should add this to another thread. Am mum to a 7 month old and need bit of advice with early wakings.

Finding EASY at 11 weeks really saved us as my little girl never wanted to sleep in the day and since following it (although a little adapted at times) she is so happy and content. Night sleep had always been tricky. She was weaned at 5.5 months and she's now on 3 meals and 3 bottles a day plus df which we're in process of cutting out (tried cold turkey and bombed.)

our main problem is early waking has returned. She had his previously at 5 months then I'd feed her couple ozs and she'd go back down until 7-7.30am but this no longer works. She doesn't cry but now wakes at 5.30-5.45am and babbles and plays. We leave her while she's happy bt my worry is its a habit now and she's getting tired and first nap is very early.

Her routine is mainly this

5.45 wakes
6.30 bottle
7.30 breakfast
8/8.30 nap for 1.5 hours - am trying to push later as heard his might help?
10.00 fruit if not finished at bfast
11.30 lunch
12.45/1 nap for 1.5-2 hours (if out shorter)
2.30-3 bottle
4.30/5 tea
6 bath
6.30 bottle and bed

she's always asleep by 6.45. Meal times are what she'll be doing at nursery which she starts in 3 weeks :-((

any advice appreciated. Guess am wondering should i try w2s? longer a time before first nap although pushing to 3 hours. She's not catnapped late afternoon since 5 months unless had rubbish early afternoon nap. Nights are always erratic but we did get to 6.30-6.30 with df.

Sorry such long first post.

[newmumtol]

Sorry meant to add - got df to 10pm and down to 3-4oz sometimes less. We have uses dummy to eliminate night wakings and feeds but if i give at 5.45 she just plays with it.

She always goes down awake and babbles then goes to sleep. If my other half puts her down its with dummy but she spits out so figure isn't a prop.

[newmumtol]

Thanks Jane. Tried to go to 3 hour a yesterday. First nap she only slept half hour so think i misjudged it but i do think you're right could also be teething as think top two might be on their way (has bottom two).

Poor thing had cold now so we were up at 4-5am but then gave milk as refused the cool boiled water and wanted to get fluids in. She went until 7am and seems happy. I'll keep eye on her while she's got cold and then get back to properly tweaking a times.

Really appreciate the advice thanks so much. Will keep you posted.

[newmumtol]

Of course good point about doing it slowly - thanks

yes have the Ashtons powder and gel which really help.

Thanks again x

[newmumtol]

Hoping not to jinx things but the cold finally seems to be going. In day she's still very happy and have been gradually trying to increase A time. Found a link to sample routines which really helped.

Only prob think i now have is as she's not been well was advised to give fluids often so past few nights she's had about 4oz at 10.30ish then 3-4oz at 5am. Sometimes she's been up between but know thats cold related. However now i seem to have introduced a new feed at 5am. I was trying to view as spilt feed as she has another 3oz at 6.45-7ish and after having little milk at 5am she settles herself back to sleep until 6.30.


Have taken a look at other threads and seen other babies do this and then grow out of it. Was thinking we could keep working on reducing df then tackle spilt feed as it does mean day starts at 6.30 even though am up at 5am....not r.ally sure on this any advice/thoughts welcome

[mmom]

If she is not well, it will be hard to tackle feeds/EWs.  You could wait until she is feeling better and then try to eliminate a feed.

[newmumtol]

Thanks for advice and def agree won't tackle the feeds/ew until she's fully better - i think have spotted a tooth cutting through too poor thing.

Thanks again for help

[newmumtol]

Ok so good news is cold has gone and touch wood not teething at moment. Bad news is the EW is now 5am and am wishing for 5.45am!

df is back to 10pmish and only 3oz and apart from last night she's been going through to 5am but then she wants to get up. She's not crying more like having a party in her cot so we left her other day hoping she'd go back to sleep no joy. Today i feed her and she guzzled 6oz in couple mins but did a poo and wouldn't go back down although could see was tired. Knock on effect was too ties for breakfast and got distressed which is very unlike her so put down for nap about 7.30 she's still sleeping but these Ew's are messing up the days. My main worry is she'll be in nursery in less than two weeks and worry we'll end up with OT little girl and nights might get worse....

A times have been closer to 3 hours - not today but she woke twice last night - if she keeps getting up at 5 would u advise nap at 8am? then 12.30 as she'd be up at 9.30 ish and can handle 3 hours now?

sorry am trying not to stress think thought of leaving her is making me emotional too! thanks for any help

[mmom]

(((HUGS))) The anticipation of someone else watching your LO is stressful.  You will never (well maybe not never....) have a perfect EASY and the reality is when someone else is watching your LO, she will probably get OT.  My LO was OT every day I worked, but we survived.  You DO get through.  I kept trying to get it perfect and it was just impossible.

What time was her bedtime?  If she is waking at 5 and bedtime was 6 ish, it is not an EW.  KWIM?  That said, if she is waking at 5 and there is any discomfort, it is hard to get them back to sleep  Have you tried applying teething gel when she wakes?  My LO is teething and this seems to help.  If she won't go back to sleep, then the 5 am wake up counts towards the 1st A.

[aidenmc]

We have a similar routine with our 7 mo (though tons of nw and not self settling - another story) and are plagued with the same EW problem. Would love to follow along...

[newmumtol]

That does make sense about no ew if bedtime at 6ish thanks Kara and for words of support about leaving her.

Her bedtime is 6.30ish asleep by 6.45. we did try to push later and she still woke at 5ish however after bottle would go back down- i brought bedtime earlier as worried she was OT and that caused ew. However she was a real short napper at the time and now she naps great.

Sorry feel like am talking out loud but is really helping me! last night gave little moth at df and she woke for day at 6-6.15am which was brilliant. Only prob from 1.30 - 4am i was up and down with her but know might be teething.

You're so right i try get it perfect too and is impossible. Am pleased she can do 3 hour a time and we are so lucky she wakes up babbling so can leave until 6 most days. Am going to try gradually move bedtime to 7 and see if helps as would be better when start work too.

Becky so sorry to hear your little one is waking early too and nw. You must be shattered. Wish i could offer advice. One thing that did help us esp when i was feeding her as sure she used me for comfort was book by Elizabeth Pantley 'No cry sleep solution' (as well as baby w of course).

Will keep u posted on progress in case can help at all and sure I'll be asking for more advice.

Thanks again.

[mmom]

If she is handling a 3 hour A and is napping during the day, I am inclined to think teeth.  Early bedtimes are necessary if the day has gone poorly, because pushing bedtime will just result in more OT.

I am glad you had a good (well decent) night.  I would try something for teething when she wakes in those early hours.  If you find that she settles on the same time every morning and it is an EW, you can try W2S.  But see how successful you are first at cracking those EWs.

[newmumtol]

Thanks Kara will try the teething gel tomorrow morning, fingers crossed.

[newmumtol]

Sorry just had a thought is it still likely to be teeth if she wakes up happy? she rarely crys at 5am just babbles for ages

[mmom]

DS #1 would wake and just chat for a while, but couldn't fall back asleep due to discomfort.  After chatting for a good hour, he would get impatient and start to cry.  I guess there is no way of knowing unless you try.

The only other thing that would come to mind is too much sleep during the day or too short As.  But unless I am remembering wrong, your LOs As are pretty long and the sleep is within 'normal' range right?