7 month waking 2-4 times a night

[dkelly718]

Hi Im at my wits end with my 7month old. Ever since the 4 month sleep regression my lo has been a terrible sleeper. I have been working on independant sleep and his routine but have had little luck. I go back to work in less than a month and I need to have my lo sleeping better. My lo wakes between 2-4 times a night. He is EBF and on solids I only feed him once per night and not before 2am because I know he can go at least 6-8 hours without eating. He wakes up crying looking for me when I go in there I don't pick him up I basically just sit there until he goes back to sleep occassionally I will hold his hand or rub his head. He will usually do this at least once between 10-1 he then will go back to sleep and wakeup sometime between 2-4 (I feed him at this wakeup) He then will go back to sleep and wakeup at 6:00 at this point I bring him in bed with me and I nurse him he then will fall back asleep until 7:30/8am. He has been an independant sleeper for about 2.5 months so I don't understand why he can't put himself back to sleep. I have introduced a lovey about 1.5 months ago and it has helped a little bit but not as much as I would have hoped.

Here is a sample schedule but it changes because he is also a terrible napper. About everyother day he will take one nap that is 1hr 30mins but almost every nap is 40 mins regardless of awake time
8am wakeup/ nurse
9:30 solids
11-11:40 nap
12:00 nurse
2:45-4:30 nap (He wakes up at the 40 min mark but I nurse back to sleep)
4:30 nurse
6:30 solids
8pm bed
 
I know that CIO and CC are not the answer and I don't want to resort to that but I feel like I am the sleep prop because he needs me in the room to fall back asleep. Also he wont go back to sleep for my husband so I literally have no help and I am exhausted. Any help will be appreciated.

[lauradj]

Hi there!  I'm sorry you're so tired, it's not easy  .  I am noticing that you often use the breast to help put your LO back to sleep and I believe this is creating a prop.  Have you and DH done PU/PD? 

[dkelly718]

To extend Naps I have tried it all nothing will get him back to sleep except nursing. In regards to night wakings he will fall back asleep in his crib as long as I am there so I feel like PU/PD would be counteractive because I want him to fall back asleep with the least amount of assistance from me which he already does.
       I feel like things have gone from bad to worse. On Wednesday night he slept pretty good from 8pm to 4am I nursed him and then he went back to sleep until 6:30 which I again nursed him and he fell back asleep until 8am. Thursday night he went to sleep at 8pm then was up at 12a 2a 5:30a then up for the day at 8am. Then tonight asleep at 8pm and he has been up at 8:45pm and again at 10pm. The funny thing is  naps have been great the past 3 days
8am wake-up
10:30-12 nap
3:00-4:30 nap
8pm bed
 I don't know why if day time has been so good why the nights have gotten worse. He isn't sick or teething or going through a wonder week so i am clearly stumped

[lauradj]

I wonder, when he cries is it a mantra cry or an "I need you!" cry?  Perhaps what's happening is that he's waking up and fussing and in your desperation for some sleep, you're intervening too soon?  While I agree that it's good that he falls back to sleep quickly with your hand for reassurance, the end goal here is for him to not wake up at all.
What I would suggest is that you begin to introduce a calming phrase to replace your hand.  Something simple that is always the same, "It's ok______.  You're just going to sleep." Your aim is to have your voice to the place of your hand so use it every time.  I would also suggest you stop bringing him into your bed in the morning because when you head back to work in a month, that is not going to work in terms of you getting up and dressed before he wakes.