10mo waking

[zelda]

i've cross-posted this in the night wakings forum, but i was hoping that some mothers of older babies might have already been through this...
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i thought that it was just a phase, but...

after sleeping through the night for several  months, lo started to wake at least once/night about two months ago (after he was sick for a week).    since then, he has gone through some major developmental changes (standing, crawling, sitting, becoming more verbal, teeth).  there was some separation anxiety in there where he didn't want me to leave the room before he fell asleep (much better now).  now he just wakes up, sometimes hungry, sometimes thirsty, or for no reason that i can see.

i can't figure out what to do:
1) waking to feed - i absolutely stuff him with calories during the day, i can't feed him any more than i am right now.  we have started trying diluting his milk (as per earlier thread, see sticky), but no luck yet.
2) waking thirsty - sometimes he wants water.  we always give it to him.
3) waking for no reason - here, he is just difficult to get down again.  he wants company and will fight pu/pd.

here is his schedule:
630-700 wake
715 solids
900 bottle 150-200ml
930 nap
1100 wake
1115 snack
1300 solids
1330 bottle 150-200ml
1400 nap
1500-1530 wake
1530 snack
1700 solids
1845 bottle 150-200ml
1900-1930 sleep

please help, i know that this can get better, i just don't see the way yet.  lo falls asleep pretty well at the beginning of the night - we do our routine, i put him in bed sleepy but awake, give him his lovey and leave.  he usually falls asleep fairly quickly.  it's the same routine we've used for six months (bath, pyjamas, bottle, book, bed).  he has never used a pacifier.

when he wakes during the night, i listen for a bit to see if he needs me.  then i go in, try to soothe him in the crib by turning him on his side (his sleep position) and saying "time to sleep" over and over until he starts to settle himself.  if he is upset, i do pu/pd.  if he is doing that little cough that babies sometimes do, i give him some water.  i generally leave the room when he starts to settle himself.  sometimes he yells when i go - then i wait for a few seconds outside his door to see if he stops by himself.   

he woke up twice last night - once at about 930 (settled after about 5min) and once at 230 (settled right away after water).  he also woke at about 5 or so, but put himself back to sleep after a bit.

has anyone been here?

[elfin]

It sounds like you are doing the right thing.  When he wakes in the night keep it very boring, with little to no communication or eye contact, offer water if need be.  Just stay consistent and the quicker he will get back on track.  This was a really tough age for us as well with all the developmental changes happening and the molare coming through, so I can sympathize.  It will get better!

[Leah's Mom]

Zelda - From your schedule it looks like your bottles fall right before naps and nighttime? Am I right? This is fine, I know there are many people who do this. I did. We had nightwakings very similar to yours and feeding her was the only thing that put her back to sleep. (I wrote the post about diluting bottles). I did dilute Leah's bottles, but I also had to move all bottles completely away from naps and nighttime sleep. She was NOT falling asleep drinking the bottle, but I now have reason to believe that she associated it with falling asleep (it realxed her). Once I moved the bottles around she slept much better at night. Actually she was old enough that I just dropped the morning and afternoon bottle. So then she had one upon waking and one before bath. HTH!

[zelda]

christine - yes, we give all of his bottles before sleeping.  but we separate the end of the bottle with books and lullaby.  how did you move your bottles around, did you just swap liquids for solids?  i would like to try this, but lo has never liked drinking first thing after waking, go figure.

[Katet]

Zelda, maybe just try moving the bottles to 1/2 hour away from the naps, not on waking, nor as what it appears is part of the 'wind-down" at least that is what she sees it as.

[zelda]

moving his bottles up before naps is no problem - but what do you suggest for before bed?  right now we feed him dinner at 17.30 and the bottle after the bath about an hour later - my thinking was that he will actually drink a little bit more and get those extra calories in.  but, then again, i usually give him a bottle right after his lunch and he usually drinks like a champ, so maybe i will try it.  i guess i'm just nervous about him waking hungry again, kwim? 

[Leah's Mom]

Zelda- I was really worried that DD would wake hungry, but for some reason when she drinks less at her bedtime bottle she sleeps longer. No idea why. I feed Leah supper at 5:00 (17:00) and then she gets her bottle right before bath. Leah wouldn't drink her bottle very well upon waking either. So I moved the bottles 1/2 hour before naps. I gave them to her in the living room, then we played for awhile, then we did a wind down with no bottle involved.

[zelda]

i've moved up all of his feedings a bit and separated them further from his sleep. i didn't think it would work, but it something is defintely happening.  he has been sleeping better for the past few nights since we started this.  last night we only had one wake-up for water (!).