8 mo old -night wakings...teething, milestone etc UPDATE

[smileyfish76]

My 8 mo old daughter has been sleeping through the night since 3.5 months.  We have successfully weathered 6 nights of poopy diapers (first 2 teeth), a number of colds and two trips home for the holidays and gotten back on track fine.  For the last two weeks things have been going down hill.  First she got a cold.  Then she has been working on 4 teeth (uppers) and learned how to stand up.  I know all these can cause sleep disturbances.  She's over the cold, and the teeth have yet to come in.  Now she has been standing up for over a week so she is pretty good at that.  Here is our problem...When she wakes in the middle of the night, it can take me 3 hours to get her to go back to sleep and generally (I know this is not the right answer) it's next to me in bed.  I could pat her for an hour and the second I stop, boing, up her head pops.  It seems like she is totally ticked off that I'm in the room, either doing PD or patting/shushing.  SHe will try to settle but never for more than a few minutes.  I don't want to resort to CIO but it really seems like she doesn't want me in the room.

I saw with the 10 mo and waking waking waking looked somewhat familiar and there was also one other thread that seemed somewhat relavent but both of those, the kids would settle with intervention.  MINE WON'T...she's an angel/textbook with a touch of touchy.  She sleeps well during the day and goes down generally with minimal fussing.  I know teething could be to blame but she sometimes wakes before tylenol would have worn off.  I feel like the milestone shouldn't be an issue as she has been doing it for a while.  Separation anxiety is on the radar but she doesn't really show any signs of it any other time of day.

Our routine is eating, playing and going back down about 2 hours after waking.  She will sleep 1.5-2 hours.  We repeat the routine one more time and after her 2nd nap, I give cereal.  She generally goes down for night between 6 and 7 depending on how tired she is.  I try to feed her as much as possible during hte day but whether I feed her 8 times a day or 4 I barely get 24 oz in her including solids.  She's been eating that for a few months now.  If she eats at all during the night, she will eat less the following day.

Any advice on how to get her back to sleep in less than 3 hours would be greatly appreciated.

[Katet]

Sounds like my life at the moment... although it is getting better... I have found that the pain meds do wear off quicker than I thought.

Please don't do CIO that will only cause more problems than it solves

Have you had her ears checked? my ds had a double ear infection & while he showed no other signs of it, I got so fed up with the nights I took him to the DR & hey that was the problem. My Dr said teething & colds very often led to ear infections. So I'd check that out.

Other than that maybe try a walk in walk out kind of thing if she is more annoyed at you being there than not.

[smileyfish76]

Thanks Katet,

Last night, she woke up about 1.25 hours after going down.  She went down really easy.  Out within a few moments.  I listened as I didn't have my husband asking if we need to go in or not.  She settled and a few minutes later started up again.  She was not doing genuine cry so this went on for about 1.5 hours.  Then I went up to go to bed and peeked through her door.  Smelled like she had pooped.  Of course that is what she had done.  A VERY little one at that.  But that explained why she wasn't settling.  Once I changed her and put her back in bed it was all down hill.  I haven't done CIO but if I go in and out, she just wails harder.  I sometimes have to do that during the day to keep tabs on my 2.5 yr old son. 

Today she seemed to be swatting at her ears a little.  So the ear infection thing already went though my mind especially since she WOULD not go down for her morning nap.  She finally went down at 11 so she will probably do one monster nap instead of two naps.  I will have to check out the ear infections.

After I put her back in bed last night, she ended up in my bed and that was about 915.  When she finally settled down it was 1145.  URG!!!!!!  I need some sleep.  I will let you know how things go from here.  Thanks for your help.  I truly appreciate it.
Krista

[smileyfish76]

Katet,

We went to the doc this afternoon and he said her ears were fine.  He thinks it is purely the teeth.  Got some motrin to try tonight and see if that helps.  It actually appears that one of the four has come through.  Not in the usual spot but at least it's through.  Two more should be through any day now so hopefully things will improve. 

I really looked at the birthdates of your kids and man, could our kids be any closer!!!!!!!!   

I will still let you know if things get better.  thanks for listening at any rate!
Krista

[smileyfish76]

Katet,
Last night was better than the last week.  She fell asleep about 345pm and I woke her about 6 since I knew if she didn't get up soon, I wouldn't get any more sleep later.  She was pretty happy and woke easily.  She was up until about 830 when she got ibuprofen.  She went to sleep immediately when I put her in her crib.  She woke about 1230am and she fussed and sounded like she was going back to sleep.  five minutes or so later she was definitely crying.  Brought her in bed by me and she was asleep within a half hour.  QUITE THE IMPROVEMENT!!!!!  She slept until 630.  I am definitely going to try the ibuprofen again tonight and see if that gets us more initial sleep before waking. 
Krista

[Katet]

Krista, glad to hear things are getting better, I'd try not to bring her into your bed if you can help it, as she will then get used to that & it will be what she "thinks is normal"

amazing how close our lo's are... is Ben a firey Leo, like my Aiden???... interestingly If Liam had been a girl (we didn't find out) it was a toss up between Naomi & Megan... Liam was induced, but my bets were he would have waited until the 31 May as the first 3 grandchildren on my side all have 31st birthdays (including #3 who is May 31, 2004) Liam is #4 & the first to break the cycle...he was due the 17th & glad he was induced as he was 10lb4oz anyway

[smileyfish76]

Katet, Ben is a firey one too.  He is a angel textbook with a touch of spirited but for the most part, we see the spirited rear it's ugly head the most!  It's funny you mention about the 31st being birthdays.  In my family, my mom's and dad's parents had girls first.  My family we had a girl first.  My brother and sister had a girl first.  I'm the middle child and had the boy first!  Ha, how trends seem to be broken!

I had been trying not to bring her into bed with me but after 3 hours of my arms, legs and back falling asleep leaning over the crib, I was spent.  And with #3 on the way, I need some sleep.  Ben doesn't nap so I get no rest times during the day to try to make up for it.  We have 2 teeth through 2 more to go.  And now she is flirting with another cold.  Darn weather around here is making cold season terrible.  At least she settles right away now and will sleep instead of going through 2-3 hours until she drifts off.  I am thinking of once these teeth come in trying to sleep on the floor and move myself out of the room gradually to see if she can handle that.  But until these teeth come through it's going to be a rough go.

Thanks for all your help!

[smileyfish76]

Katet,
Since our lo are so close in age I was wondering when you give solids and when you give milk.  Megan finally is starting to accept solids other than cereal but when I get her to take other foods even cereal, it totally decreases the amount of milk she takes.  At the rate we're going, she isn't barely getting 24 oz in and that's including cereal.  She eats 4-5 times a day.  I usually give cereal/solids after her 2nd nap as she seems hungriest then.  I was just hoping your routine might shed some light for me as a direction to try to head into.
Krista

[Katet]

Krista, I bf Liam, so don't really have much idea on the amount of milk he takes. he has 4 + sometimes a night feed of bf. & I don't measure solids, But he eats heaps. He is a Very big boy, has been from birth (10lb 4oz/ 23 inches) & now is over 23lb/32 inches. So given he is the size of most 15month olds, his eating isn't much of a guide.

I do know Australian recommendations say 600mls (20oz) is fine at this age. That is with solid intake.
I think you need to be guided by Megan & not books etc.

Gosh a 3rd on the way & a non napping 2.5yo  . I am lucky Aiden still naps, but the trade off is he only sleeps 8.30pm to 6.30am... dh decided as he does Aiden's bed time most of the time he wanted play time, so it went from 7.30/8pm to 8.30pm. So I can understand why you do what you have to.

Our day is mixed around Aiden's activities & his nap.

6.30/7am wake & bf
7.30- breakfast
9/9.30 nap (sometimes only 1/2 hour to make swimming lessons at 10am - up t0 1.5 hours)
expressed bm from a sippy about 3oz on waking (10.30)
11.30/12 Lunch
1.30pm Both boys nap
3/3.30pm wake up & bf
5pm Dinner
6.15pm Bath
6.45pm settle & bed

last night 8pm finally went to sleep after standing up 100's of times...
He then woke about 5 times before 10.30 & then made noises at about 1am & then fed at 4am & then again at 6.30am

We are still getting back on track with milk supply issues & sleep issues from 4 teeth over 2 weeks & increased mobility... it is so frustrating, but I think/hope I will get there soon... only for the next blip... remind me again why we have children  (only kidding there)

[smileyfish76]

Kate,

My 2.5 yr old just erased what I had just written.  URG!!!!  Anyways, Megan just won't eat any more and I have given up trying.  If she is hungry she will eat.  I was just trying to gage when I should try to get some more solids in her.  Thanks for the insight.

Megan's working on another cold.  Darn weather teeters from 70s one day, 20s the next and back up into the 50s a few days later.  Winter has been nonexistant this year so colds and flu are worse which is not helping the situation.  I know your in summer right now since you are down under!

Ben was already fasing out naps this past summer.  Nighttime was incredibly easier when he didn't take a nap as he was actually tired for nighttime.  It's all a balancing act.  Unfortunately, my dh was a good napper until 4 so my MIL seems to think that our kids should do the exact same thing.  Very frustrating when they are around. 

I am just trying to figure out when I should try to get back on track.  We're still waiting for two teeth and if this cold comes, that doesn't help.  So you are right, just waiting for the next blip in the road.  Walking isn't probably that far off....... makes life interesting but I think that is why we have kids.  To keep ourselves on our toes.  They do have their great moments!!!!  Ben came to the kitchen yesterday and said Mom, what you do  (he meant what are you doing).  VERY CUTE!!!!!   THat's what makes having kids so wonderful.  Makes you forget all the issues we work through.

Thank you so much for your help and encouragement.  I truly appreciate it.
Krista

[smileyfish76]

Kate,
Again, I will be sad to see you go and thank you so much for your guidance and reassurance.  I finally was able to get on this morning so here is a brief update of the last weeks progress.

Megan finally got all 4 teeth and is getting over her cold.  Last Tuesday and Wednesday nights she woke talking instead of crying.  My 1st indication things were going to get back on track.  Still I ended up going in and sleeping with her to get her back to sleep but I knew I would be able to tackle that issue soon.  Thursday night she slept through the night WITHOUT ANY INTERVENTION FROM ME!!!!!!!!!!  I woke at 530 when dh alarm went off and bolted to check on her.    Friday night she woke but after a dose of cold meds and a squeeze, I put her back in bed.  She looked at me like what's going on.  I patted her back and when she lifted her head, shshed.  I was going to start sneezing so I left her room (fully waiting for the balling to start) and she went to sleep with only one or two peeps within 15 minutes.  Repeat that Saturday night and Sunday night.  Last night, she woke coughing but was settling herself so I just watched through the door.  She did go back to sleep all by herself and didn't notice me entering the room.  YEAH!!!! 

Basically it looks like it comes down to when she was feeling good enough, she went back to her old habits (the good ones) that she has been used to since 3.5 months old.  For those just starting out with PUPD etc, it might not be of much help (sorry) but for those that have had success and then regression due to illness, milestones, teeth or growth, I have found that she gets herself back on track with little intervention from me.  I guess the thought that since she had good sleep habits before she would be easier to get back on track is right.  I just needed to be patient enough to let her feel well enough before I tried.

Thanks again Kate, I will miss hearing your thoughts.  Take care of those little ones!
Krista