Author Topic: Not sure what to do - help with night waking please!  (Read 2059 times)

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Offline KellyC

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Not sure what to do - help with night waking please!
« on: March 30, 2006, 09:21:59 am »
Hi

Zander will be 7 months old next week.  He slept through the night from a few weeks old but somewhere around the 4 month mark (probably a growth spurt) I accidentally got into the habit of feeding at night.  He only wakes once during the night and times are erratic.  His daytime sleep is good, averaging about 3 hours, and he goes to sleep independently for all his naps and at bedtime - he is fed before bed but I put him in his sleeping bag after the feed so he goes down awake.  He was sleep trained at 3 months using pat/shush which evolved into PU/PD and he's now very familiar with PU/PD which works very effectively if we do ever have a tough time.  He was weaned at 6 months and now eats 3 good solid meals a day and has 4 or so breastfeeds, though he doesn't take long feeds during the day.  At the moment when he's done he bites me (luckily no teeth yet!) so there's no way of keeping him on longer to take more.

Last night I decided no more feeding during the night so when he woke at about 4am went in and did PU/PD.  I was at it for an hour and he showed absolutely no signs of settling, which really isn't like him and I tried telling myself he couldn't be hungry but I really think he was.  I tried giving him some water after a while and he had a fair bit but still no sign of settling so eventually I gave in and bf him for 5 minutes then took him off.  He screamed when I stopped but I was then able to use PU/PD to get him back to sleep and he went through until 7am.  At his 7am bf he took hardly anything.

What do I do?  I really think hunger is the issue and he's eating sufficient solids so I think he needs more milk during the day.  Do you agree?  If so, how on earth do I get more milk into him!  I'm thinking of introducing a bottle somewhere but I'm sad that I can't get him through the night on breastmilk alone and would rather not have to top him up with formula.  I've got plenty more milk if only he would take it!  It seems silly to be thinking of introducing a df when it would usually be dropped now anyway.  His day yesterday looked like this;

E 6.40 bf
   8.00 solids

S 9.15 - 9.45

E 11.00 bf
   12.00 solids

S 12.30 - 15.15

E 15.30 bf
   17.00 solids
   18.00 bf
   18.45 bf - top up after bath

S 19.00

So I guess I'm already cluster feeding in the evening looking at that!

Thanks for your help - need to decide on a strategy for tonight!

Kelly x
Mummy to Zander (2005), Nathaniel (2007) and Caleb (2009)


Offline KellyC

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Re: Not sure what to do - help with night waking please!
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2006, 18:36:53 pm »
Zander ate hardly anything at all his breastfeeds today, especially the afternoon one which was almost non-existent.  I tried to give him a bottle of formula before his dinner and he took about 4 or 5 oz but wasn't particularly interested and he compensated by having a very short bedtime feed.  Tonight I am going to try a DF with formula - I figure it will only be a short-term solution (if it works!) so when I drop this he'll be back to being fully breastfed.  I'll send DH up with a bottle at 10.30 or 11 and see if it makes any difference.  At least it will give me the confidence to not give in to a breastfeed if he does still wake - as it stands he's feeding at 7 and waking, say, at 4 and I'm thinking well he has gone 9 hours, that's a long time for a little tummy!

Any thoughts anyone?  Anybody else need the dreamfeed at this age or later?

Kelly x
Mummy to Zander (2005), Nathaniel (2007) and Caleb (2009)


Offline JoC

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Re: Not sure what to do - help with night waking please!
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2006, 19:33:09 pm »
Hi Kelly,
My ds is almost 7 months. I was breastf till 5 months (back to work at 6months) so don't know if I can be of great help. He was never sleeping through so I started the DF at 6 months. The 1st night he woke in night I went and gave him water (which i warm and add a drop of gripe water to, which he likes), We had a tense night, more awake than sleep with lots of screming cos he HATED sh/pat, but it worked and the next night he only stired and went back off to sleep, as we had done PU/PD for 2 weeks previously. We have had a few long nights but generally he sleeps til 5.-5.30, I then go and give him water and he settles till 6.30-7. I am still df'ing as my friend says let him get used to sleeping through for a while. He too is on 3 meals of solids a day as well as his milk. Not sure if this is helpful.

Offline KellyC

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Re: Not sure what to do - help with night waking please!
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2006, 21:01:38 pm »
It is helpful - thank you!  I just find it so frustrating that he used to sleep through very consistently and that he doesn't need teaching how to sleep as he's already so good at that.  I'm about to do the bottle for his DF, wish me luck!

Kelly x
Mummy to Zander (2005), Nathaniel (2007) and Caleb (2009)


Offline teezee

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Re: Not sure what to do - help with night waking please!
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2006, 03:36:21 am »
tracy does suggest the approx time to stop the df is in and around 7 months but you can try it and if works for you and doesn't cause more night waking issues good for you!

what i am thinking is that your lo could be teething and that is why he is fussy with feedings and not getting enough calories during the day thus waking at night to make up for it.  the biting for me was a sure sign that my lo was teething (at least your ds only bites when finished my girl did it for fun for quite awhile  :o....wait til they have teeth - it's a type of shock that goes down your spine...although it is usually over with quickly...rambling sorry..!)

like i was saying, i do think lo is needing the calories at night and would try slowly weaning him off these feeds by cutting down on the number of minutes slowly every few nights. he will take more during the day naturally as he won't be getting as much at night but it won't be as traumatic b/c  it will be so gradual.  anyway, i am attaching a link so you can get some more information about the weaning process i am referring to, it worked fabulously for us, it took a little over a month but worked brilliantly in the end! good luck, and let me know how things are going.

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=56654.0
Tawnya
Mommy to Alecksandria
June 11, 2005




Offline sazza

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Re: Not sure what to do - help with night waking please!
« Reply #5 on: March 31, 2006, 07:19:24 am »
if he's waking around the same time each night you could also delay the feed a little each time - maybe five to ten mins or so. we did this with a dummy to get our lo off night feeding at 4 months (though we have yet to get him to sleep through the night - eek!)

good luck  :)
- Sarah
Aotearoa NZ


Offline KellyC

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Re: Not sure what to do - help with night waking please!
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2006, 10:55:06 am »
Hi

Sazza - unfortunately Zander doesn't wake at the same time each night, it's one of the reasons I know his waking is for hunger and not habitual.  Thanks for the tip anyway.

Tawnya - Zander is most definitely teething, I can't wait for them to actually come through!  I think I'll put teething gel on him before each feed and see if this helps to some extent.  The link you posted doesn't seem to have anything to do with weaning night feeds - is it the post about stopping wakings in a 9 month old you were referring me to?  I did try this but lost my way somewhere so could give it another go.  Should I let him feed as long as he wants (with strong sucking) the first night and then reduce it from there?  The DF was a no go as he just wasn't hungry.  He chewed on the teet (I gave a bottle) and then started arching and crying for bed and passed out as soon as I put him back down.  He woke at 1am and took a full feed, woke at 5am and cried but was back to sleep before I was out of bed and then got woken by DH getting up for work shortly after and screamed inconsolably - it sounded like he was in pain to me.  Could that have been teething again?  I read that the pain can make them sleep lightly and wake at the slightest thing.  I couldn't persuade him to go back to bed until after his breakfast which was at about 8am and then he slept until 11am, waking a few times but putting himself back to sleep each time.  I let him - we both needed the extra rest!

Thanks for your help - some more tips on the night feed issue would be most gratefully appreciated!

Kelly x
Mummy to Zander (2005), Nathaniel (2007) and Caleb (2009)


Offline teezee

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Re: Not sure what to do - help with night waking please!
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2006, 17:01:19 pm »
my apologies about the link...here is the one i meant to post! i do think you know which one i am referring to but i will post it anyway

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=46907.0

that should be the correct link! anyway, we are having teething issues at the moment as well (got four in the last 2 weeks and at least 2 more coming through  :o :o :o) so i can totally sympathize with the teething situation.  what i do when she wakes b/c of it is make sure it is as short and brief as i can possibly make it!  i will get her up give her some orajel for her gums, a quick kiss on the head and then back in the crib - if she cried i usually just have to put my hand on her and she settles - that came after months of night training mind you! oh and tylenol/tempra before bed works wonders also! i do notice that b/c of the teething pain she isn't the soundest sleeper and will wake to sounds much more than usual...

the night weaning - isn't necessarily a slow process. it took over a month to complete and have it work successfully but sooo worth it! yes you would stop feeding the first night when sucking slows, although lo may cry b/c he wants to continued to be comforted as usual, you will comfort by holding right now, paci, shhing, etc. whatever you need to do to get over that hump.  after a few nights of this go down say two more minutes for a few days, and then another two minutes, etc. the whole process can be very long and you don't necessarily see improvement right away so you def have to keep the big picture in mind.  be sure if you are going to do it - be consistant - and lo will get used to everything!  slowly start getting more calories during the day rather than at night and won't hardly notice the difference! good luck! hope i have been some help!
Tawnya
Mommy to Alecksandria
June 11, 2005




Offline KellyC

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Re: Not sure what to do - help with night waking please!
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2006, 17:43:02 pm »
Thanks again Tawnya.  I'm definitely going to do the night weaning starting tonight and will stick with it this time - I think I stopped last time because there were a couple of nights of sleeping through but of course they didn't last!  Zander's a fab sleeper and doesn't need 'teaching' how to sleep and knows the drill with PU/PD so I hope I won't have too much trouble settling him after the feeds.  I've also just taken him to the doctors as he has (yet another) cold and is a bit wheezy but luckily no infection, just the cold virus.  I'll be giving him some Medised (I don't think you have this over there but it has a decongestant in it) before bed (it will help with the teething too) and I'm happier to be feeding him tonight rather than full blown refusing to with him being a bit off colour.

I'll check back and let you know how we've got on - hopefully I'll be able to report some peaceful nights?!!

Kelly x
Mummy to Zander (2005), Nathaniel (2007) and Caleb (2009)


Offline teezee

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Re: Not sure what to do - help with night waking please!
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2006, 17:49:07 pm »
good luck - and do remember that regression is normal...just another thought if lo is sick and not feeling well (aside from the teething!) you may want to wait to change things til feeling a bit better - like i said just a thought - you know your lo and mommy knows best!
Tawnya
Mommy to Alecksandria
June 11, 2005




Offline LŠuren

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Re: Not sure what to do - help with night waking please!
« Reply #10 on: April 01, 2006, 17:54:51 pm »
Kelly how did you get on last night  :-\
Lauren x


Offline KellyC

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Re: Not sure what to do - help with night waking please!
« Reply #11 on: April 01, 2006, 18:10:01 pm »
Hi Lauren

Zander woke just before 2am  ??? and he seemed for 10 minutes like he might settle but then it escalated so I went in and tried to soothe him for a while before feeding him.  I timed it and it was 8 minutes so for the next couple of nights I'll limit the feed to 7 minutes and see how we get on!  It's hard when I know that if we switched to bottle feeding I could probably resolve this as I'd be able to monitor his intake but I know I'll regret it if I don't persevere and he does only wake once a night so I shouldn't complain really when you look at how much some other mums suffer.  He completely refused one of his bfs today and as a result just had a really good bedtime feed so, as always, I have high hopes - must stay positive!  We've just had to go in and put a blanket over his window as it's so light I don't think he believed it was bedtime  ::)  We had great naps today 1.5 hours and about 1.25 hours so at least I know it's not his routine waking him!

I was pleased to hear about Calum's lie in - lucky you  :P

Kelly x
Mummy to Zander (2005), Nathaniel (2007) and Caleb (2009)


Offline LŠuren

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Re: Not sure what to do - help with night waking please!
« Reply #12 on: April 01, 2006, 18:16:23 pm »
DH has just bathed Calum (hes been up since 1530  :-[), but his room is still light and he has black out lining on his curtains. Are you still feding Zander 4 times or is he looking to go to 3 now?

Good luck for tonight, you have done it before so you can do it again.  ;)
Lauren x


Offline KellyC

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Re: Not sure what to do - help with night waking please!
« Reply #13 on: April 01, 2006, 18:44:10 pm »
I'm thinking of going to 3 to see if I can get one good daytime feed from him instead of 2 bad ones!  I've posted on the bf forum but may try it tomorrow anyway, bringing lunch forward to 11.30 or so if necessary.  Zander's been up since 3.30 too but was a bit more tired today as he got up at 6.30 this morning, he started crying after 20 minutes but stopped and went back to sleep before I got up the stairs!

Kelly x
Mummy to Zander (2005), Nathaniel (2007) and Caleb (2009)