Hi all
My LO is 13.5 weeks and we are having a few issues with her waking up in the night but not needing to feed. She goes to bed a little after 7pm and generally goes down well, often without needing her dummy. We then DF her at 10.45pm. For the last week she has woken up anywhere between 2.30 and 3.30 am. At first I thought this was hunger as this is the time she was waking during her 12 week growth spurt for an extra feed (previously has been going through to 4.30/5 without eating). I am certain she is no longer waking out of hunger as the last few nights she has either only taken 2oz of the feed I have offered or if I have not fed here, she has still only taken 3.5-4oz when I have fed her when she has woken at 5.30/6.
When she wakes, she starts by fussing and then mantra cry (more of a yell out!) but if I do not go in, this escalates to proper crying after about 10 mins so I do go in at the mantra stage now. So, if I give her the dummy she will go back to sleep. One night she went back to sleep and stayed asleep until 5.45 but a more typical pattern is that she will fall asleep with dummy but will not enter a deep sleep so I may be into her two or three times to 'replug' before she finally goes into a deep sleep. I have tried ssh/pat which we also use at nap time but at night this does not work without also giving her the dummy and i have to leave her with it for longer than I normally do during the naps so I could be patting for 45 mins plus as each time I remove the dummy we start back at square one!
I know I am lucky to only be needing to feed at 5.30/6 but I am concerned that I am getting into a pattern of her not being able to settle herself and needing me to give her the dummy. I have not posted this on the prop board as I am not certain this is the issue (but open to the idea it might be!) as she goes to sleep at bedtime and night feeds without it. She does often need it at nap time to calm down and I take it out - most often before she is even in light sleep but sometimes have to leave it until she is in light sleep and then remove if she has not spat it out.
I am just not sure what to try - should I be getting rid of the dummy? Is this the issue because this is the only way she soothes herself back to sleep? We are consciously always removing before she gets into a deep sleep but maybe this is not enough?
I have seen people mention Wake to sleep but as the wake times vary within an hours slot would this work?
I know she is still too young for PU PD but if this is the way to go to get rid of dummy completely, I could wait for another 3/4 weeks until she is over four months and then do this - but again just no idea whether this is the way to go!
The more I read the more confused I get so I am hoping someone can give me some pointers - I am so jealous of all my NCT friends who have LO either sleeping through completely or only waking when genuinely hungry and so they know how to fix it!
Oh, forgot to mention that she is swaddled with arms down as she always used to hit herself in the face and cry - I am scared to try unswaddling or with an arm out but maybe if she could find her hand she could self soothe?
Sorry if that was waffly or I have asked too many questions but my mind is fuzzy!
Thanks
Fiona
