7 month baby waking 3 times at night

[Baby Marena]

Hello, I need help with my baby who still wakes 3 times per night and won´t go back to sleep unless is fed and she actually eats.

How old is your child?
7 months tomorrow

What’s his/her daily routine?
E 5:30 am (BF)
E 7:00 am (Solids)
A
S 7:30 am

E 9:30 am (BF)
E 11:00 (Solids)
A
S 11:30 am

E 1:00 pm (BF)
A
S 3:30 pm

E 5:00 pm (BF)
E 6:00 pm (Solids)
A Bath
S 7:30 pm

Dreamfeed at 11 pm

This is more or less her daily routine it might change depending on the time she wakes which varies between 5 and 6:30 am

What’s nap routine?
Usually I just put her in her crib 15 min before nap time, make her room dark and play some music, say good night to the sun and leave her, she falls asleep on her own. Sometimes if she´s having a hard time falling asleep I shield her eyes with mi hand and pat her back, not very usual though.

How long are naps?
2 naps of 1.5 hours and 1 of 45 min.

What's bedtime routine? Time?
She eats cereal at 6 pm, 20 min later bath, then I dress her up for bed and I put her in her crib by 7 pm with music in her dark room, she falls asleep around 7:20 pm or so by herself.

Do you bottle or breastfed??
Breastfed during the day and dreamfeed with bottle

How much? or how long?
5 times a day for like 5-8 min each time

If breastfed.. one side or both?? (at each feed)
One side only

How many wakes per night?
At this moment 3, first at 10 pm, then again at 12:30 am and again at 3:30 am.
But it could vary.

What’s your LO like when waking at night? How long is he/she up?
Little crying but if I don´t go to her soon becomes a loud cry, sometimes I just put her paci back and she keeps sleeping, but lately she won´t unless I feed her.
Last night she was up from 3:30 am until 5 am, crying most of the time, She had had 7 ounces of formula before but still wouldn´t fall asleep until I fed her with breast.

When you go to him/her is she fussing or crying? Or is it a mantra cry?
Fussing, don´t think mantra, it becomes louder if I don´t get to her crib.

What have you tried to settle??
Shh/pat and paci

What do you do for A time and how long is it?
Usually play at home, she crawls everywhere, go to the beach, take a walk, for 2.5 hours.

Are there developmental issues such as teething or milestones?
Teething, but no teeth yet.

Have you introduced cereal? Why, how much, and how many times a day? (for LO’s under 6 months)
NA

Do they have a prop? If so what is it?
Paci

Do they have a lovie?
No

Please help me, I feel very frustrated and very tired, I don´t know if I am doing something wrong, something that maybe is becoming a bad habit.  Should I keep dreamfeeding? How many naps by 7 month and for how long?  I really don´t know what I am doing wrong...

[Colin Macs Mom]

Hi there

How much does she eat when she wakes at night - is she taking a full feed, or snacking? Also, that evening solids feed, what sort of thing are you giving? You want to be careful what you feed at that time this early on as to not cause gas or tummy upset.

[Baby Marena]

Thank you. Last night she has 7 oz of formula as a dreamfeed at 11 pm, and woke up at 3 am crying, I tried to settle but she refused and ended up breastfeeding and she ate again.
With solids I feed her fruit first, next meal is veggies and last oatmeal baby cereal.
Could teething be interfering with her sleep? Does she really need to be fed at night with all the food she´s having during the day? Am I creating a bad habit by feeding her?  How can I break the habit?  Before solids she would wake at night and be easily settle by patting and paci, but now it doesn´t work.  I think I know I should not feed but how can I stop the crying, it could go from 3.30 am to 5 am.

[Colin Macs Mom]

Some babies genuinely need a night feed for quite some time, even up to a year or longer. You very well may have one of those. And at her age, it's not totally unreasonable that she's not ready to give up the night feed yet. The key is to determine if she's really hungry or not. I'm inclined to think that she's truly hungry if your formerly successful methods of settling aren't working anymore.

How much does she eat when you feed her at night? Does she eat eagerly?

Teething can definitely interfere, yes.

[greenlady]

Hi Angelica

I've got exactly the same problem.  My dd is 6.5 months and was a textbook 4 hour EASY which was so great.  She's now waking up 3-5 times a night, and crying until she's fed for about 5/10 minutes BF.  I think it's comfort feeding as she's on about 500-600ml formula during the day with solids 3 times as well.  There hasn't been any major changes to her routine, so my guess is that she's teething. Nothing is showing yet, but she does have red cheeks occasionally and is chewing everything. But I am really worried that if I do feed her during this period that she will want it when it's over.  I know AP is such an easy trap to fall into.    I guess only time will tell!
Julia & babyChloe

[Baby Marena]

Thank you Julia!!!
It feels great to hear somebody is going through the same thing and same worries.  Great support I feel a little bit relieved!!!!!

[M and N's Mom]

Before solids she would wake at night and be easily settle by patting and paci, but now it doesn´t work. 

Are solids late in the day interfering with milk consumption?  My DS is the same age and so far he gets solids in the morning and at lunch, but not in the evening because when I have done them in the evening he has not taken as much milk (BF) at bedtime and woken up hungry.  I'm not sure when/how I'm going to give him solids in the evening so he doesn't wake hungry.  Also, baby cereal is very filling so maybe you could give it in the morning and the fruit in the evening if you want a third meal. 

Just trying to think of ideas for you...

Good luck!

[maisy]

just wanted to say i am going through exactly the same thing, i thought I had cracked it but it is even worse now, is it possible it is a developmental thing?

x x x x

[elsa55]

Me, too.

They are great in the day (twins) but are waking in the night,  they will go straight back off if you feed them and they do seem hungry.  Then they start waking again and i won't feed them and this is when the fun starts!!!

It's hard when we all worry about AP.

Good luck to us all!!!

[linfran]

Teething can make a huge difference.  Ds is 7mo and trying to break through three teeth at the moment - he was an angel baby but now can wake up to 6-7 times a night, usually wanting a paci.  I was worried about accidental parenting but when the teething eases he falls asleep fine without it so I guess he just wants it for the pain.

Once he gets these teeth that'll be 7, just 13 more to go!

[gabbysmommy]

Me too....I'm in the same boat.  Are we supposed to feed them and hope they grow out of it or PU/PD?

[kiersten001]

Have you all tried baby motrin before bed?  My son is 8 mos and we had a couple of night wakings during teething and I just made sure from then on he had motrin before bed (when it seemed like it was teething of course, not every night!) The other thing I found is that he wanted to suck for comfort when he was in pain.  Not sure if your little ones may be doing the same thing?

[greenlady]

Angelica

Just a thought - I think our problem was that dd was getting cold during the night.  She's a lot more active now, just about crawling and I think that she's kicking the covers off.  As the covers were off after we went in when she woke up crying, we assumed she'd kicked them off during crying. But, we've put a heater with a themostat in her room for the past 3 nights and "heh presto" no more night wakings! (touch wood).

HTH
Julia & Chloe

[Baby Marena]

Thank you everyone for all your thoughts.  Yes I think is teething for sure now that I read all this, I started giving her water insted of BF and after a few drinks she falls asleep again, so I know its not hunger.  And of course the paci works really well.  Sorry all of you are going through the same thing but glad I´m not the only one great support.