Having sleeping and nursing issues

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 12/21/2011

I do have some good news. She will take a bottle at night now. So sometimes I get extra sleep. I got to sleep until 5:30 this morning without her because my husband had her. It's not the same as her sleeping through the night though. But every baby is different. I just wish mine knew how to read so I could show her how much sleep she should be getting.

Lise - posted on 12/20/2011

Gotta say, I agree with Kellie... Feed the baby! I remember waking hungry when pregnant and if I didn't get up (thinking I wanted to sleep), the rest of my night was miserable. If I just got my big belly out of bed and ate, the rest of the night was better.

Kellie - posted on 12/20/2011

Here's why it isn't working Michelle, children aren't pets and don't need to be trained. I bet you $1000 if you fed you baby at 4am she'd go right back to sleep. She does need it otherwise she wouldn't be waking up asking for a feed.

Michelle - posted on 12/20/2011

Hi guys - forget all I said about trying to train her to sleep with "shhhhh .... go to sleep shhhhh" - it's not bloody working!! I don't want to start feeding her again when she wakes up at 4am - she doesn't need it! But I have to endure her crying until I go to her at 5:45am - it's so cruel, but nothing is working!

As for your problem Megan - I really feel for you. You sound like you have it a lot worse than me. It's so hard hearing our babies cry! Maybe go to sleep training (In Australia they have a place called Tresillian where you can stay for 4 nights and they help you with settling techniques - I don't know if there is something like that in New York?)

Hope it all gets better.

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 12/20/2011

Yeah one day she will be :)

Kellie - posted on 12/19/2011

I refuse to believe that! This little peanut will also be an excellent sleeper like her big sister! I've put in y order damnit!

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 12/19/2011

LOl No I'm expecting the next one to not sleep. I don't think any baby will be as easy as my first because your first born tricks you!

Kellie - posted on 12/19/2011

Lol, then when you expect something it all goes to hell!

Rayne has been taking two 2 hour naps for about a week. Now today I'm really sick and what do you think has happened? The little shit has has two 1 hour naps! Faaaark!

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 12/19/2011

My older daughter was a wonderful sleeper from 4 months after her 3 days in the hospital because she had Kidney reflux. I didn't even have trouble with her when she was teething! She was the perfect baby!

My husband is a light sleeper like my 9 month old so I'll blame him for this. I'm just lucky he's done with school, just looking for work now, plus he's an insomniac when everything isn't right so he gets up with her.

Someday she'll sleep through the night. Then I'll expect the next one!

Kellie - posted on 12/19/2011

Yep Teething fucks them (and you) up big time. Rayne was a sleep through the night baby almost from the get go, then just before she hit 12 months all her teeth satred coming in, and I mean BANG 3 teeth in 1.5 weeks. She had the bottom 2 come in at 8 months and for ages those were the only teeth, she has 8 now and they all came one after the other after the other.

So my sleep through the night bubba is now a wake for a bottle anywhere from 2 to 4am and needing a stroke on the back with a reassuring shhhhh shhhh at least once a noght on top of that, when it's really bad Mummy Snuggles are in order. None of this I would deny her, there is a reason they wake etc even if we can't work out what that reason is.

She is at a growth spurt age too, possibly a wonder week? But like you say she's never been the best sleeper so I daresay she's learning to sleep for longer periods it's just a slow process, kinda like my daughter, she still goes to sleep on me then i put her to bed. On the odd occasion she 'tells' me she wants to do it herself then she reverts back to needing me. I know one day she'll be ready to go to sleep herself until then it's Mummy Snuggles, as one day your daughter WILL sleep through the night and consistantly.

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 12/19/2011

Keli, we use Avent and Born Free. She is taking a born free bottle at night. But still not sleeping

Keli - posted on 12/19/2011

have you tried diffrent types of bottles? we tried 3 different types of bottles that had different nipples until we found one my baby favoured. other than that im not sure what to suggest.teething can deffinetly throw one's world off balance.

Michelle - posted on 12/18/2011

This is probably not helpful, but my mother's group and I reckon it's a girl thing ... they are PERSISTENT!!

No - it all seriousness, it sounds like a growth spurt or a milestone - teething sucks! My 11 month old is the same. She is inconsistent with sleeping through. I did do the tough love thing at about 8 months old - gave her water instead of a feed between 12am and 5am. She SCREAMED for the first 3 nights ... then on the fourth night she slept through. Now I didn't leave her to cry all night on those 3 nights - there was a lot of "aaaaahhhh's ooooooooo's, it's ok bay-beeeeeeee .... shhhhhhhhh" and a bit of hand on chest / rocking of the cot / me half asleep on the railing ... then walk out for 5-10 min of crying ... then back to "shhhhhhhh ... sleep time ... shhhhh". For about 2 months it was sleep throughs ... now she's starting again ... she could be sick or teething (giving her paracetamol has put her back to sleep - thus I think she is sick) but if she keeps waking up for the next 5 nights - I will give her water and "shhhhhh" again. I'm not an expert on this so I don't know if it will work.

Hopefully it is just a milestone and she will go back to being an all night sleeper without you having to do anything. Good Luck!

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 12/14/2011

The funny thing is she slept all night after this post. Dh and I gave her a bath, rubbed Aveeno bed time lotion on her and didn't cover her with a blanket when she went into her crib. She woke up once and actually took a bottle from my husband! I don't think this will be an every night thing and she could've just been exhausted from nearly 2 weeks of this all night stuff. But it's worth a shot to try again.

Lise - posted on 12/13/2011

It gets better!!! We are on the other side, for sure, and it does get better. Co-sleeping was HEAVEN for me. I just slept through her night nursing (until she started saying, "Other side! Other side PLEASE!" anyway). Growth spurts (which, hey, happen at 9 months I think!), teething, milestones (learning to crawl? walk?), etc. will really throw off sleeping patterns. You said co-sleeping isn't working - she's in her crib in your room? Have you tried one bed? Any new foods causing discomfort maybe?

Vicki - posted on 12/13/2011

Same as above Megan - no advice really but it does pass! Possibly teething? At that age my boy wouldn't go near my partner at night but can be settled by him now.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 12/13/2011

Oh Meggy, I feel your pain. I am still living it. My daughter is 20 months old, and when I thought I was in the clear, she started teething like a mother fucker. My daughter was the same as what you are saying...infact now she won't even let my husband put her to sleep. It is hard. They will eventually grow out of it. In the meantime, I cuddle and rock her to sleep and once she is asleep, I look at her angel face. Somehow, it eases the pain....until 1/2 hour later she wakes up ;)

I don't have any specific advice, just wanted you to know you are not alone. I also BF my daughter until she was 15 months....you are lucky though, mine NEVER took a bottle. No matter if it was BM or Formula. Good luck, and nap when she does. I still do.