Daisy - 4 Months Today, Still Night Feeds, HELP

[purplehippy]

By 6 to 8 weeks old, my first daughter (who was bottlefed from 8 days old) went through the night.

Daisy is different. I breastfed for just over 2 months (then expressed til 3 months) and now she's 4 months. And she still wakes.

Saw Cherelle yesterday who mentioned a little babyfood before bed, and a bath, seems to get Ifan off. Daisy started weaning already (because she eats our food if we let her close enough to it, and is draining many 7oz bottles a day) so I did try giving her something before bed, and her dad gave her a (short) bath. She slept for 5 hours.

But then the waking started again.

I know they're all different but I'm exhausted. I have fibromyalgia and am having some other nasty health problems at the moment, and along with my relationship being rockier than a craggy cliff (we're working on it since I've come home from having left him) neither her dad or I are able to sleep even when she's asleep. And having to get up for her (I do it all at the moment) is killing me.

I'm so depressed. As in, I really honestly would rather die in my sleep except that I'd never intentionally leave my girls. They keep me anchored here. I know everything I'm struggling with will be easier when I'm getting some sleep, rather than just a little rest now and then.

I can't get on here often, it might be monday when I can next check, but if you can offer help/advice, please do, here or in a pm. I am desperate.

Thank you. And I ought to change my ticker.................

 

[AugustMum]

Sorry I can't offer much advice. My LO didn't sleep through until 6 months and she was weaned at 4 months.

Do you have any family or friends around who can maybe give you a little rest, even for an hour? Even though you might not sleep in that hour you'll feel more relaxed.

Have you spoken to anybody (except on here) about how your feeling? If you have a nice HV maybe it might be worth just having a chat with them. My HV came round for an hour or so once every 2 weeks and it sounds silly but just being able to moan and offload a bit in that short time helped to lift my mood.

Sorry I couldnt be more help x

 

[Lacey's Mummy]

My 2 didn't sleep through until 6 months either.
Could they be waking due to habit? Does your LO have a dummy? You could try a dummy instead of feeding or just leave them for 5-10mins to see if they resettle.
When charley got to 6 months, I left him if he woke and he soon put himself back to sleep then started sleeping 11-12 hours.
Hope this helps x x

 

[clairebear22]

Jack has just turned 3 months and has woken every 3hrs every night since he was born so I can't really offer any advice hun. We're just hoping he'll sleep through eventually! x

 

[Geminiblue]

sleeping through at 4mnths blimey... Id have thought that was a miracle with my kid x

 

[xxbeckyxx]

sleeping through at 4mnths blimey... Id have thought that was a miracle with my kid x

Same here, Lizzie has only just started sleeping through!

Does your LO sleep in your room purplehippy? If so then maybe you would find it easier to sleep when she sleeps if she is in her own room?
In realistic terms you need to make the nightfeeds as easy for yourself as possible - I go to bed with a bottle with sterilised water in and the powder in a dispenser so I can literally pour and go without having to go downstairs and make up a bottle. And I never take Lizzie out of her cot for her bottle - I sit in a comfy chair and just have my arm dangling over the side iykwim?
Dummies are brilliant for popping in as a bottle finishes so they don't wake up again too

Hope you can talk to someone about how you're feeling hun - depression is bad enough, without sleep deprivation on top!

 

[Esoames]

Isla was 6 months when she started to sleep longer than 7 hours. But I did have to ignore her to get to her sleeping 13hrs a night. We started weaning at 4 months, and carried on breastfeeding. I'm assuming she's formula fed? Correct me if I'm wrong, so I'd have thought she would be sleeping through, so maybe it is as said previously it's habit she's waking up out of, that's what Isla was doing.

 

[purplehippy]

Cheers everyone.

I'm glad I'm not the only one, feels less abnormal! Will reply properly when the weekend is over, I have to get off the laptop (baby crying)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Squeakz]

joshua didnt sleep through consistently till about 6 months ish- ocasionally he would but nothing exciting! apparently food will not allow the child to sleep for longer over night and so is apparently just an old wives tale (didnt work for us at all). Cant really offer any advice but i would say i think its quite normal for her to be waking up during the night still. Make sure that you sleep when she does try not to over exert yourself durin the days eat properly ....

Hope things start picking up for you hun x

 

[purplehippy]

Ello, can start replying properly now.

first time round, I was told that bottlefed babies go through the night quicker. And because Kaya did, from 6 to 8 weeks, I believed it. I was assuming this time that because I mastered breastfeeding, that although I switched to expressing and then bottle, that it's changed something.

I know, it's not supposed to be an exact science!

It's just so very draining and I'm lucky that the last two nights, her dad has gotten up for her, while I've slept on the futon in the lounge instead. And oh wow, it has helped. The less I am able to get more than 3 hours sleep in one chunk, the more depressed and upset I feel.

I've had to resettle Daisy twice this evening already because she's been disturbed by noise etc - I think that too frequently (eg all the time) we have both relied on giving her a bottle the moment she starts to create. But that was the only way to settle her when she was new, by putting my boob in her mouth. she never really took to a dummy, though she is sucking her thumb more, now she has the coordination.

I wonder if by settling her with backrubbing etc, instead of milk unless she really REALLY cries for it, will teach her to sleep more.

However, seeing so many of you mention that it's normal, has reassured me - I'll just have to find more ways round my inability to cope with this exhaustion.

Thank you, everyone. You've all really helped xxx

 

[purplehippy]

Oh and I meant to say - she only has one set of grand parents as her dad's parents are now both gone. Mine are in Berks and I live in Wales. They work, and I'm uncomfortable leaving her with them overnight because of the waking. So hopefully it'll get better and then I can ask them to sit her when she sleeps through

 

[xxbeckyxx]

Can I just ask if you swaddle? Only cos I swaddled Lizzie till she was 7 months and if I didn't she would wake up several times in the night, not necessarily needing milk but just cos she hit herself in the face or something

 

[don-don]

Hey chick,
My Lo wanted feeding every 3 hours day and night for blooming months and he still doesn't sleep through, we feed him at half ten then he wakes at 5 to be fed, sometimes earlier. The exhaustion in the early days was absolutely awful, i totally feel for you chick xxxx

 

[purplehippy]

The lady who owns the pretty cakes-made-to-order shop near me, today said her son didn't go through til 5 1/3 years!

I don't swaddle anymore. She always sleeps on her side or tummy, always did when she wasn't in the bed with us. She turns herself. She doesn't hit herself, she will rub her face into the sheet/thin barely-an-excuse-for-a-pillow she has (it's about 1.5cm tall, so don't think I'm bein an idiot), and she hugs her muzzies or her toy to herself. When drifting or feeding, she strokes things, which is cute.

I think it'll be ok. We've had a few funny days and nights on account of her being off colour and she seems better at night now