Out of my mind

[hopefulmummy]

I'm sobbing as I type this. I don't know what to do. My baby will not sleep. We have a bedtime routine that we've had since he was a couple of weeks old. He settles well and only very occasionally Wakes before midnight. But after that, i feel as if I'm in he'll. He woke at 12, 1:30, 2:30, 5:30 last night and wouldn't go back to sleep. I fed him at 2:30 and tried to just pack his back the other times. I'm losing my mind from lack of sleep. I don't know what to do. I've been doing blw for 2 weeks and I wonder if he's waking because he's hungry.. Or habit? Either way, I feel like jumping out of the window. What do I do?

 

[Emmamb]

When he wakes is he full on crying or just wimpering? Have u tried leaving him for a bit to see if he'l go back off on his own?
I used to get up at every murmur-sometime 4/5 times a night,then I started working night shifts and dh doesn't hear him unless he's full on crying,result is he now sleeps thru,he manages to settle himself during the night if he does wake :yay
Also is baby still havin bedtime bottle? Would he take an extra ounce to keep him going a bit longer or even offer a bit of supper? xx

 

[hopefulmummy]

thanks for the reply

he's 6 months old (almost) and I'm still breastfeeding. He rejected a bottle at 10 weeks and so all the feeding falls on me.

I give him his dinner (for what it's worth) at about 4:30, as he gets too tired otherwise. this can sometimes take 45 mins to do, as he is BLW. Then at 5:45-6ish he has his bath, then I feed him then put him down. i try and make sure he's awake when i put him down.

he often whimpers in the night and then it turns into crying. I've tried leaving him, but it's like unless I go to him and feed him he doesn't settle. And i know he's not always hungry as he'll often suck and then fall asleep on the breast.

 

[hopefulmummy]

The problem is, I dont expect him I go all the way through without a feed yet. But, waking once, feeding then going back down I could deal with. I can't deal with the constant waking. And I'm Africa's he will get confused if I try and settle him without feeding sometimes and then feed him at say, anytime after 3 does that make sense? X

 

[BabysMomma]

Awk hun Sleep deprivation is such an evil!

I don't really have any advice cos I've no experience of the kind of situation you're facing but didn't want to RAR. Do u give him a dummy? If you do, would this settle him to go over again? I hope someone who's been through a similar experience can help you. It might just be a wee phase or a growth spurt where he needing to feed more...x

 

[Jaxx01]

It does sound to me like its a habit for him to wake and he's using you as a comforter to go back to sleep. I was always told that it is perfectly fine for a baby of 6 months to go overnight without being fed..

Like Emma said, try leaving him to see if he'll settle himself...or another thing that was suggested to me when I used to have this problem, is offer him water when he wakes, he'll soon get bored off crying out for just water! xx

 

[Belfast girl]

Do you do a dream feed at 11pm? Do you think he could be waking in pain - ie teething? If he doesn't take a dummy would he suck on your finger? That way he wouldn't get used to being lifted? Or it could be the feeling of different foods in his belly from the weaning? Sorry not much help...

 

[hopefulmummy]

Thanks eeryone. I do give a dummy and sometimes that settles him for a bit - its almost like he can't get to sleep without sucking on me or a dummy. Maybe I need to try going cold turkey with it...

 

[Hope81]

Maybe he is teething?

 

[Pudds86]

I agree, we used to get up every second with Cam until I realised that it was habit and if I left him he settled himself. He very quickly dropped the waking episodes. Also I know you are doing BLW but it might be an idea to try giving him a little rice before bed, will keep him full through the night xx

 

[Pudds86]

Thanks eeryone. I do give a dummy and sometimes that settles him for a bit - its almost like he can't get to sleep without sucking on me or a dummy. Maybe I need to try going cold turkey with it...

My boy has a dummy, he ONLY has it to sleep. It makes him fall asleep in an instant a bit Pavlovs dog ish! I wouldnt take it away if it works, you might be shooting yourself in the foot x

 

[hopefulmummy]

Mine is the same, only has a dummy to sleep - and even now, during the daytime I'm not giving it to him - I'm hoping if he learns to get to sleep without the dummy then in the middle of the night he will do the same.

re: teething. I never know how to tell if he is teething or not!! He is such a happy baby during the day he's never really cranky. yes, he puts everything in his mouth, but isn't that just the age?

So tonight, do you think I should leave him for 10 mins when he starts whimpering and only go in if it turns into real crying? And then don't pick him up? Should I stop ALL feeds in the middle of the night, or only feed him once?

xx

 

[BabysMomma]

Avery only takes her dummy for falling asleep too. It's a nightmare when she frequently wakes looking for it during the night though but it settles her right back to sleep...usually I'm having my own sleep probs with LO too but it does seem to be improving...I bet I've just scudded myself now

I'd say not to offer him a feed immediately when he wakes...try him with dummy to see if he goes back over...this could take a few attempts. If he's gets really upset as in really crying then I'd try a feed. He might just need his dummy. I wouldn't take this away from him just yet. Try and eliminate the comfort sucking from your breast first if possible.

It is sooo hard to know if they're teething or not cos EVERYTHING goes into the mouth! Normally Avery gets a rather red cheek which is a known sign of teething so I take it as she is when she gets that or if I've done everything else like feed, change nappy, play, nap and she's still cranky I put bonjela on her gums just in case and it normally seems to settle her if all else has failed. If only they could talk from birth eh x

 

[Maria1977]

My LO is going through this atm. Been going on a few months now. Sometimes he wakes in the early hours and will be awake for an hour or two. Other times he'll wake at 2 or 3 and will not go back to sleep at all until about 7am. It's killing me, esp being pregnant again I really need sleep. I have no idea what is wrong or what's going on, but yeah the sleep deprevaion is killer. I was in tears the other night coz I couldn't sleep and I was so scared I would just drift off and LO would then wake and I'd have to be up all night again (had been up all ngiht the night before).

God knows what it is. I keep thinking it's teeth, but nothing is cutting through, not even close to the edge.

 

[hopefulmummy]

Thanks everyone. X

The thing is, if I keep offering him a dummy, aren't I still going to have to get up all the time to give it to him if he's only able to settle with it? I'm so confused. I have no idea what to do. Do I say, right I'm not feeding
Him Before 3 so tough. Or do I feed him if he wakes at 1 and hope he goes till 5.

He can settle now during the day with no dummy. I guess I'm thinking that if I take away the dummy at night and he finally gets used to it and is still waking then I can eliminate that as the cause.

God, I'm not even making sense to myself.

Maria, you poor thing. Esp being pregnant. I totally understand about gettig worked up when you can't sleep an worrying about baby waking up as soon as you've dropped off. Xx

 

[BabysMomma]

He can settle now during the day with no dummy. I guess I'm thinking that if I take away the dummy at night and he finally gets used to it and is still waking then I can eliminate that as the cause.

God, I'm not even making sense to myself.

Oh yes, I see what you mean. Good point. Although do you think that maybe he'd then turn to using your breasts as comfort rather than feeds if it was taken away too soon? I dunno hun. You know yer wee bubba better than anyone. I'm just trying to see both ways iykwim.

Seriously I'm no help x