Waking during the night

[Nicky_Jones]

Sorry yet another thread on this topic but I really need some advice, and sorry this is going to be a long one.

On the whole Ellie sleeps really well at nights. She goes down beautifully every night at 7:30 and I get her up at 7:30am (she isn't always still asleep but she is normally happy to talk to herself for a bit). She used to sleep all the way through when she was around 4-5months old.

However since she was about 6 months she started waking again during the night (worse case upto 3 times). Often with a dirty nappy. We would still get the odd night (averaging once a week) where she would sleep fully through. For the most part once she had a nappy change and a feed she would go back to sleep on her own. Occasionally she couldn't settle and I am reasonable sure she was having teething pains then.

For the last month (or so) she hasn't slept through the night completely. She hasn't needed a nappy change, she just wants a feed. She does drink a lot normally emptying 1 breast then having a good drink of the other breast. More than she will take at a feed during the day. She does genuinely seem hungry. The times she is waking vary considerably anything from 11:15 (on 1 occasion though she hardly ate any of her solid lunch and dinner on that day) to 6am (on 1 occasion) but more commonly between 12:30 and 2:30am.

I am really worried this might now be a habit rather than a need. How can I be sure? Because of this I thought I would try and re-introduce the dreamfeed for a bit to try and break the habit of waking and then re-drop it. That was a complete disastor, she dream fed at 11:30 taking a nice feed and didn't wake up at all. However come 4am she was crying, I left her a bit and eventually went in. She was really distressed, even while holding her she was screaming her head of and seemed in pain. I guess it was her teeth. I put some bonjela on but didn't seem to really help. I tried offering her a feed but she didn't want any. I lay with her for ages and she calmed right down so I put her back in her cot. As soon as I started to leave the room she started crying again. Back in, this time she wanted a feed, once she had that she settled back down and then slept the rest of the night.

Her daytime feeds are:

7:30 breast
9:15 snack in nursery
11:30 lunch (main course + dessert)
140 bottle of EBM (typically only 4oz now)
15:30 tea (finger foods normally sandwiches and fruit for example)
16:15-16:45 breast (she doesn't always want this until the later time)
180 breast (I have tried dropping this but sometimes she still insists)
18:30 dinner (main course + dessert)
19:30 breast and bed.

We give her as much solids as she will eat but she doesn't take huge portions. To give you an idea with me she will take about half a 125g jar for main and same again for dessert. I think she is taking a bit more sometimes in nursery. She will eat that much and then refuse point blank to eat any more.

Please can anybody help?

 

[Jen79]

Christ knows! I am having similar issues myself at the moment! Tonight I am going to try giving Kate a supper of porridge after her bath. I usually give her a bottle but she doesnt drink any of it (well, an ounce if we are lucky!) So someone at work has suggested giving supper and seeing if that works. I see Ellie has her tea pretty close to bed time though so dont know if this would work for you? Sorry I am not much more help, trying to get to the bottom if it myself!

 

[Nicky_Jones]

Thanks for that. Glad I am not alone anyway.

Somebody suggested I should give her water at night but I am not sure about that.

 

[Jen79]

Well I have put Kate to bed now, I gave her a little bowl of porridge and she wolfed it down. I am pretty sure that if I had offered her a bottle of milk she would not have bothered with it, as she doesnt usually, so I am hopeful that she has a more settled night. BTW, I still give Kate a dreamfeed at 10 ish, she has been waking at 9 though over the last week or so, absolutely screaming the place down so if that doesnt happen tonight I think I am winning!

 

[Nicky_Jones]

How was last night Jen? Ellie didn't wake until just after 5am and I went in at 5:25 and fed her. The only difference last night was after her dinner and dessert, she ended up sharing her Daddies rasberry and pavalova icecream and absolutely loving it. I am not sure if icecream is OK for them? However the extra calories did make a big difference. So I am now absolutely sure she is waking from hunger. However I have no idea how to make her eat any more (other than giving her icecream)

 

[Jen79]

Last night was GREAT!! Kate woke about quarter to 10 and had 4 oz of milk, none of the screaming etc that she had been doing over the last week or 2, just drank the milk and fell back asleep then slept till 6.45. I am sure she was just waking up because of hunger so I am going to give her porridge again tonight. Would Ellie not maybe have porridge? I got the heinz oaty baby one and its really nice (i had a taste). Well worth a try!

 

[Nicky_Jones]

Fantastic news! Ellie woke at 4am last night, but she didn't eat as much lunch yesterday. I will try her on some porridge tonight as well.

 

[Jen79]

Hi, Just to let you know she slept through again so at least it wasnt a one off! Let me know how you get on with the porridge, I wish I had thought of it sooner as she has been refusing her bedtime bottle for a month or so now and I never thought she might want supper instead.

 

[Nicky_Jones]

Excellent. Last night Ellie slept through until 6:30am - she needed a nappy change then otherwise I think she would have made 7:30am. The night before however I had to go in twice as she was having a lot of trouble settling but I think that was mainly the heat as I put her in a sleep suit and she was too warm. Last night I just put her in a vest and she was fine. I gave her icecream again last night rather than the rice pudding I tried the night before. I think the cold may help.