7 month old waking several times a night for feed -can I CC overnight?

[cath]

Hi,
My 7 month old has been waking up every 3-4 hours for a feed since he was 5 months old. He slept through the night from 3-5 months then starting this waking thing. I thought it might be due to hunger and he started solids just before 6 months but that hasn't fixed anything. I am now thinking it is jsut becoming a habit to call out to me every couple of hours and be fed. Sometimes he genuinely seems hungry and other times he definitely isn't and he has a comfort suck and then goes back to bed.

I would probably put up with it if he was my first baby but I also had a 2 year old who does not have a day sleep and is quite demanding and exhausting (hilarious and the light of my life but definitely tiring). I am struggling to get through the days with only little bits of broken sleep and I need to fix it if I can.

We did a gentle version of CC (sitting with him and shushing and patting) with Will to get him to self settle (which he now mostly does) and I am quite open to doing it for these overnight wakings but just want to make sure it is the right thing to do. Has anyone done it for a baby overnight? I will keep feeding him if he really might be hungry and it is mean to not feed him but I would honestly love to hear he doesn't need to be fed and needs to learn to sleep through the night. He is a huge baby (10.8 kilos) and eats 3 meals a day and sometimes breastfeeds okay during the day but other days not so well (very distracted). I think he is getting enough food during the day and am trying to get as much into him as I can.

We will have to send our toddler to his grandparents for a couple of nights as they share a room so we can't have Will screaming in there while Paddy is trying to sleep. I just need to know that we will be doing the right thing. Can anyone tell me -is this the right thing to do?

Thanks,
Cath

[purtig]

Wow! He is bigger than my 13 month old!
I am doing CC at the moment on mine and we are doing it overnight. We are letting him cry 5 mins then going in to comfort him in the cot if necessary then back out and next time 10mins. He has always gone to sleep before 10mins are up. I am not sure about with a 7 month old. I would probably do smaller intervals eg 2 mins then 4 mins etc.
Sorry, lost my concentration now as DS has just woken from his nap. Hope someone else can help more

[cath]

:laughing: He's huge isn't he! He is the cuddliest little man.

Thanks for replying and you are probably right about smaller intervals. I just spoke to a friend who did it with her 6 month old (her third child) who was waking every 1.5 hours since birth. They had him checked out by a paediatrician who said he was physically fine and it was behavioural. I think I will try and be strong and do it. I just can't function being so busy during the day and so tired.

Thanks again.

[draught]

I have used CC with different children at different times. The waking from 5 months is very normal - many, many, many good sleepers begin to wake a lot at that stage and from what I can see it doesn't seem to relate to food at all as it appears to affect breastfed, formula fed, early solids, late solids etc baby all equally. So my answer is - it is okay to do it - but I agree - shorter intervals, more comforting. You might be surprised - one of mine took one night to get the idea that she could put herself back to sleep again and has never looked back. (unfortunately my middle child at 3 1/2 still thinks she needs to be in our bed to sleep so we have a lot of broken sleep with her....but that is another story.)
Good luck with it all.

[cath]

Thanks Draught. You are so right about it being quite common to start waking up again about 5 months - I vaguely remember my first son doing it too (we had all sorts of issues with him and just put up with them until 16 months). I honestly think it has become a habit but I still have those motherhood doubts/guilt of "what if he is really hungry" but I don't think that is it. I would love if it only took a night or 2 to fix as my toddler will be back in the same bedroom on the third night which worries me a bit. Thanks for the encouragement - we have booked the nights in for 2 weekends time and I am hoping for the best. Thanks again.

[Jadee]

Hi Cath,

I was wondering how your CC went, our bub is nearly 7 months old and our paed has told us to CC in the night in 2min and 4 min intervals. To try and change her eating times so that she drinks/eats more in the day and not at all at night.

Would love to know how you went it was very noisy in my house last night I was rocking her until she was nearly asleep and then putting her back in for about an hour.

[lil miss]

i m ahving the same problem! my DD is just over 8 months (and weighs 10.5kg!) and has never woken during the night until she reached about 6 or 7 months. We used to rock her to sleep but now (in the last 2 or 3 weeks) i have been putting her down with a bottle when she is tired. It works great during the day, but she still wakes up every hour or so at night. Then at 1:30am without fail, she wakes up and wont settle.

As she has started eating more solids, I have cut back her bottles (she's forumla fed) so she is only having 200mLs when she is going down for a sleep and going to bed (which works out at 3 or 4 bottles a day). Otherwise, she is having water and solid foods. It has really helped with hr day sleeps (she's gone from having 2 or 3 sleeps lasting between 10 and 45 mins to having 2 or 3 sleeps that last at least an hour!

As for the night waking, I have stopped giving her milk if she wants a feed, and give her a bottle of water instead. I am going to slowly decrease the amount of water so that eventually she won't be having anything.... hopefully it works. I have no idea why she started waking up... i guess it could be because DP and I have been moving a bit, and she is out of her comfort zone, but then again it could also be teething related (she's been teething ince she was 3 months and still nothing!)... or a bit of both. If she doesn't get better tho, I am going to get a referal for Riverton and try that... to save all our sanities :laughing:

Good luck... I hope something I've said helps or u find something that does :fingerscrossed:

[cath]

Hi there,
well in the week leading up to the weekend we were going to do it he decided to improve and was only waking once a night and one night even slept through so I got cold feet on the overnight CC and didn't do it. Of course after we didn't use our chance that weekend he returned to waking a couple of times a night but he has been a bit better for some of the nights again this week. I have sort of got used to it and am going to put up with it for another couple of months I think and see if he stops waking on his own. He has been giving me a good night now and then and I have decided as long as I get the occasional good night I will be okay. It spins me out he is almost 8 months and soon enough he will be one and the baby phase will be coming to an end. Of course there is no guarantee I won't change my mind in the upcoming weeks - I am all over the place sometimes. For now I am happy to go with the flow seeing as he does seem to be sleeping a bit better at night now and then.

Jadee good luck with it. I will be quite interested to hear how you go. I know that it can work and if the night waking is having an impact on you I see nothing wrong with giving it a go if it improves your quality of life (parents well being is important too).

Krissi let us know if the water changes anything too. Good luck.

[Lipsmacker01]

Hi Cath

Im having issues with DD1 who is ten months old and ive been having sleep issues with her also since about 4/5 months. I kind of wish I had done something about CC earlier for my girl but was worried that she'd be too young and that she wouldnt be able to hack it. I should have done it for my own sanity too as Im really sleep deprived and losing lots of weight due to extra comfort feeds. Ill concentrate on improving the day sleeps for us and then I will focus on the night time sleeping as Ive been told improving day sleeps will have an impact on night sleeps.

I might attempt to CC tonight for the first time in a while as DH will be home to support me and wont be going to work the following morning :)

Wishing you all the best

[Jadee]

Hi Krissi1988, as I was reading your thread I was thinking maybe its teeth for your bub. I would give panadol to see, because usually if they are hungry they will have a bottle and go back down for a few hours at least. You could try panadol or neurofen to see if it is teething. I hope that you get some sleep.:hugs:

My older DD's were still having three or four bottles a day at 8 months she could be hungry and growing, they need the calories and the fat thats in the milk to sustain them. Is there a reason why you cut back the milk, is it upsetting her?

[lil miss]

Hi Krissi1988, as I was reading your thread I was thinking maybe its teeth for your bub. I would give panadol to see, because usually if they are hungry they will have a bottle and go back down for a few hours at least. You could try panadol or neurofen to see if it is teething. I hope that you get some sleep.:hugs:

My older DD's were still having three or four bottles a day at 8 months she could be hungry and growing, they need the calories and the fat thats in the milk to sustain them. Is there a reason why you cut back the milk, is it upsetting her?

yeah that's what I thought, but even my mum had a look and felt DD's gums and said it doesn't look like she's teething, and she's had the symptoms since 3 months old. Plus, I do give her panadol and even tried Painstop (a strong painkiller for kids), and that doesn't work either. So I really don't know if it is teething or just DD being unsettled. We have been thru a bit over the last couple of months....

I cut back her bottles on doctor's orders, and she has been fine. Its just at night cuz she is so used to sleeping in my bed and I dont want her too any more i think that she has become hard to settle at night.

[Jadee]

That will do it, she wants her mummy . . . you might have to go sleep free for a few nights and pat her back to sleep. I hope that you all get some sleep soon:flowerz:

[tara&abbey]

Hello. I was wondering how you are going with the CC? Our girl now 8 mths was sleeping through early on but suddenly decided to wake 3-4 times a night starting from 6 1/2 -7 months. I am so tired. Has 4 bottles a day plus 3 solid feeds. Is feeding well and a happy bub. As soon as I go in there she stops crying. I generally just pat her back to 'almost' asleep and then sneak out hoping for the best. Any suggestions?

[charliebaby]

My 7 month old bub is waking at 5am every morning without fail, and the only way I can get him back to sleep is with a bottle. He then sleeps till 7.30am or so. I have tried lots of things, except full on CC but after this hot weather passes (should be next week), I am going to try CC. I just want to be sure that the heat is not making him thirsty.
He is a great eater and eats 3 meals a day plus a little snack. He has 4 bottles of about 150 - 180 mls each time.
My health nurse told me by 8 mths he should be only on 3 bottles a day as the food and the water he drinks during the day should suffice.I am worried this will make him thirsty and he will continue to wake - we'll see.
I think CC is fine as this age, as I know heaps of people who have done it successfully.
Good luck!!! :D

[Mumma]

Hi all,

My DS2 is 6 months and from birth has never been rocked, patted or fed to sleep. He has always been put to bed independent of anything, and has always fallen to sleep. He slept through from about 2 months (with a late dream feed) but this only lasted a month or so. Now he wakes once or twice a night...and I think its just habit. He has lots of food during the day.

I have been scarred a litte from our DS1...he was a terrible sleeper and we really have only gotten him completely sorted now (he is 3 in August :rolleyes:).

We really don't have a routine during the day with him. Well, I guess we do, but its not by the exact hour, minute.

I guess I am a bit apprehensive about CC because we have taught him how to self settle already..but he just doesn't do it at night! Do you think going in there and giving him a pat will disturb him more? It might be time to bite the bullet!

Any other experiences?....

[mickeymouse]

hello -
My DD is 7.5 months old & weighs 11 kilos :)
We are having the night waking as well - this all started from 6 months of age - she shareswith her 4 year old brother & we have had to take him out of the room as she wakes him - Its a nightmare that I know NO ONE understands unless they are in this state -
I admit that we havent done the full on CC as Im awimp - i support it - Im just a wimp but this state Im in now is a joke -
IM a joke :no:
For example she went to bed at 6pm - ( couldnt keep her up longer - we also think she may be getting teeth - she was so tired & upset ) woke at 8.30pm fed - then 12.30am - then 3.30am
She eats more at night but I dont know how to turn that around ??
gawd how wonderful sleep is - wish we all had it x

[noopy]

i m ahving the same problem! my DD is just over 8 months (and weighs 10.5kg!) and has never woken during the night until she reached about 6 or 7 months. We used to rock her to sleep but now (in the last 2 or 3 weeks) i have been putting her down with a bottle when she is tired. It works great during the day, but she still wakes up every hour or so at night. Then at 1:30am without fail, she wakes up and wont settle.

As she has started eating more solids, I have cut back her bottles (she's forumla fed) so she is only having 200mLs when she is going down for a sleep and going to bed (which works out at 3 or 4 bottles a day). Otherwise, she is having water and solid foods. It has really helped with hr day sleeps (she's gone from having 2 or 3 sleeps lasting between 10 and 45 mins to having 2 or 3 sleeps that last at least an hour!

As for the night waking, I have stopped giving her milk if she wants a feed, and give her a bottle of water instead. I am going to slowly decrease the amount of water so that eventually she won't be having anything.... hopefully it works. I have no idea why she started waking up... i guess it could be because DP and I have been moving a bit, and she is out of her comfort zone, but then again it could also be teething related (she's been teething ince she was 3 months and still nothing!)... or a bit of both. If she doesn't get better tho, I am going to get a referal for Riverton and try that... to save all our sanities :laughing:

Good luck... I hope something I've said helps or u find something that does :fingerscrossed:


Hi lil miss - i know you wrote this post AGES ago but i just came across it. i was wondering how did your DD go with the excessive night wakings?? my DD is 7 months next week and almost everything you said is EXACTLY the same. i am doing CC with her at the mo and shes doing great during the day (will moan for about 30 sec-1 min from when shes wide awake, then falls asleep) but during the night she will wake at 1.30am every morning without fail and then won't go back to sleep til 3.30am or sometimes even 4.30am unless i hold her hand - its a comfort/security thing. but i try and leave her just before she is fast asleep so she can learn to settle herself during the night but she just won't. then i'm the one that usually gives in at 4.30am and just feeds her to sleep :( if she does fall asleep, she wakes up after every cycle or more so at times, i'm waking 6-7 times in a span of 4 hours!!!! eeeeeek! i'm soooo tired :sleeping:

she is healthy - nothing is wrong ie, not teething (she has changes in her behaviour when she is), eats 3 solid meals a day, 3-4 BFs and sleeps for 1.5-2 hours in the morning and another 2 hours in the arvo. she ALWAYS wakes at 7am and goes to sleep roughly around 7.30pm.

so, how did you DD get by?? when did her crazy nightwaking stop??

this nightwaking stuff is killing me..
:(

[noopy]

i m ahving the same problem! my DD is just over 8 months (and weighs 10.5kg!) and has never woken during the night until she reached about 6 or 7 months. We used to rock her to sleep but now (in the last 2 or 3 weeks) i have been putting her down with a bottle when she is tired. It works great during the day, but she still wakes up every hour or so at night. Then at 1:30am without fail, she wakes up and wont settle.

As she has started eating more solids, I have cut back her bottles (she's forumla fed) so she is only having 200mLs when she is going down for a sleep and going to bed (which works out at 3 or 4 bottles a day). Otherwise, she is having water and solid foods. It has really helped with hr day sleeps (she's gone from having 2 or 3 sleeps lasting between 10 and 45 mins to having 2 or 3 sleeps that last at least an hour!

As for the night waking, I have stopped giving her milk if she wants a feed, and give her a bottle of water instead. I am going to slowly decrease the amount of water so that eventually she won't be having anything.... hopefully it works. I have no idea why she started waking up... i guess it could be because DP and I have been moving a bit, and she is out of her comfort zone, but then again it could also be teething related (she's been teething ince she was 3 months and still nothing!)... or a bit of both. If she doesn't get better tho, I am going to get a referal for Riverton and try that... to save all our sanities :laughing:

Good luck... I hope something I've said helps or u find something that does :fingerscrossed:



Hi lil miss - i know you wrote this post AGES ago but i just came across it. i was wondering how did your DD go with the excessive night wakings?? my DD is 7 months next week and almost everything you said is EXACTLY the same. i am doing CC with her at the mo and shes doing great during the day (will moan for about 30 sec-1 min from when shes wide awake, then falls asleep) but during the night she will wake at 1.30am every morning without fail and then won't go back to sleep til 3.30am or sometimes even 4.30am unless i hold her hand - its a comfort/security thing. but i try and leave her just before she is fast asleep so she can learn to settle herself during the night but she just won't. then i'm the one that usually gives in at 4.30am and just feeds her to sleep :( if she does fall asleep, she wakes up after every cycle or more so at times, i'm waking 6-7 times in a span of 4 hours!!!! eeeeeek! i'm soooo tired :sleeping:

she is healthy - nothing is wrong ie, not teething (she has changes in her behaviour when she is), eats 3 solid meals a day, 3-4 BFs and sleeps for 1.5-2 hours in the morning and another 2 hours in the arvo. she ALWAYS wakes at 7am and goes to sleep roughly around 7.30pm.

so, how did you DD get by?? when did her crazy nightwaking stop??

this nightwaking stuff is killing me..
:(

[mum2bubba]

I cc'd both my kids overnight. :thumbsup: