Message for Dubaicat

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Latest post on 06 September 2012 - 16:19

Hi Dubaicat,

I hope you don't mind me contacting you on the forum. I followed some advice on another thread about baby sleeping and putting baby down to bed. I saw that your LO was not a good settler/sleeper and when putting him down, you stayed with him while he cried and did anything that you liked to pacify him except pick him up or feed him. We tried this with our DS and after a couple of nights where he cried when he was initially put into his cot, he now doesn't mind going into the cot so much. The only thing is, he is still waking up every 2 to 3 hours and only occasionally sleeps for longer than 3 hours at a time at night. When your LO started going into the cot himself, did you find that this helped with his waking through the night or would you recommend doing the same for his night time wakes i.e. pacify him but not pick him up?

Any advice gratefully received!

Thanks,
Bee

DubaiCat

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Latest post on 07 September 2012 - 21:08

Thanks :). I just realised I didn't actually answer your question! Yes, when he woke in the night and it wasn't 4am we did the same - sat next to his cot and patted him/sang to him/whatever but didn't pick him up or feed him. Basically we were trying to break the association between feeding and getting back to sleep, so he could get back to sleep by himself. Good luck and I hope it continues like last night!

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bee

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Latest post on 07 September 2012 - 20:53

Thanks DC and welcome back! I'm the same as you were, feeding DS every time he wakes during the night - we don't quite make it to 10 or 15 but could be 6 or 7 on a bad night. I know it's really only habit though and I don't think he is hungry. He arrived 5 weeks early and was a little over 6lb but quickly went from the 5th percentile to the 75th. He's now over 6 months old. Last night he only woke once which was a huge improvement. I didn't know whether it might be an idea to try the CIO while comforting for all of his night wakes but I really don't think I can do that so I'm hoping it will settle down soon and he has more nights like last night. We went to Cecile for ante natal classes and I really liked her so we're going to see how we get on over the next 2 weeks or so and then give her a call. I'm back to work in October so need to not have to feed 6 times at night then.

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DubaiCat

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Latest post on 07 September 2012 - 13:17

Hi! Sorry, I only just got back to Dubai after the summer and just saw this. Of course I don't mind, and I hope I can help! Because I'd been feeding DS every time he woke, so literally 10-15 times some nights, we were advised to keep going with at least one feed in the night for the first while. So we were to feed him at 4ish if he woke then, which he did for the first few nights. After a week max, he stopped waking at 4ish and just slept through till 7 from his dream feed. It all depends on how old your baby is, though, and whether he really needs feeding during the night. I'd say you'd probably be best to check this with your paediatrician before you make any decisions on this one. Ours in the UK said [i'>most[/i'> full-term, healthy babies don't need night feeds after six months but it really is individual to each one and they can't simply say a blanket 'no feeds after dream feed' for all babies. DD was a month early, and much smaller than her brother (not to mention later to start weaning) so we continued with night feeds much later for her than for him. I know Cecile is a bit like Marmite on here but I found her a Godsend with sleep - I was so sleep-deprived I was teetering on the edge of a complete breakdown - and she does tailor her advice completely to each individual so it might be worth a chat with her to see what she thinks.

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