March 2011 Moms

sleep question/vent

I was browsing through my WTE the first year today and it said at this point, a BF 10 week old should be able to go more than 2 hours at night if they are thriving.  It also says to let them fuss up to 15 min (while you go in a soothe without picking up).  The idea is to get them to go longer between feedings.  Has anyone tried this?

Just a little vent:) DS has started going to bed at 8:30 and is up again at 10:30ish.  Sometimes he'll go a 3-4 hour stretch but most times wont.  This morning, he was up at 2, 4, 5:45 and 7:30.  Not to mention, he was pulled into bed with me around 11:30 because he kept crying every 15-20 min.  I know it's not a good habit, but when you're both utterly exhausted, it works. I'm really getting frustrated with his sleeping, but DH is about to lose it more so than I am.  I guess he just expects him to magically sleep through the night soon!

 

 

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Re: sleep question/vent

  • I haven't tried the fussing thing. Have you tried doing breast compressions while feeding before bed and during night feedings? This may help get more of the high calorie hind milk and may fill him up longer. I'm all for bringing baby to bed if you are exhausted (or if you just want the baby there) you need rest too. I hope your DH gets over it soon.

    I'm getting a pump today and hoping that I can get some more rest this weekend. I'm going to convince my husband that he should get up and do the night feedings for a night.

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  • How much is he eating? Are you breast feeding?

    My doctor told me that the reason they wake up is because their blood sugar is low-hence making them cranky and wake up.

    Does he seem like he's hungry/ravenous every 2 hours?

    How is his naptimes?


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  • DD's longest stretch at night is 5-6 hours now. After her middle of the night feeding, she'll go another 3-4 hours. She's been in her crib since she was 2 weeks old. When we first put her down for the night she'll fuss for a bit. We usually let her fuss for a couple minutes and sometimes she'll stop on her own and fall asleep. If she really starts crying DH or I will go in, put our hand on her and shush her or put in the pacifier if she spits it out. She usually falls back to sleep right away. Sometimes we have to go in a couple times, but we never pick her up. This strategy has not failed us so far and she's a very good sleeper.

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  • He eats a good amount each time he gets up.  I haven't tried doing breast compressions but one strategy I use is to make sure he does chow down often in the evening.  He just has a hard time self soothing.  His naps are unpredictable because he fights sleep.  Right now he's been asleep in his swing for 2 hours.  He naps GREAT in his swing! 
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  • Is he swaddled? If my LO is not swaddled he will not sleep more than 2-3 hours. He wakes himself up.

    And he doesn't like to be swaddled, he cries when I put him in the swaddle blanket (I'm not a good swaddler myself) but he'll calm down once I start to feed him a bit, then I can lay him down.

    Also, are you using a pacifier? If he spits it out a lot, try getting a bigger/longer one. That was my mom's recommendation and it worked really well.

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  • mrs.ptbmrs.ptb member

    imagesweetpea2718:
    He eats a good amount each time he gets up.  I haven't tried doing breast compressions but one strategy I use is to make sure he does chow down often in the evening.  He just has a hard time self soothing.  His naps are unpredictable because he fights sleep.  Right now he's been asleep in his swing for 2 hours.  He naps GREAT in his swing! 

    I think we might have the same baby! Ben typically goes down between 8:30 and 9:30 after cluster feeding for a few hours. He then isn't up until sometimes between 2-4am.

    Don't feel bad about bringing him into bed. In the long run, you're are probably both sleeping better because of it. DS wakes up more often when he is in bed with me, but I also only have to roll over and give him a boob, so I don't mind.  

    I agree that the eating often is key, and don't worry about having your husband take over night feedings. We tried using a bottle to put him to bed one night thinking it would "fill him up" more.... he actually ended up waking sooner. The soothing of the cluster feeding seems to be the best thing for him right now.

    Ben fights sleep like no other, and the best thing I have figured is to nap with him  :D  He is a cuddler. 

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  • DS usually gets sleepy around 9, so we make her last feeding right around then, and DH gives her a bottle. She normally drinks 4 oz, which is slightly more than she takes from the breast in a normal feed.Plus, when she BFd she would always get really sleepy and end up comfort sucking most of it instead of really eating anyway.

    As soon as we switched to her last feed being a known 4 oz, she has started sleeping from 10-4. I can handle that!

    Just something you might want to try.  

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  • imageCristin23:

    Is he swaddled? If my LO is not swaddled he will not sleep more than 2-3 hours. He wakes himself up.

    And he doesn't like to be swaddled, he cries when I put him in the swaddle blanket (I'm not a good swaddler myself) but he'll calm down once I start to feed him a bit, then I can lay him down.

    Also, are you using a pacifier? If he spits it out a lot, try getting a bigger/longer one. That was my mom's recommendation and it worked really well.

    We are using a pacifier and he often spits it out when really tired.  He'll then wake up and cry without it.  We're using Soothies.  I'm not sure of a bigger/ longer one out there.  He hates Nuks and the Avent ones we have a bunch of  

    We also swaddle him.  He's in sleep sacks at night but we don't swaddle his arms because he'll grunt and wake himself up trying to break out.   We also use a white noise machine (sleep sheep).  I'm willing to try anything!  

    I tried letting him fuss a little when I put him down in his crib for a nap by just giving him his pacifier back and rubbing his face, but he just works himself up until he's wide awake.   

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  • Have you read The Happiest Baby on the Block?  I rented the DVD from Netflix a couple weeks ago, and the suggestions are amazing!  I do the methods for both naps and bedtime.  I give him a bath usually about 8 then give him a nice massage with lotion before getting him dressed in his jammies.  I read him a book then nurse him. Sometimes I have to start nursing him before I finish reading the book because he gets really fussy.  I let him nurse until he falls asleep.  I make sure to burp him good before I swaddle him. The burping and the movement wakes him so I do put him to bed awake.  I put the paci in his mouth and turn on some music.  Sometimes I have to pat his back (he sleeps on his side because of his reflux) but he usually goes to sleep on his own. I usually have to hold his paci in his mouth until he has a good latch on it and sometimes it takes awhile. By 9:30 the VERY latest he is asleep.  It's like clock work...he wakes up every morning at 2:30 or 3.  I change his diaper and feed him and he will sleep until my alarm goes off at 5:45.  He usually takes a nap again after he wakes up.  I also try to go to bed as soon as he is asleep so I can get my sleep.  The last couple of days he has been sleeping until 3:30 or 4, so I hope he continues!  Good Luck!

     One of the tips on The Happiest Baby on the Block is when that baby starts to suck on the paci, don't push it in their mouth, kind of pull it down so the baby thinks he is loosing it and will suck harder.  HTH!

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  • I think we have the same baby too! He was sleeping 4 hours or so a stretch and was slowing inching backwards. At 9 weeks he was up every two hours and always nursed. We found out he had reflux and was nursing to make it feel better. The first night on Zantac and in a RNP, he slept 8 hours. He has STTN ever since. Obviously that wasn't the only symptom, but he didn't spit up a lot or anything to clue me into reflux. Just a thought!
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