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STTN

rmcraermcrae
in Multiples

I'm dreading this...

My babies are 5 1/2 months old.  They eat their last bottle at 10:30pm and then sleep until 7:30 or so for their next feeding.  Well...they sleep mostly.  They each get up anywhere from 1-4  times.  It is getting so old.  Currently when they get up we give them their binkies.  If they persist we put them in their swings to push them to 7:30.  I need to get them out of these habits.  It isn't good sleep for any of us.

We follow baby wise and have had good luck with that.  They are swaddled and in their sleep positioners in their cribs.  So should I just break them of their binky habit now? They can fall asleep without their binkies, but usually only make it to 3 or 4 am and then start getting up.  Once they get up in the middle of the night, do I just let them scream?  How long do I let this go on before I feed them?  Push to 7:30?  This was about the age that we had to break our 2yr old of her binky for the same exact reasons.  But, she was only one person.  The thought of having a horrible night and then having to function the next day with 3 kids, makes me insane.  Thoughts?

I realize we have become lazy in what they get away with in the name of sleep, and I want to cut it off now before their bad habits go any further...so please don't flame me or anything.

Thanks!

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Re: STTN

  • kafunderkafunder member
    Are you sure they still want to be swaddled? Around 4.5 months, my LOs DID.not.want. to be swaddled anymore (and they were true swaddle-a-holics till that point). They slept much better when we transitioned them to sleep sacks. They were waking up in the night angry that they couldn't get their arms free.
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  • leslie13510leslie13510

    Well for one thing, they're a little on the older side for swaddling.  I'd try breaking that first, maybe.

    But also, they're not even 6 months old yet.  You might all get a little more sleep if you'd just give them a bottle when they wake up the first or second time, instead of spending the rest of the night continuously waking up or listening to them scream.  And if they're waking up every night around the same times, and they keep waking up after that point, they're probably hungry.  Not all 5 month olds can go 9 hours overnight without eating, at least not comfortably.  If you're not going to feed them, I definitely wouldn't take the binkies away yet.  No food or comfort sucking for 9 hours overnight at that age, and lots of screaming and unhappy people all over instead?  Why would you want to do that to yourself, much less your two infants?  Feeding and comforting your infants at night isn't "lazy parenting" or bad habits on their part.  They're BABIES.  Feed them if they're hungry.  You'll all be happier and more rested for it. 

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  • Mrs. AliceMrs. Alice member
    imageleslie13510:

    Well for one thing, they're a little on the older side for swaddling.  I'd try breaking that first, maybe.

    But also, they're not even 6 months old yet.  You might all get a little more sleep if you'd just give them a bottle when they wake up the first or second time, instead of spending the rest of the night continuously waking up or listening to them scream.  And if they're waking up every night around the same times, and they keep waking up after that point, they're probably hungry.  Not all 5 month olds can go 9 hours overnight without eating, at least not comfortably.  If you're not going to feed them, I definitely wouldn't take the binkies away yet.  No food or comfort sucking for 9 hours overnight at that age, and lots of screaming and unhappy people all over instead?  Why would you want to do that to yourself, much less your two infants?  Feeding and comforting your infants at night isn't "lazy parenting" or bad habits on their part.  They're BABIES.  Feed them if they're hungry.  You'll all be happier and more rested for it. 

    That's what I was thinking too.  My boys are the same age as OP, but were preemies.  They've been consistently STTN since about 4.5 months.  I still swaddle but leave their arms out (they usually end up kicking it off anyway when they are awake in the morning).  Since they've been STTN they like to eat more often during the day, about every 2-2.5 hours.  I BF on demand.  Maybe your LOs need more frequent day time feedings so they can last longer at night?

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  • erinrunserinruns member
    Are you keeping track of how much they're eating each day?  If not, I would start, and then try to get all of their ounces in during the day.  I would also move bedtime up to 7:30pm.  They are likely overtired by 10:30.  At that age, if my girls woke up I fed them.  Unless they are drinking a crazy amount during the day, they are likely hungry.
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  • cookiemonster03cookiemonster03

    Ours were a bit early but are close to 5 mo. They go to bed about 730 and usually eat around 11 (we feed on demand) and at least one usually eats around 3 or 4 am. Ideal, no, but they're only 4-5 mo (depending on how you look at it) and about 11 and 12.5 lbs, and they're hungry overnight. They polish off 4+ oz each time they wake up. I figure we'll work on sleeping for 12 hrs when they're a big bigger and/or waking up to play/not eat.

    ETA: we stopped swaddling a month ago. neither of ours takes binkies, so I have no idea on that end.

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