Community› The Bump Message Boards› Babies: 3 - 6 Months
Babies: 3 - 6 Months
New Discussion

Maddening sleep dilemma! What would you do?

shellyloveleeshellylovelee member
in Babies: 3 - 6 Months

I really need some fresh perspective. I'm a STM and my first followed our sleep training with a breeze. My second, not so much. Here's a very brief rundown of our dilemma. (She's almost 5 mos.)

-we BF and up until 3 mos or so she was just eating at midnight and 3 am. I could deal with that until...

-for the past TWO mos she's been breaking out of her swaddle, fighting it like mad, so we started one-arm-out weaning. FAIL. Up all night. Swaddled, unswaddled, repeat. Reluctantly bought  a Zipadeezip. FAIL. She is up EVERY SINGLE HOUR from 11am to 5am.

-she takes decent 1-2 hr naps, we follow EASY, goes down drowsy but awake, barely uses a paci... BUT in the night she wakes constantly and either needs 15 min of bouncing/walking or nursing to relax and fall back asleep.

-after a hellish night, I took her out of the Zipadeezip at 4am and fully swaddled her (Halo), she sighed, cooed and slept for 3 1/2 hours.

Damned if I do damned if I don't!  

did I mention I also have a 19 mos old?!   HELP!!!

P. S. our Pedi says wait until 6 mos for any CIO.  

Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker CafeMom Tickers
Report Reply to Post

Re: Maddening sleep dilemma! What would you do?

  • mben1119mben1119 member
    When she's waking at night, is she hungry? Just wet? I agree with your pedi that she's too young for CIO. All I can think is that she's just going through a wakeful period, and I'm sure she'll overcome it. And while your LO #1 was easy, this one just may not be, unfortunately.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • shellyloveleeshellylovelee member

    imagemabenner1:
    When she's waking at night, is she hungry? Just wet? I agree with your pedi that she's too young for CIO. All I can think is that she's just going through a wakeful period, and I'm sure she'll overcome it. And while your LO #1 was easy, this one just may not be, unfortunately.

    i know! We were evidently spoiled and naive! DS was and is a champion sleeper.

    She seems hungry most of the time. We offer a paci but she screams bloody murder and rejects it. Wet diapers don't seem to bother her.

    Occasionally she will just nurse for a few minutes which then I know it was a comfort thing. And when I say wake up, I mean she's not just making drowsy little noises btw sleep cycles, she's full on awake. Sometime sucking on her fingers " talking" fully awake.

    Oh, and she is a cuddle bug. Wants to be held all.day.long.  

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker CafeMom Tickers
    Report Reply
  • sarums4sarums4 member
    This is exactly like my LO! The Zippadeezip was a big fail for us...
    Pregnancy Ticker

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker


    Report Reply
  • PipSqueak0313PipSqueak0313 member
    Is she crying when she wakes in the night or just "talking" and sucking on her hands?

    YBaby Birthday Ticker Ticker

    Image and video hosting by TinyPic



    I'm a fan of The Cloth Diaper Tech Support group on Facebook
    Report Reply
  • shellyloveleeshellylovelee member

    imagePipSqueak0313:
    Is she crying when she wakes in the night or just "talking" and sucking on her hands?

    She starts by squirming and making noises or sucking on hands if unswaddled but it quickly dissolves into full on crying. She just can't seem to self soothe btw sleep cycles. It always escalates to crying. 

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker CafeMom Tickers
    Report Reply
  • shellyloveleeshellylovelee member

    imagesarums4:
    This is exactly like my LO! The Zippadeezip was a big fail for us...

    Yes, grrrrrrr. I bought mine a day after I heard back from someone selling theirs! Too expensive, no returns, and the only reviews you find are on the website and of course they're glowing. It was a desperate purchase! 

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker CafeMom Tickers
    Report Reply
  • shellyloveleeshellylovelee member

    imagekbruington:
    Oh and even though you were desperate, I wouldn't go back to swaddling if she's been out of the swaddle for a while. Just my 2 cents on that.

    Hmmm, interesting. Just curious, why not specifically?  We've went back and forth a little recently because she seems not to be quite ready for unswaddling. Then a night or two later she spends all night trying to bust out of it!  Aaaaaahhhh!!!

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker CafeMom Tickers
    Report Reply
  • shellyloveleeshellylovelee member

    I think I'm at my wits end because this has been going on for TWO months solid. Caring for a toddler and infant 15 mos apart on zero sleep is starting to make me feel physically ill.

    pity party for one right here! 

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker CafeMom Tickers
    Report Reply
  • BeesqBeesq member
    Merlin suit?
    Report Reply
  • huwehotalinghuwehotaling
    It sounds to me like she may still need to be swaddled at night. My DD started busting out of her swaddle at 4 mo, but she still needs it. We ended up buying a swaddle strap from Amazon and that has made a huge difference. They can't bust out of it! DD will be 6 mo next week and we will keep swaddling as long as she needs it.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Report Reply
  • shellyloveleeshellylovelee member

    imagehuwehotaling:
    It sounds to me like she may still need to be swaddled at night. My DD started busting out of her swaddle at 4 mo, but she still needs it. We ended up buying a swaddle strap from Amazon and that has made a huge difference. They can't bust out of it! DD will be 6 mo next week and we will keep swaddling as long as she needs it.

    I kind of feel he same. The problem has been that even though she can't always break free, she tries so hard and for so long it gets her into a complete frenzied crying mess. 

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker CafeMom Tickers
    Report Reply
  • JeanneplusoneJeanneplusone member
    My now almost 7m son was like yours, hard to sleep train.  Our nighttime went from hourly to 3 night feedings, to 2 feedings, to one feeding and then back to 4,  and I was at my wits end.  I think he was going through a bit of a growth spurt and learning to self soothe was tricky.  I started only putting him in his crib at bedtime, naps were in his swing or pack n play upstairs, the nursery was just for nighttime.  I strongly support swaddling as long as it helps and the babe isn't rolling onto his belly at night.  My LO decided that he liked having a small cloth that he could hold and chew at night, and a fuzzy soft blanket to lay on.  I tuck the blanket down into the sides of the crib and hand him his cloth and he rolls to his side and is out.  He only wakes once most nights around 2 hours after he goes down and usually just wants a late night nursing.  It will get easier, just stick to your guns.  When I was desperate I let him sleep next to me and nurse in the spare room.  Not a fan of the "family bed" because hubby is a light sleeper, but sometimes it works as an alternative to no sleep at all!
    Report Reply
  • ObLaDiObLaDi member

    No advice here, but sympathy!

    My DS also used to get up at ~12 and 3, and it was manageable. Now, he's up every 2 hours to eat all night long. He seems legit hungry every time and won't go down with shushing or paci.

    I keep telling myself it's a phase, but dang, I'm pooped.

    He's in a Merlin sleep suit, FWIW.

    Do you have yours in his own room? The fact that DS is in a cosleeper and I can nurse him in bed and then slide him back over is definitely helping to maintain my sanity. 

    image
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"