We have a beautiful, fiesty 6 month old girl who has been sleeping through the night since she was about 8 weeks old. (I know, I know, we're pretty lucky!) She has to be in bed and asleep by 6:30 or she screams and screams with exhaustion. She was sleeping until about 6:30 in the morning. This past week or so, she's been waking between 3 and 4 and talking, whining, fussing, etc. We try to soothe her back to sleep, rock her, etc, and finally we change her and give her a bottle, which she sucks down. Then she usually goes back to sleep.
(As for naps, which I am sure someone will mention, if we don't have any plans for the day, she usually gets up around 7 and then naps from 8:3-10:30, and again from 1-2. If we go out or have plans, she might not nap at all, or only in the car. She always wants to be in on the action!)
Also, she's been on solids for two months, and for dinner eats cereal, a fruit, and a veg, plus tops it all off with 6 oz!
My question is, how do we break this habit?? I'd be more than willing to let her cry it out, but we live in a very small apartment complex and it's just not possible. We don't want eating at night to become a habit, but sometimes it's easier to just feed her to get her back to sleep.
Also, she's been quite congested the past week, very snotty (clear) and mucusy, with a low-grade fever (high 99's low 100's) and I don't know if it's just her teeth (she doesn't have any) or if she really has a cold. Should I call the doctor?
Thanks for the advice--we went to the doctor this morning and it is a cold, still no real sign of teeth! We picked up some Pediasure and I guess we'll go from here. The doctor did say that being sick could create new "bad" sleep habits, so I still need to come up with some way to get her back to sleep without feeding her!! :)
Things are on the mend now, and there haven't been any more 2 and 3 am feedings. ahhh, sleep...how i've missed thee.
I suggest a trip to the pediatrician, it may be teething or a cold but it may also be an ear infection. They are very painful and often interupt sleep ... Im told its because when you are lying down it causes more pressure in the ear. It may be nothing but better to have her checked and be extra cautious. I hope she is better soon !! Good Luck !!!!! K.
You are such a lucky person! Does she just wake up cranky or does she sound in pain? My boys ended up with lots of ear infections. One woke up crying, fever,and vomiting while the other had no signs of anything except for turning "nasty" such as pulling the cat's tail and an attitude! If this is your first, I always would err on the side of caution. It could be just a tooth or a cold but how much worrying are you going to do until you find out? No need to make yourself sick too, you have too much to do already!
Hi H.-
It could be that she has a cold/teething and the stuffiness is waking her. It also could be that she is hungry since you said she downs the bottle you give her. Is she on cereal yet? If she's not on cereal, maybe she is waking because she is hungry. Maybe try giving cereal for dinner and see if that keeps her belly full for the night. Good luck.
I could be her teeth cause that happend with both of my kids they would spike fevers i would be on the phone with the pedi and the next morning they would be fine. I would call the pedi this time though cause there are a lot of colds out there right now. It could be teeth or it could be a cold. I hope that it helps.
Hi H.,
This sounds perfectly normal. At that age, babies go through a lot of changes. It could be a growth spurt, teething, or a combination of both. I don't think you should worry about feeding her at night becoming a habit at this age. If she's waking up hungry, you should feed her. Eventually those middle of the night feedings will stop again. I went through the same exact thing with my son. It can be a bit of a pain, but it'll pass. I hope this helps!
Could be that she is teething and going through a growth spurt. This too shall pass! :)
u should call the docter cause it shounds to me your daughter might has asthum with short breaths at nite time is she around alot of smoke cause that would be my first thought cause this happen to my primme son but he has it cause i do it run in my family it might run in ur too and dont worry about feeling her that is normal to feed them at nite
