Sleep! - Naples,FL

Hi P., I think the technical definition for sleeping through the night is a 5-hour stretch, so she's doing pretty well. I think you got a little spoiled ;) My 2 exclusively breastfed babies were up several times a night when they were young (sometimes every 2 hrs), and I was still getting up once a night to nurse when they were 1.

As your daughter is getting older, she may be getting busier and isn't nursing as much during the day. She might be using that night feed to catch up. Night is a time when most moms have lots of milk. I think you are very lucky to only be getting up once a night-- I'm envious!

As for crying it out, I did try that with both mine at around 6 months, but it wasn't the cure all for us. I found it worked best to let them fuss and try to go back to sleep on their own until it became an all-out cry. Then I just got them and nursed them.

I don't know if you can comfortably nurse in bed, but I usually brought my babies into bed with me and I could doze back off while they were nursing. By the time I woke up, they were back to sleep and could be transferred back to their cribs or just stay in bed with me.

Since you are a SAHM, you could try to catch a nap during one of her daytime naps when you feel you need some ZZZZs. When I was super tired with #1, I would just lay down and nurse her in bed. She usually went right out and I got the nap I needed.

Good luck! Like the other mom said, it's only temporary. Before you know it you'll be getting a full night's sleep again. Unless you plan to have another, in which case lack of sleep just becomes a way of life. :) P.S. Don't be tempted to wean to get more sleep. Bottle-fed babies don't always sleep through the night either, and tummy troubles associated with cow's milk, soy, and additives in infant formula can wake babies up even more.

Bottom line: hang in there! And kudos on nursing your daughter six months and couting! :)

Good luck P.,

I breastfed my daughter until 8 months and she would awake every 2 to 4 hours during growth spurts (2 months, 6 months, 8 months).
I figured this out by her no longer fitting her clothes after a week of these middle of the night exhaustive feedings. I totally understand and empathize with you. She will grow through it and you'll get back to your rest.
However good luck not falling asleep together, my daughter got used to it and I had to wean her(us) off it.

S.

First of all congrats on breastfeeding!!! Yes, this is entirely normal and is considered a full nights sleep. Sure, you will hear from others that have kids that sleep all night from 3 days old or who have sleep-trained their kids to know they will not respond to them on the night, but your situation is very typical of how a baby would naturally work. Sleep patterns will change again and again, just when you think you have a routine, they change again! In my opinion she is doing awesome for her age, as many babies wake a lot more frequently and some don't go back to sleep easily! If you want the easy way and the way that is most natural fir your baby, I would continue to nurse her when she asked/asks and then get right back to sleep. The alternative is going to typically be a battle between you two and result in you both being awake and frustrated a lot longer. Plus, she probably needs you. If she is actually eating, then she needed it. I wouldn't deprive her just to get a little more sleep. Even if she doesn't need the full meal, she wants the live, closeness, comfort and security that comes with nursing and being held. Even if you don't want to nurse, she will need emotional care until she is more emotionally mature. That could be just as tiring if not more! She could also be going through a six month growth spurt or be uncomfy from teething, gas,etc. It's very hard to tell why exactly a baby needs us in the night so I am not a fan of leaving them to cry alone or choosing not to respond because it's inconvenient. They go through soooo many changes and developments and could be feeling hungry, uncomfortable or coming down with something.... or just plain need security and love, of which they haven't yet learned will always be there even when they aren't near us! Hang in there and remember that this us only a stage and a blink in their little lives. You should come to the Morton plant nursing moms care and share group! It meets the 1st and 3rd Fridays of every month and you don't need to have given birth there! It's awesome and the lactation consultant always tells us that the days are long but the years are short. Before you know it this will be gone. Try to cherish those special nursing times as much as she does!!!! Best wishes!

I don't have much advice, but the four or five am feeding was my son's favorite! He didn't give it up until about eight months and he ate a MUCH bigger, earlier breakfast after that. (We started solids at six months). And I could always tell he nursed the most at that feeding.

I think I started delaying going to him a little bit when I wanted him to stop (hard because I didn't want him waking his sister) and eventually he'd go back to sleep. But he was more like eight months.

My only advice is to go to bed early! Nothing ever last forever :-)

Hi!
I breast fed 2 babes back-to back and remember those days/nights!
I'm not totally in tune with all the specifics that may be involved with this little girl's shift, but I can offer what MAY be some influences:
She may be going through a "growth spurt" and her demand for food has heightened-one's body regenerates/repairs/GROWS at night...
She's at 6 months?Has she been introduces to soft solids yet?As well as her breast milk?At about 6 months is the time that this can start and it contributes towards baby's increased growth/energy demands.
Is she also beginning to "teeth"?this may be a reason for her waking up?
All I can think of at this time-it's been QUITE awhile!

I think this is completely normal...especially for a nursed baby. I think the sleeping through the night at 3 mos was what is rare. I hate to tell you this, but my nursed baby will be one in 10 days and I still get up once per night with him (he slept through the night only once so far). When he was 6 mos, I was getting up sometimes twice per night, so I think you are lucky :-) I feel your pain though..I too have been exhausted all year. I often fall asleep while I am nursing him during this night feeding and then return him to his bed. So many people recommend the cry it out approach but I am just not comfortable with that...no judgement to those that do it..it may work for you. Everyone that I know that did the CIO method are now able to lay their baby down awake for naps and bedtime, the baby actually will go to sleep without a fuss- sounds amazing to me...I would love that result but I just can't handle letting my baby scream for me. I'll just baby him a little longer and let him have me when he needs me and try to remember that before we know it, he will be a teen who thinks that I am not cool and does not want to hang out with me at all :-) Good luck with whatever you decide and remember one day you will sleep again :-)

Hi P.,

Our situations sound very similar. I have 6 month old, breastfed baby boy and he slept great when he was 3 months old as well! Then just stopped. Would wake up after 5 or 6 hours eat and then wake up again after 4 hours. So frustrating b/c I knew he was capable of sleeping longer!

Anyway after talking to some friends I decided to let him cry it out for a few nights and see if that did anything. (I just did this 2 weeks ago). Anyway, it is like a miracle cure. He fussed off and on for about 2 hours during his middle of the night wake up but then eventually went back to sleep. He did this of and on crying thing for abour 2 or 3 nights and now sleeps no less than a 10 hour stretch. I have no idea why that helped but it did.

So if you can stand it, I would recommend crying it out. I know some moms are very much against that, not sure about you, but I am a recent convert to that philosphy. It was hard initially, but I expected it to be worse to be honest. He didn't cry for as long as I thought he would! Good luck!

Are you feeding her cereal at night? Also when you get her up to nurse during the night don't talk to her at all. A lot of times this will work. She may just be wanting extra attention. Seven o'clock is to early for bed time. Move it a little later. By six months they don't require as much sleep. If you keep her up the extra hour she may start sleeping through the night again. Also have a normal bedtime ritual and do the same things with her every evening. I always bathed the girls, fed them and then read them a book before nursing at bed time. If you read to them from the day they are born they will become avid readers. Both of my girls love to read. I also sang to them a lot. Sometimes the ABC song, sometimes other childrens songs. I also got sing along videos to put in for them to watch on tv. They are both A students on the Dean's list at USF now. The more you do with them when they are young the easier it is for them to learn. Don't worry , you will be getting a full nights sleep before you know it. Enjoy your baby while you still have one......Now if only I could get a full nights sleep........Cat or dog wake us up every night......

Hello P.! There really is no iron clad sleeping pattern for any of us be it babies or adults. However having said that I am a mother of five grown sons who have blessed me with many grandchildren and recently we got our first great grandson. I know first hand how tiring it is to get up to breast feed or to bottle feed when you would much rather sleep and it is not that you dont love your child but any one of us mommies can testify to really needing a night of sleep to catch up.You may really never catch up on your sleep but at least it sort of rejuvenates you a little when you can get a full nights sleep. My advice is to pump and have extra bottles ready for 24 use that your husband or significant other can feed to the baby to give you a night off, or if you have grandparents close by I am sure they would love to give you a special night all to yourself to sleep or whatever so they can bond with their grandchild as well and that time of the morning is good. I had several who slept all night long but I had some who would who would wake up every two to three hours, one grandbaby was so colicky no one would watch him but me and we had another with an obstructed bowel that usually cried if he wasnt sleeping and that was heart breaking. Now the Little BIG guy is turning fifteen years old and is doing great. It didnt take that long but we joke that he sleeps now cause he isnt full of pooh. Family joke! I live in here in Florida now with most of my grandkids back in Kansas and i really miss seeing them everyday. Hope this Helps a little. Take care and God Bless!

Wow girl count yourself very lucky!! Mine is 14 mos. old and wakes more often than that still to eat! And yes over 4 hours is concidered sleeping through. Remember this too shall pass and this young age will pass quickly. Just grab sleep wherever and whenever you can and remember to take care of yourself, take your vitamins and excersize and you'll feel better.

Hi P.. When my son was 6 months the doc said when he wakes up in the middle of the night at this age sometimes he just wakes up and realized he is alone before picking him up just lay him down on his belly and rub his back, not to pick him up and rock/feed this is when they start learning to self sooth. My son would wake up once during the night I would go in and do this and he was out for the rest of the night. Have you started cereal? If not maybe feed him some cereal before bed, that will help keep him full longer. Good luck :)

My doc said that 6 hours is the max with an exclusively breast fed baby.....and even when my daughter added solids at around 6 monthes it really never got much longer than that. I guess I just got used to the interupted sleep :) since I continued to nurse well past the typical 1 yr mark (I still nurse at bedtime and naptime and she's 17 monthes!) that's definitley a comfort thing.....for both of us probably!