5 month old comfort nursing at night!

[CamoQueen]

This has been driving me crazy, hopefully someone can help! David is about 5 1/2 months right now, and he's slept through the night maybe twice that I can remember. I thought that it would be better by now, that he would be sleeping through the night, but alas, no. For the past... months, he's been waking up at night and needs to be comfort nursed back to sleep.

We've been co-sleeping since he got home from the hospital, because he would scream in his crib. He's usually down for the night around the same time, and he's always comfort nursed to sleep. I wouldn't mind this if he would stay that way! See, he'll start fussing and kicking, thrashing his head back and forth, looking for the nipple. If I just rub his tummy or head to try and comfort him, it doesn't work. If leave him to fuss, he'll start getting worked up and begin crying. But if I give him the nipple, he's back down in maybe 15-20 minutes. He'll usually do this once or twice after he's fallen asleep, in maybe the first hour after he's down. Then he'll go a few hours before thrashing/kicking/waking and needing the breast again. If I had to guess, I'd say he's eating for maybe one of his night nursings.

I am exhausted! I have been grinding my teeth in my sleep because of this, and I wake up with headaches every other day (I have a lovely one right now!). Any help on how to get him to sleep through? He is on solids, BTW. He gets fed right before he goes to sleep; he'll usually eat about one stage 1 jar, so 2.5 oz. I have been wanting him in his own crib for a while now, but I honestly do not want to do CIO, and we don't have room in our bedroom to do that thing where you put his crib next to your bed, etc, to get him used to it. And I really do worry if I get him in his crib, what if he does the same thing and I have to get out of bed multiple times over and over to nurse him? Argh!

Anyone with advice or similar experience or just sympathy, I would appreciate it. I just want him in his crib sleeping through, is that so much to ask?!?!?!

 

[Blob]

What i did when Tabs started to wake up in the night more often i got a cot next to the bed and i fed her in the cot, because when i moved she woke up so made it worse. The cot had a side down so it was kinda like co sleeping but she sleeps soooo much better.. ?

 

[Brockie]

no advice really hon think i have been lucky with Fred and sleep, hopefully one of the gals on here has had some experience of this tho

but sending you some you must be shattered, i am most days and Fred sleeps reletively well! xx

 

[marley2580]

Kaya used to do this. In the end I decided (at first) to only allow three feeds at night around certain times so I could be sure she wasn't hungry. Anything outside of this and I just had to tell her 'no'. It did result in a bit of crying but within a week she was waking a lot less. It helps if you wear a top that's not easy to access - such as a nightie over pyjama bottoms.

 

[Serene123]

Caitlyn did it, and sometimes still does. We have stopped co-sleeping though which has made things better

 

[didda]

Not really much help here, but def sympathy! You must be so tired!
My LO used to be brill during the night but now he has reverted back to waking a few times in the night and I have been feeding him and he goes straight back off! Thing is I am not sure he is really hungry, just waking... we don't co sleep, he is in the cot in our room. I think he would sleep better in his own room so might give that a try! He is also weaning and is having 3 meals a day so I am hoping this might help with his sleep eventually!
Sorry... just re-read this and it really is no help what so ever! But I am thinking of you! xxx

 

[Mervs Mum]

Dont know how you feel about them but you could try a dummy if you havent already?

 

[mommyof3co]

Hayden didn't sleep through until 15mo but he needed the feedings, cosleeping made it much easier though, I would just turn over and he would nurse and we'd both fall asleep like that. But when I put him down I would make sure he didn't fall asleep on the breast so he didn't have to have it to fall asleep. i would nurse him until he was almost asleep then move away and give him his pacifer to fall asleep the rest of the way. Sometimes once I took the breast he would wake back up and we'd have to do it again, but I tried not to let him fall asleep initially on the breast, at night I didn't mind so much because he was half asleep when he woke up, I just turned and let him nurse before he got himself too woke up. I did the same thing with naps, try and pop the pacifier in his mouth before he was actually asleep

 

[CamoQueen]

Dont know how you feel about them but you could try a dummy if you havent already?

He would never take them. The longest we could get his 'favorite' (I guess 'least disliked' is a better term) to stay in his mouth was maybe a minute or two before he'd spit it out. I wish he'd take them, though!

 

[Mervs Mum]

If it's been a while maybe you could give it another go? I had to do a sneeky switch and hold it in for a good 30 seconds plus!

 

[CamoQueen]

If it's been a while maybe you could give it another go? I had to do a sneeky switch and hold it in for a good 30 seconds plus!

You know what, I might as well. It's been about two months since we last tried, I just kind of gave up, lol! It's a hard life being a pacifier!

 

[Mervs Mum]

It might be worth a shot

 

[milkmachine]

faith wouldnt take a dummy so i gave her a muslin to snuggle with, she comforts on that now xxx

 

[mommyof3co]

Yeah you could try "wearing" a blanket on you all day, and letting him have that too. Or trying different types of pacifiers, Hayden took best to mam and avent pacifiers...he really likes the latex mam but they are hard to find here

 

[Bec L]

Poppy used to comfort nurse a lot at night - till she was about 6.5 months old. Am not sure whether or not it was moving her into her own room or giving her 3 meals a day which helped but thankfully she went from waking 3 or 4 times a night to only waking once, maybe twice and if she ever wakes up now in the night she will just feed for 10 mins and then go back off.

At night though, when we put her down, I can be upstairs to her 2 or 3 times and all she wants to do is suck and she then goes back down. She doesn't have a dummy so it is almost as if she wakes, needs to suck, calls for me, has a suck and then goes back down

I hope things improve for you soon. I know how exhausting it is when you get no sleep

 

[CamoQueen]

Thanks everybody for your input! I'm off to buy new pacifier tommorrow and give it another try; I also think I'll try the blanket thing (David does love to suck on everything, lol). Last night he only woke about 3-4 times, which is actually good for him, so I'm feeling optimistic today. Thanks, everyone!

 

[sleepless_mom]

I am in the EXACT same position. Does your baby finally sleep on his own?

 

[hippobaby]

My LO is the same, we co-sleep as she refuses new cot since Xmas and now she suckles on me a lot during night. Have to feed her to sleepnthen snuggled in my arms for the night. When OH is on nights I've tried giving her his side of bed but no, she has to be snuggled up so can access the milk...I've no advice I'm afraid but just wanted to say you're not alone. Ibe pretty much told myself if she doesn't grow out of it herself we'll end up CC'ing I think but not ready for that yet