All sleep traing moms please help.

[eew1471]

I sleep trained my LO at 3 months and he sttn for 2 months then got sick... My husband was out of work so I he got up with him and started feeding at night and instead of stopping when he was well he decided to continue. Now at almost 6.5 months he is still waking for his bottle. My husband has gone back to work and is not helping anymore so it on me again. I work fulltime amd my job provides the main income for the family and I need my sleep. The night feed is not a problem for LO as he eats and goes right back to sleep.. The problem is with me and that I can take up to several hours amd sometimes never go back to sleep. If u sleep trained your LO and allowed night feeds when did u stop it. Also my son is over weight and in my dr opinion doesn't need the extra calories at night. I also agree but my husband still thinks he should be allowed to eat at night which is fine if he was doing it. I would like to know other sleep training mothers opinion especially if u work a full time and plus job. Thank you in advance.

 

[xolynn]

I've heard various times, in books, from peditricians that most babies wont NEED a night feed after 4 months/after they doubled their birth weight. He probably wakes up for it out of habit/comfort more than anything. I'd try to gradually reduce it, then drop it all together. My LO hasnt needed a night feed since about 3 months I believe...

 

[eew1471]

I've heard various times, in books, from peditricians that most babies wont NEED a night feed after 4 months/after they doubled their birth weight. He probably wakes up for it out of habit/comfort more than anything. I'd try to gradually reduce it, then drop it all together. My LO hasnt needed a night feed since about 3 months I believe...

His birth weight was 7lbs and is now almost 25lbs... Very healthy baby and yeah I think I'm gonna work on taking it down an ounce every day or other day and see how it goes.

 

[sue_88]

If he's draining the bottle you might need to understand that babies needs change all the time and this bottle you think is a 'habit' could be very much needed. Sttn previously is absolutely no argument that he doesn't need it now.

As you've already said it's not his problem but your own, I wouldn't remove nutrition from your sons diet just to help you out.

 

[justmeinlove]

Yeah, if he weighs that much, i imagine he's fine to drop it, and there is Nothing wrong with prioritising your need for sleep! I don't know anything re bottles, but good luck! I know some people suggest replacing the milk with water?

 

[eew1471]

If he's draining the bottle you might need to understand that babies needs change all the time and this bottle you think is a 'habit' could be very much needed. Sttn previously is absolutely no argument that he doesn't need it now.

As you've already said it's not his problem but your own, I wouldn't remove nutrition from your sons diet just to help you out.

What method did u sleep train with if u don't mind sharing?

 

[sue_88]

I know you're hoping for me to say I never have, so here...

CIO at 8m. One night when LO was just screaming all night my patience went to zero and I just said "Mummy needs 2 minutes!" LO Screamed and fell asleep in that time and STTN for the first time ever.

she STTN more often than not now (4 or 5nights out of 7 maybe) but last night she woke at 3am wanting a feed, and I gave it her.

I don't agree with this whole weight gain thing....I weigh (a hell of a lot) more than 25lbs like your LO and I often wake with hunger pangs and might need a glass of water/milk or biscuit to take he edge off, I'd hate someone forcing me to try and sleep through the feeling of hunger.

ETA: I work Weds & Thurs 10 hour days on my feet 95% of the time, and Sod's law says my LO wakes during those nights for breastfeeds, but I just suck it up and get on with it. Babies aren't designed to STTN, it's not the biological norm

 

[special_kala]

I have never sleep trained, most babies need milk at night.

It comes with having a baby, it's not a new trend babies have always needed milk at night.

The whole weight thing is ridiculous, weight has nothing to do with development.

I weigh 10stone. I still need water/food in the night at times.

Can you as adult imagine going 12 hours without any kind of food/drink and we're nowhere near growing the same rate as babies do.

I don't work but I have 2 other children at home so sleeping in the day is not a option for me, it's tough of course but expected and doesn't last forever.

 

[HKateH]

I know you're hoping for me to say I never have, so here...

CIO at 8m. One night when LO was just screaming all night my patience went to zero and I just said "Mummy needs 2 minutes!" LO Screamed and fell asleep in that time and STTN for the first time ever.

she STTN more often than not now (4 or 5nights out of 7 maybe) but last night she woke at 3am wanting a feed, and I gave it her.

I don't agree with this whole weight gain thing....I weigh (a hell of a lot) more than 25lbs like your LO and I often wake with hunger pangs and might need a glass of water/milk or biscuit to take he edge off, I'd hate someone forcing me to try and sleep through the feeling of hunger.

In some cases a feed to sleep habit needs breaking but I'm also of the opinion that a lot of babies just need to eat over night. My LO doesn't feed at night and hasn't for a good few months but if he's been ill and off his food or had a fussy day, or even missed a bottle, he will wake in the night or early hours to eat. My LO is 75th centile for weight and 98th for height so if we go by the weight theory, he shouldn't need those extra calories - what's missing one bottle or meal? Yet he does... I can't control his feelings of hunger any more than he can.

This morning I woke at 6am feeling nauseous with hunger (I often get this before breakfast)... I ignored it and it went away until breakfast, but I'm 28 and in control of my own food intake and when I have it!

 

[septemberbaby]

I "allowed" night feeds until 15 months, when my daughter self-weaned off them. In your case, it sounds like your son is getting enough calories during the day and could do with dropping a feed. is there any explanation why he's so big? I personally would look at how much he's getting in 24 hours and if it's too much for his size/age, I'd reduce some of the day feeds, but keep the night one. Why is your partner not helping out?

 

[steele]

If he's waking for his feed and then going straight back to sleep then I'd just keep giving it to him? He obviously needs it. Babies cannot overeat.

Oh and before you ask, I did CIO at 8 months, my LO stopped feeding at night at 4 months (I tried all the time between that though, he refused the bottle)

 

[special_kala]

Some babies are bigger. My eldest was 98th for everything. She stopped her night feeds at 7 months.

 

[Gem1302]

If he was not going to sleep without being fed to sleep then I'd understand, but since he's actually waking for the feed I'd give it to him. Jenson used to need to feed to sleep, but we weaned him off of it (not nice!) now he has a bath/wipe down, bottle & cuddles until sleepy then self settles in his own bed in his own room, but he still wakes up 75% of the time, sometimes it's because he's rolled onto his back (he likes to sleep on his side) but other times he is genuinely really hungry and sucking his hands off and mine when I try to comfort him. Sometimes they just need it, like we get up for a glass of water etc, they also grow so so much at this age so they need to extra calories & nutrients, no matter what statistics they seem to be following.

 

[eew1471]

I hope some more moms that sleep trained respond! I'm waiting to see some responses on how long they kept it up or if the child naturally dropped it on his on.

 

[special_kala]

Sttn isn't exclusive to those who sleep train.

Sleep training doesn't magically make their biological need to eat at night go away (as proven by the need to ST multiple times)

R dropped her night feeds at 7 months.

Do you offer a dreamfeed?

 

[Gem1302]

I also want to add that he did sttn every night from 2-5 months

 

[Gem1302]

Our babies are the exact same age, have you noticed he's become a lot more active in the last month or so? Maybe he wants more because of that and if you really struggle to do the night feeds, add an oz of milk in the bottles in the day? I wouldn't panic about the weight personally, but could be worth a try?

 

[Breadsticks]

I personally wouldn't worry about his weight either. My daughter was off the charts two checkups ago (her last she was 97%) and her pediatrician was perfectly fine with it.

As far as sleep goes, I haven't done any sleep training but I will say this. My daughter slept through beautifully at two months...then all hell broke loose at six months. Hourly wake ups for weeks and weeks, she just in the past month sleeps longer stretches (she is nine months now). Three to four hour stretches are a luxury

Anyway, she wakes up hungry about every two hours. I know she is genuinely hungry for a couple reasons. One, she wakes often in the night and self settles so I know she can do it. She will lift her head and look around, lie back down and go to sleep! Two, when I go to nurse her, she guzzles milk and when she is done she pops off and sucks her thumb to fall back asleep. I almost never have to unlatch her because she fell asleep at the breast.

Anyway, just wanted to share how my daughter has been. I really think every baby is so different, some are hungry/thirsty through the night and others aren't. I hope he sleeps through for you again soon! I know what you mean about being exhausted at work, it is no fun!

 

[steph.]

We stopped the night feeding at 12 months, so a little older but it took about a week for her to stop waking for it. She was breastfed so I think it was mainly to do with comfort. I just sent my dh in every time she woke up and he would rock her back to sleep. She cried the first two nights, then gradually she settled quicker and within a week was sleeping like a baby!

With this baby, we started giving a dreamfeed at 11pm and she has been sttn since. Probably worth a try.

Also why cant your dh wake up during the night????

 

[zorak]

I felt compelled to answer this thread ; let me give you some background.

My LO is 7 months old. He STTN (by that I mean sleeping for 9+ hours )from 6 weeks to 4 months but regressed back to needing a night feed at that point. He goes to bed beautifully, settling himself and I hear him wake up and self settle at other times during the night. I also work FT as does my OH. I am not comfortable doing anything about the night feed as he obviously needs it; he sucks my arm off if I try and delay it(even my OH agrees he is obv very hungry). He feeds and literally goes straight back to sleep.

I myself have massive sleep issues, if my sleep is disturbed it can take me hours to fall asleep again. What helps is that my OH and I share the load. I deal with the night feed and he gets up with LO when LO decides to start his day anytime from 5.30 am ono. This works for us; we do both get really tired at points but we take it in turns to have one proper lie in at the weekend and we nap at the weekend as needed.

I don't think it'd be fair to deny LO a feed simply because you work. 12 hours is a long time for babies and their needs do change as they go through growth spurts etc. Why does your OH not help out?