Hi,
I know my baby is only 4 months old and I can't expect miracles but she was sleeping from 11pm to 4am until a few weeks ago. Now she wakes up every time I lie her down at night. (I have a bassinet by my bed). She wants me to hold her and let her nurse all night long. I have tried laying down and sleeping with her in bed and it is okay but not ideal. I don't know if there's anything I can do to get her to sleep better or if I just need encouragement. help?
Sounds like she needs a real pacifier. If you have tried one, and she spit it out, try another kind, and hold it in her mouth for a while until she latches on. Pacifiers are good for some babies, and doctors agree. The help reduce SIDS, and are easier for kids to let go of, than some people think.
Get the book, "On Becoming Babywise" by Ezzo.
It sounds like she may be using you for a pacifier. :O) I went through a few brands of them before I found ones that he could keep in.
Also, I co-sleeped with my LO for awhile. Until he got too squirmy and I wasn't sleeping. At first it was rough moving him to his bed, but then once out of frustration I put my PJ top that I usually wore in with him and he slept! :O) It may sound silly, but it worked. Oh, and I also bundled him up real well so he felt secure. It was rough for a little while, but he soon learned to sleep on his own.
He still work up every few hours to eat (pediatritian said that some nursing babes eat that often... and it was not something to worry about) but he would go right back to sleep.
Hope that helped some! It does get better, and take naps :O) they are amazing for the sanity!
Perhaps she is teething. Try highlands teething tablets or tylenol. Also, my son did it once when he had an ear infection. Also don't know how much time you get to spend with her during the day but maybe she just wants more time with you by herself. Just some thoughts.
It doesn't take a miracle for a 4 month old to sleep through the night. They should be.
When my babies were little, they slept in a bassinet by my bed, too. And they both went through stages where they just wanted human contact, to know that I was still there. If they can't see of touch you, you might as well have abandoned them on a rainy doorstep!
So I would hang my arm into their bassinet and keep my hand on their tummy. Sounds too simple, but they'd relax and fall asleep within a few minutes. My arm usually went numb because the edge of the bassinet was higher than my mattress, but it was worth being able to sleep!
I've got a little one coming soon, and now my bed is on risers, so hopefully that arm-numbing thing will be better this time. If not, I think I'll take the wheels off the bottom of the bassinet to lower it a an inch or two.
Good luck!
Hang in there, this too shall pass....
I would check out Elizabeth Pantley's book the no cry sleep solution. Your library should have it.
Hang in there--sleep issues are rough (says the mom who has slept through the night only a handful of times in the last four years!)
Growth spurt or not a child isn't hungry enough to be eating all night. That's too much food and your pedi would also tell you that. Your baby is doing it for comfort. Besides laying down with her are there other things you can do to get her to relax? Put on soothing sounds or swaddle her really well? I would look into alternate soothing suggestions, perhaps the book recommended by another poster?
C.,
I am sure you know what you are doing, since you've had four but hear are some things that helped me. And mine have always slept at least 5 hrs right off gradually increasing, so its not unreasonable to expect at least 5 hrs. 4month old baby needs about 15hrs of sleep in 24hrs. that is about five 2hr naps plus 5hrs at night.
Make sure she is getting 6-8 feedings in the day that should be about every 2 1/2 -3 hours. don't let her eat before its been at least 2 1/2 hrs in between or she will just be snacking and wont really nurse a full nursing. wake her up in the day if you have to (not at night), to keep a three hour schedule, she should want to sleep after an hour of being up. Feed her when she wakes not when she is ready to sleep. Practice in the day falling asleep by herself will help her do it at night. She may cry up to 1/2 hour, but it will be a tired cry not a hurt cry. Sometimes babies, just like moms, need to cry to release emotions, and stress. So its okay to let them cry to relax, especially if you know they are safe. If she is getting all her calories in the day then it sounds like she just needs to learn to fall asleep by herself. Try the book "baby wise" if you want more info on this process.
Good luck
E.
She's at an age where it's typical for babies to have a growth spurt and need to nurse more often until your milk production catches up. She's also going through brain development and starting to realize that mom's nearby and she wants the comfort of being held/cuddled/etc. Her major developmental task right now is learning that the world is safe and that she can rely on mom to take care of her needs.
I know its hard, but the best thing is to be patient. Plan on taking a nap when kids are in school (hopefully at least one is), napping themselves, or hubby is home to give ou a break.
It sounds to me like she's going through a growth spurt. And babies like to nurse alot & have lots of attention. It only goes on for about a week until the growth spurt passes. Hang in there momma!
