Sleep - San Francisco,CA

F.--
Sounds like you have your hands full. Something I tried that worked for my son to eliminate those middle of the night feeds....apparently, their little tummies tell them that they are hungry out of habit, and that once you retrain their bellies, they won't wake up out of hunger (they don't need the calories in the middle of the night at that age).
What I did was slowly decrease the amount I fed him when he woke up (and of course increased the amount he was getting during his feeds during the day). If you are bottle feeding, try reducing the 11 pm bottle by an ounce or so every few days until you are down to nothing. If you are breastfeeding, try feeding for 1 or 2 minutes less every few days.

It worked for my son, I hope it works for you!

Hi F., You should read the responses i've received from other moms regarding the same issue. I posted a similar question earlier today. Hope this helps. Let me know how it works out and what your strategies are. K.

my suggestion is to try to feed her more at dinner and what i do is give my daughter a cup (one where the handle is a straw) of milk to drink while in the bath. she loves the "special" cup and it's just that much more in her tummy before bed. my daughter still wakes up in the middle of the night- but i just lay her back down, no talking, no cuddleing. sometimes she will go right back to sleep, other times she will cry for 5 minutes. it's so hard not to go in there, but be strong for a couple of days and she will be able to self soothe. if you think she's hungry give her a small drink of water out of a big persons cup. make it quick. the less middle of the night interaction the better. it sounds harsh but if you want to sleep- you need to train her to self soothe. as for the 4am feeding- again- just try a drink of water and then give her a nice big baba in the morning. (630-7)
good luck!!
K. =D

There is a book called the No Cry Sleep Solution. It is the best book I've ever read!
I just read the other responses and I have to say that Self-soothing is bogus, how about loving and touching? You can NEVER spoil a child with love. Maybe she is waking up because she misses you!

Hola F.,
C. here. You might look at the arrangement of your daughter's room. At this age, children are starting to become conscious of the environment in a new way. She may find more comfort with another color or arrangement of furniture and toys in her room.

Perhaps look at helping her to self sooth. Point out the moon through the window or get a great little night light that she likes. Tambien, puedes usar musica de Argentina en su cuarto. Debe ser que ella esta cambiando su forma de enfrentar el mundo.

You might also find out how much she is sleeping during the day. Check with her childcare provider. If she is sleeping too long during her nap time, she will not sleep soundly at night. Also, she might need more large muscle play time.

Buena Suerte. Parenting is the most engaging job in life. My three children have become wonderful adults. They are Colombian and Brazilian. My son is Victor Plata, USA Olympian Triathlete 2004. Hope this advice helps!

Peace, C. A.: currently teaching in Nantong,China