anybody 'cure' their middle of the night snackers?

This may sound familiar to those who have read my previous posts.....the girls go down between 6:30 and 7, and usually stay asleep for three-four hours. They've been waking lately around 6:30 to start the day (or i wake the other one)

BUT - they each wake THREE TIMES A NIGHT to eat. Or, rather, to snack (although T ate 3 oz, then another 1oz two hours later tonight). She has been waking every TWO hours for the last few days = they turn seven months on friday but are 5.5 adjusted; could it be a growth spurt? All I know is that i am getting closer and closer to a breakdown. I have tried feeding them more regularly during the day (we recently went from demandfeed breastfeeding and ebm bottles to mostly formula based on their desires, not mine!).

But - they rarely drink more than four ounces at a time; sometimes five and OCCASIONALLY six (and then they usually just reflux half of it back up). They also both, but more Tessa, eat over a Looong period; she has ALWAYS been this way, as a little baby it would take an hour or more to get two ounces into her.

Part of me feels like i have to 'train' her, but i also deeply feel that this is just the way she IS, and why should I force her to be otherwise? But D is also waking to eat (our last few times nursing, sadly)

I'm not ready to have them just scream at night (i know, i know), but - any other suggestions??

 

When I felt the boys were old enough to sleep without eating than we slowly cut down the amount they had at night. Soon they figured it wasn't worth getting up for just an ounce. I think we also did water once in a while to break that habit.

 

I wish I had some advice other than CIO! That is what I did when we got to that point. I knew they weren't hungry because they weren't taking full bottles. I hope you get some sleep soon. :hug99:

 

I gradually cut the amounts too just like a pp and then I did let them fuss instead of running right into them and that seemed to work. They would go back to sleep. Now I am not saying we dont have the occasional wake up that I think a true CIO would have gotten rid of but it works for us.

 

I was going to post about this last week. I don't have many words of wisdom but I can tell you I am right their with you. I have found with mine that if I just let them fuss for a few minutes a lot of times they just go back to sleep. Other times I get up and just rub and pat their backs (they are tummy sleepers) and they will go back to sleep. So I have just found that not every time they wake up do they want to eat usually they are waking for a different reason (usually gas). I was nursing them every 2 hours and sometimes they would nurse for about 2 min and fall asleep so I know they weren't hungry. Last night I put Jack to bed at 6:00 and around 7:00 he started really fussing then all out crying and I let him go for about 5 minutes in which I thought I was going to jump out of my skin, and he slept until 2:30 and then I fed him. It's really hard for me to let them cry. I am with them all day and when they are crying at night it just sets something off in me and it is sooo stressful sometimes to hear them that I would rather just get up and get them. I really think that letting them cry a little is starting to curb some of these sleep issues though. Hang in there :hug99:

 

Ericka, it's so hard to hear your babies cry. I'm right there with you. Having two babies means sometimes you can't get to somebody as soon as they need you (because you're dealing with the other baby) so some crying is inevitable. It's hard for me to hear crying when I'm actually in a position to do something about it. But a little fussing never hurt anyone, I guess. I have read HSHHC about a million times and it says that if you can't deal with crying at 4,5 or 6 months...try again with sleep training at 9 months. I think that's what I'll do.

 

I hate to say it but I'm still dealing with this and mine just turned a year yesterday. C sleeps through the night and has for months. His sister, on the other hand, gets up at least once during the night and lately it's been twice. She is teething and probably going through a growth spurt, but I am SO ready to STTN myself for once (I BF so DH is of no help).

I've wanted to try CIO again (it worked to get rid of her 10:30pm waking a couple months ago) but for selfish reasons (my sleep and sanity, I haven't.) So, I know it's partially my fault. I work 4 days a week and I just can't deal with CIO at 3am when I have to get up at 6:30 for work. At least when I get up to feed her, I know it will be over in 10 minutes and we can both go back to sleep. We're going to have to tackle it soon!

Sorry no advice, but I feel for 'ya!

 

Went through the same thing at that age! I thought I was out of the not sleeping through the night thing and WAMMO! and I DID have a mini melt down because of lack of sleep. It's an age / growth spurt thing. plus they had alot of changes going on. I would say to start the CIO thing too. I know it's SO hard to do and I hard a hard time with it, but it didn't last very long - but my girls will STILL ocassionally wake at 1:30 - 3:30 am and be hungry. try increasing last feeding / dinner maybe? or a little rice cereal in their last bottle? this may help if you aren't against it. I'm sorry I'm not too much help!!