My daughter is waking up at all hours to nurse. It wasnt a problem in the early months because she was sleeping all through the night. At first i thought she was just teething now i think she is just working me. Please let me know if anyone else is going through the same thing.
J.,
I teach a graduate course on parent/child education and therapy. I am also a private practice clinician specializing in parental and couple issues. Feel free to call me for a no-cost consultation to see if a few sessions might be useful for you in increasing parenting skills around these types of issues.
Dr. Cunningham
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http://www.Cunninghamtherapy.com
THRIVE, DON'T JUST SURVIVE!
She could be going through a growth spurt and needs the extra nutrition. And she could be teething, some of those teeth take a while to come in. I nursed on demand until my daughter was 12 months old and we co-sleeped until then as well. Every baby is different so this sounds "normal" for your baby.
GL!
I'm having this same issue, but not a 'problem'. It's difficult, because sometimes I think my 10 m/o isn't getting sufficient sleep. But he wakes up happy and smiling! When I do nurse him to sleep at night, he falls right back into dreamland and I don't believe he's stumbling out of sleep just to 'work me'. I've yet to find a mom (maybe they're out there, I just don't know any) who has NEVER used a bottle and feeds ON DEMAND, keeping up her milk, who DOESN'T have to feed in the middle of the night(I'd imagine she'd be quite full by morning). Now, I don't believe it's because he's so hungry he has to have sustenance! I believe it's the comfort and cuddles he desires & needs from the only one who can provide it--his mama! I love that! It's only a season and he won't do this forever, so I embrace it and I don't let parents get me down, who think I'm so 'inconvenienced'...I am blessed to be a SAHM, blessed to have my son and blessed to NURSE ON DEMAND! I say if you CAN, DO!
Enjoy that baby and see you at the lake!
Dear J.,
Tat Baby is hungary!! Try some cereal mixed w/formula or breast milk split the nipple slightly. Your baby will slrrp through the night!!
Best of Luck.C. S
Oh, I feel for you! I have a daughter who slept through the night at 3 months, only to start waking up again at 8 months. If you are feeding her enough during the day, I truly do not believe that she needs to be nursed several times a night. Nursing all night disrupts sleep that babies need. Constantly digesting milk makes it so you baby's body never really goes into a deep sleep. Have you tried just cutting it down to one feeding a night? Maybe you can pick a time that you will go in there, maybe after she has slept for 6 hours, and feed her at that time. All other times she wakes up, you could go in and soothe her some other way but don't feed her. I used to have to pat my daughter on the bum, but never picked her up and fed her after 6 months. I know it is not fun listening to your baby cry, but both of you need more consecutive hours of sleep at night. You both run the risk of becoming chronically overtired. In the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child, the author says to give any one approach at least 2 weeks to work.
