Why won't she sleep?

PrairieMom wrote: Alright. Ally is officially 5 months old, and has yet to sleep thorough the night. I think she did once when she was like 10 weeks old, but nothing since then.
Ben was sleeping through at 11 weeks.
She is still getting up 3 TIMES! I nurse her when she wakes up, it ends up being about every 2-3 hours. During the day she will go 4-5 hours with out eating. I'm gonna loose my mind soon. Any suggestions?

coasterqueen replied: None, just try to muddle through it the best you can unless you approve of CIO. There are some books out there, I can't remember the name of the one I tried, oh yes The No Cry Sleep Solution, worked for many, not for us.

I say only waking up 3x a night is pretty good for a nurser Kylie used to wake up every 2 hours and nurse for 45 minutes to an hour each time. She nursed every 2 hours til she was almost 2 years old.

Megan was difficult at first but by about 9 months she was only up one or two times a night. Now she wakes up about 1 time.

PrairieMom replied: We ferberized Ben and it worked out well for us, but it doesn't really feel right doing it with Ally, at least not yet. We have started gently doing a little of it, I let her fuss a while before I go get her, then I hold her with her Passy for a while first to try to get her back to sleep with out eating before I nurse her. She really needs to learn to self sooth, but it seems to soon to go all "hard core" on her.

KingMom replied: I feel it too! Lauren only sleeps through if she doesn't go to bed until Midnight or late, which happens occasionally when her Cholic really comes out.

Lauren sleeps in my bed or the swing so she sleeps longer stretches, usually 3-5 hours and I either have my husband give her a bottle if he is not working or nurse her laying down in the bed with me.

Do you approve of the CIO method? If so, it should be okay for her to cry up to 20 minutes at this point without you needing to calm her. Have you tried this yet?

PrairieMom replied:
We Did CIO with Ben, but I haven't really with her. With Ben I totally felt that he was manipulating us, and didn't have a problem ferberizing him at all, but Its different with Ally for some reason. I'm not against CIO for her, I just don't really feel that she is ready. maybe she is, and I am just having a hard time letting go of my baby.

coasterqueen replied: Sorry, can't help you out then. I believe a child can't manipulate you over sleep because they don't want to be alone, just like we don't I also think when they are ready to self-soothe they will, just as when they are ready to sleep all night they will. We just have to allow them to do it.

I hope whatever solution you find works for you. GL.

~Roo'sMama~ replied:
Maybe try going in and giving her the passy when she cries without picking her up, and see if she'll go back to sleep without you having to feed her. She might just want something to suck on, and eventually might stop waking up as often as she gets used to going longer between feedings at night.

KingMom replied:
I can understand that. Since Lauren will likely be my last "baby" I'm going to have a hard time letting go also. Ally may not be ready yet to completly go the CIO way. I also find it harder since it's my baby "girl!" I don't think we really pushed the CIO method on Colin until he was 5 or 7 months and even then we didn't let it go past 15-20 min.

Just take your time, I think your doing the best thing by letting her a cry a little, offering her the pacifier, etc., before giving and nursing her.

PrairieMom replied: Ben was so easy since I didn't have to deal with any of this at 2 am, just bedtime. I swear, this kid is excellent birth control.

Our Lil' Family replied: Have you started her on rice cereal yet? Maybe try giving her some for dinner and that might make her cut out a feeding at night?

boyohboyohboy replied: tara, i am no help in this situation, as jake who is going to be one next week still wont sleep.
i got this really cool message from my friend mary and wanted to share it since it pertained...sorry its so long...

http://www.imperfectparent.com/articles/articles314_1.php
this really made me laugh, but it had some good ideas on sleep issues.

i for one do believe that kids need to self sooth, and i also believe it is something that needs to be taught or else jake at one yr of age would have learned by now.....but that is MHO
good luck

PrairieMom replied:
We started her on vegi's last week at the dinner time feeding, then she takes a full 6 ounces of BM/formula mix right at bed time, but it hasn't made a bit of difference. We had lots of constipation problems with Ben, so I was advised to skip over cereal and just start right in on vegis. Good thing too, I think even the peas constipate her a little.

PrairieMom replied:
Thanks for the article. It made me chuckle. I fowarded it to Dh, who seems to be the worst effected one, even tho I am the one that gets up with the baby. (go figure. )

KingMom replied:
these are the exact words in our house right now!

babymommy replied: Hi! I'm new...so you haven't heard from me before, but, my younger DD doesn't sleep all night either, so I can relate! She's almost a year old now and has slept all night for maybe 15 times.

Sorry that I don't have any advice, but I'll think good thoughts for you in a few hours when I'm up with her!