Night feeding/sleep training plans

[Stringy]

Assuming that many of you have sleep issues....

Do you have plans to sleep train? How did you decide what to do?

How do you plan to accommodate feeding (ie. will you allow it after a certain time, send dad in)?

[Stringy]

We need something. We never sleep trained DD1 cuz we were new parents and it was mean (eyeroll at ourselves). We didn't sleep for 2 years.

I don't need P to sttn, I need her to sleep in like 4-6 hour chunks so I can see straight. We are off work next week so it seems like a decent time to try it.

She still eats most times she wakes, and actually eats, not just hangs out - so I assume I'll need to feed her at some point.

How do you make a plan? I know I should read ferber but lets be honest, I don't have time for that.

[athn64]

We're down to one MOTN feed and I'm working on getting it later and later and eventually phasing it out.

We ferbered. You need to be committed.

And just because she eats every time doesn't mean she needs to. It's habit at this point. When we night weaned DD1, we started pushing a feed back 15 minutes and keeping them short, making them shorter and later every night until we just held her a minute and put her back down. With DD2, she tried to pick up more MOTN feeds after her regression and I finally decided that I wouldn't nurse before x time because she had proven for months not to need it.

[Stringy]

Dec 19, 2016 18:36:33 GMT -5 athn64 said:

We're down to one MOTN feed and I'm working on getting it later and later and eventually phasing it out.

We ferbered. You need to be committed.

And just because she eats every time doesn't mean she needs to. It's habit at this point. When we night weaned DD1, we started pushing a feed back 15 minutes and keeping them short, making them shorter and later every night until we just held her a minute and put her back down. With DD2, she tried to pick up more MOTN feeds after her regression and I finally decided that I wouldn't nurse before x time because she had proven for months not to need it.

How did you determine she was ready to not need it?

[athn64]

Dec 19, 2016 19:48:44 GMT -5 Stringy said:

Dec 19, 2016 18:36:33 GMT -5 athn64 said:

We're down to one MOTN feed and I'm working on getting it later and later and eventually phasing it out.

We ferbered. You need to be committed.

And just because she eats every time doesn't mean she needs to. It's habit at this point. When we night weaned DD1, we started pushing a feed back 15 minutes and keeping them short, making them shorter and later every night until we just held her a minute and put her back down. With DD2, she tried to pick up more MOTN feeds after her regression and I finally decided that I wouldn't nurse before x time because she had proven for months not to need it.

How did you determine she was ready to not need it?

For DD2, she was consistently sleeping for 8-10 hours then hit a regression and was then up every 2-3. I would feed her and put her down and sometimes she still wouldn't go back to sleep. So she was obviously not awake because of hunger. She was just awake to be awake. She's also 90% for weight, which plays a factor in my brain.

With DD1, she was a little older and she only had a couple of MOTN feedings, but I was ready to night wean, so I thought we'd try it out.

[Stringy]

Dec 19, 2016 20:26:21 GMT -5 athn64 said:

Dec 19, 2016 19:48:44 GMT -5 Stringy said:

How did you determine she was ready to not need it?

For DD2, she was consistently sleeping for 8-10 hours then hit a regression and was then up every 2-3. I would feed her and put her down and sometimes she still wouldn't go back to sleep. So she was obviously not awake because of hunger. She was just awake to be awake. She's also 90% for weight, which plays a factor in my brain.

With DD1, she was a little older and she only had a couple of MOTN feedings, but I was ready to night wean, so I thought we'd try it out.

P sttn a few times at 2-3 months but that feels like she was still a sleepy newborn. But yea she's 80 something percent for weight so not too worried about it that way. She's just always hungry!

[greysonsmom]

Because I know she can go 11-12 hours I won't feed her unless it's been 8 hours. We were coming out of the regression. It we just got home from a week away and I feel like we are starting over again.

[titania]

We moved DD to her own room two weeks ago and we have just started to send Dad in for some wake ups. DD is in the 8% for weight, so I still get nervous not feeding her (maybe chalk it up to FTM jitters), but I know that she can go 5hrs without eating. Dad will go in if it has been less time then that and we plan to slowly increase the time between feedings. I don't want to say more about sleep , but so far I have been pleased with our approach.

[mladerri]

We started a couple nights ago. Not only was R waking every couple hours but he was sleeping with me so we're trying to cut back one feed and get him to sleep in his crib. It's not going so well but we're sticking to it. We're trying to cut out the 1am feeding first so that hopefully he'll sleep 10-3. I think the best part is dh is sleeping in our room for the first time in 6 months.

[GOmamab15]

We're still cosleeping (so I'm not sleeping) but I hope to get him to stay in his crib for more of the night. I doubt I'll actually sleep train using any sort of method, although I could see structure being helpful.
But I do still love my snuggles. He's the sweetest boy.
We recently started using a magic Merlin suit for the first 1/3 to 1/2 of the night while he's in his crib in our room.

[Stringy]

Dec 20, 2016 10:16:43 GMT -5 mladerri said:

We started a couple nights ago. Not only was R waking every couple hours but he was sleeping with me so we're trying to cut back one feed and get him to sleep in his crib. It's not going so well but we're sticking to it. We're trying to cut out the 1am feeding first so that hopefully he'll sleep 10-3. I think the best part is dh is sleeping in our room for the first time in 6 months.

so can DH do whatever he wants to get him to sleep, just not feed. ie. you are picking him up, rocking, etc?

[athn64]

Dec 20, 2016 13:23:52 GMT -5 Stringy said:

Dec 20, 2016 10:16:43 GMT -5 mladerri said:

We started a couple nights ago. Not only was R waking every couple hours but he was sleeping with me so we're trying to cut back one feed and get him to sleep in his crib. It's not going so well but we're sticking to it. We're trying to cut out the 1am feeding first so that hopefully he'll sleep 10-3. I think the best part is dh is sleeping in our room for the first time in 6 months.

so can DH do whatever he wants to get him to sleep, just not feed. ie. you are picking him up, rocking, etc?

When I send DH in, he doesn't pick her up, but will sush her and gently rub circles on her back. 

[sandandsea]

We do a modified cio. But he is sick and we have guests now so we aren't doing anything. We let him cry for one minute, then two at two minutes then three at three minutes, etc until he falls asleep. The rule is no picking up but everything else is fair game. I will feed after 4 hours as he is a piggy.

[titania]

Stringy, when I send DH in he usually will pick DD up for a moment then put her down and put a hand on her belly while shushing. She seems to like the weight.

[mladerri]

Stringy dh is in charge till midnight and he picks him up and rocks him. He said he is going back to sleep much quicker for him and he can see a difference. When he's woken up at 1 I rock him till he's completely out then I put him back in his crib. When he wakes up At 3 I bring him in bed, feed and let him snuggle I'm an enabler.

[ArgyleEnigma]

I'm glad this topic got started. Pediatrician told us to extinction cry it out--I'm side-eying her because I hadn't asked about sleep training and she presented it as just what one must do, not as one of many options.

We're not doing anything now, and he has two wakeups (assuming nothing else going on like teething). Eats at both, a lot in the case of a bottle. Once he's eating three times a day, if he still doesn't sttn we will probably start something but I don't know what. I will be following this thread.

[babyzebra]

I think we'll wait a while before sleep training if we do it at all. The toddler still doesn't consistently STTN so I feel like this is just my life now. I've read Ferber's book and I'm a fan of that method, but I'm just not ready. We'll see how DD's sleep habits develop and go from there.

[Stringy]

Doing it tonight. Will report back.

[manybellsdown]

Dec 22, 2016 21:59:36 GMT -5 Stringy said:

Doing it tonight. Will report back.

crossing all the fingers for you

[Stringy]

Well that was well worth it. I decided on a goal (I'd feed her at 10, 1 and 4- she been eating all night long so going easy).

Every other wakeup were check ins. Well she went to bed fine at 7 which is normal. Woke at 745 and we had to go in 3 times and she cried and was asleep 18 minutes later. I Dream fed her at 10- my wife gave her a bottle at 1. She woke at 230 and we have her pacifier and left and she cried for 3 mins and was asleep. I Dream fed her at 4. It's 7 am and I haven't heard another peep.

Seriously she's been up every hour all week so this is amazing. We will keep that schedule a few days then drop a feed if it keeps going this well.

[babyzebra]

That's awesome Stringy!

[pbandj714]

Yay Stringy!! I hope that approach continues to work well! That's a pretty great night one.

[Stringy]

Well night two and she's woken twice before the ten pm feed. But back within 5 minutes even though the crying was a bit harder.

We will see.

It's all the damn pacifier. I should take that away now too but it feels cruel.

[Stringy]

Why has no one invented a baby mitten with the pacifier attached??? Is this gonna be my get rich product??

[greysonsmom]

Dec 23, 2016 21:42:45 GMT -5 Stringy said:

Why has no one invented a baby mitten with the pacifier attached??? Is this gonna be my get rich product??

I'd buy it

[carolinaheart]

Dec 23, 2016 21:42:45 GMT -5 Stringy said:

Why has no one invented a baby mitten with the pacifier attached??? Is this gonna be my get rich product??

Link us to your kickstarter, kay?

[bighair12]

We are in sleep hell. It is affecting our marriage. She is cosleeping, she is continually attached to my boob. She won't even lay down in her crib. We created a monster. I am going to email a sleep consultant on Monday at work. I can't do the cry it out method. I am am miserable and so is she.

[greysonsmom]

I'm so sorry bighair12 sleep deprivation is so hard.

[Stringy]

I'm sorry bighair12 it is so hard. Sleeplessness sucks. Will she take a pacifier?

[bighair12]

Dec 24, 2016 21:46:53 GMT -5 Stringy said:

I'm sorry bighair12 it is so hard. Sleeplessness sucks. Will she take a pacifier?

She fights the pacifier. At night she screams and won't take it. I don't know if she likes to be so close or what. She is so exhausted!