I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Friday morning update:

So last night DH gave her a bottle around 8:30pm, she took 2 oz, and didn't want anymore. We had her in a sleepsack, no swaddle. She rolled around in her crib for a while - fussed for a few minutes, refused the paci - then slept from 9pm to 3am (which is her normal eating time).

After eating she would not settle back down so we gave her the paci (she has a wubbanub and I tucked it into her sleepsack so it wouldn't fall out of her mouth ) She slept till almost 6am, and took the paci a second time, then woke at 7am (normal wake time).

We are going to start a normal, consistent bedtime routine tonight (which is so, so hard with caring for DS and cooking dinner, etc.) and try to see if she will go to bed later. I think you are all right, she thinks the 7pm bedtime is a nap and she wants to go to bed for the night closer to 9pm. We'll see what works.

Normally I BF her when I get home around 5, 5:30pm, and give her a bottle at 7pm to top her off. I think we'll go with the later bedtime and skip the 7pm bottle, giving it to her at 8/8:30pm instead before bed.

it works!!!


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Every night it's the same thing. She's ready for bed by 6:30, 7pm - perfect and normal for her age. We feed her and put her down swaddled. Sometimes she wakes right away, we give her the paci, fine. She falls back asleep.

Always, always, without fail, 45 minutes to 1 hour later she is up. Sometimes we have to put the pacifier back in 6 times or more. She just ate, so she's not hungry. She was just changed, so she's not complaining of a full diaper.

I think part of the problem is that she struggles to get out of her swaddle - but without it she won't sleep! We've tried taking the swaddle away and it's a disaster. Her arms fly all over the place.

What the efffff?? Why is she waking so much and crying?

I cannot do this anymore

Message edited 7/2/2010 8:00:40 AM.

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

This is why my little guy sleeps on his belly. I know it's not good, but he cannot sleep for longer than a few minutes on his back for the same reason. I am not advising you to do the same thing, as it makes me very nervous, but he sleeps so well that way and can lift his head very well, so I don't worry as much.

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Rachel I would LOVE if she slept on her belly. But she rolls now, and doesn't like being on her belly

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Ugg. That really sucks. Chase actually figured out how to flip himself to his belly because he hates his back so much. Maybe you need to try putting her to sleep earlier? Like maybe she's overtired and so she's having a hard time going to sleep? Maybe bump up her bedtime like even a half hour? It's worth a shot!

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

what about moving her bedtime to 7:30?? do you think that would work?

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Do you think maybe she thinks she is only going down for a nap & that's why she wakes after 45 min?

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

LB this is my issue with Luke from 3.5 monyhs on. He is an awful sleeper, same as Izzy with the swaddle and the paci. He also hates belly sleeping. We are finally going to try CIO now. I hate the idea but the ped is pushing for it, he has been since he was 3.5 months. As long as they are gaining weight, he likes for night feedings to stop.

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

(Re-posted from FB) I know she is just waking for her paci and to play because if I pick her up she is all smiles. Not cool! If I let her play she lasts 5 minutes and is fussy - she is definitely tired. I know she loves to suck on her hands. I just took away the swaddle, put her in a sleepsack and put her on her belly. She knows how to roll if she wants to be on her back. God help me... I am done.

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Posted by Eireann

Posted by maybeamommy

what about moving her bedtime to 7:30?? do you think that would work?

See, this was my thought. I remember going back to work at 3 mos. and my DD was still going to bed around 9pm actually. She got earlier and earlier during the next month or two. Only you know your DD though and I hope you all get some rest soon!

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Posted by twinkletoes807

Posted by Dani10

Do you think maybe she thinks she is only going down for a nap & that's why she wakes after 45 min?

I agree with this too, LB. Zoe is 6 months now and is just starting to have an earlier bedtime at around 7:30pm and STTN until 6:30am-7:30am. I think you may wanna try holding her bedtime for another hour.

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

LB - have you tried feeding her at that point and she refuses?

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Message edited 7/1/2010 8:43:39 PM.

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

As the others said..she might be confusing it with a nap. Maybe try giving her a few more ounces and she if that calms her.

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Logan was sleeping on his belly at that age because IT NEVER FAILED - 45 min to 1 hr after laying down, he'd wake up screaming. If I picked him up and walked around for a bit, he'd let out a monster burp.

He just had trapped gas, it was probably painful for the little dude

Try it without the swaddle - maybe if she can move around, she'll move the gas on her own

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

We had to let the swaddle go at about 3.5 months. Are you swaddling tightly? When we 1st had trouble with our DS not sleeping well and breaking out of the swaddle, we were using the SwaddleMe. Once we got a big square blanket at BBB and swaddled him well, things changed for the better. ONce he started breaking out again, we knew it was time to stop swaddling. I was scared not to swaddle and the 1st night or two he definitely flailed his arms and woke himself up but that qucikly passed. It wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. The leaving just 1 arm out didn't work for us. Good Luck!

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

So DH made a 4 oz bottle for her, and she drank 2 oz. He put her down (sleepsack, no swaddle) and she seemed content. I went in the shower, but according to DH she was on her side for a while, then on her back, and fussed for a few minutes but never cried and she's now sleeping. He also said that he went in to try and give her the paci but she didn't seem to want it.

She normally wakes herself up struggling to get out of the swaddle and at her hands - which is why the paci works to put her back to sleep in the middle of the night. My hope is that if she isn't swaddled she'll suck on her hands when she wakes in the middle of the night.

If this doesn't work we are going to do Ferber tomorrow. I also have to finish Healthy Sleep Habits Healthy Child. I may lose my mind from lack of sleep, but it won't be for lack of trying.

Thanks everyone

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

Re: I am seriously about to let my 3.5 month old CIO

I know it took both my girls a few months (like 6) before they'd go down earlier than 9pm. But we just kept plugging along trying to get a 6/7pm bedtime.

Finally it took.

BTW- I feel there is a HUGE difference between CIO and letting a baby fuss for a few minutes. I think the reason Eliza is SUCH a better sleeper than Mads is because she was not picked up immediately when she fussed- because most times I was dealing with her big sister.