my daugther is 10 months and she still awakes every 2 hours and she falls asleep just if i nurse her.?

Question

so she sleeps in our bed too much to go all tthe time to her room.pleaseee some advicessssss.thankssss

Answer 1

From one mother to another. Do what is right for your famly! Sounds like you already are. Asking questions here is just going to bring out a bunch of people against your ideas. It will make you feel insecure. Your practicing what is called bed sharing or co sleeping. It is a wonderful idea. Many mothers over the world practice do it too!!!!
Babies that co-sleep have been proven to wake more often to nurse. There is nothing wrong it. They are trying to grow to three times the size they were at birth. (If you had to triple your weight think how often you would eat. You would even eat at night!) Children eventually stop waking at night so often.
My first son really wore me out until I learned to not worry so much. Relaxing, not worring and not looking at the clock everytime he woke helped me alot! I have had four children all of them have slept with me and breastfed until they outgrew the need. It was generally around 18 months on the nursing through the night and about 2-21/2 on sleeping in their own bed.

One of the best things you could do is attend a La Leche League Meeting. There will be other nursing mothers there. Some will be sleeping with their children others will not. But at least you will be in a supportive environment.
http://www.lalecheleague.org/Webindex.html?m=0,0,2

Here is a really neat book to read.

NIGHTTIME PARENTING by William Sears, MD
This newly revised edition includes the latest research on how sharing sleep may reduce SIDS risk. It also offers tips on safe sleep-sharing and an update on the benefits of breastfeeding at night as well as advice on other nighttime dilemmas such as how to get your baby to sleep and stay asleep; whether or not you should let your baby "cry it out;" dealing with toddlers who wake at night; and getting children to bed without a struggle.

Also you can visit Dr Sears' web page.
www.askdrsears.com

Here is the web page for The University of Notre Dame Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Lab
http://www.nd.edu/~jmckenn1/lab/
While there check out the FAQ.

Answer 2

Its normal. She should outgrow it by 2 or 3 years.


My son has just stopped waking every 2 hours... he goes 3 hours and then comes to bed with us and then has a long stretch and then wakes up once or twice more in the early morning. Hes 14 months. He was waking every 2 hours, just like your little one, only a month ago.

Its a maturity thing, she will outgrow it when she is ready.

until then, don't look at the clock and don't count the times she wakes... you will feel more rested that way. Try to nurse her more durring the day and she may wake less at night. My sons improved sleeping co-incided with an increase in daytime nursing.

Answer 3

I didn't breastfeed my children by choice but I did have that problem with my son. He does not sleep in our bed never has never will he sleeps in his own crib. I will never forget when his dr told me at his 6 month check up to stop giving him a bottle when he woke up at night to "let him cry it out"..Well frankly kiss my *** I am not letting my child cry it out when he is hungry and as a parent I surely will not let my child cry when they are in need of something even if its just to be held. My son is 10 months old and when he was 8.5 I made the decision to see if just water at night would help him and it did, he stopped taking and wanting a paci by 5 months of age so I wasn't even going to have that battle at 2 or 3 in the morning. Anyhow the bottle of water did just fine and if he wakes up at night and wont take the water I'll pick him up hold him and let him know I am there he usually goes back to sleep. However maybe your child isn't getting enough through nursing and please don't shoot me but maybe supplementing a little formula at bedtime or trying the water bottle thing might work for you. It did for us.

Also she might be napping to long during the day I found with my son atleast that the 2 naps I was making sure he took everyday was also keeping him up alot of the night. If he's up before 7am he takes two naps one at 9-930 the other about 2. If he's up around 7-8 he'll nap from 11-1 and he can stay awake til 8pm and sleeps better because "hes tired"

Answer 4

There isn't anything wrong with that. It's tough on you...but there's nothing abnormal going on with your child. Breastfed babies often wake throughout the night.

My son also co sleeps, and he wakes up every couple of hours....and that's ok.

You might want to find a new method of getting her to sleep, just because you don't want her to rely on the breast to sleep...

Breastfeeding takes dedication as you already know...just hang in there mama...you're doing great!

Edit to add:

Please be very particular when reading these answers Lili...the majority of them are just ludicrous...stopping nursing, supplementing with formula and ignoring your baby...do nothing to solve your problem...which really isn't even an abnormal behavior in the first place...

If it makes you feel better, you aren't alone...most of us are going through the same thing! Good Luck.

Edited again to add:

This comes highly recommended by other breastfeeding mothers and Dr. Sears...may be worth looking into...

ANNOUNCING:

The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night By Elizabeth Pantley

(Contemporary Books, A Division of the McGraw-Hill Companies / March 2002)


"At long last, I've found a book that I can hand to weary parents with the confidence that they can learn to help their baby sleep through the night-without the baby crying it out." —Dr. William Sears

*** In response to your email--

No problem! Its a big job, being a mommy...and we can all use all the help we can get!

As long as your baby is growing and healthy and the doctor says everything is ok...trust your instincts...don't worry about what anybody says! :)

Take care! :)

Answer 5

Maybe shes getting to much sleep during the day. My son is 6 months and I give him 2 naps a day only 1 and half hour long naps.
I also fold over a swaddling cloth and wray it around his arms then wrap him like a lil burrito in his blanket. I also prop him up so he can breath better cuz of sinus problems.
He sleeps 8 hours good like that. She may need a lil more baby food at dinner time.

Answer 6

She's using you for a pacifier.
Put her in her own bed in her own room. When she cries for more than 10 min, go to her, but don't be so quick to nurse. Only do it if she is inconsolable. Keep at it at you should atleast get longer intervals between the times she wakes up. And soon after that she'll sleep all night.

Answer 7

Has she always only slept for a short period of time? If so it could be a medical problem, after having six kids I realized the same was happening to my youngest, it turned out she had a problem with her tongue, it was stuck to the bottom and she had no suction, so she never got full and needed to be fed often, The doc did a quick 3 second in office procedure that fixed it right up. On the other hand if that's not the problem, she might just have a separation problem, if that's the case , now is the time to start the separation.
I know it hurts, but you need to put her in her crib, and allow her to cry herself to sleep. Give her a plush toy to hug, and even if she screams bloody murder don't give in. She has to learn to let go and sleep on her own. I've had 6 kids, believe me it works!

Answer 8

Sounds like she's gotten into a bad habit. She knows that if she wakes up and cries you will come in and hold her or feed her. Let her cry it out - try for 15 minutes and if she doesn't calm down go in and comfort her - but don't feed her. Then go back out and give it another 15 minutes - keep going in at 15 minutes to calm her. It should take about 3 days but eventually she'll stop crying when she wakes up - unless she's sick or had a bad dream. The baby whisperer is a good book to read about sleep habits. good luck!

Answer 9

One thing is definate... you need to keep your child in her own bed! Start that now while she's still young. You may have to take her in for a check up. She could have something wrong if she is waking that often. If nothing is wrong, then you will have to go to the book store and get some books and educate yourself on kids and sleeping patterns. It may be tough at first, but in the long run it will be best for the family.

Answer 10

I had the same problem when I was nursing my son. Not only was it food but it began to become comfort. It is best to break this cycle now. Try not nursing in bed anymore. Sit in a rocking chair or on the couch then put the baby in her bed. Or you can start to do this like every other night. Believe me it is better to do it now then wait till later. I didn't listen before when I was warned my son is 2 now...no longer nursing but wants to be in my bed. I am slowly (every other night) keeping him in his bed. It is working. It is not as hard as it once was. Good luck to you. And congrats on the baby!