The Nursing Baby - Q&A

Leeba Berger asks
My daughter is 8 1/2 months old and about 3 weeks ago, she started to awake several times each night. She has always slept 8 - 10 hours each night without getting up. She remains awake for 1 - 2 hours each time she gets up and needs to be rocked back to sleep. If we attempt to put her back in her crib when she isn't fully asleep, she immediately wakes up and begins crying. We have tried everything, even letting her cry herself back to sleep (which DOESNT WORK!). Do you have any suggestions for us? By the way, our daughter stopped nursing when she was 4 months old due to a variety of reasons.
Thanks!

Dear Leeba,
Sounds like your daughter may be going through a growth spurt or teething. I am unsure whether you are trying bottles in the middle of the night or not, but I highly suggest it, as your daughter may be genuinely hungry, especially as she is staying awake. If it's teething, try a cold washcloth to suck on when she wakes to see if that helps numb the gums. Though I've personally never used them, many parents report success with Hyland's Teething Tablets.

She also may be going through a genuine period of separation anxiety. I don't know how you feel about using the family bed, but it is definitely not just for breastfed babies, it works wonders for providing a sense of security for bottlefed babies and children as well. If you are not comfortable with family bed or sidecar arrangements in your room, I would continue as you are, with the rocking and comforting throughout the night. In fact, I would try to get to her as soon as she wakes as possible - the shorter delay may help her from waking fully and help her get back to sleep more quickly.

As tough as it seems right now, your daughter isn't waking up in the middle of the night to manipulate you for attention or fun, she probably wants to get back to sleep just as much as you want her too. I am glad to hear you are chunking the cry-it-out method, as this would especially be difficult for a baby going through separation anxiety, as so many 8-10 month old babies go through this stage.

I expect no matter how you approach this problem, time is probably all that is needed. Most babies go through phases of night waking, for one reason or another. Often parents believe they have solved night waking by one approach or another, but babies genuinely want to sleep through the night, and once their terror or pain is gone, so too goes the nightwaking.

Happy Parenting!

These tips are not intended to be medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider if you have questions.

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