Meg, this sounds like a familiar story. Some babies wake more often at night, and prefer to get more nutrition at night. I would advise avoiding bottles, because your baby should be able to nurse an "empty" breast and still get the fatty milk. If he doesn't fall back to sleep, you might try something that worked for me, giving my son more time outside to play during the daytime. There's something about playing outdoors rather than outside that seems to help babies get a better night's rest.
As for the daytime naps, you could try nursing him back down if he wakes up after 30-40 minutes. Once again, though, babies are very individual. Some respond well to routine, and some create their own routines. I noticed my own son at that age used to spend 3 or 4 nights with only 8 hours rest at night, and 3-4 nights with 10- 12 hours. I did my best to set a routine, but *he* chose his own. It finally occurred to me to notice that his father does the same thing, several nights short on sleep, several nights long on sleep.
Meg, many babies are still nursing at night between 12-18 months, but it generally begins tapering off in this timeframe. You mentioned that this was a recent occurrence, and it may simply be related to developmental changes which cause increased dependecy in 12-14 month olds. If that's the case, it should soon pass. I wish you happy nights!
| © 1999 Paula Bobbett Last Update: April 24, 1999 | |