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Hi Girls
Just asking for those of you with more than one baby. I have a DD who slept for 10 hours+ from time she was 3 months old give or take the odd night for the "usuals". She was BF up to 3 months but even at 8 weeks old she use to sleep 6 hours followed by another 2/3 hours.
DS is now 8.5 months old, BF for 2.5 months old but he wont sleep for longer than 4/5 hours, then bottle, then asleep again for another 4 hours/bottle and then hour or so later awake. He is ridicilous on bottles but he eats lots during the day too. . I just thought he would eventually just stop doing the middle of night bottles. He does not have a very consistent time on waking at night, some nights it could be 12.30 and later at 4.30/or 2.30 and again at 5.00....
He normally goes back to sleep once he has had bottles except if teething.
He sleeps well during the day for naps (1.5 hours approx and 1 hour approx later in day)....

Anyway have any of you had experience of similar with older DDs/DSs and did they eventually stop doing this or did you have to be pro active....I dont know what to do with him and back to work fairly soon so really worried that he will continue feeding twice a night like he is...I will be exhausted as I am a poor sleeper at best of times.
Tx in advance
Mum to Tara (and Newbie DS)

Would say that is very normal, certainly going by my two.

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Reach high, think big, work hard, have fun! 

I would start watering down the bottles at night, gradually getting rid, then offering only water. he will make up for it with food during the day. At 8.5 months he is well capable of going through the night, he's in the habit of looking for milk. Good luck!

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DS1, 5 years old, my chatterbox
DS2, 3 years old, my pet
DD, 1.5 years old, little miss

Hi
Thanks a mill girls for replies.
Loui, when you say its normal, do you mean that eventually will grow out of it (maybe in another few months yikes?)....not that can predict?
I think I might have to give the watered down bottles idea a go! or else an oz less every few nights and see how I get on.
Tx

DD is 22 months and still wakes for bottles. Tackle it now if you don't want it to continue, don't just assume he'll stop on his own! We kept meaning to stop DD's but she was sick or teething or refluxy so often there was never really a chance. I can't remember the last time I got a full night's sleep but it was at least two years ago.

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Hi Gingercat
Thanks a mill, we started last night with 2 ozs less in bottles and he was fine so will continue reducing until he is down to bottle of water. I can imagine your DD too. I think DS would just continue to do it too....
Like you we have had reflux, teething, sickness etc and that regressed it sometimes so going to tackle now when I have a chance. His older DD is in creche and seems to bring home a sniffle a week"!

Could have typed your post.
my ds1 slept 7-7 from 6wks unless sick/teething.
ds2 is 10mths now. wakes once - twice at night for bottles...he seems genuinely hungry althougH I've no idea how he could be. eats 3 good meals in a day with snacks. I'm jsut going with him for now. I have antoher ds in ji at the moment & baby crying would wake him up. quick bottle & hes straight back again,.

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Proud mammy to 2 wonderful boys
ds1 is 6
ds2 is 23mths

Hi Emms
Sorry to hear you are going through the same thing. I was wondering too as DS seems genuinely hungry too but I have been told by Sleep expert on another support group that it is comfort/habit (and here) and that baby will make up for it during the day.....just got a reply as she was off for 2 weeks at Easter. My DS is not that great on breakfast though so potentially some truth in what they are saying. I am a bit of a wuzz on doing anything drastic so will try gentle approach of reducing bottles and see what happens. I could never do the Crying it Out...never!
Seemingly yes they can be hungry during the ngith because thats when expect bottle of milk now.....but by reducing bottles during the night they should be able to make up for it during the day/move the hunger to another time???? I dont know but will try it out and see what happens......
Will keep you posted.

We have a 14mth old who has woken every night at whatever time suited her looking for bottle. Last night she didnt wake till 6.45am which was a miracle!!!

She eats like a horse all day and takes 3 bottles during the day also. We tried reducing the bottle but she just woke earlier!!!

DD1 slept through 12 hours since 6 weeks, this scut will never do it

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Never give on up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it,
the time will pass anyway!

Our little angel EDD 25/2/08 went to heaven 31/7/2007

My ds was the same always up at least 2 or 3 times a night for a bottle then at 9mth I couldn`t take it any longer as i was working full time as well so decided to stop the bottle completely at night. Instead i went in put him back down and said bedtime night night then waited 5mins went back in and did the same again but every time i came out i added another 5mins to the clock( e.g if went in again it would be 10min). This was very tiring for everyone but by the 3rd night slept right through, even now at 3 goes to sleep 7 on the dot till 7.30 in the morning.

My 2 didn't sleep through the night until 9 months+

With DS1 he didn't look for bottles during the night.

DS2 wanted bottles during the night so we started doing dream feeds at 11am and when he woke at 3am we would only give him 2oz. Yes, he did start to wake earlier for a feed so then we just cut out the bottles as he wasn't genuinely hungry at 3am. We suffered the hell of it for a few weeks but if paid off. I was consistent, every single night for 3 weeks and then after that he went to sleeping 8pm-7pm. There were nights when I just wanted to give him the bottle for a bit of sleep but I knew in the end it would be worth it!

Clicon, when DS2 started waking earlier for a feed I held him out for 5 minutes longer every day and stretched it out over a period of time. Managed to stretch it from 5am to 7am over a few weeks.

Personally I found the baby whisperer book great for DS2.

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Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe

Hes 8.5 mths ?? Give him.ready brek.going to bed and no bottles. he doesnt need milk during night.... habit.now.

Hi Ladies
Some fab advise, thank you so much. I have reduced his bottles down (4 ozs at 1.00 a.m) and 5 ozs at 5.00 a.m.....this is a big improvement on 2 8oz bottles in a few nights and he is fine so far.....I am going to do 3ozs and 3ozs tonight and see how we get on. God i would love if he just decided to give up the 1.00 a.m, bottle even. AT least we would be going the right direction. I tried Dream feed but maggot was waking up for 2 more bottles too

Tx Girls so much, it does seem to be a habit and amazing how the "Hunger" is reduced...!

Let me know how you get on.

DS2 physically cant eat any more during the day (he can only take 3-4ozs bottle going to bed as hes so full from the day) hes a birlliant appetite....Re habit yeah it could be but my guy drains the bottles....doesn't affect his meals the following day. eats like a horse. what formula is your baby on? ds2 is on c&g comfort since 2wks old. I coulnd't do the cio thing either or have him crying too much at night as i've ds1 (5) for school in the morning & he needs his sleep.

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Proud mammy to 2 wonderful boys
ds1 is 6
ds2 is 23mths

I'd recommend porridge/Muesli/ready brek before bed too. We do this with dd, she gets a bowl of whatever and then her bedtime bottle and is now sleeping through.
Good luck!

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I was thinking this but I dont' know how id fit it in. he has his tea about 5pm usually (eats a good amount) & then beditme bottle at 6.45pm & he can only drink a few ozs out of this hes that full...

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Proud mammy to 2 wonderful boys
ds1 is 6
ds2 is 23mths

I sometimes don't know how dd puts it all away but she does and she's a right skinny minny!
She has dinner/tea at about 5.30, then supper at about 7 and 6oz bottle after that. It's the only milk she will have during the day.

She really needs out though, she was waking at about 5am but as soon add we started giving her supper, she started sleeping through to 7.30am.

Why not give out a go and see how you get on? If it doesn't work then there's no harm done!

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Hi Girls
Oh my god he only woke once last night and drank just 4 ozs. A couple of things I have done based on lots of great advise, thank you.
1. I have started to give him a few spoons of yogurt at 7.00 p.m or else a slice of toast, he still drinks his bottle at 7.45 p.m and bed at 8.00 (8.15 a.m)...he just about drinks the 8ozs because he is full but he wants it all the same.
2. I reduced his bottles during the night down from 8ozs to 7ozs to 6ozs and last night 5 ozs but he only drank 4ozs...this is a massive change for him because he was GUZZLING 8ozs twice a night. I am so surprised at this, I cant believe it. He is actually not eating much more breakfast so guess thats his thing. He eats lots during the day and drink 3 more 8oz bottles. He had weetabix for breakfast, ate a pear after it, follow, spag bolognese for dinner and fruit, scrambled egg and brown bread and then some natural yogurt spoonfuls fed by his older DD ( )....He is not actually eating a lot more during the day.
3. He woke at 1.30 a.m and drank the 4ozs and straight back to sleep, he mooched at 5.00 a.m, but went back to sleep , mooched again at 6.00 a.m and went back to sleep ....he did not wake up until 9.00 a.m!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am astonished.
4. I have made huge efforts to make sure he goes asleep on his own at night time, he could be a rascal on this, I am now very consistent, pick up, put down, pick up, put down and its working too.
Will keep you posted and I am hoping he will just decide to drop the bottles himself shortly, I will persist...he is not crying or unhappy so I am fine with it.
Tx everyone and hope others are improving too, its so exhausting. Work on 7th of May so tick tock on getting sorted, I hope.....Cheers Girls again, thanks so much for support

Thats fantastic news, going to try some of those out on my little "lady" who woke refused to go to sleep til 9pm, woke at 1.30am for a bottle, 4.30am for a bottle and again at 5.30am (screaming blue murder). So Im wrecked out of my mind!!! Dh.......snored peacefully(PRICK)

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Never give on up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it,
the time will pass anyway!

Our little angel EDD 25/2/08 went to heaven 31/7/2007

I have tried the reduced milk with ds2 & he went mad til I upped the ozs again.....Think its a waiting game with us. Last night he woke at 12am & drank 8oz bottle. back to sleep til 6am. Was happy with that although it was a very early start....hopefully things can only get better

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Proud mammy to 2 wonderful boys
ds1 is 6
ds2 is 23mths

Hi Girlies
I had one great night LAST WEEK. He slept from 9.00 p.m until 5.45 a.m and back again until 7.15 a.m. I was delighted BUT he got another tooth and more on the way so gone backwards again . The only thing however is that I seem to have been successful in getting him to do 1 smaller bottle a night instead of two and really believe its because i give him something to eat just before his bedtime bottle. Cutting down the ozs in bottles seems to translated into one bottle now. PU/PD has worked well too as he now goes back to sleep straight after bottle and getting better at going to bed also...

Sorry not been back on but I was wrecked with the teething and older DD is being very demanding on attention front these days...oh the joys of Motherhood!

Hope others are doing well.....Emms, sounds like it might be a waiting game for sure. DS was 9 months old yesterday. He is crawling/standing and cruising everywhere. He thinks he can walk too and forgets. I need a helmet for him!

Hi Girls
Just a quick post. DS Slept the night last night...Yippee. He slept from 8.30 to 7.30 this morning and I did a big FAT NOTHING DIFFERENT. he has been waking for bottle during the week but only 3-4 ozs and decided to give it up last night...oh please god he continues. I am back to work on Tuesday

Hi Girls
Hope you are all well. DS is mainly still sleeping through the night, he only started literally the few days before I went back. I cant believe. Ok he was bad all last week (teething) but in general he is fine now thanks to all the advise by you lovely ladies.
HOpe others have got some sleep dust their way too, Take care and hello
Back in work a month tomorrow, its flying by....was awful for first week but now in a bubble.....go to work and it all works out.

x