and I'm addicted to giving my child a pacifier. Yeah. I didn't think it was a big deal either until I found myself getting up five, six, seven times a night to replace the pacifier so that said child would go back to sleep. Seriously, this is more disruptive than getting up for a nighttime feeding.
Trying to ween Eliot from her pacifier has been a task. Two nights ago she cried from 3:30am to 5am when I finally gave up and got her up for the day. (Normally I don't really consider 5am part of the day; it's definitely still night!) I spent all of yesterday without the pacifier and things were fine. She took all of her naps without problems and I was hopeful.
Last night, I fell off the no pacifier wagon. She woke up at 1:30am and cried until 2:30. I wasn't feeling strong enough to go without sleep again so I decided to give her the dreaded pacifier. To my surprise (thinking she was crying because she didn't have it) she didn't want it. Feeling frustrated, I gave her a bottle. She drank the whole thing. When it was gone, I put her back to bed and she fell asleep with little protest.
Now all my thinking that the pacifier is the problem has gone out the window. Is she up at night because she's hungry? Do I need to increase her solid meals to twice a day? Is it because she has a cold? Is it because she's teething? (side note: about two weeks ago she refused to go to sleep when we'd put her down. I was pretty sure at that point it was because her teeth are coming in- we can see them ;) Now that that's taken care of, we have this waking in the middle of the night.) I have no idea what I'm doing!
4 comments:
steph-- just know that even though some people fake it better than others, none of us REALLY know what we're doing! i'm glad you figured out the pacifier issue-- that is precisely the reason i never gave my kids pacifiers! thank goodness she didn't get too attached. we're having issues right now with naps-- like she doesn't want to take them-- EVER. it's always SOMETHING, isn't it?
Just in case you think youre "the only one" who cant figure this thing out its because.....These little babies are always changing things up...just when you think youve got it figured out...they throw some wrench in for you to figure out again....and you just lay there and think....SERIOUSLY!? :) The feeding thing might be because shes "growing" give her some rice cereal before bed with a HUGE bottle and it might work? you can never tell though...good luck :)
stephanie eliot's so cute! i know what you mean about not knowing what you're doing. aspen has those weeks where she's just not happy and i have no idea what to do about it but show her she's loved and that i'm willing to try anything! usually after a week things go back to normal, even if i never figure out what the blasted problem was!
Oh boy...sleep is such a hard thing with kids. I hate thinking they aren't getting enough to eat and that's why they're waking up...been there! Don't worry though--you're doing as good a job as anyone! Something will work out sooner than later.
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