We've had some terrible bedtime dramas recently, my DS and I. He's 11 months old (9 months corrected) and used to sleep brilliantly, but hasn't for a while. I used to bf him to sleep. Read Pantley on stopping the feed-to-sleep association and had some success with her advice. His naps are a struggle but he usually can be cuddled to near-sleep and then drift off (but often not in his cot, but on a mattress on the floor in his room, where I feed him).
In the evening I try to do this: 6-6.30pm quiet time reading books, then bath, then breastfeed (trying not to let him fall asleep), burp (really tricky sometimes), song and bed. If he grizzles I stroke his belly for a while and leave the room when he seems calmer.
That's when the fun starts. He will complain, then scream. I do the pick up, shhh, pat, put down thing, maybe rub his belly for a bit. He goes ballistic. I repeat, and repeat, and repeat. He will usually get more tired and even drowsy, but as soon as he is in his cot he screams. He's often scratching his head madly at that point (doesn't during the day). Sometimes he even falls asleep for 5 or 10 minutes, then gets so frustrated with still not being 'properly' asleep that we have to start all over again. Yesterday the whole thing took 1 1/2 hours, and he then needed to be settled again 40 minutes later and woke up 4 times during the night. (Before anyone suggests letting him cry: CC will never work because he can throw up at will and often does out of frustration.)
I've been wondering whether moving his bf to before his bath might help with the obvious wind/ stomach pain, but am weary of making him throw up even more (he's a refluxy baby). In which order do you do feed, bath, story, bed? Can babies actually learn how to fall asleep on their own? Does anyone have any great gems of wisdom to share? I'd be ever so grateful.
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Talk me through your bedtime routine please, ours isn't working anymore
Gurke · 24/08/2013 22:44
Thanks sleepless (I know how you feel...
).
I would happily feed him to sleep but sadly that's not working anymore either. DS usually wakes up mid-transit to his bed (he never used to wake up, or mind) and goes ballistic. On the very rare occasions when he settles in his cot he then wakes up 30-40 minutes later with trapped wind and won't feed again, and we're back at square 1. And there is another problem: I'm about to go back to work ft, and my stupid shifts mean I'll miss 2 or 3 bedtimes a week. DS won't take more than the bare minimum from his straw cup, but that's a whole other panic.
It would be nice if it 'just clicked' at some point though...
Thanks very much Swivel & Teacher, good to hear your experiences. I'm trying something like gradual retreat, but haven't been able to 'retreat' very much yet. Some evening & nights are just awful - took me 2 hours yesterday to get him to sleep, after lots if crying & throwing up, and then he kept waking up at 30/40 minute intervals 
So we have some way to go!
Sorry, was hectic in work last week then away for the weekend so no mumsnet!
Moving the feed to before bath turned out to be really easy; in fact, DD is on Zantac for reflux also; she has never been a pukey refluxer but has a lot of pain when she is off her meds, and feeding, then sitting her upright while she plays in the bath afterwards seems really to suit her.
The throwing up sounds tough - is your LO's reflux as under control as possible? Meds have to be uptitrated as they gain weight, so might be worth a GP visit before persisting with the sleep coaching. In fact, I forgot to bring my LO's Zantac away with us this weekend and she has been a nightmare to get to sleep tonight, poor thing I feel bad 
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