My daughter just turned one and I am hoping to get some good advice from you mamas about sleep training. My son was not the best sleeper when he was a baby so I started off trying to teach her good sleep habits but nothing is working anymore! When she was an infant I would lie her down slightly awake and she would fuss/lightly cry for a couple minutes and then fall asleep on her own. I was so happy about this! She has always had a "hair trigger" puke reflex and starting at about 6 months old she would get upset if I tried this and would vomit all over the place. I tried the Ferber CIO method but it resulted in giant piles of puke everywhere. We decided this is not going to work for us. I have also tried where I stay in the room with her and pat her back, pick her up if she is getting upset, and put her back down...but again she will simply get too upset and then have projectile vomiting everywhere! The only way to get her to sleep is to give her a bottle while rocking or cuddling her and then lie her in her bed asleep. Then the other issue is she is up once every night and wants a bottle to go back to sleep. I realize she will not be doing this forever, but I would like to know some tools to teach her better sleep habits! I have never been thrown up on so many times in my life! If she is sick or upset in any way she can vomit so easily. Thanks in advance for the advice!
I thought I'd add that she sleeps well and does not throw up when not upset. She does not need to sleep sitting up in a carseat. She does not throw up unless she gets upset over something (like being left alone). As a very young infant she did need to be burped VERY often and she did have some reflux.
My son is very similar. He vomits very easily when he's upset. We used the book Good Night Sleep Tight by Kim West. It was very helpful. My little guy sleeps better now, but he still has some trouble. We were very concerned because of the vomiting too, so I understand what you're going through. Good luck!
With your daughter being a year old, I don't think sleeping in her car seat is preferable. My son has always had a sensitive gag reflex (as does his father, and his father's mother, so he comes by it honestly), and he throws up easily when he gets worked up crying. So I can relate. I just wanted to let you know that your daughter is not alone on the vomiting thing, and I don't necessarily think it's reflux. At least it's not with my son. It's just if he's crying hard, he'll start coughing, and then the vomit is next. We have worked on not getting to that state, but if he's really upset/crying, we can pretty much see the vomiting coming. That goes for a good coughing spell too. He'll vomit sometimes after a really hard coughing spell. Sensitive gag reflex.
As for the sleep issue, personally, I'd be ok with the rocking/bottle to go to sleep routine. If that's working, why not just go with it? And have you tried putting a bottle or sippee in the crib with her so if she wakes up, she can get it on her own? This worked for my son. I know we're not supposed to let them have milk at night, but if you are giving it to her anyhow, and you're not getting her up to brush her teeth, what's the difference if you get up to give her the milk or if she has easy access to it herself? Or you could use water, or maybe that's what you're already doing. Either way, I'd try putting her bottle or sippee in the corner of her crib, if you haven't tried that. Then, if she wakes, you could go in, show her where it is, and maybe eventually, she'll realize on her own that it's there.
My daughter has a very similar problem at 16 months. I don't really have any advice . . . currently, I rock her to sleep. My husband does not like the solution, but, there's only so much vomit one can take! My daughter recently started waking up every hour or so again, since she is teething. If we try CIO, we get to clean her up and change the sheets . . .
My youngst is 3.5 and finally sleeps all night up until now he would wake at least once but usually twice. This was awful for me. My oldest I could always do a bedtime routine, lay him down awake and he would sleep all night he has a very easy going personality there was no cry it out with him he just was born to sleep. The little one is more high strung and needy. Cry it out just will not work for every child. The best thing I ever did was read a few Dr. Sears books. I slowly switched him to water instead of breastmilk for bed and night time wakings from there we slowly got out of needing the water during the night but I had to go snuggle with him and we slowly cut out the bedtime one too. I still have to lay down with him until he falls asleep but at least there is no fighting and its generally only about 5 minutes tops that I have to lay with him but I know he won't want me to lay down with him forever so I'll just enjoy it while I can :)
OK the vomiting doesn't sound normal. Seems like she might have reflux. Has she recently been sick or vaccinated? Milk is the number one allergen so it is possible that she is allergic.Will she sleep sitting up in a car seat?
My 1 yo foster son did this too, but I watched him closely and noticed he would stick his finger down his throat and gag himself in order to vomit. We're not sure why he does this (our guess is neglect from the previous parents), but he does do it to get our attention when he feels we are not looking at him enough or if he was cranky. It took about three weeks to break the habit; I would watch him closely and pull his finger out of his mouth and tell him "no" and eventually he stopped. I would check to see if she just pukes or if she is causing it on her own somehow and maybe there is a behavior that can be addressed.
Read The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley for ideas. And if she falls asleep fairly quickly and stays asleep when you put her down, that might be a fine solution IF you're OK with it. The alternatives don't sound nearly as pleasant. But No Cry Sleep Solution might help you out with some even better alternatives. Good Luck.
My granddaughter vomits easily and Is not gaining much weight. She is going to be petite like her mother but is facing a "failure to thrive" diagnosis.
After much experimentation, we have decided that she is allergic to red dye no. 5 (in many treat foods such as chips). You might also experiment. Good luck.
