It can be very upsetting and a terrible feeling when your little one throws up at any time due to crying too long or for any other reasons. It could bring more guilt when your little one throws up while undergoing sleep training and learning to self-soothe.
There are a few things you can do, including making some changes at bedtime. In this blog, we will thoroughly look into how to handle a child if he throws up at night during sleep training by the Ferber method and how to carry on for the rest of the night.
What to do if the baby throws up at night:
If your baby has vomited due to crying for a long time or due to reflux or any other reason you should take the following measures right away.
1- Check the baby immediately:
When you are using the Ferber method, the rule is to approach your child’s room once you hear him crying in the middle of the night. Then you have to wait outside the room and check in at the designated interval.
When you hear your child throwing up in the middle of all this chaos, never ever wait for the interval to be over and rush to him immediately.
2- Sooth and comfort the baby:
Once you have attended to your child, the first thing is to give him comfort. After that, first, you should change his clothes and calm him down. You can get help from your spouse to handle the child for some time while you clean the bed.
3- Offer some water:
Offer some sips of water to eliminate the bitterness in the mouth. Water also helps clear the esophagus after the vomit.
As per NHS, “Children who are vomiting should keep taking small sips of clear fluid, such as water.
4- Check the baby’s behavior for a while:
Stay in the room for a while and observe your child’s behavior. See if he is showing any symptoms of not being well. Notice every aspect and give continued comfort.
5- Pat And Rub His Back:
Once you are satisfied with your child’s response, put him back in his bed and comfort him by patting and rubbing his back. It will soothe him instantly and he may go back to sleep.
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6- Protect the mattress:
Every baby’s mattress should have a protective cover, even if the child is potty trained. So that, in case of such accidents, you can simply change the sheet and put the baby back to sleep.
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Should I continue the Sleep training for the rest of the night:
Although throwing up due to crying is rare, some children may have extreme reactions to new programs like sleep training. They might cry so hard that they reflux the milk they last had.
We understand that it could be a terrible feeling for you to see your child like this but remember Dear parents, you are not doing anything wrong! The purpose is to make your child an independent sleeper and adopt healthy habits. We would recommend that you should go on with the training for the rest of the night.
You can stop the training in case your baby has vomited due to being unwell. If they have signs of fever, you can consider quitting the training.
1- Calm Down The Baby:
Take your time to calm down the child and reassure yourself to the fullest. Once you feel satisfied with your child’s condition, check if he is drowsy and wants to sleep back. At this point, you have to start the process again.
2- Shorten The Intervals:
Put the child in the bed and leave the room. Chances are there he might start crying again when you leave but now wait for the progressive waiting to be over.
Here you can shorten the interval timings for the rest of the night maybe to only 5 minutes and repeat it every time the child cries.
3- Change The Plan:
Dont stick to 2 minutes of comforting, you can comfort your child the best way possible.
4- Dont feed:
Never feed the child unnecessarily and wait for the actual feeding time to come. Offer some water to recover from the terrible feeling.
5- Try to feed the baby as early as possible before bedtime:
You can also opt for such an option where you can feed the child as early as possible before bedtime. Feed the child first then do the bedtime rituals, by this, he can easily differentiate between independent sleep, feeding, and bedtime rituals.
What to do if the baby throws up almost every day:
If you see the same pattern for straight 3 nights that your child is throwing up at night due to excessive crying or any other reason. Then it is better to have his checkup by the doctor just to be sure.
If your baby’s vomiting seems to be related to the Ferber method, consider making adjustments to the approach. This might mean taking a break from sleep training for a while or modifying the method to suit your baby’s temperament and needs better.
Or you can consider the ferber method alternatives.
