5 months old feeding every 2 hours throughout the night!

[Geneticsbunny]

I know this isn't unusual but he has been doing it constantly for about 6 weeks so I don't think it is a growth spurt, wonder week or teething. During the day he is happy to go about 3 hours between feeds so I think he might have got a bit confused about day and night feeding. The question is, is there anything I can do to reverse the situation. Have been trying slightly more daytime feeds but he really isn't that interested plus he bites if I feed him when he isn't hungry!

Please help I am sooooo tired.

[hertsmum10]

gosh that's tough for you! Is baby BF? sounds like he might not be getting enough to satisfy him. During the day maybe he's distracted with all that's going on so goes a little longer without feeding but at night demands a feed straight away. Your HV might suggest introducing something? I would suggest getting to your HV they are great for advice and if not speak to another one until you get some advice that helps x

[Twighlightsparkle]

I will be flamed but could you try some food before bed.

My two did this at four months and a bit of cereal before bed ( the in thing then was baby rice) and it kept their wee tummy s full and happy and sleeping better.

I'm sure someone will be along soon to chat about some " regression" or other !

[TheScience]

DS1 did this at the same sort of age (was worse for a while actually - every 45 minutes) and eventually I snapped and got strict! He went into his own room and we did 4 hourly feeds, 7pm/11pm/3am/7am (still demand fed 7am-7pm). If he woke in between scheduled night feeds DP went in to him with water, dummy and cuddles. Took a few nights but he soon started waking only at 11pm and 3am.

[girliefriend]

Wow was also going to suggest weaning but fully expected to be a lone voice!!

Sounds like he is hungry and milk isn't enough to settle him imo, I always think 6 months is more of a target than a blanket rule.

[DirtyWeeRascal]

My six month old was doing this exact thing last month! I have now been weaning for two weeks, it's going great and his feeds have reduced to 4-5 hours overnight. Just to give you a bit of hope, I felt like everything had gone wrong!

[callamia]

I hear you. Mine went through this phase when he really cut down feeding during the day because the world was just too much fun. I pretty much fought him to feed, fed him in a quiet bedroom - all that, and he still preferred to feed in the dark of the night. Some nights, he slept in with me after about 3am - that made things slightly more bearable.

I don't have much advice, for us, introducing solids hasn't done much (although we're not really aiming to fill him up). Keep going with the feeding through the day, co-sleep if it keeps you sane, and it should pass soon. My son is six months, and has improved. He doesn't do a bad job of feeding in the day now (mostly). You have all of my sympathy though.

[ihaveadirtydog]

Yes I agree that a bit of food might help-a bit of baby rice or something. I know there will be posters who say that it will be less calories than breastmilk but it does seem to be more filling and might help him go a bit longer.

Alternatively try other ways of settling him-rock or sing him to sleep rather than feeding so he's got a variety of sleep associations, not just milk.

Have you tried a dummy?

[SpiderRoaster]

I'm sorry, I don't feel that certain points in the posts above are accurate advice.

Is baby BF? sounds like he might not be getting enough to satisfy him
I disagree with this. If the OP is breastfeeding, by 5 months, her supply would be absolutely fine as long as baby is putting on weight steadily and having plenty of dirty nappies. There is no evidence from the OP that there is something wrong with her milk (that is if she is feeding), the baby is just waking every 2 hours.

Feeding every 2 hours can be very normal for babies, sometimes up to 10 months and longer. It isn't what you want to head, but it is normal for a lot of babies, yet, in our western society we continue to look for 'solutions' to solve alleged sleep 'problems'. This 2 hour thing is common for ff and bf babies too.

Babies triple their size within about 2 years, this requires calories, and lots of them. There is fewer calories in cereal than there is in formula or breast milk. Milk is more important to babies for the first 6 months, when solids can introduced.

Waking ever 2 hours could be for a number of reasons and not just about milk - teething, growth spurts, development changes, too cold, too hot, wants comfort - the list is endless.

I'm sorry your knackered OP, perhaps get rest in the day, nap with baby, or get someone to watch baby whilst you sleep.

[SpiderRoaster]

www.askdrsears.com/topics/feeding-eating/feeding-infants-toddlers/10-tips-night-feedings

breastfeedchicago.wordpress.com/2013/05/24/5-cool-things-no-one-ever-told-you-about-nighttime-breastfeeding/

www.breastfeedingbasics.com/articles/night-waking-will-i-ever-get-a-good-nights-sleep-again

These are good reads

[littleducks]

I had this last month. I have started weaning now baby is 6 months, his sleep had improved but I'm pottery sure that isn't due to food as he is now getting more wind digesting solids.

It was annoying but I kind of just went with it. I am a bit lazy and had lots of other things going on (baby is dc3). I think with dc2 I sent DG in with water but that was a bit later around 7 or 8 months.

I think they become more alert and less sleepy and easy to settle. I'm trying till encourage positive sleep associations rather than being too sleep all the time and a bit of a routine. That seeks to come with weaning as well as introducing breakfast/lunch/dinner adds structure to the day.

[SpottyTeacakes]

Ds did this until seven months and then slept through by himself (cue horrendous mastitis!) he was bf and I had been weaning him a little while so it wasn't that. Hang in there it will get better! He regularly sleeps 13 hours now.

[Geneticsbunny]

Thanks everyone. Yes herts he is breastfed. He only feeds for about ten mins and then goes back to sleep so I am only cosleeping late in the night I.e. from about 5 onwards if he won't settle. I don't think he is really hungry because if is he is starving which isn't very often he makes a really big fuss about it. My mums keeps suggesting food too. I might give it a try. Maybe just a bit of baby rice? I think 5 months is a bit early to try any sleep training for a breast fed baby. Don't want to affect my supply. I didn't try a dummy early on because I was worried it would affect milk supply and I think it is probably too late now but that might be an option.

I suspect that he might be getting distracted during the day because he is really really nosey. He does this amazing laser eyes thing when he sees something interesting.

[josephine1986]

My LO is 4 months and I am expecting this phase soon, I've seen friends go through it and read on kellymom etc.
From what I've heard I should think Spider is pretty spot on. I am not looking forward to this phase but apparently it's a time where they learn so much so quickly and can literally do something new every day, it's such a time of major development. They need a lot of comforting through all that, as well as the calories for the feedings they miss during the day due to being distracted.
Baby rice is just bulky starch and doesn't replace breast milk!

[Geneticsbunny]

Spider. Thanks, those websites were quite reassuring. I have two older ones so napping in the day isn't really an option.

[SpiderRoaster]

Glad the websites helped

Here's one on baby rice www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2011/12/nine-good-reasons-not-to-use-baby-rice.html

[Geneticsbunny]

Interesting. I have decided to keep going with almost exclusively milk till 6 months but I will be letting him play with and taste a few things until then. He had a little bit(2 mouthfuls) of homemade veg soup today which was messy but he pretty much just played with the spoon which now appears to be his new favourite toy. He seems to be stretching out a little bit between night feeds. I think he went 8 till 11 and then 11 till 2 last night. i assume this has nothing to do with the tiny tiny amount of solids he has had. He also now has chicken pox but does seem bothered by that fortunately.

[Sjaandbeaurichardson]

What happened? My 4.5m is literally the same down to waking5am and the laser eyes! Did yours burp easily? Mine won’t in the night despite trying everything