Desperate for sleep - 5 month old BF boy waking up every 1-2 hours

[kookslondon]

After 3 months of reflux induced hell, my BF boy started sleeping for periods of 4 hours at night - bliss! However, I've now started weaning and he's started waking up every 1.5-2 hours...I'm seriously sleep deprived, have no help from other half as he's away a lot, and feel like I'm losing the plot. I'm so tired. Can anyone help me with any tips/suggestions before I go completely mental? Why is this happening? I am still breastfeeding pretty much on demand, as I did before weaning, every 2-3 hours. Please help xx

[monsterchild]

I am feeding my 5 month old all the time too! I get in bed about 9 and, as we choo sleep I probably get 6 hours of sleep total. Don't know if that will work for you but its helped me!

[Xiaoxiong]

When DS was 5 months he was still in his sidecar cot and probably feeding that often, but since he was right there we got enough sleep because he could just latch on as he needed and I would barely wake up. Are you co-sleeping or using a sidecar? If I had to get fully out of bed to breastfeed I would have got absolutely no sleep either.

When I say "sidecar" I don't mean something special, all we did was take off the side of his cot, pull it up to the bed, make sure the top of his cot mattress was level with our mattress, and use a couple of bungees to secure.

Then I could just reach out and pull him to me without really waking either of us up, or he could wriggle over and latch on, and then just push him gently back into his own space when he was done.

[kookslondon]

Thanks Xiaoxiong, it's reassuring to know that it's not just me, and a good idea with the sidecar style sleeping. I'll try it. At the moment I am up, out of bed and wide awake about 6 times a night. Exhausting. Thank you both x

[Xiaoxiong]

Up and out of bed fully 6 times a night I think I would have died from exhaustion by now, you are built of sterner stuff than I am!

We followed the instructions here:
www.freewebs.com/sidecarcrib/

We used rolled-up cellular blankets instead of foam blocks to plug the gap between the mattress and the crib.

[Xiaoxiong]

And just to give you an unMNetty ((hug)) - it's not just you and this too shall pass - you're doing brilliantly breastfeeding at 5 months after those horrible months of reflux.

We're still going strong at 17 months, always thought I would stop at 6 months but that was when I felt like I was just starting to figure out what I was doing!! We're down to nursing twice a day now - morning wake-up and evening wind-down, and it's so lovely

[larlemucker]

I'm exactly the same. DS can't latch lying down due to my shitty boobs so if we don't co-sleep (which I am now scared to do after today's news) I'm up every hour between 9pm and 8am.
It's exhausting. I sit up to feed and have to try really hard not to fall asleep.
Sorry no advice, just wanted you to know you're not alone!

[Xiaoxiong]

larle sympathy - I had a BF consultant show me how to get DS to latch on properly lying down, it involved supporting his head initially, getting myself up on my elbow and arranging my boobs for easier access with a rolled up muslin for support! As he got older he could support himself and it got easier.

Also please don't be scared to co-sleep as long as you follow the safe sleeping guidelines: that study is really seriously flawed and didn't take into account any of the safe sleeping guidelines that should be used when co-sleeping. The problems with the study are very well summed up by UNICEF here: www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/News-and-Research/News/UNICEF-UK-Baby-Friendly-Initiative-statement-on-new-bed-sharing-research/

[Xiaoxiong]

Sorry link fail: www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/News-and-Research/News/UNICEF-UK-Baby-Friendly-Initiative-statement-on-new-bed-sharing-research/