I'm not exaggerating, I wish I was, but I'm really not, baby waking 20+ times a night

[ibroughtcake]

And I know he's a baby and they do wake a lot but come on 20 times or more a night?

15 weeks old, breastfed, sleeps in his cot until I go to bed then comes in with us. I get my longest stretch sitting up feeding and he falls asleep in my arms (that lasts for about an hour).

We have upped our feeding in the day so that he is getting as much milk as possible during the day, but he wakes up hungry, mouthing the mattress, sucking his hands. I feed him whenever he wakes and he has a good 10 min feed each time.

Please save me from the early weaning brigade is your salvation brigade, thanks

[ibroughtcake]

Ignore that first brigade

[weeonion]

IBC - hi there and that does seem like alot of waking. really dont know what to say to help.. is he feeding well through the day and napping?

has anyoe checked the latch / position to make sure he is getting the hind milk??

[ibroughtcake]

Naps in the day for about 20 mins x 3, but longer if he is in the sling/pram.

I haven't had anybody check his latch, but I fed my DD for over 2 years and haven't had any pain or soreness with him feeding so like to think I might know what I am doing, alas it would seem not . Good thought re the hind milk though, if he is only feeding for a short time he may not be getting to it you think?

[weeonion]

oh IBc - i really dont know - hopefully tiktok or hunker might come along.

just wondered if he was getting the foremilk - but please dont think that i am suggesting you are doing something not quite right.

[ibroughtxmascake]

and he's awake again

[brimfull]

bloody hell you must be knackered.

are you positive it's hunger and not just wanting to suck to get back to sleep?

[ibroughtxmascake]

gg, could well be just sucking to get to sleep, but he is a dummy refusnik (I did try even though I don't really like them) and he is feeding for a while when he wakes so who knows. Maybe I could try the dummy again? I could add it to the list of

• Swaddle
• No swaddle
• Heating on/Fan on
• In bed/in cot/sleeping on DP's chest
• Grobag

Arrrgghhh I am tired

[SheepishPeachesMcLean]

As ggirl says, you must be knackered.
I don't often comment on these threads, and I'm no expert, but 3 twenty minute daytime naps for a 15 week old doesn't sound much. My son was similar and didn't really know how to sleep. Once we got the daytime naps sorted, the nighttime fell into place much more easily. I know she's controversial, but the day time sleep patterns Gina Ford lays out in Contented little baby really worked for DS. (NB: don't follow it religiously, but the basics really made sense for us)

Sounds like he needs to sleep for longer during the day, and a routine of regular sleep patterns can really help that. Also, leaving him in a space where he can sleep without being disturbed.

sorry if you're doing a lot of this already, but from what you've said, start with the daytime stuff, ie when you're less stressed and desperate for sleep.

Don't know if that helps.

[homeEdder]

my boy did pretty much similar. He is 9 yr old now, so memory a bit misty! He was a non stop feeder and cryer. To this day he is a demanding child.

Do you think he is comfort 'feeding'. The term I hear these days is "he grazes" and actually that is what he does now, he eats continuously throughout the day, lots of little snacks as well as mid day lunch and evening meal.

I bf ds for 18 months. Did the same as you, would have him in bed with us and would fall asleep sitting up, laying down with him beside, hey a bf mum could sleep standing up! He also went through 10 dummies!!!

Good luck and ignore the bottle brigade.

[bellabelly]

I thought (and I didn't breastfeed my twins for long so I really am NOT an expert) but I thought the ideal was 20 mins on the one breast so they get the watery stuff AND the more filling, calorific hindmilk. Will your baby feed for more than 10 mins at a time? Just thinking that might help...

[weeonion]

IBC - my hv showed me how to get dd to suck on her hand and then later her thumb. she sued to want to comfort suck all the time. she is better at settling herself now but - you must be shattered and sound worn out after trying everything.

[ibroughtxmascake]

Oh good god he's awake again

I will be back

[brimfull]

My ds was a sucker fiend who refused a dummy.
I used to get him to sleep by letting him suck my little finger.It's not exactly practical but easier to wean him off it than boob.

I think he'd started to suck his thumb by about 4 months so could get himself to sleep and slept through.

[PrisonerCellBlockAitch]

oh god in your shoes i'd try cranio-sacral therapy as well as everything else on your list. it'd be £30 well-spent if it helped him to sleep. (my dd had it for something else, but as an aside she drank a full bottle and fell asleep for ages immediately after her appointment. she'd only just had a long nap and a bottle before she went in.)

[brimfull]

weeonion-that's what we did with ds,trained him to shove his hand in his face and suck,did eventually work.

[ibroughtxmascake]

Ok just brought him down, he may as well feed down here than up there

Peaches, I really do think that getting his daytimes more sorted would help but not sure how to go about it. DD is in the house too and makes a racket (she is only 2 so not much I can do there)

Thanks HE, I really do think I could sleep anywhere, DP said I don't know how you sleep sitting up, I don't really have much choice do I

Bella, will check re the timing thing I can't say i've ever thought about it before, I will ask my LLL leader at our next meeting

WO, I have tried with the hand but think he may be too small for that kind of coordination yet?

[ibroughtxmascake]

Aitch, yes DP and I were talking about the osteopath today. We took DD when she was small and it was brilliant, I will book on monday I think

[weeonion]

ibc - really feel for you and no doubt with a lively 2 yr old as well- there is no chance for you catching up through the day.

[SheepishPeachesMcLean]

Hmm, now that's where I always fall down DS is the only one so a lively 2 year old wasn't a problem. I found we'd start the day with a 1 hr nap at 9am ish, then feed before a nap at 12 which could be a couple of hours. Another nap around 4pm, then bed at 7 or 8. TBH once we got DS into this routine, frankly the Dagenham Girl Pipers could have walked through his room and he wouldn't be woken, so I wonder if you could make use of tactical use of the telly for DD, whilst you establish the routine? Don't know.
Also, to get him in to this routine, I did have to let him cry for 5 or 10 minutes, (regular 2 min checks) but then he learned to sleep and he became a different, happier child.

[ibroughtxmascake]

DP just ordered me some all singing all dancing pillow so that I can sleep upright without getting a crook neck.

Only 4 times tonight so far, go DS go

[PrisonerCellBlockAitch]

poor you... i hope the pillow helps. good luck with the CO.

[fitfox]

MG my ged nearly 9 months wakes hourly and I thought that was bad - you poor thing!!

[fitfox]

Sorry that should have read my DS2 aged 9 months...

[bigmyrrhstrikesagain]

Iboughtxmascake - my dd woke/wakes alot to feed at night and as there are only 20m between her and ds I had a similar problem. I feel for you as it is exhausting

I have managed by co-sleeping and feeding laying down - so at night I would not have to try and sleep sitting up (though it did happen) - and this is the way it still is

This is not the answer for everyone - poor dh has got used to being kicked in the head (and other more sensitive areas) but I have been able to manage. I had ds in room with us until shortly before dd was born as we only moved from our one bed flat when he was 19mo. He went to his own room w/out trouble.

I also fed from one side per feed sometimes for more than one feed esp at night to make sure as much hind milk as possible was accessed.

sorry you are having such a dificult time.