AHH! The constant feeding of woe!!

[ParanoidAtAllTimes]

DS is nearly 15 weeks so I don't know if this is a growth spurt or what but he's suddenly feeding ALL THE TIME!! He's gone from sleeping for at least a 5 hour chunk each night to waking 1.5-2 hourly and feeding for AGES!! The cracked nipples are back again and breasts feel empty all the time!

Anyone been through this and come out the other end? Will my supply catch up? How long will this last?

Anyone else going through the same thing and in need of a moan?

[foxytocin]

It can all seem so hard at this time of night. Waking up more frequently at this age is normal though and breasts that feel 'empty' is too. HOw is his feeding during the day and general behaviour?

Are you able/willing to feed lying down or bring him to bed for at least a part of the night? It can really help with getting you some rest.

[ParanoidAtAllTimes]

He seems perfectly happy. He wasn't at all well last week and actually lost some weight as he was refusing to feed so I'm really happy that he's making up for it now- just exhausted!

I know there are a lot of people who swear by cosleeping but I'm so scared of squashing/suffocating him or him falling out of the bed that it's not really an option (dp v. uncomfortable with this too). Sometimes when dp gets up for work I'll have ds lie next to me for a bit but I won't sleep as he's not on his breathing monitor ( my name says it all!).

Glad it can be normal though, I just hope it doesn't go on too long!

[ParanoidAtAllTimes]

Bump

[Druidmama]

Sounds normal to me...DD1 did this a LOT! It is tiring but you can get through it, good books, lots of cake, DVDs etc all help. We co-slept but I couldn't sleep while she fed due to nipple agony (thrush) so I feel your lack of sleep!

I would camp out on the sofa during the day and only move to go for a wee, longest DD1 ever did it for was a fortnight.

[eggontoast]

This happened to me and I ended up co-sleeping to save my sanity. It was not something I particularly wanted to do because of safety concerns. From 12 weeks on though, I became a different person. So much happier and alert! I hope you find a solution.

[Iggi999]

Hi Paranoid, at your breathing monitor comment! My DS is moving into a single bed (from cot) next week and I will finally have to give up on the darn monitor, as mattress won't work with it - he's 27 months old!

[ParanoidAtAllTimes]

Thanks for responses- so glad this is normal behaviour and will (eventually) settle down! Amen to camping out- last week I kept trying to achieve things which only served to tire me out further. The latest challenge is that ds has started suffering from wind (for the first time at 15 weeks ) so is not only feeding hour on/hour off but is waking up in between those times too!

Iggi- glad I'm not the only crazy, breathing-obsessed person - I hope you get used to life without that little flickering light!

[Iggi999]

Hi Paranoid, just to say you can shove the monitor in under your pram mattress too (if it's anything like mine) which can be handy for daytime naps - by which I mean YOU having a nap while DS naps, of course.
I won't have the light flashing anymore, but if I turn it up loud enough I can still listen to him breathe on the monitor!

[ParanoidAtAllTimes]

Thanks Iggi, I've been known to do the listening for breathing too!

[moodylou]

This sounds just like ds2 paranoid. He had a cold and only put on 5oz in 2 weeks and since getting over that he's feeding about every 2 hours day and night (with each feed lasting about an hour!). It's been two very exhausting weeks but tonight he slept for 4 hours so am hoping it's the start of things getting better.

[ParanoidAtAllTimes]

I've also been trying to feed as much as possible in the day, LeninGuido- it worked so well for the 6 week growth spurt! It must be a nightmare coping with the growth spurt from hell and more than one LO!!

Moodylou- interesting that your ds2 has also been ill. As my ds has been manically feeding for a week now I'm thinking it must be a combination of recovery and growth spurt! 4 hours of sleep...sounds like things are on the up- still a dim and distant memory here!

On a positive note, my religious application of Lansinoh seems to be paying off....

[JetLi]

Hi Paranoid - might be worth checking your latch as well or being extra-vigilant about it. Our latch had dropped a wee bit by 12/13 weeks because she was so much heavier than before. Apparently it can be quite common when they get bigger, due to the weight of them.
Best buy some new sleepsuits in readiness - his feet will be at the end of them in no time by the sound of it

[ParanoidAtAllTimes]

That's interesting JetLi- hadn't heard about that before. It would explain the soreness!

He's been in 3-6 month sleepsuits since he was 2 months as his legs are so flippin' long...I guess we'll have to start on the 6-9 month ones soon

[moodylou]

Good news paranoid...ds2 has just slept for 5 hours before waking up He's still feeding every 2 hours the rest of the time but i'm just happy to be getting some sleep again. Hopefully things will get better for you soon (until the next growth spurt that is!)

[ParanoidAtAllTimes]

That's great! Glad you're having chance to catch up on sleep. Gives me hope that my LO will (one day) start sleeping more too! Actually, he's doing fairly well tonight so far...