8 week old waking up constantly through the night

[whereswalt]

Hi I am hoping some any of you wonderful ladies have some advice for a shattered mum!

My ds is 8 weeks old, and normally falls asleep between 7-8. He then wakes about 11 for a feed (he is ff) then most of the time goes straight back asleep. However from about midnight onwards, he barely sleeps! Last night, he woke at 12.17, 1.30,2.15 and then stayed awake until 5 before I gave in and brought him into bed with me ( this is the first time I have ever brought him into bed with me).

Me and my dp take it in turns to do the night feeds which although this means we haven't spent a night in the same bed since ds was born, at Least we are able to get a block of sleep each! Anyway, it is just becomin ridiculous! When he wakes up, I always give him some milk as I thought he was waking for fiod, but now I am thinking does he actually waking for food or is he just waking up?

We are so frustrated by the wakings up :( even though we are able to get a block of sleep every other night, the we are still shattered! I really don't know what to do, I feel like I am doing something wrong as his sleep seems to be getting worse and I feel it must be something I am doing (or not doing). Especially because a few friends had babies around the same time and they seem to be sleeping really well! I don't mind a couple of wakings in the night but what he is doing at the moment is too much! Also, he grizzils all night which means that even when he is alseep, it is hard for me to sleep!

I hope this makes sense, and doesn't seem to be too rambled! Thank you

[firefli]

No answers, but sympathy. My 8 week ds sleep also getting worse. Used to settle in Moses basket after feeds at night, but now needs held or winded every half hour. Lack of sleep is torture!

Hope someone else has some ideas.

[Marcheline]

Co sleep? At the moment, it I'd the only thing holding me together.

DD 2 (also 8wo) was sleeping in her bassinet for good chinks of the night, but for the last two weeks she has been poorly and was waking up every hour if I put her In it. Now DH is in spare room and she is with me, she only wakes twice.

Hopefully when she's feeling better I'll be able to move her back into her bassinet...

[plummyjam]

Could he be a bit windy or have reflux? My 8 week old was also grizzly and unsettled after feeds until we propped the head of the Moses basket up a bit, now she sleeps quietly. I also keep her upright for 10-15 mins after feeding. She is BF and sleeps in 3 hour blocks.

[humptynumptyfall]

If your formula feeding it may be you need to get into a routine of feeding.

Have a little read of gina ford contented little baby, there is a section for a routine from birth. 8 weeks imo is to young to establish sleep routines but feeding is usually a huge trigger for good sleep. Babies need 2&1/2 oz of milk for every 1lb they weigh at each feed. Gina says this should be given between 7am & 11pm. In the night time if the full days 'allowance' has been had to offer some water as it may be thirst rather than hunger.

[humptynumptyfall]

Sorry that should say. 2&1/2 oz for each 1lbs they weigh for the day..

I.e. my dd is 10lbs so needs 25oz a day, which means I give 5, 5oz feeds between 7am &11pm

Ive been doing it a coupld of days and results are pretty much instant here

[BotBotticelli]

At 8wo my DS was also sleeping really badly from midnight onwards. Think he had wind. Also think he did still need feeding once or twice a night at that age (despite what Gina Ford said, he seemed to need much more formula than that and had night feeds until he was about 10 wo).

I think they tend to 'sort out' the earlier part of the night first and then the wee small hours come later. Doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong - hang in there this too will pass.

Someone told me that looking after a baby gets much easier at 12 weeks and it did.

[Marcheline]

Thanks all, DD is EBF so I cant measure what she's getting (so frustrating!) but she has been a bit better over the last couple of days.

Gina makes sense but just doesn't work for me. I don't like trying to shoehorn my babies into routines that they don't seem comfortable with.

I'm just gritting my teeth and sticking it out until it gets better. Only 3 weeks until she's 3 months old, hopefully we'll turn a corner then...

[Marcheline]

Bloody hell I am so sleep deprived I thought this was my thread!

Need to concentrate more

[Fluer]

Breastfed both my children and night waking was generally because they needed more milk as they were having growth spurts or they wanted human contact.

[McPrice]

my ds was a bad sleeper in his moses basket. we have just turned the corner @ 3 months old as he has just gone in cot and now is able to self settle. it should get better with age. my ds suffers with colic and wind though. maybe thats waking your lil'one up. try baby massage before bed. then tummy time.