Constant feeding when co sleeping

[Annie592]

I co sleep with 4 month old DD (wasn't original plan but only way I can get any sleep and works for us). She was waking maybe two or three times a night, feeding and then going back to sleep again, all fine. Recently though she's started waking much more often, every 45 mins or so, and straight away rootles around for the boob, once she's attached she then suckles for maybe 2 minutes (if that) and then seems to be asleep (definitely isn't feeding), but if I disattach her she immediately wakes and wants to latch again. So I spend most of the night with her attached. I don't actually have a huge problem with this, but just wondering if this is nornal, or if I am creating problems for myself and her later on if she can only go back to sleep by feeding/latching? Has anyone else had a similar experience when co sleeping?

[LBOCS2]

In my experience, completely normal. Which is why we a) bought a co-sleeper cot (to give me more room) and b) moved both DDs into their own rooms at pretty much spot-on 6 months. We all slept better for it ;)

[Uiscebeatha85]

Yeah I bed share and that sounds about right. I bring DD 5mo into bed for the second half of the night (whenever she wakes) and she will feed to sleep again and come off by herself but after that it's constant rooting and feeding every hour or so. Sometimes i forgot how many times she's fed in the night. She will usually come off by herself eventually though.

[Annie592]

Thank you both good to hear it sounds normal!

[Tabitha1983]

Gosh ladies are you exhausted tho?!I'm having similar issue with 10 week old. He feeds to sleep at 7pm then stays in snuzpod until around midnight...feeds again and back into snuzpod no probs...excellent 😬However after 3am feed he just wants to sleep with me...latching on/off all of the time. I've been giving him a dummy and DH has been lying next to him to break the habit??

[3andamdone]

LBOCS2, how did you manage the move from co- sleeping tp own rooms?? Was it hard?

[LBOCS2]

Not really 3. By 6 months we had the outlines of a routine - I'd put them down at about 8ish, then they would be likely to wake between 11-12, then again at around 4 and want to be on and off my nipple all night.

What we did is I'd feed them and put them down at 8, in the cot. I'd then do a dream feed (or we'd disturb and wake them) when I went to bed (usually between 12-1), and they'd wake up between 3-4 and stay latched on the rest of the night.

At 6 mo we'd have a similar routine - do bedtime for 8, except feed in the nursing chair in their room. Transfer to cot. Dream feed when I went to bed, then see what time they wake. I found that the wake up time would be pushed further back (4-5ish) as they couldn't smell me. Then transfer back to cot, until they woke at around 7. After a while of that I'd drop the dream feed and then they'd go to between 4-5 without too much difficulty.

I've put 8.5mo DD2 to bed now, I (hopefully) won't hear from her until between 3.30-5ish. I'll feed her, put her back, then she'll be up between 7-8. Usually because her big sister wakes her!

[3andamdone]

Didn't they protest about having no nipple for a dummy or being in cot on their own??

My dd is 5 months, I have the cot bed side car style with ours, once I have fed her and try to get her settled on her cot mattress she's waking and crying and it's very hard to get her settled there so that she"'ll stay asleep

[Tabitha1983]

Just wanted to say I'm doing same as LB (and did with DD1) and it does start to fall into place. I've just had 3 nights now of DS (10 weeks) feeding to sleep and transferring to snuzpod at 7pm. Rousing him enough to do dream feed at 10pm then settling back into snuzpod (with dummy) then waiting for him next to wake...which has been between 3-4am 😬 Feed again then settle back in snuzpod using dummy until 6:30/7 ish.
Things that have helped- acceptance of dummy over nipple! Settling in snuzpod rather than in my arms as transferring always woke him. Currently using woombie also x

[LBOCS2]

3, with DD1 I did pick up/put down, which was quite time consuming but a gentle way of transitioning her to her cot on her own (or I would wait until she was dead to the world before transferring her which is also extremely time consuming).

DD2 has always been a better sleeper because she was on her tummy, so transfers were easier but we've also done a bit of controlled crying with her which was very successful and made a big difference in terms of not having to hang around in the bedroom during the 4/5am sleep and hoping that she'd fall asleep enough for me to escape back to my own bed. I put her down, she chunters for maybe 2/3 minutes (not loudly, never as long as 5 mins) and then settles herself. But it's not for everyone, I know.

[munchkinmable]

My 19 month old does this. Which is why I try to settle her in her own bed rather than being her in with me but this can mean me lying in a crouched toddler bed for hours

[Osirus]

My DD did this and stopped again at about 4 1/2 months (started at 3 1/2).

It's probably the four month sleep regression, which should pass soon. It can take a long time for some babies. My DD is now six months and usually wakes 2-3 times for a feed but sometimes more, like last night, when she woke me up by kicking me in the neck! I think I'm going to attach the cot as a side car to the bed so she can kick as much as she wants!

[ChocChocPorridge]

Normal, and also the reason that I started wearing a t-shirt to bed (always used to sleep naked).

With DS1, if there was bare skin, it reminded him and he'd feed more often. He was honestly hungry - we used to take an emergency banana to bed with us ever night when he was 2 still. Even after proper meals, he seemed to just process it fast - he's fine now BTW, probably started reliably sleeping through without needing a snack at about 3.5 (years)

DS2 weaned himself - he actually pulled my t-shirt down, gave me a pitying look and rolled over to go to sleep at about 8 months! He was always a better sleeper than DS1 though, and there was no stopping him once he discovered food. He's never needed an emergency midnight banana, and was off night feeds before he was 5 months.