5 month old feeding all night - help!

[Obsidian]

Desperately in need of some advice oh wise MNetters...

My just turned 5 month old isn’t interested in bfeeding during the day (have tried dark quiet room, offering frequently etc.), and will only have a few sucks before coming off screaming. He’ll sometimes bob on and off for a while, but I rarely feel like he’s had a ‘full’ feed.

Then, from 6.30pm onwards he wants to feed every 1-2 hours, and will happily sleepily feed for 30 minutes to an hour. He has his eyes closed, but seems to be feeding hungrily, and is unhappy if I take him off. I’ve tried settling him with shush-pat etc., which sometimes works for a short time, but he’s then awake again half an hour later HUNGRY!

He’s then not hungry in the morning, and I’m shattered and miserable. Is there anything I can do to reverse this and get him eating more in the day and less at night? Obviously don’t want to leave him to cry, but really struggling to cope at the moment. This has been going on for a good few weeks (he slept relatively well until around 14 weeks).

He won’t take a bottle (of EBM or formula) and is starting to have some food (he’s a big, hungry baby who can sit up and put food in his own mouth, so it doesn’t feel too early), if that’s relevant.

Any tips, ideas, strategies very welcome - my poor sleep deprived brain is not working well enough to help me decide what to do!!

TIA

[Obsidian]

Anyone??

Getting increasingly desperate here!

Last night went a bit like this:
7pm Bedtime
9.30 Wake up (settled with shush-pat / cuddle)
10.15 Wake up (Feed for 20m)
11.50 Wake up (shush-pat / cuddle)
1.10am Wake up (Feed for 30m)
2.20am Wake up (Brought in bed with us, slept fitfully, had to shush a lot)
5.10am Wake up (Feed for 10m, poo, full outfit change)
WIDE AWAKE

Tried everything I can think of to settle him. Still awake now. Have to be up for the school run in an hour. And I’m ill (possibly tonsillitis). Feel horrendous. And really low. Can’t go on like this. What can I do??!!

[MoodyTwo]

I still Bf my 16 month old, I've been where you are... it sounds like the tail end of the 4 month sleep regression...
my LO was awake every 45 mins, it was hell!
Have you tried co sleeping? We got a cot bed and took one long end off, and put it up to our bed , so it was level , he slept in his cot but when he woke to feed we would just roll and sort of meet in the middle.
It's really hard but I used to go to sleep with him also , it meant I didn't have any time with DP for 3-4 months but I slept around 11 broken hours (my Fitbit tracked I had slept 8 hours) so that may be something to do while it passes x

[MoodyTwo]

And I just always fed him to sleep, took about 15 mins , it was the quickest way to get us both to sleep

[MagicFajita]

Teething pain perhaps?

[jkl0311]

First off I'm sorry to hear your struggling and hope your telling your DH/Mum/sis in real life and if they are nearby offering to help.
I'm not a lot of help on the breastfeeding info as I ff. but I do remember looking back that mine fussed like hell about 6 weeks before her first tooth, not really sure if she wanted a milk cuddle or whatever. Any teeth yet?

[Coffeeorgin]

Watching with interest as we are in pretty much same position and in desperate need of some sleep!! I completely feel your pain!

[MagicFajita]

Teething gel , feeding to sleep and patience are the only things that helped. Ds (seven months) is only just emerging from this.

He has three teeth.

[Aryam]

Hi Obsidian

My Dd 5.5 months now was the same but shortly after this spell of constant feeding night time she just started to roll by herself. And she still is waking up at around 5. One trick: I keeping the curtains closed( thick woolen ones) so she can’t see the sun rising now. That gives me until 6 😁

[Obsidian]

Thanks all - for advice and sympathy!

Could be teething I suppose, but no obvious signs (other than waking frequently) and no sign of teeth yet.

Good to hear some LOs are growing out of this around 6-7 months. It does seem a particularly hideous stage.

Cosleeping helps a bit, but he still wakes up often.

Has anyone found that weaning helps with sleep? I thought this was an old wive’s tale, but saw Health Visitor today and she recommended filling him up during the day, with milk and solids.

Will putting him in his own room help? Cranial osteopathy?? Willing to try anything!

[Gannetseatfish]

I think he’s better in with you. My DD was exactly the same (maybe even worse but I’m blanking it out) at 5 months. It could have been teeth who knows you just have to get through. Cosleeping helps as does getting a nap in the day if at all possible and drinking lots of water. To give you some hope DD will now often sleep a four hour stretch and we have perfected the cosleeping to a point where I barely surface if she wakes up, she just latches on and I don’t feel at all affected by tiredness in the day anymore. I’m trying to say it will get better soon!

[Gannetseatfish]

Ps I don’t think solids has much of an impact for a while (blw here)

[123456kent]

My baby hasn’t so far been awake as much as yours (sympathies. Mine hasn’t teethed yet, so I’m sure it’s all to come)
But just to say yes weaning helped. Initially I think it was a step backwards, but now she has 3 solid meals a day and is eating a good amount her sleeping is pretty good (touches wood*)
She is 7 months.

[arbrighton]

Solids made no difference here, especially as you then hit the 8 mo sleep regression anyway.

it's only now, at just coming up to 11mo that we're getting any decent stretches- good night = 4 hours, then 3, then 2

[Bringcoffee]

We tried osteopathy with absolutely no difference.
We have friends who swear moving theirs into own room helped so we are going to try that in a week or so if it doesn’t improve.

[Obsidian]

@Bringcoffee we’re also going to try DS in his own room - starting this Friday. Will let you know how we get on... Can’t believe it will make that much difference, but worth a shot!

[Emu31]

I had exactly the same with my little boy. He's now 3.5 months. I tried with desperation for weeks to find out what was going on as I just knew it wasn't right. After desperate googling I worked out it is silent reflux. His throat was in pain from the acid so only wanted to eat at night when less aware. Reflux meds have helped, though we're still trying to find the right dose/combination. Google it and see if the symptoms match for you - it was so clear to me as soon as I saw it that was what we were dealing with. I'm still right there with you on the hourly wake ups, long night feeds and 5am starts. It's soul destroying! X

[Bringcoffee]

Tried own room last night, was a disaster. I stupidly did not anticipate him needing time to get used to it and the hourly settling was hell.

Going to wait until my husband isn’t on night shifts before trying again as think a tag team approach might be best.
Emu - we have a reflux baby (on ranitidine since 3 weeks) so agree it’s always worth considering. And books under the bed ends have been so helpful to avoid him being completely flat.