10 wk old waking every 1.5 - 2 hrs - help!!

[pbo]

DD has usually been pretty regular with feeds at 10, 2 and 6 at night since she was about 3 wks old. Recently she's started feeding every hour and a half to 2 hours but only at night. During the day she'll happily sleep for a couple of hours and be awake for a few more, sometimes going 5 hours between feeds. I find I'm always getting engorged around lunchtime but in the evening and during the night I feel like there's nothing there.
If it was a growth spurt wouldn't she want feeding day and night? How do I get her to do the opposite and feed more in the day and sleep a bit longer at night?
I've been told not to wake a sleeping baby to feed her but should I try?
Sorry it's a bit rambling but I'm soooo tired out!!

[Hopefully]

It's probably a growth spurt, but it might be that she's now got used to taking the bulk of her calories at night. If you want to try and shift the manic feeding to day time rather than night, I would suggest waking her and feeding her more frequently during the day (many will argue that you shouldn't do it, but I figured it was in both of our interests to sleep at night!)

When DS went through growth spurts I would offer a feed as soon as he woke from a nap and again once he'd been up for about 90 minutes (so just before he was likely to go down for another nap).

We vaguely follow a routine, so I knew he would only have one long nap (2hrs+) during the day, but I would generally wake after 1 hour for morning nap, 2 hours for lunch nap and one hour for any subsequent naps.

[countryhousehotel]

Don't let her go five hours between feeds during the day. Feed her every 3 hours at least. She's making up for it in the night.

[pbo]

I find if I try and feed her in the day she often starts crying and refuses to even try and have any. Today she had a decent feed at about 9, then a bit around 12 but not even a full boob then I tried again at about 3 but she just cried and wouldn't take it. She hasn't slept very much today at all but hasn't eaten very much either. She's very big for her age and in the 75th centile in weight so I'm not worried about that but I can't understand why she refuses to eat in the day and then wants to eat all night...

[jchr]

It sounds like she has got her night and day feeding around the wrong way. You need to persist in trying to feed her every 3 hours and even tanking her up in the evening by doing every 2 hours. She will probably resist and it may take time but it will be better for her. I know if they are sleeping its easy to think to leave them but you end up paying for it at night!

[babyOcho]

Maybe she is starting to get more aware of surroundings and doesn't want to feed during the day because there is a lot to look at.

Perhaps try feeding in a quiet room. Or try skin to skin. Or feeding when she is just about to wake and still a little sleepy.

[pbo]

I'll try waking and feeding her rather than waiting for her to be fully awake. DH went away on Sunday and I was wondering if she was missing him, can they miss people at this age? I'm deffo going to try waking her more often in the day (not that she sleeps very much) I don't feel like I'm coping very well today [sleepy and grumpy emoticon]

[kalo12]

this is completely normal

[chloeb2002]

sorry pbo but i have to agree with kalo12.. normal for 10 weeks! most newbies will feed every two hours during the night.. some do it during the day too. shouldnt push extended sleep pattern till 6 months and soliods according to most of teh books and gurus! sorry but it will go fast enjoy the time...

[happynewmummy]

Sorry - but agree with eveyone else - it's normal (although doesn't feel it!) Well done for bf for 10 weeks = it does get easier My DS is 13 weeks and has done exactly the same.
Additionally babies can go through phases of feeding more frequently at night as your prolactin levels are higher. They do it to stimulate more milk production - this can be in anticipation of a growth spurt sometimes - gosh babies are so clever! Keep up the good work.

[kalo12]

you will get used to it, my 12 month ds is still the same! I'm still alive, but thought i was going to die about six months ago.

I would try putting them down awake to self settle when they get to about 5 months.

and if you ever decide to do sleep training, please don't do cry it out but i would suggest you do training before they get to the age where they can stand up in their cot shouting and rattling the bars like a wild demon.

I have now resigned myself to 5 years of no sleep and seperate beds with my husband