To suddenly feel I don't know what I'm doing?!

[Onlymydogunderstandsme]

My DS is 5 months next week and is breast fed, he has a bottle of formula at bed time but he is just so unsettled at night! He has been going down about 7 but some nights it's taking me an hour and a half and tonight he won't settle at all! I just don't know what to do, he wakes every 2-3 hours through the night to be fed and I'm just exhausted! He also seems to get wind and I think this is what gets in the way of him settling but I just don't know what to do! My HV told me if he's having a bottle at bedtime he should only need one feed during the night? I'm worried my milk isn't filling him up but he really loves the comfort and I dont want to take it away from him. I just feel like all of a sudden I don't know what's best for him and it's getting me down!

Sorry for a bit of a rambling post I just don't know what to do!

Item 1- don't panic, you've done amazingly well getting this far, so well done!

Waking every 2-3 hours during the night sounds about average, that's what my DD did and she was breast fed.

I did the best I could at the time, and just co-slept as much as I could (DP is diabetic so we did some bed shuffling!) but I appreciate this might not be possible for you to do.

If it makes you feel any better, my LO who is younger than yours and is bottle fed still wakes up every 2-3 hours. A bottle is no guarantee of a decent nights sleep!

There are a lot of really informed and experienced women on here, and there is a specific breast/bottle feeding section as well- I think maybe if you get this moved to here it might get answered more quickly.

My ds is similar...he is 8 months and bf with a bottle before bed. For the last couple of months he has been up almost every hour and like your ds I think it's the comfort as he is teething quite badly. Before weaning I always felt he wasn't getting enough but when I topped him up with formula he took very little. Even now the maximum formula he takes is 4 oz. He seems to take little and often. I know that's not really helpful but just wanted tp say you're not alone and you're doing great and all the right things for your ds.

HV's know lots about most babies, averages, etc.

That means fuck all when dealing with your baby. If he's hungry, stick a boob in his mouth. If he's lonely, cuddle him. If he's wet, change him. Rinse and repeat.

If you think he might have reflux, pop something under the crib/moses basket so he's flat but his head is higher than his stomach iyswim? Let gravity help out

Thanks for your replies. Maybe I'm expecting too much from him! DS also can't seem to take much formula about 5oz is his maximum. Maybe it's not my milk and it's just normal. He just used to be a lot more settled and that's why I have started to doubt myself. I have been co-sleeping but DH wasnt here for the first 4 months as was posted abroad with his job, now he's home there isn't much space in the bed so have been trying to get DS to sleep in his cot. We haven't got a spare room so making DH sleep on the sofa seems a bit mean!

Thanks Purple I might give that a try as well.