Ds waking hourly - please help!

[monkeymamma]

Ds2 (3mo) is waking on the hour, every hour, through the night. Eg he will wake at say 11pm, I'll feed and settle him (and change if needed) and put him down at say 11.25, then he is up again at 12 (meaning a maximum of 35minutes sleep for me, assuming I can get to sleep, which is getting harder as time goes on). This pattern continues until 5am when he's up for the day, smiling and gurgling etc. DS1 (3yo) wakes for the day at 5.45am (unless woken earlier by DS2).
This has been going on for over a month, since both boys had a cough and cold virus. I'm exhausted.
Dh can't really help other than giving me a short lie-in at the weekend, he'd normally get up with ds1 on weekdays but has a long drive today so he's gone back to sleep.
I jst do not know what to do. Ds2 is generally a very happy baby, no colick or reflux, he's not screaming when he wakes just snuffling and rooting and usually hungry. He's a big baby, 99th centile, but I'm resisting that as an explanation because it inevitably leads to suggestions that I put him on formula or give him baby rice - arghhh!
Tomorrow's the start of another very busy week and once again I'll be tackling it on an empty tank.
Hope some wise mnetters can help.

Fennel tea increases milk supply so that may help.

It is in all large supermarkets and health shops.
Drink several mugs of it through the day.

Does he sleep for longer intervals in the day?

How is his daytime sleep?

apologies of your have thought of this but have you tried changing him before you feed? if not it might be worth a try. also are you giving him time to settle himself before getting him up? I was told when dd was doing the same that a baby's sleep cycle is about 45 mins and until they are in a deep sleep they can stir around that time. maybe try and leave him for a few minutes to settle before going to get him?

you have my sympathy as dd went through a stage from the end of Nov to about 3 weeks ago where she was doing the same

Thanks, pax and lotso. His daytime sleep isn't as good as it was but he can manage 2-3 hours at a time which is more than he ever does at night.

I'll get some fennel tea. Because everyone always comments on what a big, chubby baby he is (and because my milk can be a bit squirty - although not in the night!) I've bit so I feel almost embarrassed about having too much milk. Now I've typed that I've realised how silly it is. Fennel tea could definitely help - esp if it Improves the quality of the milk as well as quantity.

I know this doesn't really belong in AIBU but I feel so alone and tearful. By 3m people's sympathy reserves seem to dry up and any RL converstions seem to end up being about how it's my own fault in some way.

Not getting any sleep is so difficult! It drains away all your strength and all your patience.

DD was well over the top centile and a poor sleeper, she fed every hour or second hour through-out the night. My understanding is that this is not evidence of poor supply, although do try the fennel tea if you fancy it, but of a baby building up supply or just eating.

I went with the flow with DD and had various coping strategies. I would stop changing the diapers unless there is poo. Can you feed lying down? Would you consider co-sleeping? Co-sleeping and feeding lying down with no diaper changes will give you the most sleep. What about during the day? Can you sleep when DS2 sleeps? Does DS1 go to nursery so you can sleep with DS2? Can you manage your sleep better at weekends, e.g. DH has DS1 so you can sleep with DS2 during the day time naps?

Thanks booboo and whersthe, it helps just hearing your babes went through similar! I'm so tired im starting to get paranoid about why he's doing this.

He has settled himself back down on a very small numbers occasions, I do try to give it a few minutes although I am always worries about waking ds1 which guarantees they'll both be up for ages!

Ds1 goes to nursery Monday and Tueday mornings, I always intend to sleep but somehow the days get filled up with appointments/plans or like today I just need to give the house a a scrub down and clear up everywhere! I know I should leave it but it really, really bothers me if things arent clean :-(

My dsis has a gorgeous dd who is ebf and she hasn't had more then 2 hours sleep in one go since her birth in July. she is also a bigger baby although dsis gets very sensitive about it (I am jealous as dd is a skinny mini so I never got the proper baby rolls) and she also gets fed up with people assuming that she isn't feeding her enough. some babies just don't sleep! no one warns you that actually some kids just don't want to sleep or just like to cluster feed at night. my niece feeds about every 3.5 hours in the day but tends not to feed for long and then spends all night topping up.

do you have anyone else who could help out with the housework etc? or just leave it for a couple of days and catch up when your lo goes to sleep in the day?

you aren't alone honest!