Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

Original poster

Night waking for food (6m) - advice much appreciated!

14 replies

Lozzer79 · 26/05/2012 19:31

Hi - my 61/2 month DD slept through the night from night from 7- 7 from about 6 weeks old and I was such a smug mum at how easy this parenting lark was!

About a month ago my DD started waking every day at 5am (give or take half hour). So to get her back to sleep I tried leaving her, didn't work, giving her a dummy, didn't work, water, didn't work, rocking, didn't work - the only thing that seems to work is milk and it would seem that she is properly hungry for food. I am at a loss as to what to do because she has 4 bottles a day of 7oz and is now on 3 meals, albeit she isn't a big eater but she has as much as she can. I used to give her a dream feed at about 11 but she stopped wanting that about 2 weeks ago.

Just for your info she has 2-3 naps during the day of about 40 mins each.

Please help! :-)

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

HumphreyCobbler · 26/05/2012 19:33

I would give her the bottle. This phase will pass soon, and you really have had a good run with sleeping through so far! You have tried everything else, and if she is hungry she needs the milk.

Hopefully it won't be needed for long.

Iggly · 26/05/2012 19:35

Growth spurt. There's a big one at 6 months. I remember ds seemed to put on weight overnight! Feed her - it's quicker - then when you notice her not wanting quite so much then cut it down gradually to get rid of the night feed.

madwomanintheattic · 26/05/2012 19:36

No help at all but it's quite normal to still wake at night. Ds woke every two hours until he was 10 mos.

Maybe just two daytime naps and make sure evening meal is getting in. Milk doesn't seem much during the day - maybe an extra feed in somewhere? Pretty sure my bottle fed babies were still on five or so with meals as well - nutrition from food still relatively small at this point.

Sounds like just a growth spurt though. Add in a bit more during the day and cross your fingers.

Original poster

Lozzer79 · 26/05/2012 20:06

Thank you I know I should just feed her, stop moaning and get on with it but because she was such a great sleeper I feel like I have a problem I need to sort.

Like I said she's not a big eater so I would love to slip in an extra bottle in there but I struggle to get her to feed as much as she does already.......grrrrr!

How long does a growth spurt last?

OP posts:

HumphreyCobbler · 26/05/2012 20:29

waking is grim - I feel for you. But it is normal for such a small baby to wake to feed. Does she go back off to sleep? DS used to get up for the day at around that time, it was awful.

I don't know how long growth spurts last for, sorry! Remember, it will pass.

Original poster

Lozzer79 · 26/05/2012 20:34

She does eventually go back to sleep but it takes about 30-45 mins. I know she's still little, she just lulled me into a false sense of security with sleeping through from so young, I now can't handle waking so early! It makes you think how did we cope in the start with being up 3 times a night?!

OP posts:

Ammz · 26/05/2012 20:42

You dont need help you just need to feed the hungry baby!!!

It is totally normal for this age to be hungry in the night. What time is her last feed? Think about how long that is without food.. not suprised shes waking up hungry if that last feed is around 7pm.
MY LO is almost 7 months and wakes between half 3 and half 4 absolutely starving!! then goes back to sleep till a more sensible hour when we get up!

CravingSleep · 26/05/2012 20:48

Heh - I clicked on this wondering if there would be advice I could follow but can't believe your babe is only waking the once! Mine used to wake every 2 hours at the most and now is waking 10, 1, 4 and then up about 5.30! I think that's kind of normal for now but would like to cut it down abit.

Unbelievably jealous you think 3 times was when it was "bad" and that is my current "good"!!!

Ammz · 26/05/2012 21:52

I can second that cravingsleep! It has been 2 weeks for me now with the one wake up.. before that i was close to collapsing after a similar wake up call as you!! There is light at the end of the tunnel.. Im evidence!!

CravingSleep · 26/05/2012 21:59

Oooh congratulations Ammz - did you do anything different? We've found moving into own room has helped massively (although she still comes back in here at 4 and basically stays attached to boob until she decides its morning). Still knackered with night feeds though.

Ammz · 26/05/2012 22:18

Haha!! Same as me some mornings!!
Yes, we also moved him into his own room.
The best advice someone gave me what that baby needs to learn how to self soothe. Being a new mum at first i was just glad to be around him and quite liked feeding/rocking/singing him to sleep.. as the months go on, your need for sleep takes over and i eventually bought the baby whisperer book as i couldnt take any more of the 2 hourly feeds! Some of it wasnt for me but since i put him on a loose EASY routine (To take away the Eat/Sleep association) and sorted out his naps in the day time he has gradually got much better at night.
I still give his dream feed at half 10 and if i am sleeping lightly sometimes i hear him wake up but he settles himself back to sleep.
The EASY routine is basically Eat, Activity.. then Sleep. Then Eat when they wake up. This way LO learns not to need you to help them go back to sleep by suckling!

CravingSleep · 26/05/2012 22:22

Sounds like its working... My baby tends to feed before a nap or a sleep as it has always made her sleepy. Have tried to put her down not actually asleep though. Didn't do baby whisperer last time as was very much a feed-on-demand mum. This time I'm tempted to do Anything To Get Some Sleep.... so it might be worth a try... I vaguely remember some thread on here suggesting her advice was good in general but not for breastfeeding (although that could have been someone else..) but if its working for you that's tempting....

Ammz · 26/05/2012 22:33

I am still breastfeeding on demand. If he's hungry i feed him. The whole routine/techinique if followed very loosely. Just making sure that sleep comes after some form of activity and not a feed!

mrsalwaysawake · 27/05/2012 10:13

There is light at the end of the tunnel though, ladies. DS is 10mo and BF, and has started sleeping through from half ten/eleven (dreamfeed) to half six/half seven in the last month - shortly after the HV told me off for still feeding him in the night!
My attitude has always been:
If he seems hungry, offer him boob. If he actually just wants to suckle back to sleep, never mind, it's the easiest solution for everyone, he'll grow out of it in time. Which he mostly has.

Flip