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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Almost 5mo refusing to feed at bedtime, suggestions please!!!

11 replies

tinkerbug · 23/07/2010 17:14

My DS is almost 5 mo and is exclusively BF. We have a good routine at night of bath, into babygro, BF and then into cot once he is asleep. For the past week or two he has been resing to feed after his bath. He usually latches on eagerly, sucks for 30 secs or a minute then rolls onto his back (we do the last BF lying down next to each other on the bed) and stares at the ceiling usually while sucking his fingers / fist. If I try and encourage him to suck again, he just keeps his mouth closed, and sometimes smiles / goos at me! So I usually put him in his cot where he will start to cry after a few mins, then I get him out and try again. Sometimes have to do this up to 5 times before he feeds properly and falls asleep.

Anyone had any experience with this? Any ideas on what is causing it or ideas about what to do? It's making bedtime much harder and longer than it needs to be and I'm sure DS would be much happier without all this kerfuffle too!

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tinkerbug · 23/07/2010 17:15

That should be refusing to feed, not resing to feed, sorry!

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barbie1 · 23/07/2010 17:16

Ive just come down from putting my 5 month old to sleep and was just about to write the same post!

So if you don't mind i'm going to lurk too...

Tbh i think my dd might have a tooth coming through as she rather suck her fist than my boob!

tinkerbug · 23/07/2010 17:39

Hi barbie. I did wonder about teething...but DS has always shoved his hands in his mouth from when he discovered that he had hands and could control them! He has been chewing on everything he can get his hands on for a couple of months now and dribbling non stop since he was 2 months old, no teeth yet though!

Hopefully someone will have some suggestions for us!

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Igglybuff · 23/07/2010 17:42

Can you try feeding in the dark with little distraction?

My DS went through a funny phase of not wanting to feed - he'd smile at me but no feeding(he also went on nursing strike but that's a different story!).

Only way to get round it was feed in the dark, sometimes I'd have to rock him to sleep then feed him.

barbie1 · 23/07/2010 17:51

tinkerbug snap, its defo teething! Although there aren't any teeth yet both our babies have the classic signs. Or so my midwife tells me

I feed in the dark as igglybuff suggest but still she would rather be rolling off me, playing, cooing, you name it, anything but feeding!

The thing is due to not have a full fed she is waking up at 10pm, 2am and then 4 or 6am.

I have even tried to give her a bottle, to see how much she is drinking....but she steadfastly refuses that

fiveweeksandcounting · 23/07/2010 17:56

We do a split bedtime feed. I feed him at 5.45 then bath and play then feed then bed at about 6.45. He takes a brilliant feed at 5.45ish but the feed before he goes into his cot is a quick 3 minute half hearted suck as he is so tired. This works pretty well for us. I also give him a sleep at about 4.30 ish for half an hour which means he can take his first half of feed without falling asleep.

barbie1 · 23/07/2010 17:56

It's bed time here (dubai) so i wish you a goodnight and i hope in the morning there will be some answers for us!

Someone on another thread suggested split feeding, ie before the bath and then just a top up before bed? Might have to give it a go tomorrow

tinkerbug · 23/07/2010 18:16

Iggly, it might be to do with distractions as he always feeds poorly if there is a lot going on. But I do feed him in my bedroom with the curtains closed so it is dark (ish), make sure there is no noise and if DH is home I always make him wait downstairs!

Five weeks, we already do the split feeding! DS has one boob between 6 and 7, then bath at 7, feeding usually starts 7.20 - 7.30 ish, on the other boob. He won't go down without a proper feed though, mainly because he feeds to sleep. So no feeding equals no sleep!!

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Igglybuff · 23/07/2010 18:52

tinker have you tried rocking him until he's drowsy then feeding? Or (and this sounds mad but it can work), rock him whilst feeding standing up?

I had to (and still do sometimes) feed in complete darkness!!

angfirsttimer · 23/07/2010 21:39

I have the same thing with my DS who is almost 5 months. I am comforted to hear that other babies are at it too!
I tried the split feeding and he just threw up after his bath!!
I think it must be an age thing, they have the attention span of a goldfish if there is the slightest distraction.
Its so typical that you get some of the best smiles and coos when all you want them to do is go to sleep!!

tinkerbug · 24/07/2010 10:41

Having written this thread yesterday, DS was an absolute angel going to bed (typical!!). He didn't get distracted and went to sleep first time.

Iggly, my DH can rock DS really well and DS takes it from him. But with me, I think he can smell the milk and just thrashes around until he gets fed, then gets distracted etc etc. Haven't tried feeding standing up, might be worth a go, although am not sure how long my puny little arms can hold a (nearly) 17lb baby for!!!

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