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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

6 month growth spurt? nightweaning and mixed feeding...i'm shattered and miserable help please :-(

23 replies

littlemissindecisive · 16/09/2010 09:38

i'm so tired i can hardly be bothered to type but just need some support...

Was bf ds2 with dh giving him a few oz in the evening. i wanted to slowly wean ds of boob over a period of months so introduced one daytime bottle, we've had serious bottle refusal or him takin 2oz at the most.

sleep has always been an issue, last few nights he's sinking 6oz+ around 9/10pm the big feeds from me every 2-3(rare!) hours. We started weaning a couple of weeks ago.

feel like stopping my night feeds but i know obviously that won't help him sleep or settle. am trying to increase solids and bottles in the day but he's not interested.

is water in a bottle at night a bad idea?

i know it's a phase, but i'd just recovered from the last 3month 'phase'

2 other kuids means little time to rest...i'm feeling down about it now...

OP posts:

Ineedsomesleep · 16/09/2010 10:05

From what you describe it could be a 6 month growth spurt.

You might also want to read this on night weaning.

Regarding the water thing, I know Mums who have done this and have had far less sleep than me. I always found it easier to just feed them and go back to sleep.

Is there a reason that you want to offer formula during the day? Was just thinking that your LO may take bf during the day more readily than formula and then might leave you alone at night a bit more.

Is there someone who could have the other 2 for a bit so that you could get some rest?

Original poster

littlemissindecisive · 16/09/2010 14:10

Thank you....i have always just fed them to get everyone back to sleep as quick as possible. Today he's hardly fed or eaten...given last night I'm not surprised!! I now feel like we're entering a cycle of nightfeeding and no day feeding like he has mixed everything up.

Will read the links you posted..thanks again

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Original poster

littlemissindecisive · 16/09/2010 14:15

Sorry...to answer your question, I thought if i could get DS to take to a bottle then someone other than me would be able to settle him once in a while. Did it with the other so its just how we work things...

I also want to wind down the breastfeeding too. Just my thing but i stopped with DD at 8 months and plan on doing the same...i get a bit fed up of it after (what feels to me) a long time and feel like getting a bit of myself back. (I know people have many very valid arguments for extended feeding but it's just not for me)

OP posts:

Ineedsomesleep · 17/09/2010 15:51

littlemissindecisive just wanted to say that IMO bfing a baby over 6 months is not classed as extended bfing as the WHO recommends bfing your baby for a minimum of 2 years.

vlgriffiths · 17/09/2010 21:05

i know exactly how you feel I have a 9 momth old who i am trying to wean off the breast. she has been having a evening bottle for months but now refusing all bottles. I am so frustrated and down about it all as like you felt ready to stop breastfeeding (one as going back to work ina few months) and because i wanted some of me back. I know all the breast is best and for as long as possible etc. but your heart has to be in it too and mine just isnt. I hope you manage to solve your problem... if you do plz share your secret. good luck

Original poster

littlemissindecisive · 18/09/2010 08:38

i'm not trying to stop altogether just gradually and have a bit of a break from the feeding. no-one can settle ds2 apart from me and as much as i deeply love him it's taking it's toll. he's never left my side apart from a couple of 1/2 hours walks with dh and my one trip to the dentist! in 6 months i'm finding it tough...plus have 2 others to look after. he's a perfectly gorgeous, happy,smiley contented baby for which i am extremely grateful for (having lost a baby previoulsy) but his sleep is shocking, feeding all over the place and i'm worn out and fed up. my relationship with dh is wobbly, we have had no intimacy since new year, think bfeeding hormones and lack of sleep zap all interest out of me.

sorry you're in the same boat vl

OP posts:

Igglybuff · 18/09/2010 08:50

It will get better soon I promise.

He could be teething or solids making him a bit unsettled. My DS got his first teeth at 6 months and had wind issues with solids. Once we'd got over the teething and reined back on solids (one meal a day with easy to digest stuff), we got longer stretches after months and months and months of 2-3 hourly wakings. He also started sleeping on his front - first time he did it, slept from 7-3am! My blobs nearly exploded in shock.

Like you my DS rarely left me and wouldn't DH resettle if he wanted boob.

If you try giving gentle solids (no green veg or acidic fruits) after lunch - potatoes/rice with squash/parsnip and only small amounts, it might help. Also see if he's teething - 6 months is the common age for first ones. Also try and give milk before solids so he gets enough calories for the growth spurt.

Igglybuff · 18/09/2010 08:53

Also are you giving him ready made meals or home made? Ready made stuff tends to be less calorific so can fill their tummies but make babies hungry later.

Igglybuff · 18/09/2010 08:55

My blobs?!! My boobs

Original poster

littlemissindecisive · 18/09/2010 08:57

thanks iggly was going to look at the types of solids so thank you for that.

dd got teeth at 6 months and ds2 has a cold now so am armed with calpol for tonight!!!

funnily enough i wondered about him sleeping on his tummy..and wondering if once he can roll he may be happier (only cos he has silly 45min naps and the one day he did 2 hours, when i kept checking on him he was on his side but twisted almost on his front)

i know it's all a phase, (ds1 took 20months to sleep consistently), it's just a bloody crap one!!!

OP posts:

Original poster

littlemissindecisive · 18/09/2010 08:58

have sweet potato, regular potato and the blender at the ready

OP posts:

Igglybuff · 18/09/2010 09:09

It is a crap phase I agree!!

I also found I had to be careful of the timing of DS's tea - too early and he wouldn't be hungry enough, too late and he'd not take much milk at bedtime so would take more at night....

DS is now almost 1 and has a feed at 10-11pm ish and will sleep until morning unless something is up. So not quite there but almost. I'm still tired though!!!

Igglybuff · 18/09/2010 09:11

Oh can you get him to practice rolling in the day? We actually used to put DS to sleep on his side (he has reflux so back sleeping made him uncomfortable) and he found it easier to flop onto his tummy at night.

Original poster

littlemissindecisive · 18/09/2010 15:36

DS2 (and DS1) has reflux so am not that good with tummy time as it just means more sick

He's fed fab today so am prepared to let him have a go on his front

thanks for your support

OP posts:

Igglybuff · 18/09/2010 16:42

Yes I remember that :( we had to give it an hour after eating before tummy time. Also got a u shaped support thing which helped a bit.

I hope things improve soon. It's so bloody hard!

Original poster

littlemissindecisive · 19/09/2010 09:38

Well, I fed, fed and fed again yesterday (every 2 hours on average), managed to get some reasonable naps, gave him potatoes and carrot for tea, he sank 8oz at 10pm (!) then only woke for a feed at 2am, 5.30 then up for good at 7.15am best night in ages!!! Some nights have been every hour..

So plan to do the same today....completely not what i wanted re:feeding as i wanted to wean him off a bit, but sleep is definitely the priority !!!! Oh and I totally fed him to sleep for all naps and at night and he slept fab. Perhaps i have over-worried about negative sleep associations for his age??

OP posts:

Igglybuff · 19/09/2010 12:55

Hurrah!

I feed DS to sleep for naps etc. He's nearly 1. I'm not worried as he self settles in the might and if he's happy (not teething etc).

mopsera · 19/09/2010 15:08

hi i have similar; baby 8 months , intemittent weaning patches and bf every night every 3 hours; in fact we seem to be going backwards! it is much harder to bf than i thought but im determined to keep going til she's at least 2 unless she wants to stop; but she seems to love it; more and more!it does drive me nuts too but i think i will try to find a bf support group as im flagging!

Igglybuff · 19/09/2010 15:44

mopsera I found that DS got much better with solids around 9 months and starting to eat more. He then dropped night feedings dramatically (from every 2-3 hours to once a night now, maybe 2 if he's ill). I hope it gets better for you soon.

Original poster

littlemissindecisive · 20/09/2010 07:37

so ds woke at 10pm, midnight then 5.30 and 7am hurray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the boobs will be seeing a lot of action today too feel like i'm winning the war on the growth spurt!

OP posts:

Igglybuff · 20/09/2010 08:02

That's great news. I hope you managed to sleep

Original poster

littlemissindecisive · 20/09/2010 14:00

Don't be daft...the kids have ruined my body clock over the years, but it was nice to stay in bed!

OP posts:

lulabelleg · 23/09/2010 20:46

mopsera I bf ds until 18 months, after about 10 months he started sleeping through the night as majority of calories coming from real food when previously had been 3- 4 feeds a night. Bf only twice a day from 1 year and down to one at 14 months. They start getting most of what they need from solids and bf became a nice bedtime thing. when I stopped I think I was more upset than him- he barely noticed!! Am now feeding a 3 month old dd who is totally different on every way and found thread looking for advice on 3 month growth spurts!

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