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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Sleep and bf 9.5 month old

9 replies

LaDiDaDi · 08/10/2010 11:53

I am massively struggling with ds's sleep.

He was ebf until 6m then I did blw and he had the odd bottle of formula if I was away from him rather than ebm.

I went back to work part-time 3 weeks ago and I think that ds's sleeping has got even worse since then. He has never slept through the night and although I put him down in his cot when he wakes we then co-sleep for the rest of the night. He was sleeping from approx 7.30pm - 3/4 am and would then feed a couple of times before morning however he has now regressed and is waking at 11/midnight and essentially wants to be latched on until morning. I am getting no sleep and tbh today I feel a bit faint from it all.

I can't decide if it is primarily a sleeping issue (have always fed to sleep) or if returning to work has diminished my supply so much that he now needs to feed a lot at night to stimulate it? He takes two bottles of formula/day while I'm at work. I really don't want to express at work (I hate expressing) and tbh would rather switch entirely to ff than do that.

BUT after difficult times when he was younger I really set my heart on bf until he is one. He clearly still loves bf and when he is not a biting nipple twiddler then I love it too!

Any thoughts?

OP posts:
Original poster
LaDiDaDi · 08/10/2010 15:50

bump

OP posts:
MummyBerryJuice · 08/10/2010 16:01

It may be separation anxiety. Just a thought but I've heard that they can becoming more 'clingy' and want to feed more at night when mum starts back at work.

I've got the same problem and we've just over DS out of our room...

MoonFaceMama · 08/10/2010 16:25

could it be a nine month sleep regression? Not sure if there is one around then it's just something i've heard of on here. Angeldog has posted links on sleep regressions on here before...maybe worth having a look around the board?

Hope it sorts it's self out whatever it is! Smile

Original poster
LaDiDaDi · 08/10/2010 19:25

I have wondered about separation anxiety, I think I remember dd being a bit like this at the same age even though we were no longer bf. The trouble is I can't remember what solved it or if she grew out of it....it all seems so long ago but she's only 4!

OP posts:
tiokiko · 08/10/2010 19:49

As MoonFaceMama says, my first thought is sleep regression - think around 9m is common.

Might be worth posting on the Sleep board for some advice. I had loads of help from AngelDog and others on my DDs 18m sleep regression; thinking back she definitely went through it around 9m too.

Some info here.

So don't know if switching to a bottle would have much effect on things, if it's regression I think they just get there in their own time. If you were over it I'd say give it a go but if you really want to keep going to 12m, I'm not sure it would be the solution.

But - I have no experience with co-sleeping and although I fed DD until she self-weaned at 15m I also didn't go through what you are with constant feeding all night. Not surprised you are exhausted.

My advice re sleep regression would be to ride it out and do what you need to as it really won't last forever but sounds like it's taking a toll so others may have better advice.

Good luck, hang in there and hope it passes soon.

AngelDog · 08/10/2010 22:13

Agree with tiokiko about the 9 month sleep regression.

My links arehere and here.

The bad news with sleep regressions is that you can't really do anything to fix it. The good news is that it does pass once babies get past the developmental spurt that messes up sleep before you get to it.

More on the developmental spurts here.

I think separation anxiety can affect it too. Basically they're just learning that you can go away and so they can constantly wake up to check that you're still there. More on this here.

There could be some reverse cycling going on as well.

Sadly my 9 m.o. won't feed to sleep most of the time so I can't offer any advice on the co-sleeping/feeding issue from experience. He's waking more at night and feeding more often too, although it's his naps which have really gone to pot.

Will he ever go to sleep being rocked / in sling / pushchair? Could you get your DH to do a shift at night, even if it takes one of these methods to get him off?

Does he nap reasonably well?

It might be worth trying putting him to bed half an hour earlier than usual to see if that helps at all.

Any form of 'sleep training' (gentle or cry-it-out) is almost certain to fail at an age when babies are working on a big developmental spurt, as yours is.

Sympathy to you and hope it improves soon.

Original poster
LaDiDaDi · 10/10/2010 16:12

Thank you ladies.

I managed to have a nap yesterday and Friday afternoon due to dp and then my parents having the dc. It made a HUGE difference to how I feel Smile.

I think I will just grit my teeth and hope that this is a developmental phase. Ds is cruising around furniture and crawling, perhaps once he starts to walk there will be a little lull in his development....?

I really don't want to try sleep training especially if it is doomed to failure any way.

OP posts:
tiokiko · 10/10/2010 17:18

Glad to hear you're feeling a bit better today - sleep deprivation is sooo tough, makes everything else harder to deal with.

It does sound really like a phase, hope it passes quickly.

In the meantime take it easy on yourself and just get rest when you can - ironing/cooking/whatever can wait until you're all back on an even keel!

AngelDog · 11/10/2010 18:50

Glad you feel a bit better. :)

Things usually calm down a bit as you get past a development spurt. The two problems are usually (a) a busy brain leading up to the spurt and (b) a busy body when new skills are learnt - they want to practise them at night too!

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