Every 2 hours at night, any way of making him go longer :(

[aPixieInMyCaramelLatte]

I know I know, I can't force him to sleep but feeding every 2 hours at night is killing me.

He's 18weeks tomorrow and I know about the 4month growth spurt but this is good compared to 2 weeks ago when it was every hour to hour and a half and before that it was still every 2 hours.

Even if I could push him another half hour to hour between feeds that would be great because I'm physically and mentally exhausted here.

I'm thinking of giving bottle Formula just to hopefully get an extra hour or 2 in but I'd rather use that as the last option.

How often is he feeding in the day?

The same, every 2hrs. I can handle that. He's gone back to having a 3hr nap at lunch time but even then he wakes up after 2hrs for a feed before sleeping his extra hour.

It's not like the formula idea is even a good one because he won't take a bottle at all. I've only tried with EBM but I stopped expressing because it was just going to waste. :(

He went to bed at 7.00pm after a full 45 minute feed (fed to sleep) and has just woke up and took another 20minute fast and furious feed. It's like this all day and night.

Surely he can't be that hungry EVERY 2 hours.

He's very content and happy between feeds. I don't think he needs weaning as he's been like this since around 8ish weeks and isn't showing many signs of needing solids.

Pixie, this may not be what you want to hear but have you thought about re-arranging things so you get a little more rest, so feel better able to cope? (As you say you want to use formula as a last option)

Do you have a dp? My dh takes ds for an hour or two first thing (depending when ds wakes in the morning) and it is a life saver. If this wouldn't work everyday maybe you could get a lie-in on their day off?

ds is 6 months and has never slept well - I'm pleased if he manages 2 hours without waking! But in the grand scheme of his life its not long.

Yeah I have a dp who has been great since he was made redundant.

We also have a 21 month old as well though which makes resting a bit more difficult.

We take turns at getting up at the moment but my lie in's never amount to much. Baby wakes for the day at 5/6ish so I usually get up with him, he'll then go for a nap around the time my toddler wakes up at 7/8am so I'll jump into bed whilst dp gets up with the toddler. But it's still only 2hrs sleep at the most.

If I could just get him to take a bottle of EBM I'd feel a whole lot better about it I think. And I'm sure dp would because he really wants to help bless him.

Thank-you. I might get dp to get both of them up tomorrow and actually take them out of the house in the car for an hour or two. If nothing else at least I'll get a cup of tea and shower in peace.

Hi pixie,
Does he self-settle at night? Does he feed to sleep? He might be asking for feeds because he doesn't know how to go back to sleep without feeding. We had same issue with dd (now 5 months) and have really improved the night wakings by using the no cry sleep solution book by Elizabeth pantley. The theory is that all babies wake at night but those that can't self settle back to sleep need our help to get back to sleep.

Newmum, I think you're right. He doesn't self soothe. I've stopped running into him so quickly when he wakes to see if he'll go back to sleep but it doesn't work and he needs feeding.

Maybe that's it then. I'll have a look at that no cry sleep solution. Thank-you.

Good luck! It's quite hard work to begin with to break the feed to sleep association but we have been doing it for about a month and dd's sleep has improved tremendously. We still have bad nights but nothing like what they before Christmas, when I was losing my mind to sleep deprivation! There is a no cry support thread on the sleep topic if you do decide to try it :-)