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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

5mo waking at least every hour - need help!

48 replies

JacqueslePeacock · 04/02/2012 11:02

That's it really. My DS started off a great sleeper, with just 2 night feeds (roughly 1am and 5am), but is now waking up at least every hour, sometimes every 30 minutes. This has been going on for nearly a month! DH and I sleep shifts with him, but we are both nearing absolute exhaustion.

We co-sleep and EBF. I have fallen into the path of least resistance, and feed him back to sleep each time he wakes (rod? back? Grin), but I don't think hunger is the cause of the waking. He only takes 2 or 3 proper feeds and goes back to sleep after just a couple of sucks the rest of the time. DH can get him to sleep by jiggling and patting, but it takes a bit longer.

Is there anything we can do? Yesterday I was hallucinating with tiredness (!) and don't feel I can go on much longer like this. It's starting to affect my relationship with DH too. Sad

OP posts:
MixedBerries · 04/02/2012 11:14

Oh no. I sympathise. We have exactly the same. DS is 15 weeks and this has been since 12 weeks. Was an angel before then. Desperately awaiting some help...

Original poster
JacqueslePeacock · 04/02/2012 12:18

Sorry to hear that, MixedBerries. I keep telling myself, "it's just a phase, it will pass" but after so long I'm starting to lose hope. Do you have any idea why your DS is waking so much?

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MixedBerries · 04/02/2012 12:37

We've no idea! Sometimes he's hungry but often he's not, just like yours! We've tried everything- he's not hot, not cold, no pooey nappy, no wind, no arms/legs trapped. We don't rush over (he's in a cot in our room) so we're not just escalating a sleepy whimper- he is actually waking up and crying without help from us! It actually seems to be getting worse. When he started this waking pattern he was soothed by a quick nip of milk but now he's getting quite hard to settle again. We try to do it all the dark with the minimum of fuss etc
Like you, we're desperately tired and I don't feel capable of looking after him in the day after so little sleep. No idea what to do. Everything I read says that you can't really do any moulding of behaviour before 6 months but really can't go on like this.
So shocked too as until 3 months he slept so well. We were in a nice pattern of 11-3 then 3-6 which was do-able. This is not. It does seem to be common to revert to poor sleeping at 3 or 4 months but waking every 30 mins or hour is beyond a joke. :(

Original poster
JacqueslePeacock · 04/02/2012 12:43

You sound just like us. We too have tried all the wind/hot/cold/nappy checks with no result at all. At 4 months I was telling myself "it's just the sleep regression" but I wasn't expecting to hit 5 months with no sign of improvement at all. SadSadSad

Perhaps someone will be along in a minute to tell us some very simple solution that just hasn't occurred to us?

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MixedBerries · 04/02/2012 12:47

I will sit and wait with you in hope and full of anticipation!

MixedBerries · 04/02/2012 17:49

Oh dear JacqueslePeacock. Looks like it's just us :(

BlastOff · 04/02/2012 18:54

No, me too except mine is eight months now... He slept wonderfully (10 hours straight through) from 8 - 20 weeks. Then since then he has got progressively worse, initially waking twice a night right up to last night with an all time record of nine times.

I'm waiting for the magic solution too!

However, having had one previous bad sleeper, I don't think there is a magic answer. However, my ds1 got better and better and at 18 months (and since) has been a fantastic sleeper.

MixedBerries · 04/02/2012 22:11

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! 18 months?

BlastOff · 05/02/2012 00:31

Well, he got better until at 18 months he slept through almost every night. Up until then he was getting progressively better. He slept through on and off, but went through difficult phases where he'd be up every night for a fortnight, iyswim.

Oh dear... I was trying to be positive... I was convinced he'd still be like it at 5! It seems so long ago, and I just think that it will pass with this one too

Original poster
JacqueslePeacock · 05/02/2012 11:14

18 mooooooooonths?? Not sure how I am going to get through the next week let alone months.

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BlastOff · 05/02/2012 11:46

I was truly trying to be helpful and feel just dreadful now. I'm sure that neither of yours will be that bad. He was def by far the worst of anyone I knew and I was trying to say even he got better. Most babies outgrow it way way way before then.

ItsTimeToBurnThisDiscoDown · 05/02/2012 12:42

My DS hit the 4 month sleep regression at about 15 weeks, going from 2 wakings for feeds to every hour Sad. BUT at about 23 weeks he suddenly went right through from 11pm to 7am! Now not every night is that good, but generally he's up twice for feeds like he was before so it's much more manageable. I didn't do anything, it's like he suddenly worked out how to self settle. We've had a couple of teething related rough nights since, but usually only a couple before he sleeps well again. So don't worry, they do get through it!Smile

Original poster
JacqueslePeacock · 05/02/2012 15:28

Thank you, Disco - that's a bit more hopeful! So nothing you did, but just wait?

Don't feel bad, BlastOff, you were trying to help! I think the problem is that 18 months feels like forever away at the moment, although I know from experience how fast the last 5 months have passed. Anyway, even if you don't have a magic solution, do you have any tips on coping with sleep deprivation?! Grin

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Original poster
JacqueslePeacock · 07/02/2012 10:17

Well, another hellish night here. DS woke every single hour between 8pm and midnight, every half hour 12-3am and then again every single hour between 3am and 8am. I have to go into work tomorrow morning and if I am feeling like this I have no clue how I am going to manage. Yesterday I "saw" green stick insect things wiggling across the carpet.

I'm beginning trying not to feed him back to sleep every time he wakes, more like every 2nd or 3rd time, but that means longer waking periods with more grizzling. Is it worth it?

Sorry, this is mostly a despairing whinge....but if anyone does have any suggestions, that would be great, as I'm at my wits' end.

OP posts:
Original poster
JacqueslePeacock · 07/02/2012 17:25

....anyone...at all?

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Asturimama · 07/02/2012 17:51

when he first goes to sleep, is it always you who settles him?

My sister had this problem with my niece, who still woke up a lot at 12 months (although not every half an hour) until she had to be away with work for a week. They then discovered that if after the feed before bedtime it is her DH who takes her to bed, she doesn't wake up until 6 or so. I know it is a long shot as the age is quite different, but I thought I'd mention it just in case.

My ds is 4mo and he wakes up more or less every 1,5 hours, so no advice from own experience (yet!)

MixedBerries · 07/02/2012 22:11

Awww Blastoff, don't worry- I know you were trying to help!
Jaqueslepeacock, we had another night like you. Every half hour between 10 and 1, slept 1-3 (when I had to bloody well do some expressing because he won't breast feed either- different story), up 5 bastarding times between 3 and 5, then every hour until 9 when we got up. Thank goodness I'm not working at the moment- I can't imagine how you do that!
Have phoned the health visitor who's coming on Thursday. Worth a try I guess. I think I'm dying. Really don't know what else to try. He wasn't very hungry last night- just waking and screaming the house down. Can't leave him like that surely? And once he gets going with the screaming, his nose gets blocked and he takes sooooooo long to settle again if at all.
Hope tonight is a little better for you Jaques and I'll let you know if the HV has any pearls of wisdom.

scrivette · 07/02/2012 23:48

My 7 month old is the same, used to sleep very well and self settle after bf at night but he now seems to have forgotten all that and is waking every 45 mins ish.

I am going back to work next week, no idea how I will cope.

DH doesn't help, just moans he is tired grrrr.

So no solutions from me, just lots of sympathy.

BlastOff · 08/02/2012 16:05

Well, last two nights ds has slept until 12 then slept until 3 and then until 730! I've not done anything differently. I know tonight might be back to hourly again but I feel so much better. So, it can change at any time for no real reason! There is hope!

This is a difficult time of year because they have colds all the time too, so here's hoping it gets better as spring comes along.

Have you lOoked at the no cry sleep solution? I remember finding some useful tips in there with ds1 which helped (if not solved, but anything that helps is a bonus right?)

Lots of sympathy from here and good sleep vibes for all of us.

8oreighty · 08/02/2012 16:21

My twins did this around same time and lasted till started weaning... Or till they were eating quite a bit during day as well as milk both bottle and bf. I found mother and child, a book by Penelope leach very helpful during this time. She says to try get calories in them during day...worth a read?

tricksybaby200 · 08/02/2012 20:15

Hi guys, completely sympathise. My first was ebf always a poor sleeper, bf to sleep but at 3 months he started waking hourly, until 5 months. 2 things saved us. at 5 months I weaned which made a huge difference and I helped him to learn how to put himself to sleep using baby whisperer pu/pd. worked in around 3 days. any regressions after that it also dealt with. I still fed him when he woke in the night but made sure i put him down awake using pu/pd. once he coiuld settle himself and was getting enough food by weaning he slept through.

Hope that helps and good luck x

tricksybaby200 · 08/02/2012 20:36

sorry just realised that could be misleading. 3 days to learn to settle himself which improved things massively but didn't go 7 til 7 until solids firmly estasblished.

MixedBerries · 09/02/2012 18:58

Well, HV suggested crying it out. No surprise there then.

Bartiimaeus · 09/02/2012 19:12

Wow - I thought I'd posted your thread when I read the title!

DS was an okish sleeper (woke once or twice a night to feed) until just after 3 months. Now at 4.5 months he wakes every hour some nights and at best every 2 hours...

So glad I'm not alone! (sorry)

I've read the No cry sleep solution but apart from the easy things (quiet, calm before bedtime and an earlier bedtime) I haven't managed to instigate anything else. Last night DS fed every 2 hours. Proper fed, not just suckling. I'm so tired I could cry (and have many times Blush)

I've always been the one getting up to DS as we ebf (but don't express) and am still on maternity leave (for another 6 weeks only - wibble). This week DH has got up a couple of times and managed to rock DS back to sleep. But an hour later he's crying again Sad (DS not DH! Grin)

The hardest are the nights when he wakes and won't go back to sleep for 2 hours - fortunately we've only had a handful of them.

My problem is that he seems to wake for a number of reasons - all in the same night: hunger, sick (he has reflux), tummy pain (followed by enormous fart),...so I fix one thing and then an hour later it's a new thing.

Am also having difficulties getting him to sleep any longer than 35 minutes during the day, unless he's on my lap and occasionally feeding - then he can last up to 3 hours Confused

Whats the pick up/put down? Is it literally just pick up and put straight back down again? I tried that and the first time it worked after 2 pick ups. Has not worked since Sad

I know I probably shouldn't but I'm so tired I also do the path of least resistance and end up feeding him. I try to calm him other ways for about 5 minutes. Occasionally it works, but not often.

Bartiimaeus · 09/02/2012 19:13

Oops that was long Blush

But I was seriously planning on posting the same thing today!