Does dd need constant night feeds?

[bobblehead]

My dd is nearly 8 months and still waking every 2 hours at night to feed (bf). She gulps away both sides and then goes straight back to sleep, until the next time... this carries on until she's up fpr good at 6/7am. She is on 3 meals a day, but that can sometimes only be a few spoonfuls of fruit/veg/rice. Is it likely that she's hungry at night or is this just habit? What can I do? I don't really mind too much except that I'd love to get pregnant again but can't see that happening until she goes longer at night. Any advice?

mine are much older now, but i remember ds1 woke every 2 hours until he was over 1! never sure if it was habit or not, but i just fed him anyway - i thought if hes asking, he wants it. ds2 was born when ds1 was 15 months old - and still waking in the night. so it's doable.

hv advice i had was offer water only at night, not milk and if they are doing it out of habit, they learn that its not worth waking up for water!

probably very sensible and you mihgt like to try it - if it is still hv current advice, this changes so fast!!, but i was a first time mum and very unsure of myself and very much ruled by baba's wailing!!

Thanks for your reply MTPW. My feeling is it is hunger, but then as I've fed so much at night she doesn't feel the need through the day! If I try water/not feeding I find she wakes up totally and is up for the next 3 hours, so feeding much easier. My only concern in conceiving as the concencus (sp?) seems to be they need to drop night feeds, but if you managed 15 months between them thats reassuring!
Anyone know if fertility can occur with reduced day feeds instead of night?

Habit, I would say...

I think you can continue like that for as long as you want, but I have noticed that I was more calmer and willing to play and enjoy the company of my baby/toddler when we both had had a good night's sleep.

I think you need to cut down the night feeds more than the day feeds to get fertility back. Kellymom.com is a good website for reading up on this. Something to do with a hormone mainly produced by night feeding. Have your periods come back yet? Mine came back at 4 months with night feeding, so everyone is different.

With regards to cutting down night feeding, I had one of these too! Every hour or so - we were co-sleeping, so I didn't really notice the times. But it made me sooo tired - I didn't realise how tired until we stopped. We stopped it by DH looking after him (I slept in a different room) for a night. That was literally all it took. The next day he fed lots more in the day, and the pattern was reset.

Thanks Laura. Think I will have to have words with dh! He has got off very easily at night so far...

bobble - it's habit I think.

My DS did this until he was 10 months old. He then started to crawl really fast and the minute that happened he began to sleep longer and longer.

Within a few weeks he was doing 10 - 12 hours a night without waking. I still BF my 19 month old DS, but he only wakes now when he is teething or has a cold.

If you don't mind it too much, my advice is to let it continue until he is more physically active. You may find he will get exhausted from all the physical activity and less likley to wake when he doesn't actually need a night feed.

Oh - my period came back when DS was 5.5 months old, despite the fact that the night feeds continued until 10 months.

Women are different and sometimes you can conceive even if night feeding !

Good luck !

Dd is already crawling and pulling up to standing on anything she can get her hands on! I think she is teething though so perhaps that is something to do with it. I will probably carry on as I'm too much of a wimp to try refusing her and shall just hope I'm one of those who can conceive despite night feeds (still no periods though-not something I ever thought I'd mind!). Thanks for the advice

sorry bobble - I said he when I meant she about you DD !

Of course, there are ways of getting BF babies to sleep through, but generally they are not very pleasant. My view any way.

Good luck with trying to get pregas

Thanks Nanneh

Yes, habit I think. To my shame ds still has this habit aged 2.9. There are advantages but I am too tired to remember what they are....

You're right, the contraceptive effect of breastfeeding is usually at its height when you still feed at night. Is it possible for you to wait a while before you try for another? Hope you can work this out to your mutual satisfaction

Yes maybe will have to wait! I feel really torn between wanting to do the right thing for dd (if thats what feeding on demand even is!) and by overwhelming broodyness! I will probably make half hearted attempts to get her to sleep and what will be will be.