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Infant feeding

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

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8 replies

threelittlebabies · 07/02/2006 12:41

Am exclusively breastfeeding 5mo dd. A few wks ago I posted about her slow weight gain, had lots of helpful replies and, on advice of tiktok, began 2 hrly feeding. Weight gain was 10oz, -1oz and 5oz over 3 weeks. So far so good.
dd now 22 weeks and since started feeding more frequently, going from 9pm-8am to waking earlier and earlier, to the point where a normal night involves her waking twice for feeds again! Is this just what to expect and endure?! Obviously my main concern is for her health and happiness,plus wanting to continue breastfeeding, but also have a 3yo ds who I need to consider and am knackered! I havent started weaning yet, is she telling me she is ready? Didn't know if to post this here or in Sleep. Excuse rotten grammar etc, am rushing out toi baby massage and will check back later

TIA

OP posts:
tiktok · 07/02/2006 13:10

Babies wake for all sorts of reasons, and one of them is, yes, to get more to eat....in a baby under six months it's better for their health to satisfy this with the breastfeeds you are giving her. Solids at this stage are not really adding to her calorie intake, so will have no effect on 'getting her through the night' without waking.

If you give solids she may or may not wake less - but the connection will be co-incidence, not cause and effect.

Them's the facts!

Do with them as you like

JuliaAndJohn · 07/02/2006 13:19

I have three sons. All three slept very well until about 4-5 months and then kept waking up many times in the night. Once weaned, the problem largely sorted itself out and they went back to being good sleepers (ds1 and ds2 slept 7-7 from 5 months but ds3 who is seven months still wakes up once, briefly for a feed - AAAHhhh)

chocolateshoes · 07/02/2006 13:33

Could it be that your DD is waking for other reasons than a feed, but then quite happily accepts milk if you offer it? Is she kicking covers off in the night? Have you tried giving her water or just soothing her with a quick cuddle no talking & see if she'll go back to sleep? It might be that she has got into the habit of waking & feeding, & that she doesn't really need it.

You must be exhausted - good luck!

sharklet · 07/02/2006 14:17

It might be that she is just in the habit of waking then. I agree it could be for other reasons. My dd never slept through with normal covers but when we started using a grobag she did, she's a wriggler and used to kick off the covers. Might be worth a try, you can pick them up cheap on ebay!

threelittlebabies · 07/02/2006 15:47

Hello, back from baby massage. dd was weighed and has gained 7oz, weighing in at a respectable 13lb! Thanks for all your replies.

tiktok- I actually don't want to give her solids yet, I was just checking Having got this far I am determined to wait until 26 weeks if I can. I think I am wondering more if I can decrease the amount of feeds. I know this sounds backwards, but when I was feeding 3-4 hourly she slept through, now I feed 2hrly, or more often if she demands it, she doesn't!

JuliaAndJohn- I hope my experiences are the same and dd sleeps better the older she gets! It's more difficult for me because ds slept through from 8 weeks old, but then he was bottle fed, maybe that had something to do with it?

chocolateshoes- have to admit I do pick dd up much sooner than I would if she was my only one IYSWIM. Ds has become a terrible sleeper lately, sometimes lying awake and talking to himself in the middle of the night for up to 4 hrs. She doesn't have water, as was told don't need to with breast fed babies, though maybe I could try? She was definitely hungry last night at midnight, and had a long feed. Maybe she's getting into the routine of having it though, rather than needing it- expecting it?

sharklet- we do use a grobag every night without fail, as we found she woke up when she kicked off the covers, and she has slept much better since we got it- started sleeping through in fact (Ah the good old days! )As for other reasons, I think she quite often wakes with wind, but I am afraid to say I have got into the habit of feeding her back to sleep, as its quickest - I know, rod for own back etc.

Guess I'll just have to see how it goes!
Wow, huge post!

OP posts:
JennyLee · 07/02/2006 16:21

She might be going through a growth spurt when they need to feed more, and if breastfeeding that means more feeds.

threelittlebabies · 07/02/2006 18:05

JennyLee- maybe, but would it continue for 2 weeks??!!

OP posts:
JennyLee · 07/02/2006 22:26

mmm that true lol, I should not really be giving advise my ds breastfed around the clock for 11 months, even at night I slept with him mostly attached lol choose a better path!!! lol

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