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[getagoldtoof]

Please help - how can I cut down on this incessant breastfeeding? My son is 9 months and we are out of control. He is up EVERY HOUR. Sorry to shout, but it is every single hour of my night times, some nights can be better but most are shocking. I feel like a zombie and am getting down about it. Cosleeping just means he never latches off, we still get woken all night long!

Last night he stayed at my dad's. I phoned to see how it went and he was up just twice. Just twice!. I am feeling so sad, how can they do this and I can't? They gave him a carton of formula each time, is this the answer?

I don't want to quit breastfeeding - but what else can I do? He screams for boob on the bus, tube and everywhere, yet if I give him it he has a little snack and then stars smiling at everyone again.

Is it best to just give up?

Poor you, you sound exhausted. if you don't want to stop bfing you don't have to.

Lets look at the days first. How are you with the regular feeding during the day? Are you happy to continue or do you think he needs some limits? What happens if you tell him no or later and give him something else to do or eat? Have a look at this article on breastfeeding manners to see if it helps.

You don't have to give up bfing totally to sort the nights out either. Have a read of this on sleeping through the night and try to remember that babies waking in the night is normal behaviour, although I know how frustrating it can be when you are sleep deprived.

Have you tried Dr Sear's 12 alternatives for the all night nurser, 31 ways to get your baby to sleep and stay asleep? or read the no cry sleep solution? Have you considered night weaning too?

hey, no advice really, but just to let you know there are more of us out there going through the same, im pretty much up every hour (sometimes more sometimes less) every night with my nearly 7 month old dd. this has been going on about 3-4 months. she has slept through maybe twice in her life when about 2 months old.
i definitely think if you cant handle crying it out or other names for it pretending to be gentler solutions, then reading the dr sears links that jilted as provided are very helpful. its the only thing that has kept me going.
i cant get my dd to eat well in the day as she is too interested in looking around and is on off on off to look behind her al lthe time.
you are very lucky to have your dad to babysit and that your son will take formula from someone else - mine wont accept anything but my boob in the night! you can bank sleep, maybe your dad can babysit for you on the nights you really are too exhausted. xx
dont give up if you dont want to and if you can get through this. breast milk is so good for them x

hi toof, how long has it been like this? is it a growth spurt or separation anxiety? I had 2 babes who were very much like yours, and it did pass after a while. the night is hard because they just yell if they don't get fed don't they. I never figured it out, I just waited until they grew out of it and went to only waking once or twice in the night, which was bearable. try dr sears, or eliz pantley if you really need to do something, but I think it will take time to change behaviour. he's still only teeny and night feeds are normal, but I get that the constant thing is tiring, I really have been there. it gets better.

Thank you jilted, gem and what. I think it is a case of just accepting it, like a Bhuddist might! I know I am so lucky my dad could have him, and I got a bit of a break, but I felt jealous - he only woke up twice!!!

Thanks for the links, I've had a good read, and think we will need a bit of a re-jig of our night time routine. It's just almost impossible to think about routines, bedtimes etc through this haze of exhaustion, as I'm sure you are all too well aware!