Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Infant feeding

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

Flip

Original poster

Growth spurts and sleep

20 replies

olimpia · 04/07/2012 14:23

My 5 months old has been very sleepy today, only wake for half an hour to one hour intervals since 7 am. When he's awake he wants to feed all the time (ebf) and then go back to sleep. I heard that growth spurts can make babies very sleepy but I have no experience of this. Should I be worried?
Many thanks in advance.

OP posts:

Original poster

olimpia · 04/07/2012 17:58

Anyone please?

OP posts:

TheMysteryCat · 04/07/2012 20:18

are you getting plenty of dirty and wet nappies?

How is he when awake? Alert?

Have you checked his temperature?

If you're unsure on any of these, then phone your GP for advice?

He may just be very tired, my DS sometimes exhausted himself when he was learning something new, but if in any doubt, I'd check with a health professional.

Original poster

olimpia · 05/07/2012 09:28

Thank you mysterycat.

OP posts:

BigBoPeep · 05/07/2012 11:45

as long as he seems well i'd be inclined not to worry - mine goes through awake phases and sleepy phases regularly. yesterday was a very awake day, today is a sleepy day - shes asleep on my shoulder now

Original poster

olimpia · 05/07/2012 12:32

He's more awake today. Yesterday and the day before he slept most of the morning and when he wasn't sleeping, he was drinking from me.
Somewhere I read that there's a link between growth spurts (which he was having I think) and being sleepy so just wondered if that was people's experience.
I think he may need to eat solids perhaps

OP posts:

TheMysteryCat · 05/07/2012 12:43

what's making you think he needs solids?

MN has a page on weaning, here: Weaning which is pretty clear that 26 weeks is the earliest that is recommended for solid food.

there's no need to rush and I think based on what you've posted so far, it's more likely that he's having a growth spurt which is why he's feeding/sleeping more. If you have any health concerns though, it is best to check with your GP.

Original poster

olimpia · 05/07/2012 15:16

themysterycat you may well be right. Thing is, he's also waking up much more at night and having a good feed. My other children were weaned at 4 months like it was recommended 10 years ago (big age gap between DS3 and the other 2). Therefore sometimes I can't help but wonder if the current guidelines are correct or whether he's likely to be hungry and I'm better off starting him on solids.

OP posts:

BigBoPeep · 05/07/2012 19:51

milk has way more pep in it than solids! its like a superfood, absolutely crammed with 'goodness' - i think people underestimate that.

Original poster

olimpia · 05/07/2012 20:33

I appreciate that. The trouble is at the moment I don't think I'm keeping up with demand. I've never had any issues with supply, to the contrary I had oversupply for the first three months. Yet tonight he was sucking and sucking and nothing was coming out (I can tell because I can't hear or see him swallow) so he got a bit frustrated. Nothing major though, he's now asleep.

OP posts:

TheMysteryCat · 05/07/2012 20:44

if your baby has increased his feeding needs, your body will catch up to meet them.

it should only take 24-48 hours for this to happen.

to help your body catch up, make sure you're eating a good, rich and healthy diet and drinking lots of water.

TruthSweet · 05/07/2012 21:20

TMC - Erm, you don't need to eat or drink anything special to make more milk and in fact drinking more than you need (drinking more than your thirst dictates) has been linked with slightly lowered milk supply.

Providing you aren't eating 25 packets of crisps a day and that's it (or a similarly restricted or nutritionally limited diet) for months on end then a regular diet is fine.

olimpia - if your DS seems frustrated, have you tried swapping sides (look up switch nursing) or using breast compressions? They can help a pee-d off baby to get more milk with less stress for the both of you. It may be he has got used to the over supply and is not so pleased with the more regulated and less pressurised milk flow of established bfing - this should pass with time and as DS gets used to the new flow.

TheMysteryCat · 05/07/2012 21:34

truthsweet thanks for the info.

Was under the impression that a good, healthy diet and regular intake of fluids was beneficial for breastfeeding.

was by no means suggesting over-drinking, so apologies OP if that's what you took it to mean.

willowstar · 05/07/2012 21:46

Hello, I just popped on here to look up 5 month growth spurt as I think my little man may be having one. For the last few days he has been quite fussy, growling at my boobs, wanting to feed a lot then throwing up...he cluster feeds all evening anyway and is still doing that...but what has made me think thisg must be a growth spurt is that he slept for 2.5 hrs this morning when normally he only usually sleeps for 20 minutes at a time during the day. It was great!

TruthSweet · 05/07/2012 22:05

They are good for mum's own health but not strictly necessary for BM production. This explains it well.

Obv. being deficient in a vitamin/mineral isn't good for anyone so of course a well rounded diet is to be recommended for everyone, bfing or not, but unless you are extremely deficient in a particular vit/mineral then your milk won't be (see here on iron deficiency and the supplementation of anaemic mothers not leading to an increase in BM iron - though anaemia can lead to a lower supply anyway).

This article has some interesting info on fluid intake and milk supply if you are interested.

Original poster

olimpia · 05/07/2012 22:14

Don't worry Mysterycat I knew what you meant by saying eat well and drink plenty. I aware that more food or drink doesn't translate in more milk.
TS thank you for your advice.
TBH my supply has pretty much regulated itself gradually over the last 2-3 months so DS is definitely used to the less forceful letdown and having to work harder for the milk. I always switch him several times if he appears to want more and no milk is flowing. I also do breast compresses Ian's routine.
Usually I get a letdown after a minute or so of active sucking. It lasts a couple of minutes then I'm aware that the flow is slowing even with breast compresses. It is at this point that I switch him to the other breast if he appears to want more. Then I get another let down from the other side.
Tonight to my surprise I only got a letdown from one boob, then nothing no matter how many times I switched him.
I can only think that it's because it's a human body we're talking about, so not perfect and not always adequate. I just hope it catches up with his needs soon!

OP posts:

TheMysteryCat · 05/07/2012 22:14

truthsweet

from your link: "Mothers of older babies may feel hungrier when baby temporarily increases his or her milk intake (for example, during a growth spurt)? again, listen to your body."

This is exactly what I was trying to say.

so apologies if it's been misconstrued, but this is actually what I meant.

Original poster

olimpia · 05/07/2012 22:18

Oh and like williwstar's baby he's also chucking out much more (perhaps he's just too full ).

OP posts:

TruthSweet · 05/07/2012 22:22

Some babies can want to nurse more not necessarily feed more during certain times (developmental leaps, illness, teething, periods of change in family life, etc), vomiting is an easy way to get rid of excess milk in that case. Not so great for us or the washing machine though

Original poster

olimpia · 05/07/2012 22:45

That makes sense TS (about wanting to nurse rather than feed). Incidentally they also drink lots in the process and then chuck it all out on the floor when you're buying milk from your local Londis

OP posts:

BigBoPeep · 06/07/2012 20:43

Mine's been doing a similar thing - had a few days of nonstop feeding and then yesterday she was literally asleep ALL day, barely having anything to eat compared. Tonight she's been wanting to nurse & not really feed so much so I've been puked on a fair bit...more washing!

Flip