20 week old feeding hourly day and night

[used2bthin]

She is generally unsettled too because she isn't sleeping , she can't seem to settle its like she's always hungry-or maybe its the comfort she's after?

She was up so much last night I barely slept-she must've fad six-seven times between 11 and half 6. Help?! Teeth? growth spurt? way too early to introduce solids isn't it?

It is too early for solids, but she may well be hungry and trying to get your supply up - how often was she feeding before this, and how long has she been feeding hourly?

thanks for reply, she was doing a four to five hour stretch roughly 10-3 then two hourly ish til morning then three in the day (approx). Feeding her now she just isn't seeming full , comes off and cries then wants to go back on a few mins after.

She has been like this since sun night so not long although she's generaly not the best sleeper. She is usuay happy though and has been less smiley too.

Growth spurt. Hang in there it will pass

My boy did this at 20 weeks too, he had always fed frequently during the day but had done the 10-3 at night then every 3 hours. I put it down to the '4 month sleep regression' unfortunately it lasted until he was 7 months so presumably joined up with the '6 month sleep regression'
Maybe not much help but what I'm trying to say is that I think it is normal!
Also, regardless of what people say, weaning early is highly unlikely to help with sleep. There are so many advantages for your baby if you wait until six months.

Thanks for replies. See I feel like she has only just had a growth spurt! But it must be that I think.

at 7 months!!I keep thinking just another month and a half till I can introduce solids and I may at that point give her one bottle of formula a day too. But I will keep soldiering on with the night times, just wish she'd settle when she's asleep as she seems to spend a lot of time moaning in her sleep too. So tired! Oh and she had stopped but is now feeding again.

right, this is kind of the same issue but more of a longer term thing she does. Please any suggestions for this I am so fed up.

fed dd at 2, fine and she went back to sleep. 3.15 she woke again, fed then put her down after winding her again. She was asleep but grunted, groaned and writhed about till i picked her up(i have an older dd too who I really don't want woken). So she burped, I thought thats that then, tried putting her down again but same happened and turning to crying when i tried leaving her in the cot. Fed and winded her again, holding her upright on me to really make sure for a while before puttin her in bed again. Same happened.

She's feeding again and I am worrying about tomorrow which will be another day feeling wrecked and not getting stuff done followed by dh sleeping downstairs and me going to bed stupidly early to try and get some sleep.

What can I do? btw I generally put her in with me from 4ish but last night was the same, grunting and writhing about in my bed.

I just got five mins sleep now she is doing it again. I can't keep living on two to three hours sleep at 11 then an hour and a half half five to seven which is how it tends to go. What on earth is wrong with her?

You could try expressing a bottle's-worth and letting your DH handle one feed - if it's the first one of the night then you might be able to get a five or six hour stretch until she wakes in the early hours?

Someone on another thread suggested the cold nights as a possible reason - what does your DD wear in bed? Do you think she might be waking up cold?

I did wonder about the cold, tried to turn up the thermostat infact. Having said that, she slept ok at PILs house at the weekend and its always freezing there.

Yes after me being in tears this morning (she didn't even sleep through the 5-7 stretch this time)DH said why not express tonight. I feel too tired to do it but having a rare coffee so will try in a bit. I only get about 3oz though even both breasts so wondering if thats enough?

Moaning again but I am miserable this morning with tiredness and its making me a rubbish mum. Too much to do to feel this shattered and thats with me doing minimum housework-we need food as I've felt like this all week so not got anythimg in.

Hi used2

Oh gosh, I could be you! Don't want to read and run. I have posted several times over the past few weeks regarding similar issues.

Running out the door to playgroup at the moment but just want to say you're not alone! I too am on my knees!

Will try to get back to you later.

Coffee, anyone...?

Hi maldivemoment! argh its horrible isn't it!I have managed to go for my appointment and do a food shop-dd2 slept the whole time of course!

I'm back...

Where was I? Ah yes...constant, relentless feeding of a seemingly never content baby!

I have convinced myself that our little one has either tongue tie or silent reflux. Last week I was certain it was TT, this week I"m now sure it's silent reflux! (oh and this is not a neurotic first time mum. This is baby No. 2 for me!)

My story sound very similar to yours and a few weeks ago I hit the wall, so to speak, in terms of frustration, low mood and all-consuming exhaustion (my lovely family swooped in at this point to help out which made me cry!).

At the time I was feeling very isolated because all I seemed to be hearing were stories of smiling, contented babies who were all beginning to sleep for longer stretches - cut to me and I felt like an emotional wreck with a baby who never sleeps longer than 2ish hours at night, NEVER sleeps more than 5 mins during the day, would happily be attached to my boobs for 24 hours, cries often (if one more person asked me if she was hungry I would have ripped my own ears off!) bla, bla bla - you get the picture.

At the end of my tether I went to GP with a checklist of her symptoms (if I hadn't written them down I would prob just have said "well, she's just unsettled..." and looked like a complete t*t!). GP was extremely understanding and has made a referral to paediatrician.

Of course pretty much the next day, and ever since, all I seem to be hearing from other Mums is 'normal, normal, normal' which I find extremely reassuring. Popped along to local BF group too and the Health Visitor and BF co-ordinator both told me that this is always a tricky period with breastfed babies and in the 'olden days' i.e. when I was a baby, this is the reason we were weaned around the 4 month mark - cos babies were generally unsettled, everyone thought they were hungry and the solution was thought to be solids. On sharing my tales of woe with a friend a complete stranger overheard and also pipped in saying that her little one went through exactly the same, it was a horrendous period (cue nodding from me) and that it lasted about 6 weeks (cue this look from me!) but it passed.

Gosh, this has turned into a rather epic way of saying, you are not alone, I've been told it's normal and it will pass (if it doesn't I think I'll shoot myself!)

We can do it...hang in there...

thanks and poor you that sounds tough. dc2 for me too and dd1 has sn and as a baby was very complicated to care for so I thought this one would be a breeze!

She is usually happy in the day although less so the last few days. I google TT and silent reflux too a lot!She had gaviscon prescribed in fact but was gulping so much air as I got it into her I decided against it as it wasnt helping.

I think it is digestive for dd2 as I can hear her tummy bubbling away. Been in bed since 8 and she slep half an hour and has woken and fed for half an hour just now so I should try and rest while I can. Today was my worst day-dh came back from work in th end and I slept, literally just crashed the minute I lay down. Been a bit better since but had felt so ill and down it scared me. As I slept I dreamt about making up a bottle of formula!

Tongue and lip ties can cause digestive problems as well as reflux, silent or otherwise.

What have you been googling?

Dr Kotlow is a leading expert on tongue tie

and milk matters know their stuff too

It was mawbroon who directed me towards the TT checklist and it was this checklist that I took to GP (thanks again maw)

I too have been in bed since 8 'cos she still feeds for at least an hour (on a good night!) before she drops off. Was getting a little upset a few weeks ago regarding never having any time to myself, being a milking machine, etc but now I've figured this really is such a short period of time, it won't be like this forever and I love her so, so, so, so much that it's a sacrifice I'll happily make (ok, maybe not happily all the time, but certainly most of the time!)

Have you spoken to your GP about baby's symptoms?

maldive, I wonder if all the normal normal normal people are confusing normal with common!

Mervyn Griffiths estimates tongue tie at around 10%. That is a LOT of babies and who knows, the figure could be higher!

With ds1, I used to wonder what on earth I was doing wrong that he didn't behave like all the other contented babies that I read about. Now I know why! He was tongue tied and starving!

thanks for links. Thing is its not ALL the time which made me think its not TT. Just had twenty mins sleep-now fed her yet again...can hear her tummy gurgling though! I never did ask anyone to check her for TT but it seems like hardly anyone knows how to spot it so suspect I'd be told no?

she seems to feed well but can't need to be up twenty mins after a feed feeding so its hard to be sure.

it is a short period, I keep thining not long now till the six month mark and I've got this far. BUt then nights like the last few and I am feeling unable to cope with my life.

She's unsettled in the cot now but wants to be asleep, her eyes are shut.

You can contact Milk Matters who I linked to. They have a virtual service to help you identify if tt is the problem. Also, there is the tongue tie babies support group on facebook. It's a closed group but you can ask to join.

TT symptoms can come and go which confuses the matter further!

I would say it is definitely worth ruling out (or in)

thanks I didnt know it could change so will have a look-think I did that check list before and was unsure so will try again.

oh my goodness been asleep and up yet again with her. This is ridiculous.