Feeding throughout the night and refusing the breast during the day

[Upsanddowns1]

Hi there, I have a 15 week baby boy who has recently started to wake 2-3 hourly at night. He isn't really feeding properly during the day, just for 5 minutes, every 4 hours or so. He will sometimes get upset when I try to feed him during the day. I think he is not hungry during the day because he is feeding so much at night and vice versa.

I go out most days for fresh air. He goes down well at 6:30pm after a bath, and seems to know it is night time. I also try to put the dummy in at night when he has woken after just 2-3 hours.

Previously at 12 weeks he was sleeping ok at night, sometimes 7 hours at a time. It feels like we've regressed....

No advice but I've an FFed baby the same age and have the exact same problem so interested to see your replies!

Think a couple of kellymom articles might help you here wakeful 4 month olds and reverse cycling.

Things that might help too are using the tips from nursing strike to encourage daytime feeding and 12 alternatives for the all night nurser for the nights.

Lots of 4 month olds are like this though, and it may just pass with you doing nothing

Thanks, I'm glad to hear it's not just me going through this. I can't think that our routine has changed suddenly or anything else. I think I'll start by offering milk immediately after naps when he's most calm and in a quiet room. It's difficult to do this when out and about that's the only problem.

My 15 week old baby has gradually been going off his milk now for a few weeks, now he barely feeds during the days and the feeding is ok at night but he's not sucking very hard, not like he used to when hungry. His weight has been stable but he has not gained weight in 4 weeks, so understandably I'm worried. He dropped from 50th centime to 25th in 4 weeks.

The GP is happy with his health and gave me infant Gaviscon in case he has reflux. The problem is that he is still not taking much in, either from the bottle or the breast, with or without the Gaviscon. I've tried different teats. Today he has had about 240mls total 7am-7pm!

He seems to be happy and alert with some wet nappies, just not feeding, even at night it's not a proper hungry latch.....

Everyone says he'll feed when he's ready to but I keep thinking there's something wrong, stopping him from sucking or swallowing.

Should I persist with the Gaviscon?

If he begins to get upset should I persist or just stop trying to feed him?

I will re-weigh him in 2 weeks and re-visit the doctor. It's a long time to keep on like this though....

Any further advise?

Thanks from a worried first time mum!