Constant night feeding

7 replies

Haribolover · 15/12/2013 15:23

LO is now 2 weeks old and breastfed and last night spent the entire night from 11pm to 7am awake demanding feeding. Only time she wasn't screaming was when she was feeding. Every time we put her down she starting screaming within a couple of minutes. Worried that their isn't enough milk for her.

During the day she is quite sleepy and feeding maybe every 3-4hrs and at times needs waking up to do that.

Is this normal, anything we can do to get some sleep as DH starts back at work tomorrow so another night like that is going to be horrible for him. How long might this last?

OP posts:

RigglinRoundTheChristmasTree · 15/12/2013 15:29

It was normal for us.

DD did not sleep anywhere but on 1 of us for the first couple of weeks, she had about 5 beds before 1m/o.

Some people don't want to co sleep. To start with I would never have dreamed of co sleeping. It's saved my sanity, from 3 weeks onwards DD has been in with us, she could feed and sleep all night next to me and I could actually close my eyes.

msmiggins · 15/12/2013 15:37

RigglinRoundTheChristmasTree - totally agree co sleeping saved my sanity.
My babies slept better and so did I - despite the many night feedings.

Bellini28 · 15/12/2013 16:45

Same here. With first DD I was a Gina Ford devotee and her methods worked wonderfully for us. Second DD is 5 weeks and I would never have imagined I would be demand feeding and co sleeping. Entirely different baby and doesn't want to be put down. I keep telling myself this doesn't last forever... Through my tears of exhaustion that is!
Sorry OP no advice just wanted to post and say you are not alone.

Fozziebearmum2be · 15/12/2013 16:50

It does stop. The first 2-3 weeks are the hardest and then it gets much much easier. My babies 10 weeks now and the constant cluster feeding is nowhere near as often and now happens in the day which makes it easier.

Good luck and congratulations on your new baby

msmiggins · 15/12/2013 16:54

Haribolover it may help if you try to feed more during the day. Try to fed every 2 hours or so, she will be fine being woken for a feed and irt may mean she won't be so hungry at night.

MissRatty · 15/12/2013 18:39

I could have written your post myself! Apparently (according to other mums and my net research) it is totally normal, and will get better. Babies tended to be more active in the womb at night and this carries through for a good few weeks when they are born. They also have growth spurts at 7-10 days and between 2-3 weeks which makes the cluster feeding worse. There's also higher levels of some hormones in boob milk at night apparently. These reasons keep me going! Its so difficult. I did find that waking the dude up every two hours during the day and having some alert time during the day helped...but not during the spurts. Mine is two weeks old and has only fitted in newborn for two weeks (they were big on him when he was born!) and is now outgrowing them, so at least
I know my efforts aren't wasted!

As a rule of thumb, as long as poos and pees are fine and they are gaining weight we have nothing to worry about (apart from ourselves dying of exhaustion!) x

RalphRecklessCardew · 16/12/2013 13:58

It will get better, I promise. Could DH
sleep on the sofa for a bit and take over at 4 am so you get some sleep before he goes to work?

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