6 mo feeding all night - normal??

[Blueberry75]

My DS is 6.5 months, not sure of current weight but has always tracked between 75th and 91st percentile so is a good size. Since we moved him from Moses basket to cot at about 4.5m he has gone from feeding 3x a night to every couple of hours or more. Have started co sleeping (using cot pushed against bed, side down so it's like an extension of the bed) so that we all get some sleep but he still feeds throughout the night, usually briefly and sometimes not even for 5 mins each time! He then feeds about 8am and then only TWICE in the day! Usually long feeding sessions around 11.30am and 3pm. Then his bedtime feed at 7pm. Is this normal?? I've heard of reverse cycling but I don't work during the day so I'm never away from him. Should I be trying to correct it? I try offering feeds more in the day but he won't have it. He has his first tooth about to pop through I think, not sure if this is relevant. Any advice/experience of similar situations greatly appreciated please!!

I did find they feed more around teething. But the first 2 teeth bottom middle were least bad for night feeding.
But it sounds pretty consistent and I only found it was bad at most a week before the tooth came through.

Yep blueberry have the same issue and bad news is we are in about week 7 of it...occasionally she has a good nights and reverts to 2 or 3 feeds but then next night it's back to loads of feeding again.
What I have been trying to do in the day is resist trying to offer her constantly, which resulted in her having 5 min snack feeds every hour or so. Now I offer a minimum of 2 hrs apart so she will then feed longer. I have noticed that the days where I stay in and get more feeds into her she then had a better night. Days where we go out and about and she just has her 2 or so feeds then I know the nights will be lots of feeding..it's hard though as because she can go for longer periods in the day and isn't too bothered it means you can do stuff, go out, meet friends etc without having to feed when out. But then I pay the price at night!

Exactly, Cake, have found the 2 day feeds means I can plan stuff better but then he's obviously making up for it at night. We've only just started weaning him on to bit of baby porridge so don't think solids will make any difference for a while yet. Does yours seem happy to go up to nearly 4 hours without feeding too alot of the time? Seems so odd as he used to be 2 hrs at the most. Now if i offer him even 2 hrs apart its too soon. Do you know if this is just a phase? Obviously don't want to try to cut down on night feeds as he must need it! Thanks for posting.

Are you bf to sleep?

From 7 months (so nearly there) they don't need night feeds for nutrition. If he is barely feeding for 5 minutes then it is probably a
comfort thing. Does he feed to sleep? You could try the NCSS method of
cutting down by a minute a feed. Or just go for CC (!) depending how you
feel. What we did when my LO went from one night feed to three
was get my DH to settle him for the first night waking- he then
stopped waking after a few nights. Then move to the next one ( or feed at
that waking and then you know they aren't hungry at the next. You'll get
there- good luck

I think if they don't settle themselves to sleep by themselves they are more likely to want whatever help in the night.

Yes I bf him to sleep, was wondering if it was a settling thing but had concluded he'd just started feeding at night instead of in the day. I have just recently bought NCSS and have tried some of it out but he really will whine unless he gets nipple in the night, don't want to go the CC route. Think maybe I need to more of an effort in breaking his latch in the night. It's just so much easier to leave him to it but I can see this never ending at the rate I'm going.

I found it easiest to start with naps (several a day so more practise)
She was 11m and with CC soon she was napping by herself which translated to longer sleep at night.

But also watching for eye rubbing yawns etc, i found more obvious as she got older and more active or was being naughty
Then put her down

Blueberry yes she can go 4 hrs in daytime no prob but she will rarely do 4 hrs at night if so it is always the first stretch from bedtime. I also bf her to sleep..but she can sort of half settle herself when needed.

And I hope it is just a phase! (Fingers crossed!)

He only naps twice a day and these are both after long bf sessions. Sounds like I do need to work on breaking the feed to sleep thing. Thanks for all replies :-)

Cake, that is exactly how my son is...sometimes manages the odd 4 hr stretch but not often. Think I will try settling him at night without a feed if he wakes less than 2 hrs after the previous feed and take it from there. He has settled himself before so I know he can actually do it. Wish me luck, and to you too!