Help, help, help!!!!

[Jennyb851]

Yet another late night rambling message but im desperate!
When dd was 4 weeks old she started sleeping through the night, first 6 hours, then 9. Unfortunatly she was screaming all day. After trying everything else and putting it down to wind, it was sugested i try her on cow & gate omneo comfort. (She was previously on Cow and Gate plus, a hungry baby!)I did so and the crying in the day gradually got better. Problem is, last few days shes been waking in the night again. Shes now 11 weeks, has 6 ounces, and about 5 bottles a day. I cant get her to take any more than that so what am i doing wrong? ps she chews on her fist most of the time, what does that mean?! As a second time mum i surpose i should know but it has been 6 years and ds was the most charming, placid, happy, smiley baby i have ever seen so i really did have it easy last time! would welcome any advice (might help my insomnia!)

Chewing a fist is not a sign of hunger. A baby uses it's mouth to feel things (oral phase). As sge is only 11 weeks I would feed her when she wakes during the night. She may well be having a growth spurt and will settle down again. Can you offer more frequent feeds during the day such as every 3 hours? 6 oz feeds are not a lot for a baby of her age. She might prefer smaller feeds more frequently as opposed to huge ones.

Thanks for the advice mears i have tried feeding her more often in the day but she just isnt interested and even if i take the bottle down mid feed to wind her she wants it back so smaller feeds might be a bit impossible! She was tiny at birth and was 9lb5 last weigh so how much should she be having? i cant really compare with my first as he was premature and very small for a long time.

I think it's individual for each baby. I would feed her when she is hungry. I am glad she cries less during the day. It's really tiring. Been there, done that.....Will probably be there again soon too.......My DS still has an occasional night-feed and he is 2.6 years. I am not saying he needs it. It's purely for comfort, but I think it's very normal that such small babies need feeding in the night. Up to at least 6 months and often longer I think.

Jenny, your baby sounds normal. She was maybe sleeping through the night out of exhaustion, if she was crying all day. Now she is feeling more comfortable in the day, she is finding a more normal pattern - and that includes waking in the night. She's having plenty of food - 30 oz in total over the day is fine. Hope your HV can reassure you about all of this.

Sorry Jennyb851 - I didn't mean that her feeds were too big. 6oz is not a large amount as it is for her age. What I meant was try offering feeds more often during the day rather than trying to get her to take more milk at one feed IYSWIM.

Mears,
I know this is going to sound really thick but i havent been on here that long. What does IYSWIM mean

Not mears but need displacement activity, it means if you see what I mean

Thanks! someone is on here as late as me, cant believe it!

Hello, fellow dirty stop out. Are/were you up with your tiddly one? Hows she doing? Never thought I say this but I'd rather it was ds keeping me up now. This is my last night of this though as dissertation deadline is tomorrow so whether its finished or not its being given in. Mummying and studying not mixing well at the moment. Must go and finish though I'm sure I'll be back. Good luck with the feeding, sorry no advice as I had no idea what I was doing with ds, think we survived on luck

im not up with baby tonight no, just cant flipping sleep again! think i need knocking out with something!

blooming heck you poor thing.......vodka?

nah, would just make me vomit! going back to work might do the trick?!