Help needed from breastfeeding Gina mums

[IlanaK]

My ds2 is now 8 weeks old. I am following the routines roughly, though less rigid than we did with ds1. The problem I am having is that ds2 shows no signs of going longer at night. Ds1 was sleeping through from 10pm feed at 9 weeks! Now I am not expecting this from ds1 as he is a smaller baby and seems to need to feed more often, but I would like to see some sign of him waking just once a night. Currently, he wakes genereally before or around 2am. Then again anytime from 5-6am(I give just one breast). Then we do top up feed at 7:30.

He is feeding at 10am (split feed with second breast at 11) and then 2pm and then 5pm (split feed before and after bath). I am often giving both breasts at the second half of the split feeds to ensure he is getting enough. I really am confident that he is feeding plenty in the day so really can't understand why he is not going longer at night. Dh occasionally gives a bottle of expressed milk in the night for me (first waking) and it does not make much of a difference so I am confident I have enough milk. Any suggestions?

My ds didn't stop waking up twice a night until 3 months I think. 8 weeks is young to sleep right through. I know it's hard getting up in the night but I just gritted my teeth and tried to think to myself that this was what maternity leave was for, feeling knackered all the time and trying to rest as much as possible. Sorry not much help

I dont think gf is meant to be very good on the bf side. I dont think many babies sleep through at this age.

IlanaK... can't remember what ds2 was doing at the 8 week stage, but he's only just started going through until 7am (for the last week or so) ... he's now 12.5 weeks old and on GF. When he did start lengthening his night feeds it happened all of a sudden. He seemed to suddenly get through to 3am... then it stretched to 4.... then 5... then only a few days afterwards going through to 6/7am. It does feel like forever at this stage though, doesn't it?!

Just keep telling yourself, not long now, not long now!

Meant to say ds2 is completely breastfed with an expressed bottle at 10.30pm (takes around 4-5 oz) then sleeps through from then until 6.30/7.15am.

catch some extra sleep during the day if you can.much sympathy with you my ds and dd similar but the opposite way round.ds fed every few hours every night for just over a year.my milk stopped when pg with dd and he accepted weaning fine within a week he was sleeping trhough with no feeds and i realised he probably didnt need all those feeds (grrrrrr!!).
incomparison dd is a saint she only feeds more than once at night if she is on a growth spurt and v.hungry.most of the time she sleeps through till first light feeds and goes back to sleep(unlike ds)
i think its just differences .at least youve got one good sleeper

My ds was exactly like this.

Like you I didn't follow the routines very rigidly (partly because I'm like that, partly because I had to split the feeds as you're doing), and I've never bothered with the 10.30pm waking thing as I tried it a few times with dd and she woke up at the same time anyway. He used to wake 4-5 times a night, despite feeding all day (or so it felt). At one point I got desparate and tried about a week of absolutely rigid GF routines, but it didn't make any difference.

I'm afraid I can't give you any advice though as ds continued to wake often until he started on solids. But once we'd got solids established, he started going through the night more or less straight away (I wish i'd started earlier! )

I think some babies just need to feed more.

Ha! Didn't get a full night's sleep with my son until he was 8months old. At 8 weeks he was awake nearly all night. I think you are fantastically lucky and if my baby (due Feb) sleeps like yours I will think I am the luckiest mummy on earth! I'm sorry if it doesn't sound sympathetic, but 8 weeks is very, very young and I honestly think he's doing rather well.

Tend to agree with you Aloha - my ds2 is now nearly seven months old and has only just started sleeping through the night since he's started on solid food. I was feeding him on demand up until then and he was waking despite huge feeds. His tummy wasn't ready for solids beforehand though - he suffered really bad colic for those first six months, I have to say that I'm v glad to be past that stage though - sleep is wonderful!

Your baby is so little and you are doing so well. My advice would be to forget Gina and follow your instincts. I have just finished breastfeeding d1 who is now 10 months. She started sleeping through very early on. She was sleeping from 11pm to 7am from about 5 weeks old. I found the best thing was to feed her when she woke rather than wake her for a feed, that way she would be really hungry and take on the maximum amount of milk. I also found she needed lots of cuddles and reassurance, but I am sure you are giving yours lots of that. What are you doing during the night feeds? are you feeding in a dim light? Do you do nappy changes?

I'm trying to remember what we did, my DD is a Gina baby and at age 8 weeks was sleeping 11-6:30 and then at 12 weeks she slept 7-7, so she was pretty textbook. I do remember that we had to rush-order the most wonderful swaddling blanket ever invented when she was 7.5 weeks as we realised she was waking up due to hitting herself in the face and not due to hunger (www.miracleblanket.com). It does sound like your DS is getting enough to drink, have you tried getting him back to sleep at his first waking without feeding (probably a silly question but worth asking!) - will he take water? I'm not sure what to suggest apart from swaddling so his arms can't break free (I know Gina recommends less swaddling as they get older, but have a look at the website I wrote earlier, they have some good sensible parental advice).
BTW we dropped her 10pm feed at 12 weeks as she was only taking 1oz of EBM and we thought we'd see what happened if we just left her snoozing - lo and behold she slept straight through!! We didn't start her on solids until she was 18 weeks.
Wishing you lots of luck and please keep us posted on your progress.
mit x

Thanks everyone.

Mit - I have seen that blanket and it looks wonderful, but at the moment it is soooo hot that I think ds would die of heat if we did that. We are still swaddling him, but in a very very thin muslim material.

Tinytoes - I can't sleep during the day as I also have a 3 year old to look after.

I think he just does need more feeds right now. Maybe it is the weather? He is so hot in his room at night.

I keep forgetting that A/C isn't the norm in the UK! I live in stinking hot Houston (today the heat index is 115!!!) but our house if currently a lovely 75 due to the wonder of A/C! We put DD in just a nappy and the miracle blanket...even when it was 'winter' here - a cool 70 at night.
Well done on still swaddling - you've found something the right size & weight so no need for the miracle blanket.
Wishing you lots of success,
mit x

Ds is a Gina babe, and bf has worked perfectly well for us, and for dd before him. GF actually is good on bf - her advice to bf at least every 3 hours in the first few weeks helps establish a good supply.

Ilana- I do think it could be the weather. If you are sure he is getting enough during the day then just hang on in there - ds was waking twice at 8 weeks, then suddenly started going from 8-8 (we dropped the 11pm feed for a few days because it was inconvienient, and he just slept through!) at about 10/11 weeks.
Are you sure he is getting a full feed at 2am - ds would fall asleep quite quickly, but then wake again at 4ish. Try waking him the first time he falls asleep after the 2am feed, and persuade him to take a little bit more. This might jsut get him through to 7. Good luck