Help BFing experts! 5 mo waking every 2 hrs for night feeds

[MagicGenie]

DS2 doesn't seem to making any progress on the sleep front and wakes approx every 2 hours for a feed. Or at least, he's waking and the only thing that will settle him is a feed. (Is that the same thing..?)

He was 9lbs 11ozs at birth and is a big, strong, active (verging on loony!) baby. DS1 was 9lbs 8ozs but by this stage, had gone down to 1 feed a night and was on the cusp of sleeping through. I know they're not gonna be exactly the same but I'm knackered and, as an experienced BFer, quite surprised at how often DS2's feeding.

There are no probs at all with the feeds; I'm giving him 6 or 7 feeds during the day, where he drains both breasts and I've recently introduced 1 solid feed and a 4oz bottle in the evenings to see if it makes a difference. It did for 2 nights but then he got a cold, which he's just getting over, but still...

Do you think he's genuinely hungry or....I dunno...'wanting the comfort'? Do I just have to ride it out?

Any advice gratefully received. TIA x

DS was 8lbs 5 at birth and matches the description of your LO. He did thisat 3 and 6 months...20mins a time feeds and 90 -120 mins between Feed for a week

Everyone I spoke too put this down to a 'Growth Spurt' he did ride it out, as did I (DH didn't and bought a box of formula...Like cheers for your support mate. )

It's awful but you can ride it out. I wanted to BUMP this for you, hope a BF expert comes by with better info for you.

Mine does this every so often. Then it kind of goes back to normal. Don't worry.

It's either a comfort thing - he's coming into light sleep wakes and wants to feed himself to sleep (do you feed him to sleep in the evening/before naps) or he's having a major growth spurt - poor you either way!

I distinguished that my dd was comfort feeding at night when I realised that this "feed" was hugely quick and wasn't really focusing on milk drinking after the first 2mins!

I'm no expert on what the cause might be but I was in a similar situation with DD2 when she was 5 months. She would only sleep for 30 mins at a time at night for just over 6 weeks and it drove me insane (no joke, I started speaking to the bed post )

All I can say is that it passed but she goes through phases of it even now at 19 months. At the moment, just coming up to 19 months she is doing it again - every 30 mins (or less ).

She isn't hungry now, so I assume it is a comfort thing as possibly always has been. I will be BF DC3 but if I have to go through that again it will be FF at last evening feed and every night feed to see if that helps.

Hope you get a break soon, best advice I can give is to get as much help as you can to help ride it out and do what you feel comfortable with with regards to feeds.

When my DD was this age sge did the same thing. I think shw was increasing milk supply. I rode it out and she settled again. Didn't have any thing else till 6 months. At night when she was waking as often I just kept her in the bed and slept whilst feeding.

Is he definitely waking for a feed though or are you just offering him the breast anyway?

Thanks everyone.

He is a light sleeper, I know that - never naps for more than an hour or so during the day, so he's up and down quite a lot. Apart from the mornings when he tends to sleep for about an hour and half...cos he's so knackered from all the waking in the night!

I suspect this cold isn't helping; he's recently up from a nap and has dry snot all round his nostrils.

Generally speaking the routine during the day is feed, play, sleep - he can't go more than 3 hrs without a feed. Don't mind during the day tho'! Just wish the nights would calm down a bit.

Anyone else? x

2 of my boys did this - I am sorry, but I think they are just trying to keep your milk in. Can you feed lying down so you can doze through it? That's what I did in the end.

Sorry Mears, crossed posts.

I've tried cuddles and dummy but they don't work. It's breast or nothing, and he takes both with a quick nappy change in between each one.

maybe try feeding more in the day.

I think this must happen in most BF babies at this age as it happened with mine and numerous friend's babies. I remember being on holiday and having to wake every 2 hours every night

To cope (a bit) after the 5am feed i went in the spare room to sleep and DP got up with DD at 7, gave her a bit of EBM, dressed and played with her until he had to leave so at least I got 3.5 hours kip then.

It does pass! I guess they need so many calories at that age!

Last night was even worse - every hour or so

I really feel for you. I am having similar problems with DS2. Like you my DD was nearly sleeping through at this age.

Sorry to hijack your thread but DS2 has been waking 3-5 times a night since he hit 12 weeks. He is now nearly 23 weeks so surely it can't be a growth spurt/phase? Does anyone think it is worth trying to night wean as young as 5 months? DS2 settles himself to sleep so I am mystified as to why he then wakes 2-3 hours later and every 2-3 hours after that.