Feeding & sleep issues with my 14 week baby son - long post

[Hillbilly]

DS seems to be going backwards in these areas which I know are interlinked. Previously (until about 2 weeks ago) he would feed every 3-3.5 hrs (sometimes 4) during the day, go to bed at around 7.30pm after a feed, sleep until 11 or 12 and then feed every 3 hrs during the night. Which was fine.

Since then he has started to wake every 2.5 hrs during the night and for ease I have just fed him although I know that I should probably not because he does not take a full feed. However I am not able to soothe him back to sleep any other way and I am too tired to hold out by staying awake with him until what I think is a reasonable time to feed him.

I have gone back to feeding him every 3 hrs during the day to try to ensure he is getting enough milk before bedtime, but it does not seem to be working.

Another point is that I have a DD who is 2.7yrs so not really able to sleep when DS sleeps during the day, and I try not to let DS cry at night as I don't want DD to be woken up.

Can anyone give me some tips to help as it is really starting to wear me out.

I have similar problem with DD2 who is 12 weeks old. She is fed at 11pm goes til 3.30am and then wakes every hour or so after that. I think she was getting used to being breastfed to sleep so needs it in the night to resettle her even though she's not really hungry. I am trying the No Cry Sleep solution to stop feeding her to sleep - which is workng. And am also using a dummy in the night to resettle her - so I only feed her once in the night. But I'm trying to remove the dummy before she is totally asleep as I don't want her to get over dependent on this.

I also have a DD who is 2.9 so no rest for me in the day.

My advice would be to get hold of the the No Cry Sleep Solution book and really work on not feeding to sleep - feed til drowsy then put in moses basket. If he gets upset feed again for a minute then try again - repeat til he sleeps. The idea is that he will get used to falling asleep on his own this way.

Good luck - I feel your pain

Thanks Kitsilano - when ds goes to bed initially, he is often still drowsy rather than asleep so I think he can get himself to sleep ok (not like dd when she was a baby - I would often be soothing her for hours to get her to go to sleep!!)

Will check out the book though.

Bump - any more tips?

COuld it be a growth spurt? My 12 week old who has been sleeping for 8 hours at night, has suddenly decided he's hungry at night again - v annoying as I'd got used to the sleep again! I'm hoping he'll prefer night-time sleeping again soon. I also have a 2yo DD, when DS wakes at night he has never woken her, so perhaps you could try letting him cry for a bit in his cot.

Good luck

Just realised I haven't actually put in any useful tips, but I do know what you're going through, though that's probably no comfort

Hi - going through exactly the same (though my dd is 19 weeks). Last night she woke at 11.15pm and then 1.30, 4, 4.30 and 6am!! My dh settled her at the 4.30am wake up because that's just ridiculous, but I fed her on the others - both breasts. Then my ds decided to have a full on lie down on the pavement tantrum today - he's 2 this week!
I think it's more coping than trying to change habits for babies under 6 months - esp when you're worried about waking older siblings. My ds has only been woken when it's an hour or two before his normal wake up time so if she wakes and is tricky to settle from 5am ish, I bring her into our bed and feed lying down so we both get some sleep.
I did leave her to grumble (you know the sleepy complaining with silences in between) a bit in the night and now she wakes, feeds, and goes back down without any fuss, which is at least something.
The fact that yours are going to sleep from drowsy at bedtime is brilliant - it means they're learning how to settle themselves. The rest takes time. I wouldn't do controlled crying at this young age.
Even though dd is as big as a 6 month old and could definitely go longer between feeds (she used to), I think she cries out for comfort as well as food, and because she's so young I give it to her.
I am a wreck today though.

ps - the No Cry Sleep solution is good - thanks for reminding me, I'll have to dig it out.

How's it going Hillbilly and phlossie and jetgirl? My dd seems to be getting worse! I have decided to put her in her own room as of tonight and REALLY make sure she is awake when she goes down after the night time feeds and pat her and shush her rather than putting her back on the boob if she cries. She can and does self settle during the day and after the 10.30pm feeds - just not in the middle of the night it seems. She is 13lbs and 13 weeks now - I'm sure she doesn't actually need feeding 4 times a night.

Hoping things will improve but who knows! I feel like I am slowly going insane!