7 month old suddenly feeding LOADS at night! why????

[tummytickler]

Hi
I am bfing my nearly 7 month old ds - it has been going really well so far, but recently he has started waking up loads at night, and feeds on / off nearly all night and i am knackered!!!!!!!!!!
He was going to bed between 6 - 6.30 (his choice of bed time - i would put him up at 7.30 but he wont stay up that late) and getting up at 2am for a feed and then back iin cot until 7am.
This was such a relief as until he was 4 months old he was with me 24 hours a day amd i was starting to get really tired.
However, now he is going to bed a 6 - 6.30 , waking at 10 pm for a feed, waking at 1 am for a feed and then staying on the breast until moring and although i can nap whist he feeds it is not a very good sleep and i am getting really tired.
Does anyone have any idea why he is doing this and what i can do to change it?
Thanks

DS3 did this at the same stage - really knackering.

He's just turned one and seems to have come through it now though thank God

So - no advice but you're not alone!

HI
My dd1 has been doing the same for about 5 months now. Same as you.. started about 6 months of age. she is now just turning 11 months but seems to be coming out of it. Still not slept through the night yet but looks like it could be coming soon!?! I guess they are going through so many changes, teething, separation anxiety, growth spurts, the list goes on. I am convinced all the crawling and walking seems to be wearing her out. It will get better for you. You have my sympathy though, it is so so exhausting.

Interesting...

My dd is doing the same - 6.5mo - am considering moving from mix feeding to ffing now although had wanted to bf until she was 1 at least....

have you thought it might be a growth spurt....babies grow more in their sleep...i think

You produce more prolactin - the hormone that tells your breasts to make milk - at night and babies are wired to know this. If baby is going through a stage such as a growth spurt or being more interested in other things to feed in the day, then they will feed at night when all the best milk is available.

It will pass, but in the meantime safe co-sleeping can be helpful for getting through those long nights.