6 week old snacking throughout the night - any advice?

[rubyblue]

My six week of ds is breastfed and snacking from 3am onwards. He seems to take a good feed at 10pm which I top up with a bottle of expressed milk and another about 1.30/2am but then wakes up hourly from 3.30 onwards and seems to be rooting so I try and feed him. I thought he might be hungrier if he was going through a growth spurt and obviously don't want him hungry but I am totally exhausted. Any advice? Is there anyway I can stretch him out to even 2 hourly? Is is real hunger or comfort feeding and if comfort, any tips?
I have even been tempted by formula feed for the last feed of the night as I feel desperate to get some decent kip.

take him to bed with you.

at 6 weeks its hunger

I symathise greatly as I have a 4 wo doing this too, only more. it is exhausting and i stay sane by going to bed at about 7 o clock.

also at 6 weeks it prob is a growth spurt, yes.

no advice aside from hang in there, make sure your life revolves around this atm (if hes your only one, harder if you have more)

oh god yes, if you are not co sleeping, do that at once

I wish it was actual hunger with my 13 month old

he is 6 weeks old, he is hungry, take him to bed with you

I would say it's hunger. Ds2 is 14 months and still feeds in the night, it's perfectly normal and you do get used to the tiredness.

It's magic if you can have them in your bed...getting up requires a whole nother level of consciousness

oh god fpc i owe you an email, i did talk to my mum...

And even if it is comfort, he's 6 weeks old - he doesn't even know he's not still part of you yet. He's tiny - this stage won't last for long. Take him into bed with you, feed him - whether it's food or comfort and stock up on cuddles!

Ooh! FJ I'll await with interest!

its the one handed typing

i can do it on mn but somehow not for a longer email

it was more of the same really.

I am in that boat too

Getting quite fast at it now

Whenever you can, Filly!

Thanks for the messages. I really don't know anything about co-sleeping so will do a search on it. We're not too keen on doing it, I'm really nervous about the safety side and ds being in bed with us for months/years!

definitely growth spurt/hunger

Sorry for the hijack Ruby!

Have you considered a 'snuggle nest' that you place in the bed - it has little sides to stop baby getting squashed etc - or a bedside co sleeper thing, like a little cot you attach at the side - so within reach but not actually in bed with you?

co sleeping is easy. Put a cot sheet down in the middle of your bed. Get two single duvets. Put baby on cot sheet. Cover with beautiful soft rug. You get in one side, dp gets in other side. have a duvet each. Everyone sleeps. That is, unless you and dp stay awake grinning at each other over the baby and gazing at his ears and his eyelids and that beautiful bit at the back of his neck and counting his fingers and telling each other how clever you are!

Just don't do it if you've drunk a lot or if either of you smoke at all ever anywhere. Apart from that, easy-peasy.