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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Advice needed on cutting down night feeds - it's doing my head in!!!

6 replies

evadiopi · 10/06/2008 08:15

My DS is 4 months old and exc BF. He's a semi co-sleeper. Has always been BF on demand and recently this has spaced out into roughly every 3 hours: 7, 10, 1, 4, 7 and then to bed at 8-8.30 maybe with a bit of a top up. (When I say to bed, I mean he goes to sleep in his bugaboo in pram mode with a bit of jigging.)He then usually wakes up around 11.30 - for what I dream will one day be the final feed of the night - and is so sleepy it's easy to put him back in his pram and go to sleep myself. Then he starts to wake every two hours, like 2, then 4, and then every hour, 5, 6, 7. From 4 I bring him in bed with me and feed him lying down as I'm so sleepy.
Surely he doesn't need these feeds?! At first I found it nice and cosy and the feeding helped me fall asleep but now it's doing my head in. I want to sleep by my self and I want him to eat less at night. AIBU? Recently we have tried DH going to him to 'nurse' instead if he wakes within an hour of the last feed but he cries and cries for over an hour and then I end up giving in and feeding him again. It's getting to the point where he isn't eating much at 7 as he's eaten so much in early morning already. If we carry on trying to space out the night feeds will he eventually get used to it or will we have a crying all night baby which seems much harder to stomach than a feeding all night baby? I cant believe this situation is going to resolve itself without some intervention. But how?

OP posts:
theSuburbanDryad · 10/06/2008 08:19

Do you have a book called No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley? I think that might help.

But - to be blunt - yes, YABU. The sleeping/feeding pattern sounds very normal for a bf baby and it's quite normal for a 4 mo to still feed every 3 - 4 hours. Sorry - i know that's probably not what you want to hear!

Have you tried just having him in bed with you completely? So he can just help himself? That's what we ended up doing and ds has just gone into his own bed (he's 17 months) but still comes in with us at about 4am! It would save the faffing about with you having to get up and might mean you all get more sleep! Good luck!

evadiopi · 10/06/2008 08:28

Thanks theSuburbanDryad.I have got NCSS and am trying the PPO once we get to the hourly feeds but not much joy yet - will keep trying.

OP posts:
MrsBadger · 10/06/2008 08:38

DD's sleep went haywire in a very similar fashion at 4m and we coped, as you are, by cosleeping from 2am or so, which worked fine while she was small.

We started NCSS in a very low-key way from 7m and now (10m) are starting to get real results ie we put her down dozy but awake, she stays in the cot all night and only wakes 10pm/2am/5am.

The PPO is only part of it - you need the whole shebang.

MamaChris · 10/06/2008 09:05

I don't know if YABU. But my 4mo ds has a similar pattern, only he feeds every 2 hours in the day and night, moving to hourly/30 minute feeds from about 2am. So I can at least reassure you it could be worse!

evadiopi · 10/06/2008 17:27

Thanks for your replies. MamaChris you are a hero. I feel bad now for complaining! Mrs Badger, you're right about NCSS, I know it needs 'the whole shebang'I started implementing it about 3 weeks ago but then went on holiday on my own with DS and co slept the whole time gave in to every little nuzzle and now he's feeding more than ever. I suppose I need to get back on track. Or stop worrying and just give in to the little ninkster

OP posts:
theSuburbanDryad · 10/06/2008 18:08

Don't think of it as "giving in" (i know the comment was tongue in cheek, but still) - you're not in a fight with your lo, you're a partnership and he needs the reassurance and cuddles and nourishment that feeding in the night gives him! I loved co-sleeping (for the most part!) and feel a bit sad that ds doesn't snuggle up with me all night like he used to. I know one day he won't want to nurse or come into bed with me, and so i'm making the most of his desire for cuddles now!

Not meaning to sound patronising, but I can remember tearing my hair out when he was 17 weeks and shouting "Why won't you sleep??!" (or words to that effect!) I wish we'd "given in" a lot sooner!

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