is there anything i can do to stop excessive breastfeeding during the night

[CvQ]

its geting worse and he is waking up more rather than sleeping for longer periods of time.mummy is knackered!we co-sleep aswell which makes this difficult.and i dont want to give that up either.
any advice however small would be great.

How old is he?

I don't have any advice as such but we have been through this since started to co sleep and it seems to get better...and worse again...and better etc. Last few nights his first feed has been after 4am! Before that he could easily have a feed at 12, one at 2 and then one at 3.30 that seemed to last for 2 hours, letting me sleep deeply again just before the alarm went off

oh sorry hes nearly 9 months

please help mummy

My sympathys and no help really as i am in same position our night goes something like 7/9/11/2/5 up at 6-7!

Also since her feed at 5 she hasn't had one yet and won't entertain one , she 6.5 mths by the way!

lilyloo that sounds very familiar and weve been up since 6.15.hes having 3 meals a day so why he needs to be attached to me half the night i just dont understand.

I am sure it's comfort as sometimes it is literally a suckle and back off to sleep!
I think i am going to get dp to offer bottle of water first and see if it makes any difference!

I have had both sides of the coin with this ds was just the same dd1 was complete opposite sleeping through very early.
I am shattered

bumping in hope

Have you looked at No Cry Sleep Solution???

Lots of suggestions there. Sorry no personal advice as DS fed day and night until he went onto formula at 8 months.

sorry what is no cry sleep solution

No Cry Sleep Solution is a book by Elizabeth Pantley. It's much more gentle tips for sleep training - no CC/CIO. 9 months was particularly bad for us I remember, seemed to be feeding in the night all the time. It did settle down (eventually) but I'm afraid I'm a bad person to give advice as I was still doing the odd night feed at 18 months...

put him in his own cot in another room. I used to co-sleep (till 6/7 months) which helped in the early days. Ds just snaked because of the easy access as he became older. After 2 nights of CC he now sleeps from 8.30 until 5.30-7.00 am. Its so worth it!

I didn't try CC untill arround 8 months. Ds is now nine months and has been sleeping through for 4 weeks. Before CC i was going into his room to feed him 2-3 times a night. this was so much worse than co-sleeping because at least then i was half asleep when feeding.

Did you do CC every time he woke up in the night?

we only have one bedroom?so his cot is actually in my room.i feel like ive made a rod for my own back with this one

CvQ - really don't listen to the 'rod for your own' back thing - some babies are great sleepers, some not so good (guess which one I got ).

Have you got help during the day so you can catch up on sleep?

With my ds yes the first night was the worse i spent most of it up comforting him and getting him back to sleep. The secound was better as he didn't cry just winged and settled much quicker. I think the third night was fine he just winged but within a minute he self settled and went to bed.
The first day after CC i offered lots of extra feeds in the day to ensure he wasn't going to bed hungry. He now eats more in the day and enjoys his breakfast where as before he was so full from night snacking he wasn't bothered about breakfast. he still has between 5-7 feeds a day.

'rod for your own back' = people lucky to get a sleeper, who think they caused it

I did go back to co-sleeping an night feeds last week for three night because ds had a cold and was very bunged up. the feeding helped to de-congest his nose and sleep better. He is now back in his own room and sleeping through.

What time does you ds go to bed CvQ?

ive got mum staying at the moment because i cant do everything for j(broke wrist)so she can watch him while i sleep.i normally try to sleep when he does but never mananged to this morning.

he goes anywhere between 7 and 9 depending on what sort of day hes had then can be awake again by 11.30 then again around 1.sometimes around 3 maye 4 and awake again at 6/6.30 if im lucky.each time he wakes he feeds.

Maybe you could put him in his cot at his bedtime (my d.s goes to bed pretty late for a baby i think. 8.30- but after his morning feeed he will then sleep untill 8am/. Which is lovely for me!)awake but tired then sit with him and chat, play his mobile (we have one that reflects winnie the pooh on the ceilling would def reconmend) then he will feel safe and happy in his cot and if he wakes up he'll know where he is. Then when he wakes for feed pick him up hug him, even rock him to sleep but refuse to feed him. Babies are clever and soon catch on.

If repeat the same steps the next night, of chatting to him playing the mobile etc. he'll get used to the cot and realise that it's bed time now, long sleep with no feed.

Not if Then.

I think the best advice is getting him happy in his cot so that he feels safe and happy in there. And being strong in refusing feeds. The first night is hell. but is so worth it!