Would you give your nearly 3yo food at 4.30am if he said he was hungry and breastmilk didn't seem to be cutting it for him?

[mawbroon]

DS and I co sleep from when he wakes at night (random times) usually until the morning. He normally breastfeeds for a couple of minutes and then turns over and drops back off to sleep. This suits us both for now, so no probs there.

However, last night he woke at 12.30am and fed on and off until finally at 4.30am he started wailing that he was hungry.

The logical thing to me at the time seemed to be to give him something to eat, but in my 4.30am foggy brained state, decided that no, he would think it was a big laugh and would then ask for food every morning at 4.30am for ever more. So, he then fed on and off, until I could stand it no more at 5.45am when I sent him downstairs with DH to eat breakfast. He had some ready brek, then the two of them came back to bed for another couple of hours.

What would you do?

Going out soon, so will check back later.

I eat quite late-perhaps that is why I don't need a snack in the night!

Sorry what I meant was- I would not react to his screaming
My idea of torture

My reasons as explained to dd when she as woken up.

In a quiet voice
Its nightime darling, time for sleep, night night.

lily the morally wrong thing was inferred from the language and punctuation people were using to say that no they wouldn't do it
lot of exclamation marks for a start
you could hear people were feeling quite bothered by it
it wasn't a straightforward "well no I wouldn't do it myself"

I think we are just generally 'angry about food' in this country

also 'angry about children getting out of their box'

Abbey, yes, definitely could be why - I get up early, and eat an early lunch and dinner
by morning I am really hungry if have not had at least evening snacks

So you could quite easily sit out 5hrs of your 3yo screaming?
It wouldn't bother you at all?

snarky spot on
another thread today angry and worried about children eating at 'incorrect times'
it does really get to us

oh ok will forgive you all

Honestly I would rather let him scream than give in

does that make me a mad mother?

It is an obsession of mine that my dd would sleep through the night

and I did my damnest to make that happen

wait until March 09 when no 2 is due-I will get devil child who screams for 5 hours on a night

Wow, look what I have come back to!

Am going to read all your posts now.

Message withdrawn

Message withdrawn

well I am well and truly outraged

No to be serious- what ever works for you- thats the most important thing.

Has anyone suggested weetabix or ready brek at supper?

Mawbroon's second post.

"BTW, he had a huge tea at 6pm before going to sleep at 7.30pm"

So possible that her ds wasn't ready for more before he went to sleep. Only 1.5hrs after tea.
Suppose could make tea earlier and then give a supper.

I think the issue is actually less about the child eating / drnking in the middle of the night (although I doubt he actually needs it, and there are probably other ways he could be comforted back to sleep).

The important factor here is that Mawbroon must be absolutely knackered. Producing milk is a tiring business, and combined with very little sleep the poor woman is probably shattered.

Mawbroon, whether or not you decide feeding DS at night is right for you, let someone else keep an eye on the kids for an afternoon and try to catch up on much needed sleep. And in the evening, skip the washing up and go to bed when the kids go to bed for a few nights. It will put everything in a different perspective.

I got 3 hours sleep on bank holiday Monday afternoon. I swear the world is a different place now!

It seems also a lot of British children go to bed very early.

6.30!

We don't eat until 6PM.

Bedtime isn't till 7.30.

The girls eat, have a bath, then milk and a supper.

Up at 7.30.

Maybe move the bedtime up to help stave off hunger?

Horses for courses.

I don't believe in feeding in the middle of the night and it just doesn't fly in this house because I'm the boss here, not them.

Pruni I am outraged at you suggesting I am outraged

I am not remotely outraged, just tipsy, going on holiday tomorrow and naturally...well....snarky

I get up and have a biscuit in the night regularly, especially if I can't get to sleep.

I give DD her evening meal around 5:30 then after her half hour bath a large warm milky drink at 7pm. Bedtime at 7:45.

She has never been a child who need all that much sleep but this pattern seems to really suit her. Does 11 hours most nights.

Ooooooh SNARKY!

ackshully, snarky, I have a very smooth bottom but it is a bit larger than I'd like.

I find the fact that MB is still sleeping with her 3 yr old child stranger than the fact that he has woken up for a feed. He'll grow out of that habit (wanting a feed in the night, although I do believe that bfeeding a child at that age doesn't help) He's 3 years old not 3 months!

But hey, you're the one with the uncomfortable nights sleep not me!

Lots of three year olds still sleep with their parents, I don't thinki they are still doing it at 33.