Enough Milk? Time for Weaning?

[MarmMummy]

Hi. Not sure whether to post this here, under sleep or under weaning ..... too tired to decide!
My nearly 5 month old DD was sleeping through the night 6.30 pm to 7.00 am until 4 month jabs when she has started to wake every other night or so looking for a feed. I think she was initially a bit upset by the jabs (she's a sensitive soul!) but now I think its genuinely hunger as its different times each night.

She is fully BF, 5 times a day generally. She is a big girl - 17lbs 4oz two weeks ago! . Should I start the baby rice, introduce a 10/11pm feed or what??!!!

Thanks for any ideas!

PS, I know its quite tiny to be sleeping through, and don't mind giving her a night feed per se, but equally don't want to get into a bad habit as my DS still wakes every night now aged 2.3...

Anyone?!

No real advice, but sympathy!

DS is 6 months and did the same/ is still waking. Could be 5 month growth spurt, which seemed to go one for longer than previous spurts. DS fed and fed in the day and then started up again in the night. And yes, he was hungry, not just fussy.

Also, is she teething? DS has been suffering for the last month and I think that affects his ability to get really good feeds (BF) in the day, so he gets hungry in the night.

We've only just started solids this week, but I haven't noticed any difference to sleeping. He's barely getting any food in at this stage, anyway. We didn't go the puree route, though, so if you can get it down them, then maybe thatt would help the hunger. Although, I have friends who started solids and their babies started to wake in the night. SO, um, I don't know.

Growth spurt, I'd say - really common at that age and really easy to confuse it with them needing early weaning. She doesn't though, more milk will do the trick. DS did this for a while around that age (also bf, also massive!) but then it settled down well before we started weaning him at 6mo. And JFly is right, weaning generally doesn't make sleep any better... Look at the weaning boards for lots of evidence of that!

Is she feeding well during the day? My DS (5 and a bit months) gets very distracted during the day and tends to stop a feed when he's not had so much, which then makes him a bit hungrier in the night. If I'm really persistent about keeping offering, and feed him in my room (quiet and dim) then usually that night he'll sleep through.
Also, I've just read Healthy Sleep Habits, which does say that it is normal for a baby to wake once or twice a night for feeding, up to around the age of 9 months. You could try doing a dreamfeed around 10/11, it might help - I found that it helped for a while then the opposite, if I fed around 11, he'd definitely wake again around 4:30, whereas if he didn't stir at midnight he'd go through to 6:30..it changes all the time - if the feed isn't a problem for you then I wouldn't worry about it

I'm no expert but 5 times a day breastfeeding at 5 months doesn't sound like a lot. I was feeding about 7 times a day at that stage! Including an 11pm feed.

Sounds like it could be a growth spurt so maybe just offer more milk?

Or teething? DD got her first tooth at 5.5 months.

I managed to wait till 6 months to introduce solids and my DD was also a big baby. Offering lots of breastmilk did the trick.

Hope you get some more rest soon.

sounds like the usual 5 month growth spurt and will pass. My DD went through this and I bowed to the pressure to try some solids. It made absolutely no difference to her sleeping habits which settled down again all by themselves.

re weaning, if she can sit unaided and can reach out for and hold food and get it to her mouth and gnaw on it and get some down then she is OK to wean and you can go down the baby led weaning route rather then faffing about with purees etc.

If she still needs support to sit, then give it a few more weeks

Thanks so much everyone!!!

Lots of good thoughts - I think you may be right Ladybee about being too distracted to feed properly in the day - she's certainly better when we are at home rather than out and about. Will put off weaning for now - one less thing to cram into our day!

Having similar problems with DS who is 20 weeks. Really don't know what the cause is - growth spurt, teeth, starting solids. ALthough have to say am VERY envious about the 6.30pm to 7am sleeping! We've never managed more than 5 hours sleep at a time and usually a lot less. I too bowed to pressure and started weaning early. He loves his grub but is now fussy about BF during the day, but tucks in before bed and through the night. He's a big boy too. I go round and round in circles about what's up and what's the right thing to do so am no help to you, just sympathise!