Feeding and sleep hell at 16 weeks...is this normal?

[tenacityflux]

My DD is 16 weeks and 95% bf, she has one bottle before bed and I can't usually get enough ebm to not have to top this feed up with formular. The last few days she is wanting to feed pretty much every hour after mid day, last night she woke after I'd been asleep for an hour and she fed for an hour 1/2 then didn't settle until 3.30, then woke again at 5.30 and I lay in bed with her and she has been feeding one and off until 10 am, not crying but making loads of noise. I try and co-sleep and feed after she wakes, which has been at 4 am, but it's now getting earlier and earlier and she doesn't fall back a asleep but just wants to feed for hours - If I try and take her off she roots to get back on and I am on my knees today with sleep deprivation. Is this a growth spurt which might not last for weeks and weeks, and could I add another bottle into her day or use hungry baby feed to cope with this and hopefully get a few more hours sleep?

Sounds like a growth spurt. Best thing you can do is feed through it. Your supply will adjust faster if you feed your DD when she asks it - if you start adding bottles they will interfere with the adjustment and it could just prolong it. It may only last a couple of days or it could last longer. Can you nap with her during the day to catch up on the missed sleep? Even just putting your feet up for a while can help a lot.

We had this exact experience around this time. It lasted about three weeks and then all returned to normal. I was told there is a massive growth spurt around then. Keep feeding and good luck - it doesn't last forever.

Tenacity I think it only takes a few days to catch up.
Re; top ups, a dangerous subject to broach I know. I used to top-up with formula at around 11.00am (3 oz) and the same at the 7.00pm feed, but I had been doing that since 10 weeks old. He napped well in day and fed once or twice in night at 16 weeks(bf). At twenty weeks he started babyrice, GUIDELINES ARE DIFFERENT NOW. I think all advice now is just to feed frequently to take through a growth spurt, and definitely feed in the night till 6 months if baby demands.

But I am just letting you know that I gave a small (he was on 98th centile)top-up twice a day, and it did not interfere with breastfeeding which I continued on demand until 10 months old. I dropped top-ups once baby was weaned onto rice.

P.S. I have friends who definitely got through growth spurt to six months exclusive bfdng by feeding frantically for a few days and nights. It DID work, although they were knackered for a short time. And they didn't top up with formula at all.

We're all praying for that, repeats endlessly 'this too will pass...'