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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Tell me I don't need to wean early!

12 replies

cherrymama · 30/05/2010 21:34

5 month old exclusively BF DD is waking every two hours at night looking for a feed. I tried settling her and gently shushing her when she wakes for the third time for a couple of nights but it does seem she just wants fed.

I know this is the classic time when people rush onto solids as they say baby can't wait any longer - I really want to hold out till 6 months though - am I right?

Also, any tips at all for reducing night time feeds or do I just need to go with the flow - she was sleeping through from 8 till 4ish until a couple of weeks ago?

OP posts:
OhExpletive · 30/05/2010 21:36

Go with the flow. You don't need to wean early. And in most cases the amount of solids she takes happily won't make a blind bit of difference to her sleep - in fact, the solids will have much less calorific value than your milk does so she might even wake more

You're doing fine, have confidence in yourself

ILikeToMoveItMoveIt · 30/05/2010 21:40

You don't have to wean her.

Go with the flow and feed her when she wakes, this will up your supply and will mean you will satisy your dd's hunger.

Hopefully it will only last a short while (in the sceme of things!)

Things always change and the night wakings will too.

Does she have a dreamfeed at about 10pm?

girliefriend · 30/05/2010 21:40

What size baby is she?! I seriously think when it comes to weaning you have to look at the baby and make your own judgements, for example is she sitting up or putting toys in her mouth? Is she watching you eat and seeming intersested in food? The 6 month rule does not fit all IMO but I know a lot of mums disagree. I weaned myy dd at about 5 months ish and believe it was the right choice for her and that she was ready for it however some babies 6 month plus is fine.
Waking every 2 hours is not good for you or baby! Hope you get a better nights kip tonight!

Original poster
cherrymama · 30/05/2010 21:41

She doesn't have a dreamfeed but I think I will introduce one when I go to bed about 10 as this will hopefully help. Thanks for the advice both!

OP posts:
Lulumaam · 30/05/2010 21:42

wrong time to reduce night feeds.. 5 months is v little and it is classic growth spurt time, if she is hungry.. feed her... it will also ensure your supply is not outstripped by her demand.

if she is sitting unaided, has good head control, lost her tongue thrust reflex and could pick up, chew and swallow food, you could try her with some food..

but there's no hurry

breast milk is more than ample for her at this age

Original poster
cherrymama · 30/05/2010 21:42

PS She is quite a little baby, between 9th and 25th centile and only 13lb7oz at 5 months.She can't sit up unaided yet.Thanks girliefriend, I hope I get a bit more sleep tonight too!

OP posts:
Iggisfulloftayto · 30/05/2010 21:44

Around 4 months my DS started waking more in the night for feeds. So I suppose I could've weaned him then, but I chose not to - and he just stopped it again (well, stopped waking more than once!) at about 5 months, started weaning at 6. There is so much variety in their feeding habits.

PrettyCandles · 30/05/2010 21:50

Will she take more feeds during the day? It ispossible that she's so interested in the world that she is distracted and doesn't feed well during the day, hence having to stock up at night.

The 6m rule is a generalsation. Some babies will not be ready for solids until later (ds2, 8.5m) some earlier (dd, 5m). You can tell if a baby is ready earlier because they eyeball you as you eat, watching the food go from plate to mouth, and they try to grab it as well. At this age any baby holding anything will put it in their mouth, but it will be an almost mindless, instinctive action. They are unlikely even to look at it at first. A baby who is ready and eager for solids will know what to do with the food because of having watched you, and will put it purposely into their mouth. They may not examine the first mouthful, but they will do at some point soon after.

MumNWLondon · 01/06/2010 14:28

I has this with my DS. I didn't mind when it was 3 hourly, but once it was 2 hourly I got fed up..... He was 4 months and just hungry.

I delayed weaning until 5 months by topping up with a bottle of hungry baby formula at 10pm. He still woke up once a night for a breast feed but that was manageble.

Another option can be to express breastmilk in the morning when you have more and then to top up with EBM.

elkiedee · 01/06/2010 15:06

You don't need to start weaning now. Babies often go through phases of waking up more or less, and when it's more it can get really tiring but it may not be about food - mine were early teethers and I think that affected them.

elkiedee · 01/06/2010 15:08

Also, if you can stand it why not just feed? I found with ds2 at that age that it was often the easiest way to get him to go back to sleep. When it didn't work, I don't think much else would.

AngelDog · 01/06/2010 20:44

Could be the 4 month (ish) sleep regression: see here, here, here and here. It will probably improve of its own accord.

A number of people I know found that when they started solids their babies' sleep got worse in the short term as they were waking up due to the new sensations in their digestive systems making them feel uncomfortable.

One concern about starting solids before 6 months is that solids can replace milk feeds (instead of supplementing them), meaning that babies are getting even less nutrition than they would have been on milk alone. This could make her sleep worse, as OhExpletive says.

Can you try co-sleeping as a short-term measure to get more sleep?

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