Is there a 6 mth growth spurt, and if so, when does it end?!

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Hi, DS is 6 months and for the last month and a half started waking at 5am/5.30 or occasionally 6am clearly hungry. Before then he managed to go to 7 or later. He is exclus BF and has a dreamfeed at 10.30pm and now, due to the early waking, has 5 feeds during the day, so 6 in all.

I have recently started BLW but little is actually being consumed yet, which is what I expected. I would love to know if others have experienced this and if their LOs went back to sleeping later, and when!

Thanks x

I used to feed my DD one formula bottle before bed which would fill her up and she would sleep for the night. I still BF her right up until I gave her that bottle.
That might help?

That seems a similar amount of feeds to what my DS had at the same age.

I am not keen on giving formula just to make them sleep a bit longer at night, so that wouldn't be my cup of tea.

Unfortunately my DS still has a wee feed at about 5 am (he is 9mo), this used to be much earlier though, so maybe your DS will move back to a later time as usual. DS does go back to sleep after the 5am feed for a couple of hours.

There is definitely meant to be a 6 month growth spurt though.

Hope somebody knowledgeable will be along to help you soon

Mine took off like a rocket after 4 months when started on solids after she started waking at 5am for a feed. She went from the 50th centile for length to the 95th in about 2 months, and has stayed there. She is now 12 and about 5"5' ish.

So, brace yourself for the next 10 years or so.

I had my reasons for doing it. I was under a lot of pressure to be able to cope with newborn, keep on top of the housework and eat well, without much support at all.
I nearly fainted a few times whilst holding the baby because I did too much, too little sleep and loss of blood in labour.
I found giving the one bottle of formula at night really helped me get those extra few hours of sleep I seriously needed.
Not sure why I feel I have to justify one formula feed

I totally didn't mean to criticise, on reading it back I am a bit really hope you weren't offended fyi!

Your circumstances are totally different, but lots of people seemed to suggest it to me just for convenience, which made me a bit

Sorry again!

Thanks all, and I have tried giving a top-up of formula after the BF dreamfeed but it didn't make any difference - I am not at all anti FF as when I was really ill with flu my milk supply went really low and coupled with the extra feed per day I couldn't manage, so gave one FF a day. Back just BF now as it suits both of us. I actually wish I had introduced a FF for the dreamfeed from the start and got DH to give it, like all the other girls in my NCT group. But I am a control freak :-) plus I liked BF DS to sleep in the early weeks.

No it's ok, I think I went a bit silly there!
No I dont like FF just for convienance, I know a girl who never even tried to BF and she always dumps her baby on her mum and walks about like shes a great mum because she's "taking him to the park tomorrow"...
And had the cheek to try lecture me...

Anyway, bit off subject there..get what you mean though jaggythistle.

I liked BF too but I was always advised not to let my DD fall asleep whilst BF because she'd become "dependant" or something but I found that really hard...I mean I'm not going to poke a sleeping baby just to then put her in the cot to sleep...if she wasnt asleep on the B she would cry.
The only time BF'ing became a difficulty was when she went through the growth spurts and latched on the whole day, as soon as I put her down she'd wake and cry so I didnt even have time to eat nevermind anything else!

Oh and when I said "Not sure why I feel I have to justify one formula feed" I didnt mean that rudely, I was actually aiming that at myself, I dont think the emoticon helped...

Aye growth spurts were flippin hard work! My DH had to come home and rescue me once, as it was 2pm and I don't think I had managed to eat yet. One of those days with an endless cycle of feeding and pooing it seems!

I have heard that about not feeding to sleep, but it seems bonkers to wake them I agree.

At 9mo DS still feeds to sleep sometimes, it is quite handy as he is having a separation anxiety thing these days and thinks I am abandoning him if I put him in his cot for a minute!

You know I dont think it is separation anxiety at all, my DD didnt like me leaving her in her cot, I even did the big 'no no' of letting her sleep in my bed.
It was hard because when I did BF through the night she would wake as soon as I put her back in her cot and come on, how long can you stay awake, past midnight, in your own bed, BF'ing LO, watching them nod off happily and not nod off yourself, especially after a whole day of, like you said, BF'ing and cleaning nappies!
I really dont know if we've just turned into a overprotective state with newborns or not, it just seems some things they recommend are not workable.

I was thinking seperation anxiety because he always used to feed to sleep, then one day fell asleep by himself. After that he would happily go to sleep watching his mobile by himself if he hadn't fallen asleep feeding.

It is only recently he gets all worried when we put him in his cot, even if it's just to wash our hands after a change or something. He is peeking out looking for us.

We are just cuddling him to sleep at the moment

Aww. Imo it's just a baby wanted to be with his parents. My little one really didnt like me putting her in her cot (or her playpen), and this lasted til she was about 3!
She used to always want to sleep in our bed.
I put it down to letting her sleep with me from when she was a newborn but it could have just been she liked it and deep down knew I felt more secure knowing she was in my bed!
She does sleep in her own bed now but still sometimes tries "But I want to sleep in your bed!"