My bf 13 month old still wakes up 3-4 times at night

[LethargicButAwesome]

He's pretty much exclusively breast fed, although since going back to work I have introduced he bottle, he only manages a couple of ounces tho and refuses point blank it at bedtime. He wakes up atleast 3 times during the night sometimes more rarely less and demands the breast, nothing else will console him. Because he wakes up so often he generally ends up in bed with us, He is otherwise a well behaved baby and rarely cries during the day, but night times are a different story, he will not settle until he is on the breast. Sometimes he is feeding and sometimes it's just comfort sucking, I've read most 1 yo are sleeping through at this stage, started work recently so wondering if anyone else has had this experience ? Any hints? Every article I have read talks about 6-8 month year olds,

Mine started sleeping through at 23 months, I've heard some people say they didn't get a full night until after 3 years. Sorry to be depressing but it's not unusual at 13 months.

DS always wanted to bf through the night too, no amount of rocking, singing, cuddles or music ever worked. I think it's a comfort thing.
I never tried a bottle to be honest but I doubt he would have taken it.
Just keep up the good work, sounds like you are doing the best for your baby.

My 17 month old still wakes between 1 and 3 times a night to feed, if I am out at bedtime then he wakes more frequently than if I feed him to sleep. Its also worse if he is teething or has something hes allergic to by accident. It is nornal unfortunately, but it is possible to just night wean and keep feeding during the day- I followed Dr Jay Gordons advice with my eldest when she was about 13 months old and it did work, I continued feeding her in the day till she was 2.3 years old. The Link is here to the method I used drjaygordon.com/attachment/sleeppattern.html I dont intend to with my youngest, I might in a couple of months if he hasn't slept through by then!

Mine is a similar age and I have recently nightweaned, now just feeding first thing and bedtime, I'll see how I feel after a few weeks and decide whether to continue or cut down further or stop. I just went in with a sippy cup instead, initially of milk but he never drank any so after 5 days or so I went in with water instead. Husband did the first night and he went straight back to sleep. We had one night with a lot of crying but now he does go back to sleep without me feeding him and on average is waking up less now. I should say though that I wasn't actually feeding him to sleep, he was going in the cot awake (I did controlled crying at about 6 months to get away from feeding to sleep). I was so fed up with feeding at night though that I was really determined to stop.

He is possibly catching up on feeds he missed during the day and he wants to be close to you. It's perfectly normal. Check out the kellymom website and la leche league for more information

Thanks ladies that's reassuring, everywhere you read tho does not talk about 12monyhs plus babies sleep process...kinda vary that I may have another year of t tho!!! Will try out some of our methods, we are ttc so night feeds are not helping, but equally don't want my baby to suffer because of our plans!

Further question, what led your baby to wean at night is it something you had to actively enforce or did he juststart sleeping through the night when he was ready... know some of you have commented with a strategy but wondering for those who have not ....?

I had this with my DD. She woke constantly throughout the night until I weaned her at 18 months. When she woke in the night I would hold her and offer water but I said "no" to breastfeeding. It was hard and of course she cried but she started sleeping through after 2 nights I think. Good luck!

To be honest, at that age, 3-4 wakes is perfectly normal (and to me, that's a good night!)

And I know based on last night that me, or DH trying anything else just ends up with less sleep for all of us.

Sleep is developmental, it'll happen at some point but, to be honest, how many of us really 'sleep through', and for 12 hours at that!?!

My DD was waking about the same at the same age. A month or two later and she suddenly dropped to once or twice, and now at 16 months she frequently sleeps through with just a feed at bedtime and one on waking (stopped them through the day at about 13 months as she would just play and bite ). We didn’t do anything different, she just got there when she was ready. I know of a fair few babies still not sleeping through well past the ageing your DS so I’d say definitely normal. Frustrating and tiring, but normal.

I would nightwean - offering water. My Hv advised doing this around the 8 month mark and she started sleeping much better after that. If you want to carry on, that’s fine but if you’re exhausted I’d nightwean, my hv said they don’t need night feeds post 6 months if they’re eating well.

My DD was the same until I decided to stop breastfeeding a couple of months ago at 16 months. She slept through for 3 weeks straight after that (I was in shock) but since has woke some nights but it's only ever once (teething I think).

I think it's normal to be honest esp for breastfeeding babas.

I agree it’s normal for BF babies. If you’re happy to continue then by all means do. But I think BF babies who start to sleep through of their own accord are a minority. Most mothers find they need to stop the night feeds in order for the baby to sleep through. Many mothers end up feeding for years because as long as breastmilk is there as an incentive they keep waking up.

I night weaned DD1 at 8 months and DD2 at 11 months and saw huge improvements in sleep thereafter with both of them. The first two nights were hard but after that it was much better.

Yes, this happens :( even when I might weaned and fully weaned (at about 2) he still didn’t sleep through. Still wakes asking for water in the night at 2y6m

Even if night weaning didn’t stop or reduce all the wakings, it makes it easier for someone else to relieve you.

My LO EBF (still) started sleeping through at 16 months ish. We moved him to a double mattress and he slept through ! The cot was waking him up as he didn't have enough room ! I wish we figured that out sooner x

Normal sorry.

Send in DH. We tag teamed to reduce the number of night feeds down to 1. Then finally cut out all together. That was basically a week of DH co sleeping while I stayed in a different room.

DS would go mental if I was there and boob was not forthcoming. Attempting to offer warm water sent him berserk. Much better all round to send in DH who is boobless