BF baby - when do they start sleeping through

[RainbowsDinos889]

I have a 10.5 month old son. First 5 months, he woke every 2 hours. Then we had a blissful 4 weeks between 5-6 months where he slept really well but then teething started. Then various bugs. Teething again. Another bug. He's waking every 2-3 hours now and only wants mum. Screams his head off if dad even enters the room (loves dad in the day).

We tried persevering but he just screams and screams (for over 20 minutes) until I enter the room (and he instantly smiles!!!). Mostly wants the boob.

I'm working full time. I need some hope as I can't function.

No, cosleeping doesn't work. I hate it and it does not make him sleep more. Actually wakes even more frequently.

I can't stop breastfeeding as he has a dairy allergy so formula is not an option at this stage.

2 years old for us haha. There were stretches before then, but always regressions.

I stopped feeding my first overnight but then and went on a gina ford style routine
For the other 2 I was more tired so was too overwhelmed to be structured- but both times when I stopped feeding at night - around 1 and just after, they slept through. From the first or second night. My partner stepped up, it was really hard, but we stuck it out for one night of not very much crying and it was better immediately. I'm sorry, I'm sure others have other things that have worked but for me and most of my friends this is what stopped the night waking.

You have my sympathies. It is torture.

by then not "but then"

At his age, I would expect him to be taking most of his nutrients/calories from solid food so BF should just be for 'pleasure' and the other benefits. He should be able to eat a filling dinner and have a final BF snack at bedtime.

With DD1, we had to go cold turkey/Gina Ford b/c she just wanted attention. The first nights were tough and there was some crying but she figured it out. She was a light sleeper so from an early age, it was important that she be in her own area/room overnight.

When DD2 reached about 7mos. she was eating solids and continuing to BF a little. We moved her to her own room and she 'slept through'. We couldn't co-sleep b/c she would wake and that would wake us and she would know we were awake and fuss until I BF her a little. In her own room, she could self-soothe.

Some of this is about physical size - their stomachs need to be big enough to hold enough milk. Once you start feeding them solids (6-7mos+), they should be able to sleep for several hours at a stretch and thus sleep through the night but the official definition of this is only about 5 - 6 hrs IIRC.

Bf babies are not one homogenous group of babies

It’s normal for children to wake up in the night, breastfeeding or not. It’s absolutely miserable and I am sorry!

They are teething, sometimes ill with a lot going on in their little heads. It doesn’t make it any easier, but it’s normal. Your baby isn’t defective by not sleeping through.

dc1 didn’t sleep through until about 20/21 months and that coincided with dropping her nap

dc2 slept through from 8 weeks

both breast exclusively- however, dc2 loved a dummy. Dc1 never took them. Have you tried a dummy with cosleeping, so the warmth and smell is there- but they can suckle?

Oh he absolutely hates a dummy, always has.

I think the most recent problem comes from hand foot and mouth. He was a thumb sucker before getting that and used that to self soothe a lot. He couldn't do that when he had the horrible mouth sores (he also didn't eat for 3 days). But now I think of it he hasn't gone back to thumb sucking at all.....shit. It's literally just occurred to me.

He has 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, on top of breastfeeding 6-8 times a day. His height has shot up recently from the 30th centile to the 85th (weight is around 70th so he's not overweight) so there was some kind of growth spurt there too. He took so well to solids, everyone told me he'll be sleeping great but instead he's done a lot of growing.

@casualcrispenjoyer Bf babies are not one homogenous group of babies

Everyone I know blames me for breastfeeding, as apparently that's the cause of him not sleeping!