night feeding - inevitable tiredness

[pollyannasgladgame]

At risk of being too ambitious with my ten week old....I have been really hoping he would drop the 2am feed but not so far. ( have to admit I have been encouraged by my unhealthy addiction to self-help books and experts stating that he should have done so by now)

He was born 6-13 and has been putting on about a pound a week (exclusively breastfed) and so now is a beefy 14 pounds plus.

Is he feeding at least twice in the night because he is big? Or is he big because of the night feeding? And if so, is that a problem if he is not so hungry for his 7am feed?

Have tried using a dummy and cooled boiled water in the night but this has not settled him and has definitely been hungry so I continue to feed him.

He feeds well every 3 hours at least during the day and we wake him for a feed at 10:30pm which he takes.

I am very happy that he is putting on weight and feeding well, but with his waking at 2 and again at 4 and/or 5 am for feeds and then not going back to sleep after 5, I am getting really tired (and thinking ahead a little anxious about what I will do when I return to work...)

I feel spoilt for moaning when I have a healthy lovely boy but would appreciate any advice so I can a) do something or b) relax into his pattern with a clear conscience that I'm doing the right thing by continuing to b/f him through the night.

Hi hun

I'm hearing that you've been reading the books - ditto!! I too have a 10 wk old who is still waking in the night and it really frustrates me because according to the 'experts' she should be doing at least one long stretch by now, and she just isn't!!

I too tried the cooled boiled water thing, in an attempt to get DD2 to up her milk intake in the day. It really doesn't work as far as I can tell! So, I decided to ignore the books and follow what DD2 wanted. I figured that the more milk she drinks (no matter what time she may chose to drink it!) the faster she will gain weight and eventually sleep through.

I feel your pain though - keep feeding him up hun, he'll get there in the end! In the meantime I can recommend loads of caffine before lunch to kick start the day, but none after so you're not up all night. Then 2 berrocca at lunch to give you a boost until bedtime! x

He sounds perfectly normal I'm afraid! he's only 10 weeks, both of mine were waking at least that much til 6 months at least.

I would suggest you stop fighting it and just feed when he's hungry, it is rare for them to not need night feeds at this age. And he is growing beautifully by the sounds of it.

Dull as it sounds, the best thing is just to get to bed early yourself, and not 'count' how many hours of sleep you are, or not, getting.

And I have just stopped BF DS at night. He is 1. Do sleep when he has a nap - the dishes will still be there when he wakes up.

Thank you all for your help and reassurance.

I like the idea MMWA of not counting the hours of sleep had or not had - but reckon this will certainly mean me losing my very light grasp on the rest of the world! So be it.

Will continue the night feeding and muddle on in the day! It was good to hear your empathy COB - those 'experts' ahve a lot to aanswer for!

xxx

My DD started to sleep through from 9pm - 5/6am at 8 weeks, but it didn't last so I wouldn't worry as their patterns are changing all the time when they are so little. Occasionally (maybe once a week or fortnight) she will go through now, but she has generally started to wake at 1 or 2am for a quick feed. I figure she'll drop it again when she is good and ready.

I think it's always best to follow their lead and try not to get them to give something up (or do something) that they either don't want or haven't asked for/demanded. For that reason, we have never bothered to dream feed - the only time I tried it, she woke more and didn't settle back properly for the rest of the night. Never again - I'd rather do a quick feed at 1am and go straight back to sleep if she wants a feed, she'll wake and tell me.

My DD is 6 months and still wakes between 10pm - 11 and again betwee 3 adn 4 for feeds.
It's quite normal for babies to wake in the night in their first year, you aren't doing anything wrong. These books have a lot to answer for in making parents feel as if they're failing

I'm sorry to say but it was 4 or 5 months in until DD didn't need the 3am milk. She then dropped the 11pm one about 2 months later (for her it was weaning that made the difference - as soon as she was on 2 or 3 solid meals a day, the nighttime feeds stopped).

I remember it being a really tough time especially as she likes a 5am wake up call - though again this has since changed. At 11 months old we have finally got the 6am lie in we've wanted for the past year!

It will get better, those night time feeds will stop soon - and as for those books?? What works for one kid won't necessarily work for yours - we're all different. Things may be worth a try but if they don't work, don't lose hope, things will change in their own time anyway.