Pleeeeease help me to help my 7 month old sleep through the night

[JuliaAndJohn]

ds1 and ds2 slept 7-7 from 4 months.
ds3 is 7 months and still doesn't sleep through. He goes down anywhere between 6:30 and 7:30 and he wakes at least once, more often twice and sometimes three times. He feeds for 15-20 minutes and then goes straight back to sleep. He is exclusively breastfed and on solids. I don't express and I want a life back and an un-interrupted night's sleep. He is very good in that he goes straight back to sleep immediately he is fed. Is he hungry? I want to stop breastfeeding in the next couple of months, but will only start weaning off the breast when he sleeps through (don't want to be fiddling with sterilisers in the middle of the night!!) Surely he should be able to go the whole night without milk by now? Suggestions?

All I can say is that all babies are different.

Dd1 was sleeping a twelve hour stretch at 5mths, dd2 has just turned 10mths and still wakes anytime between 3.30am - 5.00am for a feed before going straight back to sleep again. Sometimes wakes more often but will go back to sleep with a bit of shushing, back stroking etc.

I know that she can go to sleep on her own as she frequently does, so can only conclude that she will start sleeping through when she is ready to. (She is also exclusively breastfed and I don't express).

Much as I would love a full nights sleep, my feeling is that at this age it is not unreasonable to sometimes be hungry or want some comfort during the night. (In fact, last night, I woke up myself at 4am, absolutely starving!)

I know this probably doesn't help much but at least you know you are not alone!

J&J -
I went through recently a similar prolem. I decided it was not hunger after going through some rough nights where he woke up, we gave him a bottle with water. You can try that to see if it is hunger, habit or confort...

My dd is nearly 8 months and exactly the same. Wakes nearly every 2 hours at night, sometimes more but straight back to sleep after a feed (breastfed also). I think she is hungry as feeds alot better at night than in the day with so many distractions about. I'm hoping as she gradually increases solids the feeds at night will decrease. I've got this far so can manage another few months! Plus I'll really miss the feeds and cuddles when she's older so enjoys them now (or thats what I tell myself at 3am but who am I kidding!)

My 5.5 month old has two bottles a night - if you wanted to switch to bottles at night at some point the easiest way i find is to sterilise the bottles and fill with cooled boiled water and they will keep for 24 hours at room temperature. When baby wakes at night you can then add powder you have previously measured out (in a travel tub specially designed for this - you can get them from mothercare). This saves you having to go downstairs, get bottle from fridge, heat it up etc (which you would have to do if you mixed it before going to bed). Even if baby prefers it heated up a little you could keep a flask of hot water and jug in bedroom ready.

I too am desperate for ds2 to sleep through - ds1 was 15 months before he slept through only because we decided we'd had enough and let him cry - it does seem to be habit sometimes. Once we decided to let him cry it only took a couple of nights and from then he slept wonderfully. I think "the experts" say babies shouldn't need night feeds from 6 months but i don't know if this has changed in light of recommended weaning age changing from 4 months to 6 months. And trouble is, many babies don't agree with the experts anyway!

We are going to try something i read on another thread on mumsnet i.e. reducing scoops of formula to 5 in 6oz water, then 4 in 6oz water etc. Will let you know if it works.