8wk old waking in night - hungry or just awake?

[Littlef00t]

So my LO wakes 3 times between 11pm and 6am, time varies depending on when she gets to sleep, and I feed her each time.

I was just wondering whether people think she is likely to be hungry every time, as she happily goes 3 hours during the day and will usually only go 4hours from bedtime feed to first night feed, then no more than 3 hourly again.

She eats when offered, but not sure how to determine if just awake.

Tbh I was hoping she would be doing a longer stretch by now, she did 6hrs once, it was amazing but never repeated.

To be clear, she usually goes to sleep around 8, so if she did, she usually wakes around 12.

Ime if she's feeding, then she's hungry. My dd won't feed unless she's hungry.

8 weeks is still tiny and night feeds are still to be expected I'm afraid!

Probably hungry I would say. Ds slept through once at 6 weeks. I was like ooh how exciting, apart from the sore boobs! The it didn't happen again for ages.

At around this age, the first time he woke I started just stroking ds. If he cried I'd feed but often he'd just go straight back to sleep and then he'd go for longer (til 4 months when it all went to pot!)

At this age they don't have wants that aren't also needs. Try feeding first.

At 8 weeks she is likely to be hungry. An 8 week old baby's stomach is tiny and that is why they can't go several hours between feeds. Just keep offering her feeds when she wakes up. The interrupted nights feel endless, but they aren't really.

That's fine, thanks for the advice. Don't have a problem feeding her at night, just didn't want to be reinforcing waking if she wasn't particularly hungry, but I'll carry on as I am.

Just a quick question, DD has a cold ATM and is feeding more as you'd expect, except she's feeding the same amount in the day and more at night. I presume this is because she's not getting as much at each bf so needs more at night to compensate?

Just rather frustrating she will go 3hr+ in day and 2-3 at night.

i think all babies are different. some more hungry then others. my daughter would def eat any time that offered...she still does! does not have an off button when it comes to eating (she is just over two). after eating dinner she will ask for yogurt and after she finishes that, she will ask for another yogurt, then noodles etc etc. i have to say no when i htink she has has enough or she will keep eating! but my son, who is 6 months...def different. he not so interested in eating and will stop the second he has had enough. i was just looking at both photos of them from 6 months and my daughter def had a lot more meat on her.

perhaps try to keep feeds at night every four hours...if she wakes before the four hours...try to put her back to sleep another way. if she doesn't got back to sleep, then offer milk

Thanks mamabear, sounds like a plan. She's much better today so will try to comfort to sleep unless seems eyre ally hungry.

Read with interest as my 10 week old v similar.

Really good night last night. Think I can differentiate her cries a bit better. Asleep by 7:30, woke at 12:30 making an 'ah ah' noise turning into a cry, so fed her. Woke again at 4am the same and fed again. She then woke at 5:30 but more of a whiny cry. Decided as she had had a really good feed less than 2hrs before prob just the daylight waking her, so shushed and patted for about 20mins, leaving her up to 1min crying in between and she went back to sleep til 7!

So I'll be looking out for the different cries and the time between feeds. Bet it won't ever be replicated but feel light at the end of the tunnel.