I really hope someone can offer some advice but it seems like a long shot. My dd is 12 weeks and for the past couple of weeks she's been sleeping from 8 till 8 with 2 then down to 1 feeds during the night. However, for most of this week she's gone back to waking more often- twice for a couple of nights then 4 or 5 last night. She doesn't wake up screaming but she is definitely hungry and after a feed goes straight back to sleep. She's breast fed and won't take a bottle so dh can't do any of the feeds- he tries to soothe her but she won't settle without a feed. The response I usually get from various sources is 'give her a bottle of formula, it'll fill her up and she'll sleep for longer' but I REALLY don't want to do this. DH is also against the idea but is worried about my lack of sleep and I think he might start agreeing soon. I also feel like I can't talk about it to my normal sources of advice (mum and mil) because that's what they'll say- no harm to them but they didn't breast feed so don't understand how I feel. He'd be happy to give her a bottle of ebm during the night but she just won't take it- I bought an Avent cup, will that be any different?
We're going to buy a blackout blind tomorrow in case this is causing the early morning wake ups but this wouldn't explain the others.
Could it be a growth spurt or is she just getting ready for weaning? I wanted to wait till 6 months if poss but if that's the case I've got at least another 4 weeks to wait and really don't feel up to it.
It feels like my fault and that I'm doing something wrong. I feel like such a failure that I can't keep up with her appetite and cope with the lack of sleep- I managed it fine for her first few weeks. I'm sooo worried that I'll 'give in' and give her formula and will feel like even more of a failure.
She's had growth spurts before but never this long or as 'bad' as this.
Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Would formula really fill her up?
She's just fallen asleep so think I'll go back to bed