Nighttime feed

[MummyVicky1988]

Morning everyone!
Advice please regarding my DS who is 3 weeks old. We are very lucky that he only wakes once in the night for a feed and that's usually after around 4-5 hours sleep! Problem is, the length of time he is awake for! It can vary anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours! Any help on how to make it more consistent? Like right now, he woke up at 4am - he was changed, fed til pretty much asleep (he didn't want any more), winded and put back in his sleeping bag and now back in Moses basket. But he's wide awake, hiccuping, and I know I will end up having to get him back up, offering breast again etc etc.
Thanks in advance!

And as if on cue he's now crying.

Ah bless.
He's 3 weeks old. That's what they do!

Yes I know he is only 3 weeks old and that's what babies do but as a first time mum I was just checking I wasn't missing out anything obvious or doing something wrong.

A swaddle might help him settle more quickly.

Have swaddled before actually but had forgotten about it again as been using a sleeping bag instead. May try swaddling after night feed :)

Is winding essential for him at night? Could you feed him in his sleeping bag until drowsy/asleep and put straight down?

he woke up at 4am - he was changed, fed til pretty much asleep (he didn't want any more), winded and put back in his sleeping bag and now back in Moses basket

Maybe rethink what you do during a night wake up.

Firstly - don't change s nappy unless it is a poo

Secondly - don't take baby out of the sleeping bag at all. If you need to change a pooy nappy, you can unzip the sleeping bag and change baby while in the sleeping bag and rezip up the sleeping bag straight afterwards

• feed baby while in sleeping bag. Feeding to sleep in the night is ideal at this age.

• after feed, make the move to put babys head on your shoulder as slow and gentle as poss, try to keep baby asleep as you gentley run back for a few mins. Baby should be asleep in this middle of the night wind cuddle.

• once baby is dozing/asleep on your shoulder, bend at the waist and lower your whole body do that your torso is lying horizontally over the cot mattress. Keep baby in full contact with your body for as long as possible in the process of transferring.

• once transferred, baby should ideally stay asleep. If any stirring, place your hand on baby chest. Spread fingers wide and make it quite firm. Not pressing down, but the idea is to replace the weight baby felt of your body when lying on your shoulder. So baby needs to feel your hand there.

• in addition, if needed, a dummy may help at this point. Stay stationary with your hand on chest, reinserting dummy as needed, until fully asleep. Then extract yourself to go to sleep yourself.

If this isn't enough, try adding a light swaddle over the top of baby in the sleeping bag. A giant muslin would work and adjust clothing accordingly. The idea would be to swaddle before feeding, not after. Then baby can remain as undisturbed as possible after the feed.

BendingSpoons - I definitely think he needs winding, often get a good burp out of him after a feed but I don't prolong it once he's done that.
FATEdestiny - Thanks for the other tips, I definitely needed to change nappy as was a pooey one. Will try leaving him in sleeping bag, it was only because of changing that I took him out, will try leaving him in there when changing instead. This morning I fed him in sleeping bag as no pooey nappy and he did seem to settle easier. He struggles to keep dummy in so do find myself keep popping it back in anyway :)

In that case, FATE's suggestion would be a good way to keep him sleepy whilst winding him.