DS has never been a good sleeper. He has always been breastfed to sleep at night until recently but for about 7 weeks now he goes to sleep at the start of the night independently without tears.
However, come 11.30 he’s up. DH is going in to settle and we’ve been pushing the feeds back gradually over time so that he’s now fed around 2-3am (it depends how far we can get). Problem is, he does not settle for my DH. He screams and screams inconsolably for hours. If I take over, he might stop the screaming but gets cross if he’s not allowed a feed. If we can get past that battle then he will sometimes settle with me there but it takes hours. Sometimes feeding doesn’t help anyway and he has a quick feed and then is just wide awake rolling around the bed. He was awake 11.15-3.30am last night.
He is missing out on so much sleep but as well as that, it is absolutely hell on Earth for DH and I to listen to him crying his heart out non stop. We’ve tried the gentle approach with him but clearly it just isn’t working and isn’t gentle enough for him or whatever but I just can’t keep breastfeeding him all night anymore. He wakes every 2 hours and I am beyond exhausted.
Are we making this worse for ourselves by still offering the feed later on at night? Is this the problem? We’re doing it because we tried going cold turkey before and it failed miserably. I really am at such a loss and it’s breaking my heart. Please if anyone has any advice at all I’d be so grateful, thanks.