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Original poster

5 month old sooo hungry even though weaning and upset at night!!

29 replies

Firsttimemummybear · 30/03/2021 08:20

Hi all

My dd is 24 weeks. She is bf and has 3 30 min naps a day. We have recently introduced homemade purées to her which is going great but she is still feeding 10/11 times in 24 hours it seems she’s constantly hungry!
She is also getting so upset at bedtime being left alone and when she wakes up... she can’t self soothe so comfort on boob is usually only way and I’m at my wits end.

Any ideas!? Everyone says she’s a dream baby but she also needs constant milk and rocking to sleep in cot for hours at night. Wake windows are great so unsure where I’m going wrong?

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coffeeandgin26 · 30/03/2021 08:23

It's not recommended to have babies sleep alone for the first six months to protect against SIDS, so she shouldn't be waking up or going to sleep alone.

Babies need milk more than solids until they're 12 months especially if you are weaning them against nhsnguidelines

InDubiousBattle · 30/03/2021 08:24

Frequent feeding is normal, needing rocking or feeding to sleep is normal, waking in the night is normal, not being able to self soothe is normal. All to be expected with such a little baby, you're not going wrong.

Weenurse · 30/03/2021 08:26

Is she hungry, or using your breast as a dummy to soothe?
We introduced a bottle of formula at night that DH gave at bed time. This helped DD1 sleep longer

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 30/03/2021 08:29

Milk is more calorific than any purees so it should be milk first to give her what she needs.

Any purees you introduce (we skipped this and went to finger foods after 6m), should be in addition to all the milk she needs.

She doesn't seem to be napping much - what time does she get up in the morning and what time is bedtime?

Just pack the milk into her tbh. Offer her the boob every couple of hours during the day, then every time she wakes at night.

Original poster
Firsttimemummybear · 30/03/2021 08:47

She still sleeps in the room with us I just mean she goes to bed at 7pm unlike us.

OP posts:
Original poster
Firsttimemummybear · 30/03/2021 08:48

Yea sorry I should have added milk is her primary source of food of course.

I have just read 6 feeds is the norm not 11!

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HeyGirlHeyBoy · 30/03/2021 08:51

Using your breast as a dummy GrinHmm

All very normal op, especially around that time I found, perhaps a late 4m sleep regression? If be aiming for more sleep in the day as that seems v little and she might be a bit overtired and slower to settle. I hoped weaning would sort both of mine.. It didn't but it won't be forever.

FreshBedding · 30/03/2021 08:51

Both my little ones have fed constantly (multiple times a day) up to at least one. I just went with it and gave them what they wanted, some people will say differently but just do what works for you and your baby. Completely normal for them to need the boob to settle, you can let them cry it out but I was massively uncomfortable doing this so it wasn't an option I went with. I think I just had mega hungry babies 😊

Original poster
Firsttimemummybear · 30/03/2021 09:08

Sounds like we’re similar we tried CIO method and hated it!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Firsttimemummybear · 30/03/2021 09:09

Agreed 30 mins isn’t a lot but that’s when she wakes up. Unsure how to keep her asleep for longer? Have white noise, growbag and dark etc

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BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 30/03/2021 09:10

Please dont use CIO or other sleep training regimes on such a young baby.

I'd work on getting the middle nap longer - would she sleep longer if on you (sling)/on a long walk outside/a drive in the car?

Original poster
Firsttimemummybear · 30/03/2021 09:21

No as I said we hated it and won’t be trying again (was 10 mins and not our style)

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Seeline · 30/03/2021 09:25

I definitely remember my 8 month old going back to 2 hourly feeds after having got them to 3-4 hours. She was bf - refused all bottles. What you are describing is really normal for such a young baby.

When you say she goes to bed at 7, is she downstairs with you, or do you go up to bed too?

jessstan2 · 30/03/2021 09:29

@InDubiousBattle

Frequent feeding is normal, needing rocking or feeding to sleep is normal, waking in the night is normal, not being able to self soothe is normal. All to be expected with such a little baby, you're not going wrong.
Exactly.

Make sure she has a good drink of milk and a snack before bed time. She will probably still wake but not be so anxious or hungry.

jessstan2 · 30/03/2021 09:30

PS: We co-slept at that age.

Original poster
Firsttimemummybear · 30/03/2021 09:31

I put her in her cot in our bedroom with video monitor and wait until she’s asleep (which can be an hour min).

I understand she is young but she’s also nearly 6 months so thought her appetite would decrease slightly and sleep get better not worse.. was just seeing if anyone had the same

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TankGirl97 · 30/03/2021 09:37

6 feeds a day at that age sounds like far too few and was definitely not my experience, don't worry about that. Feed her as much as she wants and if you are giving purées it's just there for her to taste, not eat a substantial amount of. She needs the milk calories.
All the rest sounds normal to me!

HeyGirlHeyBoy · 30/03/2021 09:39

Don't forget the 'feeds' are not always for hunger, she is getting immense comfort from you and is possibly going through a growth or developmental leap also.

Seeline · 30/03/2021 09:41

Appetite won't decrease - she is growing at a phenominal rate!

Sleep may improve, but for many they don't sleep until a couple of years! And there will be phases where things do improve, but equally they can get worse again.

FATEdestiny · 30/03/2021 09:44

@Firsttimemummybear

I put her in her cot in our bedroom with video monitor and wait until she’s asleep (which can be an hour min).

I understand she is young but she’s also nearly 6 months so thought her appetite would decrease slightly and sleep get better not worse.. was just seeing if anyone had the same

What is happening during that hour it takes to get to sleep?

Vegetables are low calorie (It's why adults eat them when dieting) compared to milk.

Babies will continue to grow and continually need an increasing number of calories as they grow.

So it is usual that milk intake post-weaning is the same or greater than pre-weaning.

HeyGirlHeyBoy · 30/03/2021 09:45

At 9 months I hit a wall with seeming all night feeding and I managed to put down after maybe 2am into the cot. That was a big jump and I remember getting 4h straight. Later then dh settled at 2am in minutes and around 14-15m I night weaned but... That just meant 4.30 was morning time!! It is so exhausting but you will never regret it. I did pickup put down to get my ds off soother (as it didn't suit him) and I effectively night weaned him without meaning to and tbh without the knowledge. I regret it massively. Second time round I did it 'right' and I am so glad. If you can get longer day time sleeps maybe you can put the head down and if baby is going down early at night, you could get a few hours in there maybe.

HeyGirlHeyBoy · 30/03/2021 09:46

Agree re milk being number one even when they start shovelling back the food.

Original poster
Firsttimemummybear · 30/03/2021 09:46

The hour = feeding, rocking, patting, ssh-ing.

She’s 16lbs so getting enough milk I’m not worried about that. Just wondered if any tips

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FelicityPike · 30/03/2021 09:49

We’re you medically advised to wean early?

FelicityPike · 30/03/2021 09:49

Were*