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18 week old baby - not sleeping well

16 replies

chelle33 · 12/05/2022 04:47

Hi all,
Looking for some advice on how to get my 18 week old to sleep better. For context, this is what a typical night looks like and has done pretty much since he came out of NICU at three weeks old. He sleeps in his next to me.
6.30 - 7.00: last feed of the day (8oz expressed milk)
7.00 - 7.30: bath/wash and change into bedclothes
7.45 - 8.00: in bed - tends to drift off fairly easily, sometimes needs white noise
10.30 - 12: wakes for first night feed (bf)
2.30 - 4: wakes for second feed - hard to settle back down (bf)
Anywhere from 2.30 to 6am all bets are off! I try other methods of soothing, but only the breast seems to work.
7am - awake
Daytime sleep is good with three solid naps. He feeds pretty much every 3 hours and has 7-8 ounces per feed (bottle) I did ebf until very recently but he kept coming on and off the breast and neither of us were getting anywhere.
Anyway, my point is that my sleep is broken and I'm exhausted. I'm reading that babies should only be waking once or twice and 4-5 hour stretches are common. I need to establish good sleep before returning to FT work or I'll struggle to cope.
Any advice/tips welcomed 😊
Thanks for reading

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thingymaboob · 12/05/2022 08:06

You can't do much at this age more than you're doing by the sounds of it. Now that you're bottle feeding, sleep in shifts with your partner and sleep train when 6+ months

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paoejehah · 12/05/2022 08:14

I combination fed mine and found they slept longer at night between feeds if they had formula. Is that an option?

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collieresponder88 · 12/05/2022 08:17

Reading this it seems he sleeps better after a bottle ? Could a dummy be better during the night after a feed rather keep using the boob. Just an idea

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mrscotton · 12/05/2022 09:16

My LO is 9 weeks and only wakes for a feed once overnight, he does 5 hour stretches (tends to be 9.30pm, 2.30am and then 7.30am). He is formula fed so we know what he has and we use dummies to settle him if he disturbs overnight but not needing a feed. I would suggest try giving him his bedtime feed by a bottle as you know what he is taking and try a dummy to see if he will soothe himself. Also if feeding by bottle, you can share the night feeds with your partner.

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chelle33 · 13/05/2022 10:35

Hi, thank you for your reply 😊 I am currently combi feeding and trying to wean him off bfing gradually to avoid mastitis. He takes 8oz bottles of formula and one expressed bottle almost every 3 hours during the day and bfing twice a day. I thought it would help him sleep better with the amount he eats, but he still wakes up every three hours for food. A dummy helps soothe him, but he is actually hungry lol. I am very jealous of your 5 hour stretches 😂

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chelle33 · 13/05/2022 10:37

Haha I think I just have a greedy baby. He eats so much. He's healthy in every other regard. I suppose I'll just have to ride it out and hope he settles soon! 🤣

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chelle33 · 13/05/2022 10:38

Hi,
Thanks for your reply 😊 the dummy sometimes works but he is genuinely hungry and always polishes off a bottle. I'm sure it'll pass 😬

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Perfect28 · 13/05/2022 10:39

Your baby sleeps better than my 14 month old and I'm back at work. You will just cope. It doesn't sound that bad, honestly. I know that doesn't help when you're in the thick of it.

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Twizbe · 13/05/2022 10:42

That isn't too bad really.

Tbh I found my EBF baby slept way better than my combi fed one. I don't know, perhaps because she regulated what she had she got into a pattern that suited her hunger better 🤷🏼‍♀️

Try to nap in the day when they do and see if breastfeeding at night helps. Breastmilk contains a hormone that can help with sleep.

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JurasicPerks · 13/05/2022 10:53

I think he's doing brilliantly. Sorry, that doesn't help with your tiredness, but ignore the books. Baby hasn't read them!

Would you consider going to bed at 8pm occasionally? If you have a partner who could give the first bottle of the night between 10.30 and 12, on a bad night you could sleep 8-2, and a good night 8-4. Yes, it sucks, but depends on how much you need the extra sleep.

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ReadtheReviews · 13/05/2022 11:04

If it was 18 months I'd be looking at patterns and wondering what to do about it.but for me, up to 1 year for both dc was just a blur due to lack of sleep. Just went with the flow really and gradually around 10m to a year a pattern started to emerge that was consistent with day and night. Ft work before that would have not worked for me.

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MolliciousIntent · 13/05/2022 11:07

3 naps is on the low side for a baby that young, how long is he awake in-between? Could be that he's overtired. Could also be the 4m sleep regression. Could also be that he's a baby.

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RedWingBoots · 13/05/2022 11:16

I'm reading that babies should only be waking once or twice and 4-5 hour stretches are common.

Every baby and child is an individual. Some don't sleep all night until they are at school.

If he's waking up for food he's hungry so feed him.

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chelle33 · 18/05/2022 23:02

Thank you. I have no context except others saying that their babies 'slept/sleep much better than mine! 🤣

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chelle33 · 18/05/2022 23:06

Thanks for your reply 😊 I've been going to bed at 8pm but I struggle to drift off at that time even though I'm tired. I'm naturally a night owl, so it's the mornings I find more difficult. Husband does help occasionally, but I feel bad as he has to get up early for work.
I'll get through this and others comments on this thread tell me that his sleep is not as' bad' as I think it is.

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chelle33 · 18/05/2022 23:09

Thank you for your reply 😊 I think my expectations have been too high! I think I need to accept this for longer and it helps knowing that it's normal. I did ask for part time hours but got refused, so I have no choice. As a teacher, I'll inevitably be working evenings, too. I'll find a way to cope.

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