8 month premature ebf baby wakes every 2 hours in the night - HELP!

[bevmfdes]

My baby was born at 32 weeks. She is exclusively breastfed and won’t take a bottle (we have tried and tried). She struggles to fall asleep on her own. Some nights she will, but will wake every 1-2 hours in the night and will nurse back to sleep. I have tried feeding her and putting her in drowsy but awake and she will mostly fall back asleep, only to wake up again shortly after. I was up from 3am to 6.30am last night as she just kept feeding and falling asleep for 10 mins in her crib and then waking up again. I’m struggling. I feel like a bad mum. She is now 8 months old (6 months corrected) and just won’t sleep for long. She will only nap 1 or 2 cycles in the day as well. I don’t know what to do. I’m so sleep deprived. I’m worried about going back to work like this.

Hi- do you mean 8 weeks premature?

Yes, sorry. I didn’t word it very well. She is now 8 months old. She was born 8 weeks early, so is 6 months corrected.

Has she started solids? That might help?

Dummy
White noise on loud
Own bedroom

YOU ARE NOT A BAD MUM!!

Newborns need feeding every 3 - 4 hours;

Been there, done that. Mine was born at 38 weeks.

Take naps with him when he sleeps. (single mum).

He's now a strapping lad at 34, 6 foot tall, Hallelujah!

We’ve started giving some vegetables. She has only started to sit up with little support. I plan on upping my weaning game with her as I thought it might help. My partner says it’s because she contact napped on me for a few months, which she did, but did sleep about 5 hour stretches at night time. So I don’t think it is because of that. I’m just feeling like a failure atm and I just don’t know how much longer I can cope

It’s difficult because her sleep association is feeding. It takes commitment but I would switch her sleep association to something else.

Start by introducing a cuddly toy as you feed etc. pick up put down doesn’t involve crying but it will take time.

I’d say that sounds pretty normal tbh. (Sorry). My ebf babies fed all through the night it felt like at points. Especially as baby is bigger and If isn’t much yet will be getting all that food from you. Keep going! Sounds like you’re doing really well.

When my full term FF baby was 8 months old we went through hell! She went through a crazy sleep regression and I honestly thought I was gonna lose my mind. Nothing in particular worked, it was just a phase that she eventually moved on from. But I would up the weaning in the meantime.

You sleep when she sleeps so day or night.

Please don't feel like a failure. And in the nicest possible way, tell your partner to take a hike!! You do what you need to do to get through those early months when you're ebf, if contact worked and you were getting sleep, that's absolutely fine.

I do think it will get better the more solids she has, but hang in there. You're doing a fab job and persevering with the ebf when you're knackered is brilliant.

Please don't feel like a failure. And in the nicest possible way, tell your partner to take a hike!! You do what you need to do to get through those early months when you're ebf, if contact worked and you were getting sleep, that's absolutely fine.

I do think it will get better the more solids she has, but hang in there. You're doing a fab job and persevering with the ebf when you're knackered is brilliant.