4 months old breastfed and waking most nights every hour some nights several times in an hour

[BeverleyJane]

My son started going to sleep at 6pm and feeding every 3hrs in night. that was great, then he started teething.... 2 months later still no teeth and less sleep than I got when he was new. Im on my own an Ive tried everything I can think of Im tired and fed up

Talk to a breastfeeding counsellor from one of the voluntary organisations (google NCT, Breastfeeding Network, La Leche League Association of Breastfeeding Mothers etc for local phone number). Help is free, confidential, and with no strings.

Sounds to me like he is not getting enough milk, possibly because of positioning or attachment to the breast. Or he might be having a growth spurt. You (and he) may well have got it right before, but babies grow and problems can develop. You need one to one specialist help from an expert.

It is hard enough getting through problems with bf when you have a full time partner to help, but on your own it must be even more difficult and I take my hat off to you. But if you can get through this you and your baby will reap the long term benefits. Good luck.

A growth spurt sounds likely but well worth getting attachment checked out just in case. The national breastfeeding helpline is 0300 100 0212 - but ask for one-to-one support as mentioned above. The lovely ladies at the Breastfeeding Network have been so helpful to me.

How do you feel about having baby in bed with you? That way perhaps you could feed him and sleep at the same time. When I learned to feed DS while lying down, it totally changed my life!

Keep up the good work. This stage doesn't last forever (although I'm sure that's no consolation when you are so tired right now).

I have exactly the same problem - DD wakes hourly or more at night but isn't hungry. Is just over 5 months and has been like this since 3 months. I was advised to top up each BF with formula during the day (she takes at least 4oz top up after both boobs) her daytime naps have improved but still up every hour at night....not sure what else to try!!!
Sorry I can't hep you but I can certainly sympathise!

My dd was like this around 4 months. She woke up every 1 1/2 hours for feeds - was unbearable.

I spoke to a La Leche League counsellor who said that it is very common around 4 months for babies to become very distracted while feeding during the day. As a result, they don't eat enough during the day and make up the calories during the night. She recommended going into a quiet, boring, possibly darkened room for feeds during the day.

When I tried this, my dd changed from feeding for 5 -10 min at a time to feeding for 40 - 50 mins. I couldn't watch TV or read books while feeding her and no-one else could be in the room with us. The slightest thing of interest resulted in her trying to see what was going on. Within a few days she was sleeping 3 or 4 hours in a row - not brilliant, but enough for me to be able to function OK.