My boy cant get enough of booby!

[stoked2be-a-ma]

My beautiful 10 month old son has been keeping me up all night this week feeding. I have spoken to my health nurse about it previously and she didnt help much. I have tried giving him water instead, teething gel ect and he still wont settle. He cut his first tooth about two weeks ago and has cut two more since then and he dealt quite well with it so I dont think it would be that. He is feeding about 4- 5 times through the night and we are supposed to be doing that many over 24 hours. He has never slept all night and that has never bothered me but this is just becoming too much. DH has been home this week with an injury which has been lucky because he starts work at 4am and Corby is waking us both up. We havent made any major changes to our lifestyle and I am sure he is getting enough food so if anybody at all can give some advice, tips ect I would be very gratefull. Cheers :)

[the_queen]

Would you be able to co-sleep with him for a while? I wasn't lucky enough to be able to breastfeed longer than 4 months with Vallerie, but from what I've been told from other mums, co-sleeping with an "older" breastfeeder can make things much easier. Even though it still wakes you up, if he can snuggle next to you and feed "laying down" IYKWIM, it might even be possible for you to fall back to sleep before he's finished. I've even heard of mothers who don't even wake up for this! The bubba just latches himself on and away he goes!:D

[stoked2be-a-ma]

Hi thanks for the advice but we do sleep with him. He doesnt just wake up he puts on a big peformance and because my milk supply isnt used to feeding so regulary it takes a while to let down so by then he is in a state. I like to keep him happy and am trying the best I can to cope but Im worried it will happen again next week when DH has to go back to work.

[the_queen]

Oh you poor mumma, you must be exhausted. You sound like a wonderful mother and it's very obvious that you are trying the best you can. I know there's herbs you could take to boost your milk supply - maybe if that worked you could express enough for a couple of night time feeds? But then maybe that wouldn't make things any easier either. It could just be the teeth coming through, or it could have nothing to do with it. (Geez I'm really not very helpful am I.....:o )
(((hugs))) to you, I wish I had some more constructive advice for you, but all I could suggest is maybe your DH could sleep in another room if this is all still happening next week.

[stoked2be-a-ma]

Thanks alot anyway. To look on the bright side I get more time to myself during the day because he is catching up on sleep. Hes a really good happy little fellow but he just LOVES his booby a little to often. Hopefully it sorts itself out. If only we knew what was going on inside their heads. Also Sorry that you had to stop feeding.

[shanias_mum]

hi stoked - have you tried giving your bubba a formula bottle before he goes down for his night time sleep? my dd used to be really fussy when she was really young and i had to co - sleep with her, she was a premmie and was in hosp for nearly 3 weeks so i guess she just wanted to be near me.

But in never really had enough milk for her unlike you, but i think it is worth a try. You can ring up the formula companies and get them to send you some samples so you dont have to waste any money if he doesnt like it, or try him on some cows milk, it wont hurt him. Give a try and let us know how it goes.

Keep smiling - it'll all be worth it. :D

[mumma of 2]

well you have been given some good advice already and the formula idea is good i love bf and think that it is best but some time that extra goodness from the formula getts the kids a little fuller then bf.Plus you can see what they are really getting not just guessing as you can't see what comes out of the breast. and if you are going to try the milk thing i would water it down part part for a little while first. if that makes sence.

this one feed may also give you some time to kick up your heels up. get dad to feed him so that they can bond and stuff. you may just need to take this time to chill as children do feel your stress and pain and that can work them up and they mainly do this at night when you want to sleep.

not sure if this is any help and as like you i don't get much sleep evey night my son is 4 months old (3months prem) and he feeds for about 30 to 45 min at a time and damands evey 3 hours so that means in two hours time we are awake again for a nother feed. so i only get two hour blocks of sleep. My husband is a baker and i don't ask him to do any thing of a night as he needs his sleep. my daughter is almost 3 and it rear if she is to sleep through the night (but she doesn't wake for food it to hope into bed with us.)

cheers for now
Sheridan
me 27
husband 27
Brigette almost 3
Blair 4 months

[Goosie22]

extra goodness from the formula getts the kids a little fuller then bf.

:confused: are you serious, formula is empty calories with no goodness compared to breastmik, The reason babies seem fuller when using formula is because it is very hard for thier little stomachs to digest. It just sits there untill they manage to pass it through his immature gut. It also increases the risk little babies will develop cows milk allergies, asthama, eczema ontop of risking your supply and early weaning.

My answer to the question, he may be trying to increase your milk supply(did he go through a spell were he wasn't that interested), have you thought to try Fenugreek to help boost your supply, I am sure it is just a phase and everything will settle back down if you persist lovingly and you supply kicks back in.

G:)

[AM]

He is feeding about 4- 5 times through the night and we are supposed to be doing that many over 24 hours.

there is no set number of feeds at that age, my 2 year old did the same at that age, I just found I got used to the feeding, and barely woke up any more.

And formula is definitely an inferior food to breastmilk, it *may* fill his gut, but is generally no where near as good for growing a baby.

[Foxymoron]

I am sure he is getting enough food so if anybody at all can give some advice, tips ect I would be very gratefull. Cheers


So it's not a supply problem, that's good news :)
It's probably a phase, especially with the teething. Sounds to me that you are doing all you can to provide him with a supportive envioronment while he is waking up distressed. I know it seems hard but these things do pass, when they are that age they get into a "pattern" and then a month later it changes, leaving you wondering what's going on... but it's all normal. Try to enlist all the help you can get so you have a bit of a nap or time to feel refreshed during the day. Make the times he does wake up during the night all business too, give him a feed and cuddles, keep the lights off and pretend to go back to sleep yourself. (You haven't mentioned him being playful or anything but I thought I'd toss that one in just in case part of the problem is how long he is up during these feeds) :)



[that extra goodness from the formula getts the kids a little fuller then bf.
Advice given with good intentions, but oh lordy :eek: Let's try to keep the tone of advice in this Breastfeeding forum related to breastfeeding. If a mother is looking for weaning advice then tips on bottlefeeding are best found in the bottlefeeding forum. I just think it avoids anyone getting offended and turning peoples questions into raging debates.

[HoopDeeDoo]

Maybe its because he is sleeping with you, and he's excited to be so close to mummy and daddy. Maybe try putting him in a cot in your room to start with, or try putting him in his own room. I know once Noah got to that age if he was upset and was in bed with us he just wanted to play.
He might sleep better if he can't smell your milk?
Good luck it's so hard for you when they don't sleep

[Notchalk]

I know you said he's fine with the teething, but perhaps that is his way of coping with the pain or whatever he is feeling in his gums - he needs the familliar reassurance of the feed at night. It could only be for comfort, which is fine if you're willing to do it! Co-sleeping would help your sanity, I'm sure.

Some nights my DS (who is in a cot in our room) has to sleep with me if he wakes too often (ie hourly!) at the start of the night, and then he sleeps all night.

That's beside the point...

Maybe he's thirsty? Getting too much salt during the day?? Hot nights? About to start walking? I think there are lots of possible reasons...

Good luck!

Jo

[juju]

Hi Stoked,you may be suprised but your story made me feel relieved! i can't tell you what to try because I am experienceing the same thing with my 11 month old. An awful part about it is that he became so restless in bed with us we had stop co sleeping - and I have been playing musical beds ever since. I tried night weaning last week but then he got gastro then I got gastro and now I have bronchitis as well as insomnia!!!That means I have low milk which means he's hungry! Aaaaahhh!!!!
BTW - I have tried the formula thing before bed and Sol won't have a bar of formula!
I've put it down to a growth spurt - but do post agaim and tell us how it's going.

Steph (mum to Sol - 11months)